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Get Informed about a Legal Issue

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The Women's Center Free Legal Clinic provides information about legal issues to community members and University employees. Local attorneys volunteer their time to provide 30-minute appointments through the clinic on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month (with exceptions around holidays). Legal Clinic appointments are typically conducted over the phone. 

Please contact the clinic to request an appointment if you would like help understanding your options for addressing a legal problem in one of these areas of law.

Common Legal Issues for Clinic Appointments

We typically have an attorney who can provide an appointment for people affected by these legal issues during each of our clinic evenings:

Divorce    Child Custody and Visitation Rights  Child Support

On some of our clinic evenings, we have an attorney who can provide an appointment for people affected by these legal issues:

Wills and Estates    Landlord-Tenant DisputeOther contracts

Do you have a legal question in an area other than family law, wills and estates, or other contracts? Below, we have some other options for connecting you with the information you need. 

About Our Clinic Appointments

Please note:

  • Clinic services are limited to one 30-minute appointment to help you become better informed about a legal question.
  • The lawyer you meet with for an appointment with the clinic does not become your attorney or represent you in the legal matter you are asking for information about. 
  • Attorneys volunteering with the clinic are able to provide information about legal issues in the state of Virginia. The clinic does not have attorneys who can offer information about legal issues in locations outside of Virginia. 
  • Neither the University nor the Office of the University Counsel provides any legal advice or counsel at the Women's Center Legal Clinic. The local Charlottesville attorneys and other attorneys who may volunteer to participate in the legal clinic are not employees or agents of the University and are not acting on behalf of the University.

Request an Appointment

If a clinic appointment would be helpful for you, please use one of the following options to provide us with your name, phone number, email address and a brief description of the legal issue you would like information about: 

We typically respond to appointment requests within 1-2 business days. If an appointment with an attorney who is knowledgeable in the area of your question is available at upcoming clinic date, we will ask you to confirm your appointment and provide some additional information about your legal question. 

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Other Sources of Legal Information & Support

Legal Services Corporation offers a search tool that you can use to find legal resources in your area at lsc.gov. 

We also recommend browsing the Resources for the Public page of the Virginia State Bar website which provides links to:

  • Virginia Free Legal Answers, a virtual legal advice clinic 
  • Virginia Lawyer Referral System, referral for a consultation of up to a half hour for a flat $35 fee
  • links to a variety of legal assistance programs (aid offices and organizations in Virginia that provide information about or representation for a variety of common and specialized legal issues)
  • VSB's "Access to Justice" pamphlet, a guide for helping low- and modest-income Virginians obtain legal services (available in English and Spanish)

Members of our team may be able to refer you to a source that provides services or information in the area of your legal issue. We occasionally host legal clinics focused on specific legal issues not included in our regular Wednesday evening clinics.

Attorney Insights

“The legal process can be intimidating and confusing for anyone. If you find yourself overwhelmed or uncertain, the UVA Women’s Center Legal Clinic provides an opportunity to sort through the issues and develop a plan.”
John Ralston, Law Office of E. Randall Ralston
 
“I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the Women’s Center’s Legal Clinic. It is well organized and the participants have interesting legal questions. I urge all local attorneys to volunteer. It’s a great way to give back!”
Lynn Bradley, Lynn Bradley, JD
 
“I think and hope that my willingness to learn and to bring (gently) an objective perspective to bear, had some value for the women who sought legal advice at the clinic that evening. I commend the Women’s Center for making this worthy program possible.”
Meghan Cloud, McGuire Woods