Student Legal Services (SLS)
At UIC, we believe your studies are crucial to your future success. Legal issues may distract you from getting the full value of your education. Student Legal Services (SLS) is here to help.
SLS assists current UIC students in understanding and solving their legal problems. SLS provides high-quality, free, and confidential legal advice and limited representation on a wide range of common legal issues, including landlord/tenant disputes, misdemeanor criminal offenses, immigration issues, contract review, and more. While we cannot represent you in court, we can help resolve disputes, help you understand your rights and obligations, and direct you to useful resources, including referrals to attorneys with experience related to your case.
Need Assistance? Request an Appointment
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Mission
Student Legal Services (SLS) provides free and confidential legal services to UIC students on most legal matters. We help UIC students resolve their legal issues with as little disruption as possible on their path to graduation. SLS focuses on educating students on the law and enabling them to make informed choices.
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Who Can Use Our Services?
SLS is available to all currently enrolled or continuing students. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to help faculty, staff, or alumni.
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It's Free!
SLS is funded through student fees, so there is no additional cost to use our services. However, you may be responsible for other expenses associated with your case, such as court filing fees.
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Confidentiality
Client information is strictly confidential. Each member of the SLS staff is obligated to protect client confidences. We will not disclose information about your case to anyone, including the university administration or your family, without your consent. SLS provides a supportive and judgment-free environment for you to talk about your case openly and honestly.
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How We Can Help
We can give you advice on a wide range of legal issues. We do not take cases for full representation or represent students in court. However, in some cases we can provide limited representation, such as writing a letter to a landlord or negotiating the settlement of a dispute. We are also able to help you prepare legal documents if you are representing yourself in a case. If you need more help than we can offer, we can refer you to an attorney.
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Educational Presentations
SLS is available to educate students on their legal rights and responsibilities through presentations, workshops, and the distribution of information on a variety of issues. If you would like us to give a presentation to your department or student group, please contact us at studentlegalservices@uic.edu.
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SLS is available by appointment only. We are available to meet with students both in person and online. Please fill out our intake form to request an appointment: Intake Form.
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It may not be possible to meet with an attorney on the same day that you contact our office. For this reason, you should schedule an appointment with SLS as soon as you think you may need legal assistance. Do not wait until the day before you have court to contact SLS.