2008 Woodie Awards
Legal Eagles Soar Down on Valley
New fall semester program offers students free legal advice.
Will Reyes
Issue date: 10/26/05 Section: News
Valley College held its first Associated Student Union-sponsored Legal Connection event last week outside of Monarch Hall, in what will be a series of events bringing professionals to campus to give free advice to students on their legal woes.
Rose Oganesyan, ASU evening division commissioner, helped organize the first event and explained what the ASU hopes to achieve from these events.
"We want to provide free legal advice for students," Oganesyan said. "Any students who have questions regarding legal issues are encouraged to visit us on the dates announced."
This project was put together by the ASU in conjunction with a $500 grant funded by the Valley Community Legal Foundation of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association. The grant covered the cost of refreshments and publicity, but no compensation is given to the attorneys, all volunteers from the San Fernando Valley Bar Association.
The first day featured the services of Attorneys Martha Stulman and Gary Silverman, who advised students on family law, including divorce and custody issues, as well as criminal law matters such as driving under the influence and arrests.
Family law expert Stulman, also a volunteer attorney at the Van Nuys Self Help Center, is an advocate of free advice.
"Family law is a very emotional area for people," Stulman said. "I think it's very important for them to be educated on what their rights are and what it will be like if or when they go to court."
Religious studies major Jonathan Oskins was one of the people who visited the table.
"She was very helpful," Oskins said of Stulman. "She told me about all the different legal options I had and referred me to other low-cost lawyers."
ASU Adviser Sherri Rodriguez is open to getting more students' input on the project.
"We're working together to find topics that students might be interested in," Rodriguez said. "We plan to continue it for the rest of the fall and then evaluate it to see whether we want it to return."
Rose Oganesyan, ASU evening division commissioner, helped organize the first event and explained what the ASU hopes to achieve from these events.
"We want to provide free legal advice for students," Oganesyan said. "Any students who have questions regarding legal issues are encouraged to visit us on the dates announced."
This project was put together by the ASU in conjunction with a $500 grant funded by the Valley Community Legal Foundation of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association. The grant covered the cost of refreshments and publicity, but no compensation is given to the attorneys, all volunteers from the San Fernando Valley Bar Association.
The first day featured the services of Attorneys Martha Stulman and Gary Silverman, who advised students on family law, including divorce and custody issues, as well as criminal law matters such as driving under the influence and arrests.
Family law expert Stulman, also a volunteer attorney at the Van Nuys Self Help Center, is an advocate of free advice.
"Family law is a very emotional area for people," Stulman said. "I think it's very important for them to be educated on what their rights are and what it will be like if or when they go to court."
Religious studies major Jonathan Oskins was one of the people who visited the table.
"She was very helpful," Oskins said of Stulman. "She told me about all the different legal options I had and referred me to other low-cost lawyers."
ASU Adviser Sherri Rodriguez is open to getting more students' input on the project.
"We're working together to find topics that students might be interested in," Rodriguez said. "We plan to continue it for the rest of the fall and then evaluate it to see whether we want it to return."
