NILES — A free walk-in event series at the Niles District Library meant to help patrons with legal questions ranging from Social Security to work contracts is underway.

“Coffee with a Lawyer” is a new series where people can walk in and have a few legal questions answered by lawyers from a variety of backgrounds.

One lawyer will be available every other week. Each will focus on one topic. Participants will have the opportunity to ask their questions in a group setting or privately after signing up.

The following lawyers will be available during the following dates and times:

• 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28 — Richard Racht, business law

• 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6 — Lanny Fisher, criminal law

• 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20 — Robert Landgraf, estate planning

• 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 10 — Kelly Travis and Amber Peters, family law

• 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 24 — Mary Ellen Drolet, public benefits

• 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 14 — James Mollison, elder law

Help given without a price

Recently, Angelika Anderson, adult services team member for the library, had a legal question. Not wanting to pay lawyer consultation fees to have a question answered, she went online. While she was able to find answers, they often came from people from other states that have different laws than Michigan.

So, to keep legal knowledge free, local and professional, she created “Coffee with a Lawyer.”

First, she came up with event topics.

“I wanted to make sure they were topics that many people could relate to,” Anderson said. “So, I was like, ‘What would the average person have a question about?’”

She came up with a variety of topics, some of which are frequently asked by patrons.

With the help of Caryn Adler, a fellow adult services team member, she then reached out to reputable lawyers in the area.

Now, seven lawyers will volunteer their time to help.

Mary Ellen Drolet is one of them. She recently retired in November after 45 years with Legal Aid of Western Michigan in St. Joseph, which provides free lawyers and legal advice to those under certain income levels.

At Legal Aid, public outreach and community education were always important — they were what she appreciated about the job. Drolet said her March 24 event at the library is an extension of sorts of her previous work.

“You can’t help everybody to the fullest extent, but a lot of times, giving people a quick answer to questions saves trouble down the road,” she said.

Drolet will help library patrons with public benefits questions. She expects questions about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Social Security and disability benefits to be common talking points.

She said she is happy to help them with the complexity of applications and appeals. If she cannot answer all their questions in time, she will recommend them to Legal Aid, where services could continue to be free.

Unlike child custody issues, arrests or divorce, people do not tend to think of public benefits as a legal issue, Drolet said. They tend to not realize they have rights, some of which could be violated.

Drolet’s presence at the library is not only meant to help its patrons, it is a way to return all the favors its staff and its presence have done for her, she said.

“By the time I was able to walk to the library when I was 7 years old, it was always my happy place,” the Niles native said.