The day we turn 18 has long been the milestone of entrance into society as an adult.

“Part of being in this society is that we will all have to enter into a contract at some point,” said Carole Grayson, the director and staff attorney at Student Legal Services (SLS). “It makes me feel better that I am helping with the process.”

SLS is a Student Affairs program that provides legal advice, representation and education to students who are enrolled at the UW.

“Many people see us just because they want that extra assurance that they are going in the right direction, and I think we can really provide that confidence for people,” said Katie Schmidt, an SLS intern.

Located on the ground floor of the HUB next to the U.S. Bank, the SLS office aids students in a variety of legal situations. Some of the most common cases are landlord-tenants disputes, credit problems, divorces, traffic tickets, simple criminal matters, and will or estate planning.

“College students inevitably face a lot of legal issues from DUI to MIP and divorces,” said Katie Schmidt, an office intern. “Students are away from family where there is not the same support as if they were at home. We can be a good network for people, someone to run things by, like legal help or ideas.”

Grayson, who has been a lawyer since 1978, has found that “when people are represented, there are always better outcomes.”

However, there are cases that SLS cannot accept. Cases involving the UW will not be represented by SLS because the program is funded by the Services and Activities Fee.

Cases like bankruptcy, immigration or personal injury cannot be handled because of the legal interns’ limited license to practice law.

The staff consists of Rule 9 legal interns that have completed two years at the UW School of Law. This means the interns have been granted a limited license to practice law under supervision of an attorney under Rule 9 of the Admission to Practice Rules. In addition to Grayson, lawyers from private practices also supervise the law students.

“Law school teaches you how to think and how the law is written, but you don’t understand the dynamics of working with the client,” said Schmidt, who is finishing up her first year with SLS. “We aren’t attorneys, but I think we really care about our clients. We are really invested, and we don’t have as many case loads.”

The office also has opportunities for undergraduates hoping to get their feet wet in legal advising.

Korngold, one of two office managers, has been working with SLS throughout the four years of her undergraduate career.

“I am the first face that people see when they walk in the door,” Korngold said. “I do everything that’s not giving legal advice.”

Korngold, who has recently been accepted to the UW School of Law, feels that just being in the office environment offered by the SLS has been a tremendous learning opportunity.

“This job is as little or as much as you put into it. I have a lot more experience with legal issues. I know the processes. I know some things that the average person would not know,” she said.

Although SLS holds to the professional responsibilities of any law firm, the office and the services it provides cater to those in the university community, many of whom may find it difficult to afford other legal help.

Private law firms can charge $200, or more, per hour for consultation with an attorney.

“It happens that people go to a private attorney and end up paying way more than they need to,” said senior Miriam Korngold, an SLS office manager.

An eligible student has access to a free 40-minute consultation about one specific issue. Any further consultation about the same issue after that initiates a one-time $10 administrative fee, in addition to $15 per hour of service. However, there is no limit on the amount of time a student may visit SLS during their enrollment to discuss separate, unrelated cases.

There is even a possibility for students who have extreme financial hardship to apply to have their fees waived or reduced.

Also like any private law firm, SLS guarantees confidentiality.

“We deal with faculty or other significant and sensitive matters. We tell them up front that whatever they tell us stays in the office,” Schmidt said.

The technical terms used in the legal system can be incomprehensible to some, therefore, Grayson feels that her role as a lawyer involves much more than representation in court.

“From my earliest days in college, I always thought of myself as an educator. As lawyers, we educate our clients,” Grayson said.

But the education does not stop with the clients. Through different legal cases, the SLS has had to educate all parties involved. Landlords have had to learn about their responsibilities as property owners — to the benefit of SLS clients.

Despite being on a college campus, Grayson says that the clients range in age from 16 to late 50s and that part of what makes SLS unique is its ability to bridge youth with experience.

To Grayson, the experiences shared with each wave of interns give her a chance to reflect on her own law-school memories.

“It’s energizing to look at all this through the eyes of the intern. They have this way of seeing the universe with fresh eyes,” Grayson said.

Though a student’s first run-in with the law may be stressful, their first consultation with an attorney does not have to be.

“We can relate. We are students as well. We know the stressful times of the year,” Schmidt said. “We are more casual, and people can feel comfortable. We can give them the truth without having to live up to this height of expectation.”

Reach reporter Adrienne Kishimoto at features@dailyuw.com.