Navigating Legal Challenges as a UCLA Student: A Guide to Student Legal Services

For currently registered and enrolled UCLA students, navigating the complexities of the legal system can be daunting. UCLA Student Legal Services (SLS) exists to provide accessible and confidential legal support. This article outlines the various services offered, how to access them, and other resources available to UCLA students.

Overview of UCLA Student Legal Services

UCLA Student Legal Services is located in A239 Murphy Hall. The mission of Student Legal Services is to prevent, ameliorate, or resolve legal problems that confront students by providing professional legal counseling and assistance. SLS offers confidential legal counseling and assistance regarding a wide range of legal issues to all currently registered and enrolled UCLA students. All communications with the attorneys are subject to the attorney-client privilege, which means that the attorneys may not disclose anything that a client tells them unless the client authorizes them to do so. Students can talk about the most sensitive matters knowing that everything they say to the attorneys will never be discussed with anyone unless the students give their explicit permission. This highest level of confidentiality makes our office a very safe place for students to get help.

Areas of Assistance

SLS is equipped to assist students with a variety of problems, including:

Landlord/Tenant Relations: Addressing disputes, lease agreements, and eviction concerns.
Accident and Injury Problems: Guidance on personal injury claims and related legal matters.
Domestic Violence and Harassment: Providing support and legal options for students experiencing these issues.
Criminal Matters: Offering counsel and representation in criminal cases.
Immigration: Assisting international students and those with immigration-related concerns.
Divorces and Other Family Law Matters: Providing legal advice and support in family law cases.
Automobile Purchases and Insurance: Helping students navigate car purchases, insurance claims, and related legal issues.
Credit, Collections, and Financial Issues: Offering guidance on debt management, credit disputes, and financial planning.
Employment Matters: Addressing workplace issues, employment contracts, and labor law matters.
Health Care and Consumer Problems: Assisting with healthcare disputes, consumer rights, and related legal issues.

SLS also frequently assists students with issues they have with other UCLA departments in such areas as housing, financial aid, harassment, discrimination, ADA compliance, student discipline, and faculty misconduct.

Services Provided

SLS provides students with the information they need to assess their options and, in appropriate cases, will negotiate on behalf of the student, as well as draft letters and legal documents for the student.

Confidential Legal Counseling: Providing a safe space for students to discuss their legal concerns with experienced attorneys.
Negotiation: Representing students' interests and negotiating on their behalf in legal matters.
Document Drafting: Preparing legal documents such as letters, contracts, and court filings.

Accessing Student Legal Services

Students may make an appointment with an experienced attorney by completing the Request for Appointment form.

Mobile Legal Clinics

Student Legal Services provides free legal clinics for the UCLA community.

Law In The Union: Talk to an attorney about your legal questions and schedule an appointment for personal, confidential advice. Law in the Union takes place in Ackerman Union, A-Level (by the elevators).
Law at the Dashew Center: Talk to an attorney about your immigration legal questions. Law at the Dashew Center takes place remotely on Zoom.
Law at the Graduate Student Resource Center: Talk to an attorney about your legal questions. Graduate Student Resource Center, located in the basement of the Student Activities Center.

Addressing Specific Concerns

Legal Assistance Following a Disaster

In response to the recent wildfires, Student Legal Services is here to support students in navigating complex legal challenges. Our experienced attorneys are available to assist with wide range of issues, including:

Reviewing and filing renters/homeowners insurance claims
Replacing lost legal documents
Resolving landlord-tenant disputes
Navigating the application process for state and federal benefits
Providing general legal guidance on other related matters
Connecting students with essential resources that offer support for disaster relief

To ensure that all those who need legal assistance have access to it in these unprecedented times, SLS is waiving all fees for its regular services. Students in need of assistance can request an appointment through their online portal Request for Appointment form.

Tenant and Employment Scams

There are many scams targeting tenants and students seeking employment. For more information, please read Renters' Scam Alert, COVID-19 and Sublease Scams, and Job Offer Fraud.

