Many students on the Texas A&M University-Commerce campus are unaware that legal services are available to them. However, on the second floor of the student services building in the Counseling Center, students can find attorney Jay Garrett.
“The initial consultation is free,” John Francis, student intern and assistant to Garrett said. “When students come in, we get them the files they need to help themselves,” Francis said. “Everything is completely confidential.”
Garrett is a practicing lawyer and is available to help students with legal matters including landlord/tenant issues and any legal matter that could lead to criminal charges. Garrett is also available to students to help with marriage, divorce, and child custody or support as well as employee rights.
Students at A&M-Commerce are not the only ones that have Garrett’s services available to them, though he only gives free services to students.
“He is a practicing lawyer to both Commerce and Cooper,” Francis said. “We feel that we are giving a service to students and that this service should be free.”
Garret is able to help students with the informal resolution of any problems the students may have legally, though Garrett is unable to draft long legal documents due to heavy caseloads.
Any cases that are unable to be solved by his office will be referred to a local attorney for more direct legal representation.
When students go in for the consultation they need to bring with them any documents that pertain to what the visit is about.
Garrett is also available to speak to any academic or social organization about issues such as conflict resolution, consumer credit, financial management, and anything concerning landlord/tenant issues. Another purpose is to act as a mediator between two students when a conflict arises to get a resolution.
Garrett is an A&M-Commerce alumnus and graduated from the SMU School of Law. He also has 25 years of experience of law practice and is a member of The State Bar of Texas and of the College of State Bar.
He can be reached by phone or e-mail. Services are available to anyone who is a full-time student and enrollment will be verified before an appointment is set up.