Angela Downes
The second UNT College of Law legal clinic created in conjunction with Resource Center will focus on wills, estate planning, power of attorney, medical directives and transfer on death deeds. An earlier clinic focused on name and gender marker changes for the trans community.
Resource Center Communications and Advocacy Manager Rafael McDonnell said anyone can participate, and many should. While the Obergefell marriage equality decision gave couples who marry certain rights to inheritance they didn’t have before, wills are still a good idea. Couples who are not married are still particularly vulnerable when it comes to inheritance.
Angela Downes, assistant director of experiential education at UNT’s downtown Dallas law school, will do a presentation. She’ll then refer participants to third-year law students for those who qualify based on financial need. Others will be referred to local LGBT attorneys that will assist either with a free or reduced rate consultation.
McDonnell said he hopes to schedule several more legal clinics in conjunction with UNT’s law school through the year. Each session will focus on one particular legal need.
Eventually, McDonnell said, he would like the legal clinic to be something offered as a regular Resource Center service, with students supervised by law faculty staffing a clinic during regular hours.
To register, go to Resource Center’s Facebook page. A link to the free Eventbrite registration is under events.
— David Taffet
