Legal Advice-No additional charge for most services
Student Legal Services (SLS) provides eligible Colorado State University undergraduate and graduate students with a consultation on most legal concerns. SLS strongly encourages students to contact us proactively, before their legal concern grows. All services are completely confidential.
NO CHARGE FOR MOST SERVICES
The office receives a small portion of student fees paid by full and part-time CSU students, allowing the office to provide most services at no additional charge.
- Appointments with attorneys…….no charge
- Notarizations under 5 pages……..no charge
Eligibility
Student Legal Services is fully funded by student fees. If you are a CSU undergraduate or graduate student taking in-person classes (full or part-time), you have already paid the SLS student fee. In rare instances when SLS has excess capacity, SLS may assist a recent graduate for a fee of $20. Services are not available for non-students.
How to Make an Appointment
Call our office at (970) 491-1482 or go to sls.colostate.edu for a confidential screening. Please call from a place where you can speak freely and be prepared to provide your contact information and details of your situation, including the names of all parties involved. A typical screening takes approximately 10 minutes. This would be advised if your issue is complicated or involves a lot of paperwork.
How We Assist
SLS attorneys “help you to help yourself.” Ordinarily, SLS attorneys will not represent you in court, as this would limit their time in the office and their ability to help other students. Moreover, many legal issues can be handled by students, themselves, after they have been fully advised. For students needing intensive attorney representation in court or otherwise, SLS attorneys will help the student understand the legal issues and prepare the student to best select and hire an outside attorney. The office does retain the discretion to provide court representation in rare instances, taking into account 1) the special needs of the particular student and 2) how broadly a successful outcome might positively impact the whole student body.
Usually, appointments are set for one hour, which gives the attorney enough time to explain the legal analysis of the problem, draft letters on the spot with the client’s assistance, make phone calls, participate in negotiations, and send the client out with an action plan. If follow-up appointments are needed, those may be provided.
Areas of Legal Expertise
Combined, our SLS attorneys have extensive experience in nearly every area of law. This allows the office to help almost every eligible student who comes in the door, with the exception of students with tax or complex intellectual property questions. When the attorneys do not have the expertise to assist a student, SLS refers them to relevant resources.
Conflict of Interest Policy
Occasionally, SLS is restricted from helping a student due to a conflict of interest. When appropriate, SLS may refer the student to community attorneys who have agreed to provide a consultation for a reduced fee that is paid by SLS. Criminal defense attorneys in Fort Collins tend to offer initial consultations at no charge, so SLS does not make paid referrals in criminal cases. SLS does not provide legal services for housing cases to landlords, even if they are eligible students.[/text_output]