A free legal clinic will be held on Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 21, for people in Juneau seeking legal assistance.
The clinic has two locations this year: a morning session will be from 9 a.m. to noon at Aldersgate Methodist Church, 9161 Cinema Drive, in the valley, and an afternoon session will be from noon to 4 p.m. at the Dimond Courthouse, 123 Fourth St., in the downtown area.
The clinic gives people access to the legal system by allowing people to speak to volunteer attorneys for free, said Juneau Bar Association President Eric Vang.
Lawyers will be on hand to answer questions about various legal issues, including Medicare/Medicaid, eviction, child custody/support, divorce, rental properties and social security.
“As in prior years the goal is to allow attendees to speak briefly with an attorney to help them understand their legal issue, identify next steps for them to take, and to get referrals to agencies that may be able to assist with the problem,” Vang said.
There will be coloring stations for kids at both locations, but childcare will not be provided.
The clinic is an annual public service project hosted by the Alaska Bar Association, Alaska Court System, Alaska Legal Services Corporation and Juneau Bar Association. Last year, the clinic provided legal assistance to about 65 people.
For more information, visit www.alaskabar.org/mlk.
• Contact reporter Emily Russo Miller at 523-2263 or at emily.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (3)
Add commentThank you so much
I took advantage of the legal clinic last year. All I can say is Thank you so very much. I often hear jokes about lawyers. I'll tell you now...they are superheroes! Bless you all....
Puzzled?
Am I missing something? Is there some connection between the legal clinic (great idea) and Martin L. King day? Are these free clinics only held on MLK day or is it a coincidence?
And if always on MLK day why.
And if there is no connection, why does the headline imply that it is a part of MLK day?
Sorry to be so dense.
Federal Holiday
Although some bad racial jokes can be made about this event being held on MLK day, it is probably done on this day because it is a federal holiday and most people have the day off from work. Therefore, they can attend and put in some meaningful time without missing work.