Peoples Legal Aid is a nonprofit legal services corporation that provides legal services and education related to eviction defense and debt collection defense in Utah in order to stop the poverty cycle and help families start to improve their financial and housing situation.
Education
Peoples Legal Aid provides in-person and virtual training to help people understand their rights as tenants (renters) and the process and defense of a debt collection law suit. This training generally covers the life of an eviction or debt collection law suit, and opportunities to maximize your negotiation options and to begin preparing to defend yourself if these actions are ever brought against you. All of our materials are free, and you can access them through the Resources tab above.
Consultation
Peoples Legal Aid proactively searches for individuals who are facing an eviction or debt collection law suit. We can provide an initial consultation and evaluation of your case, without ever having to worry about receiving a bill from us. During our initial consultation we will evaluate if PLA is the right organization to assist you with your case. We work very closely with our sister organizations in the state, specifically Utah Legal Services, Utah Community Action, Mountain Mediation Center, Ogden-Weber Community Action Partnership, and several other agencies throughout Utah. If you qualify for representation by another organization we will assist you to make contact with them and establish a relationship. If you don't qualify for another organization, we will consider taking your case depending on current case work and availability of our attorneys.
We believe that housing is an essential human right that is unbalanced under current law and court procedure. We advance this core vision by providing:
Education
We educate the public on the eviction process, and the impact it can have on individuals and families. We help renters understand their rights under the current system, help them understand how to navigate the legal process and tips on negotiating with landlords and their representatives.
Jeff Daybell
Executive Director and Managing Attorney
Jeff is the founder of Peoples Legal Aid. He is passionate about tenant and debtor rights and ensuring that everyone gets fair access to the law. Jeff graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a degree in Accounting and then commissioned as an Officer in the Military Police Corps in the Army. Following his active duty service, Jeff attended the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. Jeff is a licensed attorney in Utah and acts as the Senior Attorney on our Staff. Jeff has been married to his ever-supportive wife for 12 years and loves spending time with her and their three children.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to help our vulnerable neighbors. Our community is only as strong as it's most vulnerable person, and through the work we do at PLA we hope to elevate our community by lifting up those that need it most." - Jeff
Angela McGuire
Assistant Director and Intake Coordinator
Angela is primarily responsible for the day-to-day activities for Peoples Legal Aid. She started with PLA as a volunteer intern and has proven to be an invaluable member of our team. Angela is a graduate student of Public Policy at the University of Utah, focusing on state legislative action and equitable housing policy. In the 2020 session, Angela researched and worked with Rep. Brad Daw on H.B. 319 Consumer Lending Amendments which provides increased protections for borrowers and more transparent guidelines for deferred deposit lenders. The bill passed and signed into law by Governor Herbert in March.
Sierra Hansen
Third-Year Law Student Practice Intern - May 2020 to Present
Sierra is a third-year law student at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. Sierra is utilizing the third-year practice rule and is managing her own cases under Jeff's supervision. She has done excellent work in court, to include winning a motion to continue the case for lack of evidence.
Kendall Archer
Undergraduate Intern - Summer 2020
Kendall worked for PLA in the year prior to her senior year at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, where she will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Philosophy. She will enter George Washington Law School in Fall of 2021. During her time at PLA, Kendall focused on finding potential eviction clients in the court databases, reaching out with information on our services, and conducting the intake process for eligible clients.
Anna Kennedy
Research Intern - Summer 2020
Anna is a second-year law student at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. Anna is focusing mostly on writing and researching to enhance PLA's representation of our clients.
