About Us

Mission

The mission of Student Legal Services (SLS) is to help students resolve legal problems that may adversely affect their well-being and interfere with their academic and professional goals. We offer legal advice, services and court representation in select areas of law that students encounter most often and for which it would be difficult to obtain other legal representation at affordable prices. Moreover, as a law office funded by student fees, Student Legal Services is committed to educating students about their legal rights and responsibilities, both individually and through legal education programs and materials.

Goals:

• Educate and assist students in preventing legal issues;
• Help students resolve or minimize existing legal problems; and
• Provide students with easy access to legal information, advice, and representation, as well as appropriate referrals.

Vision

To provide UCF students with prompt, efficient, and high-quality legal assistance, and to be identified as a valuable educational resource to the university and its students.

Overview

The purpose of this program is to encourage students to seek the advice of an attorney when they anticipate or encounter legal difficulties. The on-campus attorneys will advise students on any type of legal problem, with the exception of those situations listed under Restrictions.

In addition, legal representation up to and including all stages of trial will be provided in certain types of cases, of which the following are representative:

• Landlord / tenant problems affecting students living arrangements in the community.
• Consumer problems confronting individual students.
• Traffic violations, including criminal and Driving Under Influence (DUI) cases.
• Dissolution (uncontested).
• Name changes.
• Simple wills.
• Bankruptcy (Chapter 7).

Restrictions On Cases

Cases will be considered on an individual basis and will be excluded if, in the opinion of the attorney, they are unreasonable or unnecessary. The attorneys handling matters under this program are governed by all existing laws, usages, and customs concerning the practice of law in the State of Florida; nothing in this program is intended to diminish their professional responsibility to their client.

In all instances, cases chosen for legal representation shall be limited according to priorities of time, finances and significance to students generally.

The plan will not offer legal representation or consultation in the following situations:

• Actions or claims against UCF, the Florida Board of Regents, or the State of Florida or its agencies or municipal bodies.
• Drafting certain instruments and searching Titles.
• Clients income-producing activities.
• Student versus student.
• Matters involving University discipline.
• Certain types of litigation.
• Referrals and fees.
• Other excluded areas.

In the event of a complaint concerning the representation by program attorneys for the operation of the program, a student may contact the Staff Counsel or Grievance Committee of the Florida State Bar in Tallahassee, Florida 32304. Attorneys associated with this program remain private practitioners rendering services to student clients and are not considered agents or representatives of the University of Central Florida, its Board of Regents, or the State of Florida or its agencies or municipal bodies.

Although a statement purporting to describe this Group Legal Service Plan has been duly filed with the Florida Bar, in Tallahassee, Florida, The Florida Bar does not guarantee in any way the success of the plan and gives no assurances of the quantity and quality of legal services to be provided. Total responsibility for the delivery of services rests with the plans sponsor and plan attorney in their individual attorney-client relationship.

Student Legal Services is funded through the Activity and Service Fee as allocated by the Student Government of UCF.