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COVID-19 Related Information

If you are interested in information about eviction and rent increase protections, early termination of your lease, and signing a new lease, please read COVID-19 Tenant Protections and Responsibilities (PDF) and COVID-19 and Signing a New Lease (PDF).

Immigration Legal Support

UCLA offers comprehensive immigration consultation, legal advice, and representation services to undergraduate and graduate students as well as their immediate family members. Our experienced immigration attorney and paralegal are available for personalized, one-on-one intake appointments and drop-in appointments for quick questions either in person or via Zoom. To schedule a consultation or learn more about the services we provide, please sign up for an appointment below.

The UC Immigrant Legal Services Center is currently experiencing a high volume of inquiries and requests for assistance. The Center serves the immigration-related legal needs of undocumented and immigrant students and their immediate family members, as well as mixed-status families through our partnership with UC Immigrant Legal Services. If you are new to the Center, please be sure to book an “Initial Intake” appointment. During the initial intake, we will conduct an in-depth screening to assess your eligibility for immigration relief and address any follow-up questions you may have. Appointments are limited to one person per appointment. This is to ensure confidentiality and provide each individual a safe space to discuss sensitive matters. If you are already represented by an attorney in your immigration case, we recommend that you consult with your attorney directly for any case-related questions.

Addressing Misinformation and Policy Changes Regarding Immigration

Misinformation about immigration rights can create confusion, anxiety, and uncertainty. UCLA shared important information about SB 98 (2025) and existing state policies that outline how campuses must respond to any confirmed immigration enforcement activity. While there are no current indications of immigration enforcement on campus, UCLA is committed to keeping our community informed, prepared, and supported.

USCIS has implemented major changes to EAD polices. This FAQ explains recent USCIS policy changes ending automatic EAD extensions and reducing maximum EAD validity periods and outlines which EAD categories are affected and offers guidance for affected employees'.

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On September 29, the parties in the DACA litigation filed briefs responding to questions Judge Hanen raised in his July DACA order. The briefings are arguments and recommendations that each of the parties has put forward for Judge Hanen to consider. The final briefing deadline is October 27, 2025. No court changes to DACA will occur before 10/27/2025. Many news outlets and social media posts have highlighted that the government’s briefing signaled possibly processing initial DACA applications. However, it is important to remember that Monday’s briefing is the first round of briefs filed in response to Judge Hanen’s questions, and the arguments may evolve and change throughout the remainder of the briefing schedule. None of the arguments change the current status quo - until Judge Hanen says otherwise. Also important, is that in the same briefing the government states that their proposal does “not limit DHS from undertaking any future lawful changes to DACA.” This is a reminder that even outside of the context of litigation, the government can use its executive authority to take negative action towards DACA at any moment through the regulatory process. To do that, the administration must follow a legal process governed by the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which includes publishing a notice, providing a comment period, responding to significant public comment, and issuing a final rule of repeal with a state rationale.

This document provides an update about the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal’s decision on DACA, which became effective on March 11, 2025. At this point, it is only an announcement. At this time, there is no new process for undocumented immigrants to register. Speak with a trusted legal services provider about whether this may apply to you.

Additional Resources: The UCLA Law Library

While primarily an academic resource, the UCLA Law Library can be helpful for members of the public and the UCLA community who are researching personal legal issues. The UCLA Law Library is an academic library that is focused on academic legal research and training future attorneys.

Navigating Legal Research

A primary source is from your jurisdiction- i.e. If a case, published and, generally, from a higher court in your jurisdiction. Most attorneys use expensive databases called Lexis and Westlaw, which provide access to large collections of secondary sources and primary sources. Additionally, these databases supplement primary sources with citators, annotations, and headnotes. These tools flag possible problems with a source (e.g.

If you do not have access to Lexis or Westlaw, a good alternative is Nexis Uni, a budget version of Lexis. Nexis Uni provides access to a small selection of the most significant secondary sources available on Lexis. The federal government and most of the states post copies of their statutes, regulations, and cases online. Some third-parties (such as the Cornell Legal Information Institute or CLII) gather freely available information and make it easier to browse and search.

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