Weekly Eviction Advice Clinic to return on January 7
This fall, more than two dozen Duke Law students volunteered to offer legal help to Durham residents facing eviction due to the pandemic.
This semester, 30 Duke Law School students volunteered nearly 250 hours to participate in a weekly eviction advice clinic, helping Durham residents hard-hit by the pandemic to navigate their legal options and determine if they qualify for rental assistance programs.
An off-shoot of Duke Law’s Civil Justice Clinic, the pop-up clinic started in mid-September 14 and was offered Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Durham County Courthouse. Clinical Professors Charles Holton ’73 and Jesse McCoy–director and supervising attorney for the Civil Justice Clinic, respectively–led the student-staffed effort.
Holton said, “It has been wonderful to see the participation and enthusiasm of so many Duke Law students in this effort. We have helped a lot of people in meaningful ways, and the students can be very proud of their efforts.”
McCoy echoed Holton’s statement, saying “high-volume advice clinics are no simple task.”
“The results speak volumes to the benefit that interaction with legal counsel can have for tenants facing eviction,” he said.
Amanda Joos ’22, the clinic coordinator, estimates the clinic served more than 75 Durham households in its inaugural semester. Joos says she’s looking forward to the clinic returning for the upcoming spring semester on January 7.
For more about the eviction advice clinic, click here to read the Duke Law story published on October 27, 2021.