ANN ARBOR — Despite being nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of Michiganders are still struggling to receive their unemployment benefits.

The University of Michigan’s Workers’ Rights Clinic has law students helping residents in solving their unemployment benefit issues.

The clinic opened at the U of M Law School six years ago.

Before it began helping with the unemployment issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, the clinic averaged 15 calls per week, and now it has more than 75 law students working to answer nearly 100 calls per day.

First year law students, under the supervision of an experienced attorney, receive course credit when they provide free unemployment insurance advice and representation to claimants.

The Workers’ Rights Clinic, formerly the Unemployment Insurance Clinic, offers advice regarding the claims process; advocacy with the UIA at initial stages of the claims process; representation at administrative hearings, the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission, the circuit court and the Michigan Court of Appeals; policy analysis and public education materials and workshops for the unemployed.

To apply for legal assistance through the Workers’ Rights Clinic, visit https://www.law.umich.edu/clinical/workersrights/Pages/default.aspx. It can also be reached by phone at 734-936-2000 or emailed at law-uic-info@umich.edu.