Cornell Legal Aid Clinic: Myron Taylor Hall #G40l, Cornell University - Tel: (607) 255-4196. The Legal Aid Clinic is funded by the Cornell Law School. The service has three staff attorneys and several upperclass law students working parttime. Only people in serious financial need may use this service. When determining eligibility, the staff will consider not only your income and assets, but also the financial situation of your parents. Only civil cases are handled by the Clinic.

Information & Referral Service: Division of Family & Children's Service of Ithaca, 313 N. Aurora Street - Tel: (607) 272-9331. The purpose of this telephone service is to effectively link residents of Tompkins County with appropriate human service agencies. The information available about the community and its resources cover areas such as health care, counseling, housing, and employment. If no local organization exists to satisfy a particular inquiry, the service has information on file about many state and federal agencies.

Ithaca City Building Department: 108 East East Green Street - Tel: (607) 274-6508. The building department enforces housing, building, and zoning codes in the City of Ithaca. Tenants who have a problem with rental housing may contact them for inspection or verification of the problem; but the building department recommends that the tenant contact the owner first. Owners found in violation of housing codes are notified by the department and given a reasonable time to correct the problem. The building department can answer questions regarding zoning regulations. Appeals to the Board of Zoning Appeals should be made through this office whose employees will help prepare the appeal. Those living outside the City of Ithaca should contact their municipality's village or town office for information regarding housing and building codes.

Lawyer Referral Service: Tompkins County Bar Association - Tel: 273-1056. This is a telephone service sponsored by the Tompkins County Bar Association to assist people who want to hire a lawyer in the Ithaca area but do not know whom to call.

Neighborhood Legal Services: Dewitt Building, N. Cayuga & W. Buffalo Sts. - Tel: (607) 273-3666. The services of this organization are available to any resident of Tompkins County in need of legal advice in civil matters who cannot afford counsel.

Small Claims Court, Ithaca City Court: 118 East Clinton Street - Tel: (607) 273-2263. Small claims court is the place to go when you feel you've been hurt financially. This applies to disputes with landlords, businesses, and private citizens. The amount of the claim cannot exceed $1,500. The cost of filing is minimal and a lawyer is not required. To file, you need the following information:

• Legal name and address of person(s) being sued.
• Amount being sought as actual damages
• Purpose for which the amount is owed.
• Evidence of attempts to settle the dispute (e.g., copy of a letter to defendant for payment/action by a specific deadline).

The parties to the suit will be asked by the judge to try to reach an agreement. If unsuccessful, the parties will present their case to the judge, who will ask questions and issue a ruling.

Tompkins County Cooperative Extension: 615 Willow Avenue - Tel: (607) 272-2292. The Extension provides a self-help program of informal education through information-dissemenation and workshops for Tompkins County residents. Its programs and activities are often free of charge and include home economics, food and nutrition, agriculture, and community resource development.

Tompkins County Task Force for Battered Women: P.O. Box 164, Ithaca, NY 14850 - Tel: (607) 277-3203 - 24-hour crisis intervention hot line: (607) 277-5000. The Task Force provides advocacy, referrals, legal services information, accompaniment to services, and emergency temporary shelter to battered spouses and their children. They conduct an in-service training program for community groups which includes discussion of the legal aspects of domestic violence. The service is available to all Tompkins County residents.

Tompkins County Human Rights Commission: 301 Harris B. Dates Drive - Tel: (607) 277-4080. The Commission assists persons who believe they have been, or are being, discriminated against because of their race, color, sex, creed, national origin, age, disability, marital status, arrest record, or conviction record. The commission has jurisdiction over employment, credit, housing, public accommodations, and education. The service is free to everyone.