- The state of Arkansas has two law schools, The University of Arkansas in Little Rock and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Both of these schools allow its students to gain practical knowledge by participating in legal clinics. Legal clinics allow students to practice law under the supervision of Arkansas-licensed attorneys. Arkansas law allows students to practice law once they have taken certain courses and have 48 credit hours.
- Legal clinics offer their services to residents of the surrounding area. The location of the resident is crucial, because the divorce will be filed in the county in which the client lives. It would also be helpful for the client to live or work in an area near the law school so that the client will be available for frequent meetings and court appearances.
- A prospective client should inquire about the legal clinic's services. If the prospective client feels that the Legal Clinic would be a good fit, he will be put on a waiting list. When the wait is over, the client will be called in for intake. At that time, a student or employee of the clinic will take general information about the prospective client. The prospective client will be assigned a student, and the student will contact the client.
- Legal Aid of Arkansas differs from the legal clinics in that the organization boasts of more than one convenient location. The organization has offices in El Dorado, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Harrison, Helena, Hot Springs, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Mountain View, Newport, Pine Bluff, Russellville, Texarkana and West Memphis. Instead of students taking on cases under the supervision of an Arkansas-licensed attorney, Arkansas-licensed attorneys volunteer to take on certain cases at Legal Aid of Arkansas. To be considered for services, the prospective client should inquire with Legal Aid of Arkansas. The organization has help line numbers and legal resources available to the public on its website.
- The prospective client needs to prove that she qualifies for any of these free legal services. Financial information provided by the prospective client will help to make that decision. At the first meeting the prospective client should bring such documents as her past 3 pay stubs, proof of food stamp receipt, and a copy of monthly bank statements. If accepted as a client, she also needs to provide a marriage license, any minor children's birth certificates, proof of insurance, proof of owned property, and proof of debts to get the ball rolling on the divorce petition.
previous post
next post