Student Legal Counsel

It is a service provided by ASNAU to assist NAU students with issues of a legal nature. It is important that you understand your legal rights and obligations. The Student Legal Counsel is a licensed attorney who can provide advice and referrals to outside attorneys, if necessary, to aid you in protecting your legal rights.

The attorney is a resource to assist you with your legal issues, so long as they are not in conflict with ABOR policies regarding the scope of the position. The attorney will provide limited representation by meeting with you in the office, researching issues where necessary, and providing general legal counsel. If necessary, you may be referred to DNA People’s Legal Services, the Coconino County Bar Association Attorney Referral List, the Arizona State Bar Association Attorney Referral List, or other community resources.

The Student Legal Counsel is also a trained and certified mediator and may suggest that alternative dispute resolution options be considered to resolve certain types of issues and disputes. Mediation may be used if all parties agree to it.

The attorney is not permitted to represent you in any adversarial hearings, judicial or administrative, to charge a fee, or to represent you in any actions resulting from a violation of the Arizona Criminal Code or the Board’s Code of Conduct. In addition, the attorney is not permitted to directly or indirectly participate as an attorney in any litigation on behalf of a student against the State of Arizona, the U.S. government, county or municipal governing bodies, nor the officers, agencies, appointees, employees or other representatives of such political entities, including the university and university officers and employees. The Student Legal Counsel is not permitted to refer clients to particular attorneys or firms.

Any registered student on the Flagstaff Mountain Campus including Grad Students. Although this service is funded by the 23 Fee, this service is available to all Flagstaff Mountain Campus students. ASNAU no longer schedules appointments for the Student Legal Counsel. Pleas contact Matthew Poirier at the number or email above.

As you soon as you are aware that you are involved in a legal matter. Do NOT delay. If you already have a court date scheduled, please alert Matthew Poirier when you call to schedule your appointment.

No, in order to provide confidential service, you must schedule an appointment and meet with the Student Legal Counsel in person.

Registering and paying the student services fee (23 Fee), you are entitled to use the service and there is no additional charge.

The Student Legal Counsel is a licensed member of the Arizona State Bar Association and is bound by the Rules of Professional Responsibility, which govern ethical conduct of attorneys including confidentiality. This rule applies also to any employee working with the Student Legal Counsel. It is important that you candidly discuss your case with the attorney so that the best resolution may be sought.

It is critical that you bring all legal documents relating to the issue to be discussed. It is also helpful if you prepare a timeline of events, including names of others who may be involved, if applicable so that we can discuss future options. It is best to jot down your recollection of the event as soon as possible, to preserve your memory of the situation. If necessary, additional follow up will take place, including scheduling additional appointments.

We will continue to expand our offerings of informative brochures on a wide variety of legal topics. Please feel free to stop by to pick up any brochures that may be helpful for you. We will be creating a website of this information as well as other practical and useful legal information.

Please feel free to contact your ASNAU Senator if you have any suggestions for other Legal Services offerings.