Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Legal i BY MICKEY TRIMARCHI Of The Gamecock staff Third-year law students under faculty supervision offer free legal assistance to all USC students. The program, for which qualifying law students can earn credit, is under the supervision of Robert Jendron. He and 15 student defenders represent students about residency and fee questions and at University disciplinary proceedings, student traffic court, housing negotiations and other related incidents. There are virtually no areas in which assistance will not be ren Insurance From Page I plemental benefit and the time period over which such premium is to be paid." -set up a registration board at the school. This would require agents to register with the president, dean or other authorized official at the college or university. This authorized official would be able to further restrict sales practices on his campus as he sees fit. --require all companies to "file with the Commissioner a copy of every promissory note or other security instrument brochure, pamphlet, circular, flyer, leaflet or other advertising or sales piece together with a copy of every oral presentation to be made" in connection with campus life insurance sales. Final approval of all materials and sales presentation would be left up to the commissioner. WOM C CAMPUS: e L a' 0! NAME_____ _ COLLEGE ADDRESS. HOME ADDRESS CLASS______ Mail to: I tid rSC students dered. When a student is in conflict with the University, law students will research the problem, advise the student of the best action to take, serve as middlemen in set tlements and pursue any legal remedies available. "As far as civil cases go, we mu st limit all our cases for money to the magistrate court, but there's a $200 limitation," Jendron said. "Our area is restricted and we have to work according to the state legislature. We can only work in Lexington County and the Columbia vicinity." Legal assistance has some limitations. First, the case must be non-fee producing. If an action would allow recovery of an at torney's fee from the other party or sue for enough money that an attorney would work on a con tingent-fee basis, the legal clinic cannot handle the case. This does not mean a student cannot be defended if he is being sued. Second, a student must qualify as an indigent before assistance can be given. Although indigency rates fluctuate and depend partly on the number of one's dependents, currently they are: (family size, gross annual income, monthly income) 1, $2,330, 149; 2, $3,0870; $256; 3, $3,870, 315; 4, $4,550,,379; 5, $5,290, $441; 6, $6,030, $502,50 and; 7, $6,770, $564. Ever' though a student does not qualify for assistance, the legal clinic will advise a student through a Pre-Trial Intervention program of his rights, his needs and a course of action. "If we can't help, we can give consultation and advise the student," said Roy Stuckey, Legal Aid supervisor last year. "We can't specifically recommend a certain attorney for the student to AFTER 4A FASHION EN'S WEAR CHAIN SEEI OLLEGE WOMAN TO BI SALES REPRES arn excellent pay in spare timi earn women's fQshion, sales, id marketing techmiques from tablished firm. SCHOOL' GE______PHONE NO.__ (en Kandle rhe Cato Corporation .0O. Box 2416 horlotte. N. C. 2234 offered fre go to. What we can do is give advice on how to look for one." The student is told what to expect and how to act in court. "Many times a student will come to us and say it is his first time in court. He may be scared and we try to ex plain exactly what is expected of him," Jendron said. Student Court handles most of the cases involving the University. A student requested to appear in court receives a notice seven days before the hearing. It will list the charge and the right to be represented by someone. The notice comes from the Campus Relations Office (CRO) of Assistant Dean Jack Cassidy where the University's student prosecutor also works. "We work with him (Cassidy) and sometimes resolve the dif ferences before the trial," Jendron said. "Many times all it takes is a phone call." "This is a great improvement since last year," Stuckey said. "Before, if anybody filed a com plaint, you had to go the whole court process. Now the prosecutor has the discretion to carry the case through or not." The notice instructs a student to call CRO. "Unfortunately, this is where a lot of people spill the beans," Stuckey said. "The office tries to play 'big brother' to the student." Cassidy has the power to ad minister necessary punishment at his own discretion. Many students talk to him about the case, not realizing the sentence may be up to Cassidy. "A student will come to us after he has talked to Campus Relations," Jendron said. "Then we have to advise him what to do then. But we generally don't get (ING ENTA TIVE ? assistance too many of these complaints." The Clinic usually gets 300 to 350 cases every semester. Last semester there were about 250. Traffic violations take ap proximately 50 per cent of all cases, criminal cases 25 to 40 per cent and civil suits have usually been 10 to 20 per cent. "Traffic cases are generally the hardest to plead 'not guilty' to," Jendron said. "What we do is try to plead to a lesser sentence. We try to talk with the officer too and sometimes we find discrepencies." Most students don't know about Traffic School, a course for delinquent drivers. It may reduce the fine and possibly the violation points. The fee is $10, and the course lasts four weeks, one night a week-for two hours. However, it is up to the judge to recommend Traffic School to the guilty party. The clinic also handles divorce cases but not cases concerning child custody or large amounts of property. The clinic gets its share of calls about drug violations, with a large number coming during the drug bust last semester. Another frequent legal problem is legal residency. To be a legal resident of South Carolina for tuition purposes, a student (or parents if the student is under 21 years old and still a dependent) must have been a permanent resident 12 months before the semester. The student must establish a permanent residence, work, obtain a South Carolina driver's license and file state in come taxes. The clinic discouragages students from asking advice on the telephone. Located in the Law Center, the clinic is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. NEW SHI Over 1,000 P For You - New CORDURC Wi JACKET T( MOE L , BRITC . amum ia News briefs Students interested in reporting or writing for The Gamecock in the summer should attend an organizational meeting Tuesday evening. The paper's first staff meeting is slated for 7 p.m. in Room 317 of the Russell House. Interested persons who are unable to attend this meeting should contact Bob Baker at 777 2038. Dr. John C. Guilds, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, has resigned to become dean of the new College of Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of Houston. Guilds, now vice provost for liberal and cultural disciplines and English at USC, is expected to assume his new duties at Houston on July 1. Guilds, who came to USC in 1964, is also chairman of the admission committee, the graduate council and the faculty committee on athletics. A list of summer job op portunities can be obtained free by interested students from a California company. Upon receiving a self-adressed, stamped envelope, the company will mail its listing. The envelope should be sent to: Scientific And Professional En terprised, College Division, 2237 El. Camino Real, Palo Alto, Calif. 94306. Dr. John Bryan will present another lecture Wednesday night in the continuing series of Bostick Lectures on campus. Bryan's lecture "Robert Mills: Artist, Architect, and Engineer" will be at 8 p.m. in Room 005 of the Business Ad ministration Building. Bryan is an assistant professor of art at the University. PMENTS mir In Stock Spring Colors 1Y BELLS ) MATCH EVY'S AND HIES BREW T Aim amy sr