Legal Resources

Know Your Rights: Tenant Informational Webinar

Sponsored by the UMass Amherst Student Government Association, Student Legal Services Office (SLSO), UMass Off Campus Student Life, and the Amherst Town Council (October 20, 2022):

Know Your Rights Session - Sponsored by UMass Amherst SGA

Massachusetts Legal Help 

MassLegalHelp.org offers free, practical information on legal rights in Massachusetts, including on landlord/tenant issues:

Housing, Apartments & Shelter - Massachusetts Legal Help

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD)

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) enforces the state’s antidiscrimination laws which prohibit landlords and others from discriminating against applicants and tenants based on membership in a protected class:

Overview of Housing Discrimination - Mass.gov

Local City and Boards of Health

Local city and town Boards of Health are charged with enforcement of the Massachusetts State Sanitary Code which establishes the minimum standards for housing to protect the health, safety, and well-being of occupants and the general public. Upon complaint or request, the local Board of Health conducts inspections of dwellings to determine violations:

Town of Amherst, MA - Inspection Services 

Town of Sunderland, MA - Board of Health

Town of Hadley, MA - Board of Health

City of Northampton, MA - Department of Health and Human Services

UMass Amherst Off Campus Student Life

UMass Amherst Off Campus Student Life offers information and resources to students living (or thinking about living) off campus:

Off Campus Student Life: Dean of Students Office - UMass Amherst

Safety Planning Packet for International Students

Please click the link below to find the forms and instructions to fill out a Safety Planning Packet:

Safety Planning Packet Forms and Instructions

Immigrant Legal Resource Center - Red Card Information 

All people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution. The ILRC's red cards give examples of how people can exercise these rights. However, they do not provide individualized legal advice.

Red Card Information and Ordering Instructions

Immigration Advocates - National Immigration Legal Services Directory

Select the link below to search for immigration legal services providers by state, county, or detention facility. Only nonprofit organizations that provide free or low-cost immigration legal services are included in this directory.

The National Immigration Legal Service Directory 

Immigrant Defense Project - Know Your Rights with ICE

Immigrant Defense Project protects and expands the rights of all immigrants, focusing at the intersection of the criminal and immigration systems. A guide to protecting immigrants from deportation after arrest. Don't get ICEd, IDP's interactive web-based Know-Your-Rights educational tool.

Know Your Rights with ICE

Office of Global Affairs

The Office of Global Affairs (OGA) is dedicated in providing global education to the UMass Amherst community through education abroad opportunities, international student and scholar services, and global partnerships.

The Office of Global Affairs, UMass Amherst

Discrimination and Harassment

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) enforces the state’s antidiscrimination laws which prohibit workplace discrimination and harassment based on an employee’s membership in a protected class:

Overview of Workplace Discrimination | Mass.gov

MCAD Guidelines: Employment Discrimination on the Basis of Handicap

MCAD Guidelines on Harassment in the Workplace (issued July 2, 2024) 

Unemployment 

Information on eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits in Massachusetts when an employee is separated from their employment:

Unemployment Insurance Eligibility | Mass.gov

Paid Family and Medical Leave

Information on the Paid Family and Medical Leave law in Massachusetts when an employee needs to take time off from work for family or medical reasons:

Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) overview and benefits | Mass.gov

Massachusetts Legal Help

MassLegalHelp.org offers free, practical information on legal rights in Massachusetts, including on employment and unemployment issues:

Employment & Unemployment | Massachusetts Legal Help

Massachusetts Attorney General's Office

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office offers consumer support through its Consumer Advocacy & Response Division (CARD) including on defective products, car sales, debt collection, utility bill disputes, and issues specific to immigrants, veterans, homeless and elder residents:

Get Consumer Support | Mass.gov

Massachusetts Legal Help

MassLegalHelp.org offers free, practical information on legal rights in Massachusetts, including on debt collection, automobile purchase, and identity theft issues:

Money & Debt | Massachusetts Legal Help

Credit Report 

Obtain a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each credit reporting company (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion):

Annual Credit Report.com - Home Page

Center of Women and Community (CWC) - UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst’s Center for Women and Community (CWC) provides free and confidential sexual assault support and advocacy (SASA) services to all of Hampshire County:

CWC’s SASA Hotline (available 24/7): (413) 545-0800

Center for Women and Community : Student Affairs : UMass Amherst

Safe Passage, Northampton MA

Safe Passage in Northampton, MA offers free and confidential services to survivors of domestic violence and relationship abuse including counseling, advocacy, support groups, and legal advice on probate and family court matters, as well as immigration support:

Safe Passage Helpline: (413) 586-5066

Home - Safe Passage

National Domestic Violence Hotline

The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers free and confidential information and support services 24/7 by phone, chat, and text:

The Hotline: 1 (800) 799-SAFE (7233)

Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline

SafeLink 

SafeLink is Massachusetts’ statewide 24/7 toll-free domestic violence hotline:

SafeLink Hotline: (877) 785-2020

SafeLink : Casa Myrna

National Sexual Assault Hotline

National Sexual Assault Hotline offers confidential 24/7 support by phone and chat:

Hotline: 1 (800) 656-HOPE (4673)

RAINN | The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization

Massachusetts Legal Help 

MassLegalHelp.org offers free, practical information on legal rights in Massachusetts, including on domestic abuse issues:

Domestic Abuse & Crime Victims | Massachusetts Legal Help

Lawyers for Civil Rights

Lawyers for Civil Rights fights discrimination and fosters equity through creative and courageous legal advocacy, education, and economic empowerment. With law firms and community allies, we provide free, life-changing legal support to individuals, families, and small businesses.

Lawyers for Civil Rights - Get Help

UMass Amherst’s webpage collecting updates and resources in response to recent changes in the federal landscape:

Federal Actions : UMass Amherst