Free and low-cost legal advice for students in Vaud and at EPFL

Last checked: 9 October 2026. Unofficial student guide, not EPFL or government advice: confirm on the linked official pages before you act. Unfamiliar abbreviation? See the Glossary.

Where to get a first legal answer without paying a full lawyer's fee: EPFL's own services, the UNIL student legal service, free consultations listed by the City of Lausanne and UNIL, the Vaud bar's CHF 50 sessions, state legal aid for court cases, and victim support. Orientation only, not legal advice. Each service decides whether it can take your case.

Key facts

• Start free on campus. EPFL's Social consultation is free and confidential and helps with administrative procedures; it refers you to the right internal or outside service. For conflicts or harassment at EPFL, the external person of trust can explain the legal remedies available to you.
• Free first legal orientation: the UNIL student legal service (AedL, run by Master's law students), Jet Service of CSP Vaud (ages 16 to 25 and anyone in training) and the CSP Vaud legal service (listed by the City of Lausanne as free).
• Ordre des avocats vaudois (OAV): a 20-minute consultation with a lawyer costs CHF 50 (VAT included), in person, by phone or as a written online question. Not free, but a fixed low price.
• Going to court and short of money? Vaud's legal aid (assistance judiciaire) can pay a lawyer and court costs in civil, administrative and criminal cases. It is not a gift: you normally repay it in monthly instalments.
• Victim of violence or another serious offence? Call 142 (national victim-support line since 1 May 2026, free, 24/7) or book a free, confidential appointment at a LAVI centre. You do not need to have filed a police complaint.
• Reporting a crime or filing a complaint? See Police report and criminal complaint.
• Tenant law, deposits and rental disputes are covered elsewhere in this kit.
• Faulty goods, warranty and returns: see Faulty goods, warranty and returns under Swiss law.
• Need your Swiss criminal record extract for a job, visa or naturalisation: see Swiss criminal record extract.

Which service for which problem

Money and debt problems: free budget and debt counselling is on Budget and debt help in Vaud.

Need a deed, contract or signature certified rather than legal advice? See Notary basics in Vaud.

At EPFL

Social consultation

Free, neutral and confidential support for students and PhD students, in French or English, on campus or online. Its listed topics include administrative procedures, financial problems and scholarships, relationship conflicts and study arrangements. It aims to refer you to the EPFL departments and external resources best suited to your situation and can help you with the steps. It is not a lawyer's service; think of it as the front door.

• Email: consultation.sociale@epfl.ch (checked every business day, reply within 48 hours)
• Mental-health support is a separate service: see Mental health at EPFL.

Source: EPFL, Social consultation

Person of trust and mediation service

For personal or relational difficulties at EPFL: conflicts, moral or sexual harassment, discrimination, threats or violence. The person of trust is external to EPFL, bound by professional secrecy and works independently of line management. EPFL lists among her tasks to inform you about available legal remedies, their terms and possible consequences (EPFL adds: without an in-depth legal analysis), to help you find a solution and, if all parties agree, to offer mediation. Contact details are on the EPFL page.

Source: EPFL, Person of trust and mediation service

Ombudsperson

An independent authority external to EPFL that examines reports of breaches of conduct by EPFL members and checks, from a legal point of view, whether they are admissible. If the facts justify it, the file goes to the EPFL Direction. EPFL says confidentiality is kept as far as possible, but your identity is disclosed to the people handling the procedure. This is a reporting channel, not personal legal advice.

Source: EPFL, Ombudsperson

UNIL and student-run legal help

AedL legal service (Conseil juridique, UNIL)

UNIL describes a free legal advice service run by Master's-level law students. It gives a first legal orientation and, if needed, points you to the competent authority.

