Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office

A project of the Western NY Law Center

Western NY Law Center, 237 Main Street, Suite 1130 Buffalo, NY 14203 Hotline: (716)828-8432 EMail: claro@wnylc.com www.clarobuffalo.org

CLARO is a program provided by the Western New York Law Center (WNYLC), engaging efforts from neighborhood organizations, local universities, volunteers, court resources and generous benefactors.

Serving the Buffalo CommunityCLARO functions under the auspices of the Western New York Law Center (WNYLC), BFNC HOPE Center, SUNY Buffalo Law School Financial Advocacy Clinic, and volunteer attorneys, with the support of the 8th Judicial District Courts and sponsorship of The John R. Oishei Foundation.

Buffalo Federation of Neighborhoods Center, Tri-Main Building 2495 Main Street Buffalo, NY

Entrance on Halbert St.

Our Goal:The aim of CLARO is to

educate unrepresented

debtors regarding their

rights as consumers and to

help them through the legal

process. CLARO aims to

maximize legal resources

to those in need by

providing limited scope

legal advice to

unrepresented litigants, as

part of the larger pro se

movement.

“We’re all consumers, so at some point in our life, we all come across these issues,” said Vera Cedano of the Western New York Law Center, managing attorney for CLARO. “So taking this high moral ground and assuming people are not paying their bills is a little wrong.”

Vera Cedano, “Free law service helps consumers battle abusive creditors,” Buffalo News, January 29, 2013

Reaching CLARO Online:

Hotline:

716.828.8432

Website:

www.clarobuffalo.org

Email:

claro@wnylc.com

In Person:

Walk-in, during Tuesday or Friday Sessions

By Appointment, scheduled via Hotline

Sessions

FREE legal advice & help from an attorney on:

  Collections Garnishments Frozen bank accounts

Court cases or judgments related to credit card debts, medical debts, student loans, car loans, utilities collections, lines of credit, charge accounts, foreclosures.

TUESDAYS FROM 5 PM – 7 PM

BFNC Hope Center2495 Main Street, Suite 260Buffalo, NY 14214

FRIDAYS FROM 10 AM – NOON

Buffalo City Court7th Floor, Part 1550 Delaware AveBuffalo, NY 14202

Get Help

Photo, from WIVB, Buffalo “Program offers free legal advice,” Published : Friday, 24 May 2013,

CLARO Staff

Each session is staffed with a WNYLC paralegal administering the session, WNYLC attorney(s) and volunteer attorneys.

During the fall and spring, student attorneys who are enrolled in the Consumer and Financial Advocacy Clinic at SUNY Buffalo Law School help staff the CLARO project.

Provided by The Western NY Law Center:

ParalegalsAttorneysWebsiteHotline

Professionals

Staff, Western NY Law Center

Court

Buffalo City Court7th Floor, Part 1550 Delaware AveBuffalo, NY 14202

Legal Advice

Provides free, limited-scope legal advice to help participants best represent themselves pro-se.

CLARO attorneys advise visitors about their debt problems and if necessary, draft pleadings that can be used in Court to defend against lawsuits.

You Are Not Alone…

CLARO’s Attorney of the Morning program posts an attorney at Court who will be prepared to go in and represent you before the judge that day.

There is no charge for this service.

CLARO attorneys have experience helping people in your situation.

They understand what you are going through.

They want to help you!

Attorney of the Morning

Guidance

Sample dispute letters

Informational slide shows

On-line resource links

Video Presentations

Client Testimonials

Free Basic CLARO Consumer Law Training sessions for volunteer attorneys

Beyond Legal Advice

Student attorneys have created video presentations available on-line providing tips on how to handle a court appearance:

What to Wear to CourtCourt Stress Relief Techniques

Who We Help

Any debtor in need of representation.

Consumers facing unfair collection practices.

Disabled, working, unemployed or retired individuals.

Patrick could not afford a lawyer to help him remove incorrect information from his credit report. He found out about it when he was interviewing for a job and they did a credit check. A bank had filed a judgment against him and won. He never knew about it and it cost him the job. CLARO helped him through the process of legally ordering the bank to correct the mistake and fix his credit report.

Lisa received a summons and had to go to Court. She couldn’t afford an attorney and wasn’t sure what to do next. A CLARO attorney who was at Court that day provided her with the forms she needed and assisted with their completion. After helping her that day, the attorney advised her on what she might need to do in the future and let her know CLARO would be available again to help if she needed it. “They were just there for me.”

See more testimonials here. Or paste http://clarobuffalo.org/?page_id=248 into your browser.

Partners

Western New York Law Center (WNYLC),

BFNC HOPE Center,

SUNY Buffalo Law School Financial Advocacy Clinic

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Buffalo, Inc.

8th Judicial District Courts

John R. Oishei Foundation

Collaboration

Call for an Appointment

The best way to receive help is to call first and set up an appointment.

CLARO Hotline:

716.828.8432

Thank You!For further information regarding the CLARO program, generally, please contact CLARO at the Western New York Law Center at (716) 828-8432 or via e-mail at claro@wnylc.com.

Western NY Law Center, 237 Main Street, Suite 1130 Buffalo, NY 14203

Hotline: (716)828-8432EMail: claro@wnylc.com

www.clarobuffalo.org