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The University of Utah has created a low-cost legal-services organization, matching recent graduates with populations lacking the resources to hire lawyers.
The S.J. Quinney College of Law's new University Law Group is intended to expand the availability of legal services and service-learning opportunities, according to law dean Hiram Chodosh.
"The legal profession provides excellent legal services to large institutions and the wealthy, as well as a very small portion of the poor, leaving [out] a vast number of under-served, middle-class Americans and small businesses," he said in a news release.
The U. law school says it already provides more service-learning training per student than any other law school, but Chodosh wants to engage a broader array of clients.
"We still need to diversify and expand clinical experiences to reach more low- and moderate income people and small businesses," the dean said.
Many services will be billed at flat-rate fees, with costs limited to enable access for working families. Services will include advice on employment matters, family law, bankruptcy, minor trusts and estates, entity organization for start-up businesses, contractual disputes, small claims preparation and research assistance.
Quinney graduate Dennis Gladwell, a former partner in the firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, will run the pilot program. The privately operated, stand-alone firm will rely on referrals from downtown attorneys, he said.
"Through this new approach to legal services and post-graduate mentoring, the College of Law will mirror the clinical configuration of the U.'s medical school and adjoining hospital," Gladwell said.