Anyone facing credit card troubles, consumer scams or employment discrimination will soon have aid on campus, thanks to the attorney general's new satellite office in the College of Law.
Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard was on campus Thursday to celebrate the grand opening of the new office.
Students, ASU employees and Tempe residents can seek the assistance of about 44 undergraduate and graduate student volunteers at the office to get information on a range of issues, Goddard said.
"It allows us to tap into some dynamic talent," he added.
The office will officially open to students Nov. 9 in the Pro Bono area near the main lobby of the College of Law.
Many college students are targeted by companies for fraud simply because they are students, Goddard said.
For example, one Mesa company that offered clean drinking water to students had salespeople who claimed customers could cancel their contract every month, Goddard said.
But when students signed up for the service, they were not informed they also checked a box binding them to the agreement for three years, he said.
The satellite office will help counsel students on dealing with such concerns, he added.
The office will also provide easy accessibility for students who may not have the means to travel to the Attorney General's Office in downtown Phoenix, said Andrea M. Esquer, spokeswoman for Goddard's office.
Having an office on campus staffed by their peers could also reduce potential student anxiety, Esquer added.
"There's some comfort in coming to a community location that's close to where you work or where you have school," she said.
The ASU location is one of 15 satellite offices throughout Arizona. The Attorney General's Office eventually hopes to expand to NAU, UA and community colleges throughout the state, Esquer said.
Tom Reade, community outreach coordinator for the attorney general, told The State Press in August that ASU was chosen to house the first university satellite office because it is close to Goddard's downtown Phoenix office.
"We think this is a great opportunity to volunteer and give something back to the community," Esquer said.
Political science senior Patrick Daven is one of the student volunteers. He hopes to learn about different areas of crime firsthand so he can use that knowledge during internships and an eventual stint at law school.
The office's hours are from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Students interested in volunteering should call the Community Services Program in the Attorney General's Office at (602) 542-2123.
Reach the reporter at grayson.steinberg@asu.edu.
