With the fall semester back in full swing, Associated Students Legal Resource Center (LRC) opened its door for the San Francisco State community to come in and ask questions about their services. The LRC hosted an open house on Monday, Aug. 28, offering sodas, pizza and coffee.
The LRC is located on the second floor of the Cesar Chavez Student Center in room #M-113A. The center is fully operational this fall, providing intake appointments, educational events, workshops, and more!
The LRC provides referrals, but does not provide legal representation or legal advice. They refer students who come to them with legal questions to the relevant organization, which can then help them from that point on.
For those interested in taking the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the LRC will start providing accessible resources that are often very expensive for law students beginning Oct. 5.
(Neal Wong)
“We’ve recently introduced our LSAT study group sessions where prospective law students or people who are thinking of taking the LSAT can come through and get resources that are more accessible because it really is very expensive,” said Vidha Sunuwar, director of the LRC. “We’re all about making things accessible.”
The small room was packed with students asking questions and socializing among each other. First-year student Sam Maina was one of many students who attended the open house, hoping to volunteer with the LRC.
“I’m considering being a lawyer in the future, and definitely having legal experience and learning about what I can do with community organizing here is of interest to me,” Maina said.
The SF Bar Association, which provides referral services and legal advice, was invited by the LRC to provide information about their services related to hiring attorneys who might be pro bono or on a low-cost basis. The LRC does not provide attorneys themselves.
“That’s where we come in if somebody actually needs to go to court for anything, whether it’s a civil case or criminal defense. We do try to set people up with somebody who can actually provide that legal advice,” said Mayra Mendoza, lawyer referral and information service supervisor at the SF Bar Association.
The Legal Resource Center is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They have many upcoming events, starting with “Law School 101 + LSAT Study Group” on Oct. 5 and a Tenants Rights Workshop in November. More information and upcoming events can be found on the LRC’s Instagram page.
