Yale Student Association for Small Claims Assistance (Y-SASCA)

Mission

The Yale Student Association for Small Claims Assistance (Y-SASCA) is a student organization in New Haven which seeks to help individuals navigate the small claims court system in Connecticut. Our mission is to empower socioeconomically disadvantaged people by providing vital information on Connecticut law, small claims procedure, and effective court presentations in order to help them effectively seek legal redress through the small claims system, and to protect their rights as consumers, tenants, and members of our community.

Student Leaders

Casey Arias – Co-Coordinator/Co-President Ainsley Kroon – Co-Coordinator/Co-President

Activities

Legal Information Accessibility Platform Direct Service Y-SASCA seeks to provide legal information to socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in the State of Connecticut in order to help them navigate the small claims court system. Y-SASCA seeks to accomplish this through providing information on small claims law and procedure through a permanently accessible information-hub website with useful information, commonly asked questions, and contact information to connect community members to trained Yale undergraduates who can provide assistance and further information. Legal Information Accessibility Platform Direct Service Y-SASCA seeks to provide legal information to socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in the State of Connecticut in order to help them navigate the small claims court system. Y-SASCA seeks to accomplish this through providing information on small claims law and procedure through a permanently accessible information-hub website with useful information, commonly asked questions, and contact information to connect community members to trained Yale undergraduates who can provide assistance and further information. Community Legal Resource Awareness and Outreach Canvassing Direct Service To connect with residents in New Haven, the Yale Student Association for Small Claims Assistance (Y-SASCA) plans to initiate a targeted canvassing campaign across the community. By going door-to-door, our volunteers aim to raise awareness about the free legal information services Y-SASCA provides for individuals navigating the Connecticut small claims court system. Y-SASCA volunteers will distribute informational materials designed to introduce residents to our services, and answer general questions about the small claims process. This outreach effort not only expands understanding of the services offered but empowers residents by helping them feel more informed, prepared, and supported as they seek legal remedies in small claims court. Legal Information Accessibility Platform Direct Service Y-SASCA seeks to provide legal information to socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in the State of Connecticut in order to help them navigate the small claims court system. Y-SASCA seeks to accomplish this through providing information on small claims law and procedure through our website. Our website includes legal information on frequently asked question (including helpful graphics and charts). Our website also provides our contact information allowing individuals to call and emails for any additional information that might be required. These emails and call will receive a response within 48 hours. Additionally, we plan to print broches with general information on small claims and about Y-SASCA (including our website address). We plan to have these broches at any of our meetings and dispute them across public spaces throughout New Haven. Legal Information Accessibility Platform Direct Service In this Direct Service activity, Y-SASCA provides permanently accessible legal information to socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in the State of Connecticut in order to help them navigate the small claims court system. This information is regularly updated and added to. The website also connects our group to the New Haven and wider Connecticut community through our contact us page with our contact information as well as information on when our live Yale Student-manned call help-lines will be open. Canvassing and Outreach Direct Service Canvassing is our funding priority for this semester. Y-SASCA’s continued operation as an organization heavily depends on successful canvassing efforts, as we need a client base to serve. With the appropriate materials for canvassing, we can connect with more people who will benefit most from our services, which ensures Y-SASCA can fulfill our mission to provide valuable legal information and support to the New Haven community. Canvassing is also an important opportunity to bring in new clients for our newly-trained cohort of the fall semester, who have yet to contribute their knowledge towards Y-SASCA’s operations. To this end, we will use this funding to create informational materials, which we will distribute to local residents and nonprofit organizations to raise awareness about our volunteer assistance program. Yale printing alternatives cannot suffice for this purpose because we need more durable materials that can be posted outside in winter weather conditions and hung on people’s doors (since it is illegal to place flyers in mailboxes, and taping flyers to doors is more annoying to residents). Printing 300 ensures we have enough to distribute and gives us the best deal for cost. Legal Aid Translation Team Meetings Direct Service Every week, a team of bilingual Y-SASCA members will meet to translate small claims legal aid resources into various languages and produce foreign-language informational materials. This team will meet regularly to quickly build a substantial resource base that is accessible to those whose native language is not English, ensuring that Y-SASCA can extend our services to as many people as possible and continue helping those who most need it. Legal Information Provision Direct Service Y-SASCA seeks to provide legal information to socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in the State of Connecticut in order to help them navigate the small claims court system. Y-SASCA seeks to accomplish this through providing information on small claims law and procedure through phone calls, emails (including helpful graphics and charts), brochures, and posters. Y-SASCA Launch Event on January 28th Advocacy or Activism On January 28, the Yale Student Association for Small Claims Assistance (Y-SASCA) officially launched with a formal event at Dwight Hall, bringing together over 50 undergraduate volunteers, members of the Connecticut Judicial Branch, legal aid organizations, and access-to-justice leaders. The event served as a celebration of Y-SASCA?s work over the past two years in developing a training curriculum and establishing partnerships statewide. Chief Judge William H. Bright Jr. of the Connecticut Court of Appeals delivered remarks, commending Y-SASCA?s mission to bridge the access-to-justice gap and emphasizing its importance to the Connecticut legal system. He also read supporting remarks from Chief Justice Raheem L. Mullins of the Connecticut Supreme Court. The event underscored the significance of small claims cases and the need for support in ensuring fairness for self-represented litigants. Attendees included representatives from the Connecticut Bar Association and other legal aid organizations, who praised the program?s potential impact. The event provided an opportunity to strengthen key relationships, showcase the progress made by Y-SASCA, and highlight the critical role of undergraduate volunteers in supporting small claims litigants. Through speeches, networking, and discussions, the launch set the stage for ongoing collaboration and future growth in providing much-needed legal assistance to the New Haven community. Study Break Collaboration Event with YULAA Social/Cultural/Team-Building To foster a sense of community among our volunteers during a stressful time in the school year, we will be hosting a finals study break in collaboration with YULAA. We will be providing food and drinks. Annual Visibility & Photo Session Social/Cultural/Team-Building Y?SASCA is holding its Annual Visibility & Photo Session to update its website and outreach materials with current photos of its new board and members. The session ensures that members of the New Haven community can see who is providing small claims assistance and helps maintain accurate, up-to-date public-facing materials. Board Meetings Social/Cultural/Team-Building Our board meets weekly to discuss incoming inquiries, training, outreach efforts, event planning, and more. Tabling Social/Cultural/Team-Building Aside from our annual canvassing and outreach event, we will also be tabling in New Haven throughout the semester to spread awareness of our services and how we can help.

How Others Get Involved

Email us at yalestudentsmallclaims@gmail.com