Free legal guidance available at Nassau Bar open house in Mineola

Long Islanders facing a variety of legal issues — from bankruptcy to foreclosure — can get free guidance from attorneys on Oct. 29 during a legal clinic hosted by the Nassau County Bar Association in Mineola. 

The open house is a partnership between the bar association, The Safe Center LI, which helps people impacted by family violence and sexual assault, and Legal Services of Long Island, which was formerly known as Nassau Suffolk Law Services. 

The walk-in event will run from 2-8 p.m. at the bar association’s office at 133 15th Street in Mineola.

In addition to bankruptcy and foreclosure, a wide variety of legal expertise will be available on issues ranging from divorce, family law, elder law, employment, immigration and landlord-tenant disputes.

Attorneys volunteering at the event do not provide legal representation but can make referrals beyond the consultation. Last year, about 130 people seeking help attended, said Rezwanul Islam, deputy executive director at Legal Services of Long Island and co-chair of the committee helping organize the event.

One change this year is that the bar association’s Lawyer Referral Service will be on-site to help attendees with next steps if they need a lawyer. The service connects people to qualified attorneys willing to hold a 30-minute appointment for $50 before the client decides whether to hire the attorney.

The addition of on-site referrals followed attorneys’ feedback in previous years that they could tell certain attendees would benefit from legal representation, Islam said.

"We want to make sure that anyone who needs a lawyer knows exactly how to obtain one," he said.

It’s important for attendees to know referrals are made only if a person doesn’t qualify for pro bono services from a legal aid group, said Nassau County District Court Judge Maxine S. Broderick, who co-chairs the committee organizing the event. The information provided during consultations is free for attendees.

"I want to be careful no one feels turned away by thinking they ever have to engage an attorney at any time or pay anyone a fee to participate in this clinic," she said.

Support is available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Interpretation services in additional languages are available upon request.

Interested attendees can call 516-747-4070 ext. 1231 or email openhouse@nassaubar.org to register and ensure a legal expert who specializes in their area of need will be available.

By Jonathan LaMantia

jonathan.lamantia@newsday.com@jonlamantia

Jonathan LaMantia covers residential real estate and other business news on Long Island. He previously covered the business of health care for Crain's New York Business.