Law Programs | Clinics | Clinic Services

Clinic services

Community members can seek help from the Pierce Law Clinics.  If they meet economic, legal and jurisdictional guidelines, they will be represented by law students supervised by practicing attorneys.

Client financial guidelines

Please note that Pierce Law Clinics only work with low income clients. Certain financial criteria must be met before our services are offered.  For more details please contact our office.

Things we might be able
to help you with:

Things we cannot help you with:

Potential cases must be within certain practice areas
and within certain jurisdictions.

We only take cases from:

  • Hillsborough and Merrimack Counties, or the hearing must be in Concord or Manchester if individual resides outside of Merrimack or Hillsborough Counties, for administrative advocacy law
  • Belknap, Sullivan and Merrimack Counties or Manchester for consumer and landlord/tenant cases
  • Throughout New Hampshire for bankruptcies and intellectual property cases

We do not offer legal advice over the phone.

Cases we DO NOT consider:
  • Social Security Disability
  • Family law such as marital, divorce or custody
  • Medical malpractice
  • Large actions against state, town, school district, etc.
  • Real estate
  • Wills, estates and probate
  • Criminal cases
    (but we might give advice/referral)

Consumer and Commercial Practice Clinic

Type of cases considered:

Limited to these jurisdictions, counties and towns:
Bankruptcy
Generally to preserve the homestead
New Hampshire 

Debt collection defense Belknap and Sullivan counties
Foreclosure and predatory lending - case by case
Explanation - Predatory lending is any number of fraudulent, deceptive, discriminatory or unfavorable lending practices. Many of these practices are illegal, while others are legal but not in the best interest of the borrower.
Belknap and Sullivan counties
Auto Fraud
Financial bait and switch, not lemon vehicles
Belknap and Sullivan counties
Landlord/Tenant
Tenants in eviction process only and served Notice to Quit. We cannot take cases involving non-payment of rent.
Explanation - A Notice to Quit document is the legally required first step a landlord takes to regain possession of rental property.
Belknap and Sullivan counties

Administrative Advocacy Clinic

for Hillsborough and Merrimack counties

 

Type of cases considered:

  • Department of Employment Security (Unemployment)
    Denial of benefits or appeals by employers when the employee is given unemployment compensation benefits
  • Department of Health and Human Services cases
    Such as Food Stamp denial, nursing home denial or Medicaid benefits denial
  • Department of Safety
    Suspension of license for uninsured motorist

Criminal Practice Clinic

Type of cases considered:

  • ONLY court appointed criminal cases
    Misdemeanor A and Felony B
    If you are eligible, you may be given opportunity for an attorney at the time of arrest.  Sometimes the appointed attorney is the Pierce Law Criminal Practice Clinic.

Intellectual Property and Transaction Clinic

(No prior art searches or patent applications)
  • Clients can live in any county in New Hampshire.
    For federal issues, copyright and trademark, clients can live anywhere.
  • Clients must be unable to afford an attorney.
  • Clients are responsible for paying all filing fees and costs.
    Although different filing fee levels are available, trademark registrations filed in the clinic carry a $325 filing fee per mark per international class. The filing fee for copyright registration application is $35 for electronically filed applications and $45 for paper filed applications.

Type of cases considered:

  • Copyright registration and counseling
  • Trademark registration and counseling
  • Transactional work
    Including intellectual property licenses and assignments, recordation of documents with the Patent and Trademark Office and Copyright Office, non-disclosure agreements, consulting agreements and entertainment industry releases and agreements
  • Non-profit entity organization and exempt status application representation
  • Intellectual property disputes
  • Business start-ups
  • Patent licensing
    No patent prosecution

Contact us

Franklin Pierce Law Center Clinic
Two White Street
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 225-3350

Ellen M. Lessard, Office Manager, Clinical Programs
Lynn Blanchard, Clinical Programs Administrative Assistant

Others agencies that might be able to help you

Those seeking assistance in areas that we do not cover may choose to contact one of these agencies.

LARC
Legal Advice and Referral Center
1 (800) 639-5290
Mon-Tue-Thur-Fri
9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
NH Legal Assistance
1 (800) 562-3174
Mon-Wed-Fri
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Lawline
1 (800) 868-1212
2nd Wed. of month
6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Help for NH Homeowners
The Foreclosure Prevention Initiative
Understanding and preventing foreclosure with statewide and national resource listings

Supporting our efforts to help you

New Hampshire Bar FoundationThe Consumer and Commercial Law Clinic and Administrative Law and Advocacy Clinic are funded, in part, by the New Hampshire Bar Foundation IOLTA Grant Program.

Pierce Law Clinics started with a vision

Bruce E. Friedman working with a student in the Clinic

 

 

In Memoriam
Bruce E. Friedman
, 1947-1997
Professor of Law and
Director, Civil Practice Clinic

As an attorney for children and the underrepresented in New Hampshire, Professor Friedman, with the help of his students, won major victories in the New Hampshire Supreme Court over the State Personnel Commission, Division of Mental Health, Division of Welfare, Department of Employment Security and Division of Children and Youth.

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