WARREN — The Clarence Darrow Court Clinic opened this month at the Trumbull County Bar Association, located at the former Stone Building on High Street NW.

The clinic, offered by Community Legal Aid, will assist low-income individuals facing foreclosure, eviction and debt or collection issues.

The clinic is offered in partnership with the Trumbull County Bar Association, Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas, Trumbull County Central District Court, Trumbull County Eastern District Court and the municipal courts of Warren, Newton Falls, Niles and Girard.

Common Pleas Court Judge Andrew D Logan said that it can be difficult to navigate the legal system without an attorney. Logan said the courts, because of this clinic, can give those without an attorney extra time to get help.

“Short continuances may be granted to self-represented litigants to allow them to access the clinic, obtain legal advice and perhaps even retain legal counsel,” Logan said.

The clinic is open to people who qualify for Legal Aid assistance and have a pending foreclosure, eviction or collection / creditor lawsuit in a Trumbull County court. Elsa Reale-Gottfried, the clinic coordinator and attorney at Legal Aid, added that residents with other housing or debt-related concerns can also attend, even if they haven’t received a notice of a lawsuit.

According to Reale-Gottfried, the project came about as a result of the growing number of people who end up in court with no legal representation.

“A lot of times, people are already in financial trouble, which led to the court case in the first place,” Reale-Gottfried said. “They can’t afford to hire an attorney to help them respond to the lawsuit, which gives the party bringing the lawsuit an unfair advantage. If you do not go to your court hearing, the court can rule in favor of the party who filed the lawsuit.”

In addition to helping residents solve their legal problems, the Clarence Darrow Court Clinic offers local attorneys a way to give back to the community.

Rachel Nader, managing attorney for Legal Aid’s volunteer program, said many attorneys see the need but the region has lacked a structured and convenient way for them to be involved in a pro bono service.

Eligible individuals who attend the clinic will meet with a volunteer attorney who will review their case, offer legal advice and help fill out court forms. Volunteer attorneys also may choose to represent a client through the court.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown stressed the benefits this project brings to the community.

“Every Ohioan should have access to the legal services and representation they need during financial hardships,” Brown, D-Ohio, said.