The office will undertake court representation in only in a very limited number of cases, after review by all the professional staff. The three primary areas where litigation services are offered are Consumer Protection, Housing, and Civil Rights. Within these areas, litigation will be considered only where there will be an impact on a large number of students, or where the impact on an individual student is severe and no other representation is available for the client.

In most situations, efforts will first be made to refer cases to the local private bar, with a decision to litigate made only after three private attorneys have refused to undertake representation. We can only consider litigation in those cases which originate in Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden Counties.

If a client's case is accepted for litigation, the client may be asked to sign a fee agreement allowing 25% to 33 1/3% of the recovery. The client may also be asked for a retainer to cover some of the litigation costs. In non-contingency fee cases a flat fee for litigation services ranging from $50 to $1,000 may be charged. This fee will be repaid to the client when attorney's fees are paid by the adverse party.