In March 2010, the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau launched its own pro-se divorce clinic. Meeting several times during the year, the Pro Se Divorce (PSD) Clinic has provided Bureau students with yet another opportunity to assist community members in a limited capacity.

The impetus behind the clinic was simple. Routinely, the Bureau is forced to turn away clients who are above our financial guidelines, but who still are in need of assistance. The Pro Se Divorce Clinic seeks to assist low-income individuals whom the Bureau cannot represent directly in obtaining a divorce. The clinic offers low-income individuals with one-time assistance in filling out paperwork and pursuing a divorce pro se.

Every PSD candidate must satisfy basic eligibility guidelines. The clinic is a powerful resources for potential client who are not financially eligible or do not satisfy triggers.

Laura Openshaw, currently working at the Bureau as a Clinical Fellow, originally envisioned the clinic as a nexus between her work as Outreach Director and her desire to help more community members. With a passion for service and a penchant for creative thinking, the idea was born by Openshaw and ultimately approved by the Board of Directors in January 2010.

“ This has provided us with a unique method of expanding our family practice,” explained Rachel Lauter, current Bureau president. “ We are assisting more low-income individuals without using up a great deal of our resources, so we are excited about the progress of the clinic.”

The Clinic has also been important for students in the Bureau’ s Family Practice, allowing more students to collaborate on projects beyond their normal casework and to work with other clinical instructors. For students, the Clinic provides yet another outlet for student lawyering at the Bureau.

“ The Clinic is important to help us expand the scope of people we help. These still are people who need our help to improve their family situation,” says Joe Kopchick, a 3L Family student and active organizer of the Clinic. “ They still need help, and the clinic allows us to assist them in ways we never could before.”

With several successful test clinics taking place in the Spring of 2010, the Bureau looks forward to operating the clinic more frequently during this academic year, Lauter says.

“ As long as the demand remains consistent—and so far it has—we will continue providing this service for clinic participants.”