Eligibility & Services

Eligibility

Student Legal Services is available to all students who are assessed the Urbana campus Service Fee. Faculty, Staff, and Post-docs are not eligible to use SLS.

Available Services

  • Housing/Tenant issues, problems with owner/manager/landlord
  • Traffic tickets (does not include DUI or auto accident with injuries)
  • Auto accidents (does not include accident with injuries) and insurance problems
  • Misdemeanor charges
  • City ordinance violations
  • Certification of photocopies of documents. The IRS only accepts certification of passport pages to obtain ITIN from IRS-designated individuals; see IRS acceptance agents.
  • Consumer issues
  • Small claims
  • Power of attorney documents for financial matters for study abroad students, or for medical matters
  • Name changes
  • Notary services. The IRS only accepts certification of passport pages to obtain ITIN from IRS-designated individuals; see IRS acceptance agents.
  • Other miscellaneous problems/issues

Excluded Services

  • Student vs. student – we cannot advise either side of a disagreement
  • Auto accidents with injuries
  • Bankruptcy
  • Business issues, profit or non-profit, start-up, eligibility under F1 or J1 visa; see Business Resources.
  • Claims against or issues with the University of Illinois (except advising on Student Discipline Hearings) or the State of Illinois
  • Contingent fee matters, for example personal injury claim
  • Courtroom representation outside of Champaign County
  • Divorce, separation, custody, child support, order of protection
  • DUI
  • Income-producing activities; see Business Resources.
  • Felony criminal charges
  • Passport, Visa, immigration issues, including green cards, changing visa status, employment on F1 or J1, or other visa, etc.; see Local Immigration Resources.
  • Real estate (other than landlord/tenant where the landlord is NOT the student)
  • Tax or income tax issues. The IRS only accepts certification of passport pages to obtain ITIN from IRS-designated individuals; see IRS acceptance agents.
  • Wills or trusts

Attorneys and Their Clients

In discharging their responsibilities at the Student Legal Service, the staff attorneys are subject to professional ethics. The following policies are in accordance with those professional ethical responsibilities.

Confidentiality

An attorney is sworn to preserve the confidence of a client. This rule applies equally to those persons that work with the attorney. Information concerning your case or contents of your file will never be released to third parties without your written authorization. There are no exceptions without a court order. You should feel free to discuss openly, honestly, and candidly on all aspects of your problem which you feel may have bearing on the outcomes.

Zealous Representation

The attorney assigned to your case is obligated to zealously represent your interests within the bounds of the law. The attorneys at Student Legal Service will at all time exercise independent, professional judgment in assessing the merits of a particular matter and in determining whether legal service will be given to an eligible student in that matter.