The free legal self-help clinic that Beth co-founded with attorney Ric Morgan is celebrating several milestones as it begins its 12th year of assisting those in need of civil litigation guidance.
The monthly clinics empower individuals representing themselves by offering free 15-minute sessions with an attorney through connections at 87 libraries across Colorado. It’s ideal for people who could use help filling out forms, navigating procedures and processes, or seeking an attorney’s insight.
In 2023, there was a 9% increase in attendees over 2022 with 2,120 people in 46 counties receiving legal advice through the clinics, which totalled 541 for the year. Almost 80% of participating libraries and 60% of the individuals helped were in rural Colorado, illustrating the importance of this service reaching beyond metro areas. Six attorneys volunteered a combined 528 hours to run the clinics.
Since the program launched in 2013, volunteer attorneys have assisted 14,446 individuals at 3,630 clinics spanning 46 counties.
Attendees sign up on a first come, first served basis through participating libraries to connect with an attorney during a scheduled time. Meetings are mostly held via Zoom, but a phone call option is available for those who need it. Beth volunteers the first Thursday of the month with the Belmar and Golden library clinics.
Topics of the clinics span all areas of civil law, including:
- Family law
- Divorce
- Estate planning
- Probate
- Eviction
- Small claims
- Collections
- Contracts
- Landlord/tenant
- Bankruptcy
- Employment/labor
- Appeals
- Veterans benefits and appeals
Advanced registration is required and appointments are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Call 303-235-5275 or visit bit.ly/JeffCoVPC for Jefferson County clinic registration.