• How: email cjaedl@unil.ch, describe your situation and attach the relevant documents.
• Open to everyone, not only students, so EPFL students can write directly: the AedL says the service is free, confidential and "ouverte à tout un chacun et non seulement aux étudiants", and that it replies within 5 working days to requests sent through its form. Answers come from Master's law students, not lawyers (AedL, Conseil juridique). For appeals against a UNIL or EPFL decision, use CARE (next point).
• Appeals against a UNIL or EPFL decision (for example on exams): UNIL's page says to contact the CARE (Conseils & Aide aux Recours Étudiants), a free service of the UNIL students' federation (FAE) staffed by Master's law students. CARE also gives legal advice to EPFL students, but you must first contact AGEPoly (EPFL's student association) with a short description of your situation; AGEPoly then passes it to CARE. CARE does not represent you and can decline difficult cases.

Sources: UNIL, Aides légales et juridiques · FAE, CARE legal service (linked from UNIL)

UNIL Law Clinic (not a walk-in service)

The UNIL Law Clinic is a Master's course: law students work in small groups for outside partners (lawyers, NGOs, institutions) on real cases in criminal law, human rights, health, social or environmental law. You cannot book it as a client. It is mentioned here because the name suggests otherwise.

Source: UNIL School of Law, Law Clinic

Free consultations in Lausanne (listed by UNIL and the City of Lausanne)

Jet Service (CSP Vaud)

UNIL lists Jet Service of the Centre social protestant (CSP) Vaud: free and confidential consultations for young people aged 16 to 25 and anyone in training. Topics include study grants (getting one, explanations, contesting a decision), maintenance from parents, budget, money problems and debt, leaving home, labour law, problems with the justice system, access to benefits, social insurance and contracts. Consultations are free and strictly confidential, with a social worker and a lawyer-trained adviser, alone or as a pair.

• How: phone 021 560 60 30 or email jet.service@csp-vd.ch to book; main office Avenue de Rumine 2, 1005 Lausanne (by appointment). Jet Service also holds sessions elsewhere in the canton.

Sources: UNIL, Aides légales et juridiques (Jet Service section) · CSP Vaud, Jet Service

CSP Vaud legal service

The City of Lausanne lists the CSP Vaud legal service: consultations with a lawyer-trained adviser (juriste) for anyone who needs it. They explain rights and duties (for example family, social insurance or employment law), point you to the right body and help with steps such as writing an appeal, a request or a complaint.

• Cost: free ("Ces consultations sont gratuites").
• Demand is high: appointments are taken during one month for the following month, and priority currently goes to people with modest resources.
• Not covered: questions from self-employed people about their business, and road traffic matters.
• How: phone +41 21 560 60 60 outside drop-in hours, or go to the CSP Vaud reception, rue Beau-Séjour 28, 1003 Lausanne, during the legal drop-in: Tuesday 08:30 to 11:00 and Thursday 13:30 to 16:00. A jurist answers, redirects you or gives you an appointment.
• West Lausanne residents (including Renens, Ecublens, Chavannes-près-Renens and St-Sulpice): extra in-person drop-in in Renens, Wednesday 14:00 to 16:00 (not during school holidays), at the Porte d'orientation sociale, Av. du 14-Avril 7.

Sources: City of Lausanne, Consultations juridiques (CSP Vaud) · CSP Vaud, Questions juridiques

Migration and permit questions

UNIL's page also lists La Fraternité (CSP Vaud) for questions on arriving in Switzerland, official letters, social insurance, permits (change, renewal) and family reunification, through group Info-Conseil Migration drop-in sessions (no appointment) or individual appointments. Lausanne office: Place Arlaud 2, 1003 Lausanne, 021 560 60 98, frat@csp-vd.ch; drop-ins are also held in Renens and other towns. Cost: free (CSP Vaud leaflet: "Informations, conseils, appuis gratuits"; La Fraternité leaflet, November 2025 (PDF)). Source: CSP Vaud, La Fraternité. For permit procedures themselves, see Permit & commune registration.

Ordre des avocats vaudois (OAV): CHF 50 consultations

The Vaud bar association runs legal consultations (permanences juridiques) with member lawyers in all fields of law (it lists, among others, work, family, credit, residence permits, contracts, road traffic, civil and criminal law).

