Legal Services

UA Legal Services is a UA-run program that provides the option of free legal support to all Penn
students - undergraduate, graduate, professional, and international exchange students - during the academic term.

This service provides all requesting students with a free thirty-minute in-person
consultation with the UA’s Attorney partner. It is intended to serve as an opportunity for
students to receive counsel and advice on minor legal issues or as a convenient and quickly
available starting point for more complicated legal matters. Please note that each student is
limited to one consultation per issue.

To request legal support please reach out to legal@pennua.org summarizing your legal
situation and general availability. The Legal Services team will reply to your request as soon
as possible, but please be mindful that we may not be able to schedule your consultation for
several days. If you were recently the victim of a violent crime or are currently in distress please
contact Penn Police (confidential upon request) or Special Services (automatically confidential).

UA Legal Services is jointly funded by the Undergraduate Assembly (UA) and the Graduate and
Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA). With any questions or concerns please contact the
Legal Services Coordinator Rafaa Bukhary legal@pennua.org!

FAQ

1. When does UA Legal Services operate?

UA Legal Services operates only during the Fall and Spring academic semesters (late August
to early December and late January to early May).

We do not operate during University-recognized breaks or holidays, including Summer and Winter Break.

2. What types of legal issues can UA Legal Services help with?

Common consultation topics include landlord-tenant and housing issues, domestic or
interpersonal disputes, and business-related matters and intellectual property concerns. Please
feel free to inquire about other legal matters and we can discuss whether a consultation may be
appropriate.

3. Does UA Legal Services provide support for international students-specific legal matters including visas, work authorization, immigration?

Because our partner attorney does not specialize in these matters, we strongly recommend
consulting the ISSS website and reaching out directly to your ISSS advisor, who is best
equipped to assist you.

4. Are consultations available online or virtually?

At this time, consultations are in-person only and take place on campus. Our partner attorney is
not available for virtual meetings.

5. Can consultations be scheduled immediately for urgent legal matters?

We do our best to accommodate time-sensitive concerns, but attorney availability cannot be
guaranteed. For urgent needs, we recommend also exploring resources such as Penn Carey
Law’s Pro Bono Services or Penn Off-Campus Services (particularly for housing-related
issues).