General Information

The AFSCME District Council 47 Legal Services Plan is for the
exclusive use of employees represented for purposes of collective
bargaining by AFSCME - District Council 47, AFL-CIO, and those
employees of AFSCME-related entities on whose behalf contribu-
tions are made to the Plan, and their Dependents. It has been
established to provide, without charge, legal consultation, assis-
tance, services and representation in the personal legal problems
of employees and their Dependents.

What to Expect from the Plan

1. Legal consultation, assistance, service and representation in accor-
   dance with the provisions of the Plan and professional and ethical
   standards.
   

2. Courteous, prompt, confidential professional legal service.
   

3. An attorney-client relationship between the Member or Dependent
   and the attorney.
   

4. Convenient, available and continual access to an attorney who has
   a high degree of skill and expertise in the matters for which the
   Plan provides coverage.
   

5. The attorneys for the Plan shall be free to refuse to provide legal
   services or representation for any matter which they believe to be
   clearly without merit, frivolous, brought to harass or that presents a
   conflict of interest.
   

6. If a Member or Dependent has a legal problem which is either not
   covered under the Plan or for which representation would present a
   conflict of interest, the Plan attorney may refer the Member or the
   Dependent to an outside attorney, if the Member or Dependent
   requests it. In the event of referral by the Plan to an outside attor-
   ney, the Plan undertakes no responsibility or obligation to guaran-
   tee the fee charged for services or the quality of representation
   rendered by any of the attorneys so referred. Similarly, the Member
   or Dependent is under no obligation to utilize the attorney or attor-
   neys named by the Plan Attorney.
   

7. If a Member has a legal problem which is covered by the Plan and
   for which representation would present a conflict with another
   Member, the Member who first requests services from the Plan will
   be represented by the Plan Attorney. In the event of a referral
   under these circumstances, the Plan will pay an amount of money

AFSCME District Council 47 Legal Services Plan