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Eligibility 

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You must be a full-time UNC-Chapel Hill student to be eligible for legal advice or representation from Student Legal Services.  Continuing education students, postdoctoral students, and visiting scholars do NOT pay the Student Legal Services Fee and therefore are ineligible for advice and/or representation from our office. All students who have paid the student legal services activity fee are eligible to utilize the service in the following situations:

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  • The legal problem arose during a semester in which the student SLS fee was paid and no more than 3 months has elapsed since the student qualified as a SLS fee paying student

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  • The legal problem arose prior to the student’s matriculation as a SLS fee paying student but requires legal attention during the eligible semester

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  • Representation was undertaken or litigation was filed on behalf of the student during an eligible semester but representation of the student continued beyond the student’s period of eligibility.

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Representation & Advice
 

We offer legal advice on almost any matter to eligible students.  All immigration and tax matters are highly specialized and the attorneys limit their advice in those matters to referrals only.  However, our office strives to provide resources to students and we do often bring in specialized attorneys and accountants to provide advice on immigration, business, and tax law throughout the year.

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Our office also provides advice to â€‹Student Groups (except Student Government [all branches including Executive, Student Congress, GPSF, Student Courts, and Student Attorney Generals], CUAB, SAFO, RHAA, Senior Class, CAA, University Hearing Boards, and select Campus Y groups) and representation is provided for those student organizations receiving student activity fees, provided they are not a university sponsored group that is eligible for advice from University Counsel.

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Our office also provides notary services at no extra charge to faculty, staff, students, and affiliates of the university.

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Legal representation, including court appearances, is available to eligible students in Orange County and surrounding counties for the following problems:​

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  • Expunction of criminal arrest records in Orange County and surrounding counties, as well as in counties throughout the state if those counties do not require a court appearance.

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  • Consumer problems arising within the jurisdiction of the North Carolina General Courts of Justice, District Court Division

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  • Property damage claims, exclusive of all personal injury claims, arising within the jurisdiction of the North Carolina General Courts of Justice, District Court Division

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  • Uncontested divorces

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  • Domestic violence cases that do not involve a conflict of interest

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  • Simple Wills, Healthcare Power of Attorney, and Durable Power of Attorney Documents

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Restrictions on Advice and Representation:

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  • Carolina Student Legal Services cannot advise or represent students who have legal questions or concerns with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or any part therein. Students who have legal questions or concerns regarding the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or any part therein may contact the following student organizations if you have any questions or concerns regarding Carolina’s Honor System.

    • For information about Honor System procedures or the Honor Code, please visit http://honor.unc.edu.

    • For more advice regarding Honor Code violations or for independent representation in Undergraduate Honor Court, please contact the Independent Defense Counsel (IDC) at idc@unc.edu.

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  • Carolina Student Legal Services cannot advise or represent students who have legal questions or concerns with fellow students who are also eligible for our services, unless each and every student involved in the legal matter comes in at the same time for advice or counsel, and only if it would not be unethical for us to advise in the situation.  Each student will have to sign a waiver of conflict of interest form in order for us to assist in the matter. **This does not include criminal charges where the victim and the defendant are both students (we cannot advise or represent at all in those matters).** 

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  • Carolina Student Legal Services cannot represent students who have legal questions or concerns with the State of North Carolina and its agencies. We can advise students in these matters regarding their rights and responsibilities and the course of action they may take regarding the legal matter.

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  • Our attorneys will not advise on any matter or other dispute that would violate the attorneys’ duties under the Rules and Regulations of the North Carolina State Bar and the Revised Rules of Professional Conduct of the North Carolina State Bar.

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  • While actual in-court representation of students is limited, the attorneys may pursue your rights in court on any landlord-tenant problem and minor (under $10,000.00) consumer and property damage claims. In addition, the attorneys may undertake expungement, uncontested divorce proceedings, and domestic violence cases on behalf of students.

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  • Attorneys cannot provide representation if legal jurisdiction or venue is outside of Durham, Wake, Orange, Chatham or Alamance County, except in the case of expungements where no appearance is required.

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