11/01/2012
See You in Court: UCONN Law Students Offer Information Workshops for Consumers about Small Claims Court
HARTFORD, November 1 -- Beginning Wednesday, November 7th, Connecticut residents can get a free introduction to Small Claims Court and learn how to file a case and represent themselves before the Court, thanks to the work of a civic-minded group of UCONN Law School students with assistance from the Department of Consumer Protection.
“This project is based on a positive collaboration between dedicated UConn law students and Department of Consumer Protection employees, and is focused on helping consumers get to and through the Small Claims Court process,” Consumer Protection Commissioner William M. Rubenstein said. “It’s not only a wonderful resource for consumers, but also an opportunity for students to understand the many questions people have about Small Claims Court.”
Several UCONN law students worked in recent months with staff from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection to become well-informed about the many laws affecting consumers and to organize this information into workshops that can help an individual navigate small claims court.
“The University has at the core of its mission to provide outreach, service and public engagement activities to the citizens of our state,” continues Assistant Dean of Students Karen DeMeola. “I am proud of our efforts to partner with the Department of Consumer Protection to provide this service to individuals in our community seeking redress in small claims court.”
“By attending this workshop, consumers will be more empowered to navigate the small claims process using the information we will provide,” said Kelly Wall, a Class of 2014 UConn Law student and project co-chair. “Because the workshops will be run by students who are not yet qualified to act as attorneys or represent consumers in their individual cases, we will focus on providing information to assist consumers with preparing themselves for the small claims process.”
The first workshop will be held at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, November 7th in the Reading Room of William F. Starr Hall at the Law School’s Hartford campus. This will be the only workshop this fall. It is expected that workshops will be held on a monthly basis beginning in January 2013 through April 2013. Up-to-date information on workshop schedules and additional information can be found at www.law.uconn.edu/smallclaims and on the Department of Consumer Protection website at www.ct.gov/dcp.
For more information about workshop dates, times, and locations or to RSVP for a workshop, please send an email to: smallclaims@law.uconn.edu or call 860-251-9285. Directions to the UCONN Law School campus: www.law.uconn.edu/directions.
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Media Contacts:
Claudette Carveth, Department of Consumer Protection, Claudette.carveth@ct.gov, 860-713-6022
Michelle Helmin, UConn Law School, michelle.helmin@law.uconn.edu, 860-570-5131
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