1977, January, Pg. 72. Availability of Legal Services-D.B.A. Committee Report.

• Author: by Tina Fardella

6 Colo.Law. 72

Colorado Lawyer

1977.

1977, January, Pg. 72.

Availability of Legal Services-D.B.A. Committee Report

72Vol. 6, No. 1, Pg. 72Availability of Legal Services---D.B.A. Committee Reportby Tina Fardella and Ira M. Karet73Over the last ten years, under the sponsorship of the Denver Bar Association, members of the private bar in Metropolitan Denver have participated in providing free, or at substantially reduced cost, legal services to the indigent and low-income families in the Denver Metropolitan Area. By volunteering time and expertise, private attorneys participating in the Denver Bar Association program have greatly assisted in handling the overwhelming demand for legal services from low-income citizens. This Bar Association sponsored program has provided lawyers with the opportunity to develop new skills while at the same time discharging their civic and ethical responsibilities as attorneys.

The Denver Bar Association's Availability of Legal Services Committee is administered under the direction of Attorney Ira M. Karet and Tina Fardella, a full-time staff member of the Denver Bar Association.

Prospective clients are interviewed each Thursday from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. at three Legal Aid offices. The Legal Aid staff handles the opening of the offices and acts as receptionist each week; but the private attorneys handle the interviewing and all of the cases.

At the Thursday night sessions, the volunteer attorneys first interview the clients to determine their financial eligibility and legal problem. The problems that are typically encountered at the Thursday night clinics cover a wide spectrum, but usually include such matters as consumer credit problems, landlordtenant cases, domestic relations matters, and general civil litigation. In many instances, responsible counseling is the only service needed. Interviewers are encouraged to recognize that not all problems can properly be resolved by the Court; and in many cases with a little practical advice, the client leaves the Thursday night session with his problem solved or with the tools to solve it himself. By effective interviewing and counseling, the attorneys during the Thursday night sessions solve approximately twenty percent of the problems, and refer another ten percent of the clients to appropriate agencies for help.

Shortly after the Thursday night...