Legal Research

DISLCAIMER FOR LEGAL RESEARCH: *The ASUC Student Legal Clinic is required to inform our clients that we are not attorneys, and we cannot give you legal advice or counsel. We can inform you of your options through legal research and/or refer you to other resources*

What we do

The ASUC Student Legal Clinic is a student-run legal resource center that helps students and community members make informed decisions about legal problems. We provide free legal assistance and tax filing for Cal students and the Berkeley community.

The Clinic has proudly served the Berkeley community for over 30 years, providing free and confidential legal research catered to the particular issues our clients are facing. Clients can walk-in or schedule an appointment to discuss their legal questions, and our trained caseworkers will provide clientele with fully researched case reports, outlining possible legal options and pertinent information about their rights. The Clinic aims to foster a nurturing environment where caseworkers can interact with peers who share similar interests and hear from a wide range of guest speakers, including Berkeley Law admissions officers, local attorneys, and Cal alumni. 

Our Process

Intake Form Submission

  • A form that requests the relevant client contact and legal research request information.

Intake

  • A scheduled appointment (virtual or in-person in our office) with two caseworkers where we discuss the legal research inquiry, ask for relevant information/evidence, and consolidate the client's questions.

Legal Research Process

  • Two caseworkers assigned to the case will take approximately a week to review the relevant legal research sources and provide a report for the client that reports the client’s options within the matter. There is no advice given during this process.

Follow-up

  • A scheduled appointment (virtual or in-person in our office) usually occurs at the same time as the intake but a week after. During this meeting, the caseworkers walk the client through the report and answer any final questions or further requests for legal research.

Feedback

  • Our form for providing feedback on the legal research experience.

Our Impact

  • 136 Clients helped in 2023-2024

    121 Clients helped in 2022-2023

    72 Clients helped in 2021-2022

    70 Clients helped in 2020-2021