Flushing lawmaker launches free Friday legal clinics

Councilmember Sandra Ung (right) and Housing Court attorney Ernie Mui (left). Ung is partnering with Queens Legal Services to connect residents with free legal advice.  Photo courtesy of Ung

By Rachel Vick

Councilmember Sandra Ung and Queens Legal Services are partnering to provide free legal assistance to Flushing residents beginning this week.

The legal clinics will take place on the first Friday of each month, and will rotate between housing, immigration and government benefits experts.

Ung, a former attorney who now represents parts of Flushing, Mitchell-Linden, Murray Hill, Queensboro Hill and Fresh Meadows, said that she pursued the partnership in the hope that immigrant and non-English speaking Queens residents would be able to access legal services they’re often locked out of.

“Before I was elected to office, I was an attorney,” Ung said. “I always thought it was important to bring legal resources to communities, especially this community where we have a lot of seniors and people whose first language is not English.”

“A lot of people come into my office with legal questions because they don’t know where else to turn, so my first four months in office I have been focused on bringing as many free legal resources to the district as possible,” she added.

Housing Court attorney Ernie Mui, who speaks Mandarin, and a native Korean speaker will assist with immigration issues, but access to a phone line will allow attendees to reach a translator in their preferred language.

Mui emphasized that the need to continue providing services to Queens residents in need, even as legal service providers are struggling to meet the demands of those in need, goes beyond the right to an attorney under the Right to Counsel Act — it’s also a responsibility to the community where he grew up.

“It's important to come here and see people in the community… I feel like it's important to give back,” Mui said. “It's important to come and give advice to people who may otherwise not know about our services — I feel the Asian community in Queens is underserved in that way.”

According to the Office of Court Administration, there are 14,170 pending cases under the Emergency Rental Assistance Program and other administrative calendars.

Anyone interested in participating at the in-person clinic at 135-27 38th Ave., Suite 388, should call the councilmember’s office at (718) 888-8747 for an appointment.

Ung also hosts a Chinese-English bilingual attorney from CUNY Citizenship NOW! in her office every Wednesday to provide free and confidential legal advice on immigration issues. To make an appointment, call (646) 664-9400 or text (929) 334-3784.