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SLS considers moving under 'U' jurisdiction

Student Legal Services is contemplating a move from the Michigan Student Assembly's nest to a place under the wing of the more financially sound University administration.

A fact-finding team of two SLS employees, two Student Services representatives and two MSA representatives will look into the benefits and drawbacks of being directly associated with the administration, MSA Vice President Sam Goodstein said.

"This is a discussion that's been going on for years," said Doug Lewis, SLS director. "Now I just want to bring closure."

SLS provides legal services to about 2,000 University students each year, Lewis said.

Goodstein, who sits on the SLS board, addressed the assembly about the possibility of "MSA divesting itself of SLS."

"If we sent SLS to the administration, we'll have a more stable SLS ... on the flip side, there's always that threat that the administration would do something to SLS," Goodstein said.

Lewis said the discussions were more intense last year when the organization was under the MSA fee cap and was "running out of money." The MSA ballot proposal accepted by the student body in last year's fall elections and by the University Board of Regents raised SLS funding. Even with this, the arguments for joining the University are purely economic, Lewis said.

"It is clearly cheaper for us, particularly in the areas of insuring ourselves, to be part of a larger group," he said.

Currently, four attorneys, one paralegal and one secretary are paid from a budget provided by the student fee. SLS pays higher insurance rates for the staff than would apply if it were under the University. SLS does not currently provide retirement benefits to its employees.

If SLS relinquished its financial problems to the University, it may sacrifice some independence as well, Lewis said.

"The negative side to it really goes to SLS maintaining autonomy, or at least the perception of autonomy," Lewis said.

University Vice President for Student Affairs Maureen Hartford said she did not anticipate any problems between SLS and the administration.

"That's definitely not something that we would intervene in in any way," Hartford said.

Goodstein said the assembly would comply with the wishes of the SLS board in deciding to ask the regents to take on the organization.

"Once SLS goes to the administration, it's never going back," he said. "Once the administration pays them, (the administration) can do anything they want."

Hartford compared the current relationship between the University and University Health Services to the relationship the administration would have with SLS. Hartford said she would never attempt to tell UHS which cases to accept or how to handle them.

"I would assume we would have the same kind of relationship with Student Legal Services," she said.

Goodstein said the SLS board would coordinate with MSA to set guidelines for the administration's involvement. Although the current administration wouldn't be a problem, future administrators may not respect the guidelines, he said.

"There isn't a threat of the current administration doing anything to SLS ... my concern is 10 to 20 years from now," Goodstein said.

Hartford said the issue should be introduced to the regents as an informational item. The regents would only need to approve a change in the student fee.