CLARO is a program provided by the Western New York Law Center (WNYLC), engaging efforts from neighborhood organizations, local universities, volunteers, court resources and generous benefactors.

1. Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office
 A project of the Western NY Law Center
Western NY Law Center, 237 Main Street, Suite 1130 Buffalo, NY 14203
Hotline: (716)828-8432
EMail: claro@wnylc.com
www.clarobuffalo.org

2. CLARO is a program provided by the Western New York Law
Center (WNYLC), engaging efforts from neighborhood
organizations, local universities, volunteers, court resources
and generous benefactors.

3. Buffalo Federation of Neighborhoods
Center,
Tri-Main Building
2495 Main Street
Buffalo, NY
Entrance on Halbert St.
Serving the Buffalo Community
CLARO functions under the auspices of the Western
New York Law Center (WNYLC), BFNC HOPE Center,
SUNY Buffalo Law School Financial Advocacy Clinic,
and volunteer attorneys, with the support of the 8th
Judicial District Courts and sponsorship of The John R.
Oishei Foundation.

4. Our
Goal:
“We’re all consumers, so at some
point in our life, we all come
across these issues,” said Vera
Cedano of the Western New York
Law Center, managing attorney
for CLARO. “So taking this high
moral ground and assuming
people are not paying their bills is
a little wrong.”
Vera Cedano, “Free law service
helps consumers battle abusive
creditors,” Buffalo News,
January 29, 2013
The aim of CLARO is to
educate unrepresented
debtors regarding their
rights as consumers and to
help them through the legal
process. CLARO aims to
maximize legal resources to
those in need by providing
limited scope legal advice
to unrepresented litigants,
as part of the larger pro se
movement.

5. Online:
Reaching
CLARO
Hotline:
 716.828.8432
Website:
 www.clarobuffalo.org
Email:
 claro@wnylc.com
In Person:
 Walk-in, during Tuesday or Friday
Sessions
 By Appointment, scheduled via
Hotline

6. Get Help
Sessions
FREE legal advice & help from an
attorney on:
 Collections
 Garnishments
 Frozen bank accounts
Court cases or judgments related to
credit card debts, medical debts,
student loans, car loans, utilities
collections, lines of credit, charge
accounts, foreclosures.
TUESDAYS FROM 5 PM – 7 PM
BFNC Hope Center
2495 Main Street, Suite 260
Buffalo, NY 14214
FRIDAYS FROM 10 AM – NOON
Buffalo City Court
7th Floor, Part 15
50 Delaware Ave
Buffalo, NY 14202
Photo, from WIVB, Buffalo “Program offers free legal
advice,” Published : Friday, 24 May 2013,

7. Professionals
Each session is staffed with a
WNYLC paralegal administering
the session, WNYLC attorney(s)
and volunteer attorneys.
During the fall and spring, student
attorneys who are enrolled in the
Consumer and Financial
Advocacy Clinic at SUNY Buffalo
Law School help staff the CLARO
project.
CLARO
Staff
Staff, Western NY Law Center
Provided by The Western
NY Law Center:
Paralegals
Attorneys
Website
Hotline

8. Legal Advice
Court
 Provides free, limited-scope legal advice to help
participants best represent themselves pro-se.
 CLARO attorneys advise visitors about their debt
problems and if necessary, draft pleadings that can
be used in Court to defend against lawsuits.
Buffalo City Court
7th Floor, Part 15
50 Delaware Ave
Buffalo, NY 14202

9. Attorney of
the Morning
CLARO’s Attorney of the
Morning program posts an
attorney at Court who will be
prepared to go in and
represent you before the judge
that day.
There is no charge for this
service.
You Are Not
Alone…
CLARO attorneys have
experience helping
people in your situation.
They understand what
you are going through.
They want to help you!

10. Beyond Legal Advice
Guidance
Student attorneys have created video
presentations available on-line providing
tips on how to handle a court appearance:
 What to Wear to Court
 Court Stress Relief Techniques
 Sample dispute letters
 Informational slide
shows
 On-line resource links
 Video Presentations
 Client Testimonials
 Free Basic CLARO
Consumer Law Training
sessions for volunteer
attorneys

11. Patrick could not afford a lawyer to help
him remove incorrect information from his
credit report. He found out about it when
he was interviewing for a job and they did
a credit check. A bank had filed a
judgment against him and won. He never
knew about it and it cost him the job.
CLARO helped him through the process of
legally ordering the bank to correct the
mistake and fix his credit report.
Lisa received a summons and had to go
to Court. She couldn’t afford an attorney
and wasn’t sure what to do next. A
CLARO attorney who was at Court that
day provided her with the forms she
needed and assisted with their
completion. After helping her that day,
the attorney advised her on what she
might need to do in the future and let her
know CLARO would be available again to
help if she needed it. “They were just
there for me.”
See more testimonials here.
Or paste http://clarobuffalo.org/?page_id=248 into your browser.
Who We
Help
 Any debtor in need of
representation.
 Consumers facing
unfair collection
practices.
 Disabled, working,
unemployed or retired
individuals.

12. Collaboration
Partners
 Western New York Law
Center (WNYLC),
 BFNC HOPE Center,
 SUNY Buffalo Law School
Financial Advocacy Clinic
 Consumer Credit
Counseling Service of
Buffalo, Inc.
 8th Judicial District Courts
 John R. Oishei Foundation

13. Call for an
Appointment
The best way to receive
help is to call first and
set up an appointment.
CLARO Hotline:
716.828.8432

14. Thank You!
For further information regarding the CLARO
program, generally, please contact CLARO at
the Western New York Law Center at (716)
828-8432 or via e-mail at claro@wnylc.com.
Western NY Law Center, 237 Main Street, Suite 1130 Buffalo, NY 14203
Hotline: (716)828-8432
EMail: claro@wnylc.com
www.clarobuffalo.org