Letter to the Editor: Submitted by Jeffrey L. Swartz

To the Editor:

To the citizens of Allamakee County. For 40 years the Allamakee County Bar Association had been providing a service, free of charge, where someone could learn whether their law question was something requiring an attorney or not.

I am sad to announce that the Allamakee County Legal Advice Clinic has been temporarily shut down. As President of the Allamakee County Bar Association, I have been advised by the Clerk of Court that we can no longer use the services of the clerk’s office to set appointments and hold client conferences for this free service.

Previously, there were ads/articles in the local newspaper that indicated this service was available.  One could call the clerk’s office and they would set an appointment on a Monday, two weeks per month, for citizens to speak with a volunteer attorney.

I hope that the service did provide some help to the community over the last 40 years. Presently, the program is temporary shutdown.

The Allamakee County Bar Association does not have anyone to facilitate the handling of phone calls, appointments, or sign-in and sign-out for these services.   If you have an issue, help might be available for you by contacting Iowa Legal Aid.

Jeffrey L. Swartz
President, Allamakee County Bar Association