Student Legal Services Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the services provided? What is the cost?
Students who are currently enrolled at WVU and have paid their student activity fee are eligible to use WVU Student Legal Services (SLS). No additional fees are charged for any of the legal services provided. The students will, however, be responsible for paying service of process fees and court filing fees if their case is pursued in court.
All eligible persons have equal access to WVU Student Legal Services without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status or sexual orientation. Any individual needing special accommodations should contact our office at 293-4897.
How does a student use this service?
Students should contact our office at 293-4897, or email us at sls@mail.wvu.edu, to make an appointment for consultation. After determining your eligibility, we will make an appointment for you with a lawyer or law clerk at the earliest possible time. Legal advice will not be given over the phone.
Once the appointment is made, the student should prepare a brief summary of the issues that they wish to discuss with the attorney or the law clerks. The summary should be delivered to the SLS office at least one day prior to the scheduled appointment. Students may choose to email, fax or hand deliver their summaries.
What are the parameters of the service?
WVU Student Legal Services (SLS) assists students with issues including landlord/tenant matters, consumer problems, family law matters, insurance claims, contracts, wills, powers of attorney and debt collection defense. The decision to represent a student on any given matter is wholly within the discretion of the attorney.
SLS may provide limited services in certain matters. These include, but are not limited to, providing advice only in criminal matters, limiting services to referrals in matters that may unduly monopolize program resources to the disadvantage of other eligible students, and limiting services to student organizations to educational presentations only.
SLS reserves the right to limit its caseload as necessary to maintain a high quality of service.
What information should I bring to my appointment?
Students are encouraged to bring all relevant documentation relating to the issues that they wish to discuss with the attorney or the law clerks.
If you are experiencing a dispute with your landlord, it is very important to bring a copy of the lease that you signed. In addition, you should bring all correspondences or notices from the landlord.
If the student is seeking advice on a criminal matter, they should bring a copy of the citation, the summons or warrant, and any documents that may have been issued by a court.
Is the information shared with SLS confidential?
Yes. Each student who seeks our advice or representation enters into a formal attorney-client relationship. One of the hallmarks of the attorney-client relationship is the concept of the attorney-client privilege. The privilege deals directly with the obligation of confidentiality that a lawyer and their staff has with respect to information relating to a specific client.