Good to know (OAV):

• Book online; the OAV takes no phone bookings. Walk-ins are possible only if a slot shows as not booked, first come first served, CHF 50 in cash on site.
• Consultations are in French. If you need an interpreter and cannot bring someone, tell the OAV in advance.
• You get oral guidance only: your rights, first steps, who to see next, or a second opinion. No letter is written for you.
• If a court or authority has set you a deadline, the OAV advises going to one of its in-person sessions rather than asking online, because an online answer in time cannot be guaranteed.
• Bring the decision (with its envelope), any summons, the contract and related letters.

Sources: OAV, Permanences juridiques · OAV, booking platform · OAV, online consultation FAQ

Vaud legal aid (assistance judiciaire)

Civil and administrative cases

• What it covers: the fees of a lawyer (or a licensed agent d'affaires breveté) and exemption from advancing court costs, for a civil or administrative case in Vaud when you do not have enough money to defend yourself.
• Who: anyone who has to bring or defend a case and lacks the means. Vaud's leaflet says you do not need to live in Vaud, but the case must take place in Vaud. The court looks at your finances (income, fixed costs, assets) and at the case's chances of success.
• Not free: vd.ch says beneficiaries normally pay monthly instalments to repay what the canton advanced. The state's hourly rates are CHF 180 (lawyer), CHF 110 (trainee lawyer), CHF 140 (agent d'affaires breveté) and CHF 90 (trainee agent).
• How: fill in, print and sign the request form, attach copies of the supporting documents listed on it (they are not returned), and send it by post or hand it in to the judge in charge (if the case is open) or to the court that would hear the dispute (if not). If you already have a lawyer, name them; otherwise one can be appointed.
• If refused: you can appeal within 10 days (to the civil appeals chamber for first-instance decisions, or to the Federal Supreme Court for decisions of a cantonal court division).
• Questions: info.aj@vd.ch.

Criminal cases

Legal aid also exists in criminal proceedings. For an open criminal investigation, download the request form from the Public Prosecutor's page, fill in every field and post it to the Public Prosecutor's office handling the case, quoting the case number (PE) if you know it.

Sources: État de Vaud, Demander l'assistance judiciaire · État de Vaud, leaflet L'assistance judiciaire en matière civile et administrative (PDF, 2015) · Ministère public, Assistance judiciaire (criminal)

Victim support (LAVI)

The federal Victim Support Act (LAVI) helps people whose physical, sexual or psychological integrity was directly harmed by a criminal offence, and their close relatives (partner, parents, children, siblings, other close persons). Typical offences: assault causing injury (also in a road accident or a medical error), robbery, serious threats, forced marriage, human trafficking, sexual offences.

• In crisis: call 142 (in service since 1 May 2026), free, confidential, 24/7, for any type of physical, psychological or sexual violence, wherever you live in Switzerland. 142 is not an emergency number: in immediate danger call 117 (police), 144 (ambulance) or 118 (fire).
• Outside a crisis: contact a LAVI centre. Vaud has centres in Lausanne, Aigle, Nyon, Vevey and Yverdon-les-Bains (Centres LAVI Vaud). Appointments are strictly confidential, and you do not need to have filed a complaint.
• What you can get: information and advice on steps (complaint, medical visit, therapy), support through the procedure, and free emergency help that can include a first legal consultation with a lawyer, emergency accommodation and crisis support. Under conditions, compensation can be requested later.
• Decisions of the LAVI centre can be challenged within 30 days.

Sources: État de Vaud, Aide aux victimes (LAVI) · État de Vaud, 142 national victim-support line (1 May 2026) · Federal Office of Justice, victim support and 142

Before any consultation

• Write down what happened, with dates, in a few lines.
• Note any deadline in the letter you received (and keep the envelope; the date of delivery can matter).
• Bring copies of the decision, contract, payslips or letters.
• Ask in which language the session will be held; most services work in French.
• For money questions (grants, debt), also see Student financial aid. For job-related questions, see Working while studying.