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Free Legal Help Available at Access to Justice Pop-Up Clinic

Athenians needing free legal advice can get some help from some of Athens’ best legal minds.  Superior Court judges are being joined by area attorneys, legal educators and staff members for an Access to Justice Initiative Free Pop-Up Clinic. Judge Patrick Haggard is the Chief Judge of the Western Judicial Circuit.

“Sometimes it’s simply a question answered, sometimes it’s starting a case, filing a case, answering a case, things of that sort,” according to Haggard. “Sometimes it takes five minutes, sometimes they’ll sit with a lawyer the whole two hours of so and try to get some resolution or some direction.”

Haggard says the mission is to provide access to legal services and information for community members who need it.

“We think it’s needed, as judges, several of the judges are there, I try to come every time and there are several other judges that come and we don’t do a lot other than introduce ourselves and encourage participation by the lawyers and that sort of thing.”

He says it’s vital that those coming for help feel validated in addition to receiving the type of assistance they may not be able to find elsewhere.

“We want the people that come to know they are important and we want them to get the help that they need.”

Judge Patrick Haggard

The event is Saturday at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church on Old West Broad Road from 9 am until 11 am.

The University of Georgia Law School is a partner in the program.

For more information, call 706-613-3161.

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