Legal aid

A system of nonprofit organizations that provide legal services to people who cannot afford an attorney.

In the United States, more than sixteen hundred legal aid agencies provide legal representation without cost or for a nominal fee to people who are unable to pay the usual amount for a lawyer's services. These agencies are sponsored by charitable organizations, lawyers' associations, and law schools, and by federal, state, and local governments. In some states legal aid services are partially funded from the interest earned in law firm trust accounts.

Legal aid agencies handle civil cases, including those concerning adoption, bankruptcy, divorce, employment issues, and landlord and tenant disputes. These agencies may not use federal funds to handle criminal cases. The criminal counterpart to the U.S. legal aid system is called the public defender system. Public defenders are funded through state and local agencies and federal grants.


 

• 1Legal Forms
• 2Legal aid
  • 2.1 Legal Services Sites
    • 2.1.1Alabama
    • 2.1.2Alaska
    • 2.1.3Arkansas
    • 2.1.4Arizona
    • 2.1.5California
    • 2.1.6Colorado
    • 2.1.7Connecticut
    • 2.1.8Delaware
    • 2.1.9District of Columbia
    • 2.1.10Florida
    • 2.1.11Georgia
    • 2.1.12Hawaii
    • 2.1.13Idaho
    • 2.1.14Illinois
    • 2.1.15Indiana
    • 2.1.16Iowa
    • 2.1.17Kansas
    • 2.1.18Kentucky
    • 2.1.19Louisiana
    • 2.1.20Maine
    • 2.1.21Maryland
    • 2.1.22Massachusetts
    • 2.1.23Michigan
    • 2.1.24Minnesota
    • 2.1.25Mississippi
    • 2.1.26Missouri
    • 2.1.27Montana
    • 2.1.28Nebraska
    • 2.1.29Nevada
    • 2.1.30New Hampshire
    • 2.1.31New Jersey
    • 2.1.32New Mexico
    • 2.1.33New York
    • 2.1.34North Carolina
    • 2.1.35North Dakota
    • 2.1.36Ohio
    • 2.1.37Oklahoma
    • 2.1.38Oregon
    • 2.1.39Pennsylvania
    • 2.1.40Puerto Rico
    • 2.1.41Rhode Island
    • 2.1.42South Carolina
    • 2.1.43South Dakota
    • 2.1.44Tennessee
    • 2.1.45Texas
    • 2.1.46Utah
    • 2.1.47Vermont
    • 2.1.48Virginia
    • 2.1.49Washington
    • 2.1.50West Virginia
    • 2.1.51Wisconsin
• 3Small claims court

[top] 

Legal Services Sites

The following organizations provide free legal assistance to eligible clients or state support to legal services programs. Most of the organizations are grantees of the Legal Services Corporation and subject to restrictions on the kinds of cases they may bring and clients they may represent.

[top]Alabama

Alabama Legal Services Programs

[top]Alaska

Alaska Legal Services Corporation
AlaskaLawHelp

[top]Arkansas

Arkansas Legal Services

[top]Arizona

Arizona Center for Disability Law
Arizona Justice Institute
DNA-People's Legal Services
Law For Kids
Southern Arizona Legal Aid

[top]California

Bay Area Legal Aid
Bet Tzedek Legal Services (L.A.)
California Center for Law and the Deaf
California Department of Consumer Affairs - Legal Agencies by County
California Indian Legal Services
California Rural Legal Assistance
California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation
California Women's Law Center
Central California Legal Services
East Bay Community Law Center
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc.
Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law (L.A.)
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County
Legal Aid of Marin
Legal Aid of Napa Valley
Legal Aid Society of Orange County, California
Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association
Legal Aid Society of San DiegoLegal Aid of San Mateo County
Legal Aid Society of Santa Clara County
Legal Aid Society of San Francisco Employment Law Center
Legal Services of Northern California
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County
Protection and Advocacy, Inc.
Public Interest Clearinghouse
Senior Legal Hotline

[top]Colorado

Colorado Legal Services (Colorado Legal Services)
The Legal Center (Elder and Disability Law)

[top]Connecticut

Connecticut Legal Services
CTElderLaw.org
Greater Hartford Legal Assistance
Legal Assistance Resource Center of Connecticut
New Haven Legal Assistance
Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut

[top]Delaware

Community Legal Aid Society, Inc.
Deleware Legal Link

[top]District of Columbia

The Children's Law Center
DC Employment Justice Center
Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia
Legal Counsel for the Elderly
Whitman - Walker Clinic Legal Department (HIV related legal issues)

[top]Florida

Bay Area Legal Services (Tampa)
Central Florida Legal Services
Florida Legal Services, Inc.
Gulf Coast Legal Services
Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County
Legal Services of Greater Miami
Legal Services of North Florida
Three Rivers Legal Services

[top]Georgia

Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
Georgia Advocacy Office
Georgia Legal Services Program
Legal Assistance in Georgia

[top]Hawaii

Legal Aid Society of Hawaii

[top]Idaho

Idaho Legal Aid

[top]Illinois

Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic
CARPLS (Cook County)
Illinois Legal Aid
Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
Prairie State Legal Services

[top]Indiana

Indianapolis Legal Aid Society
Indiana Justice Center
Legal Aid Corporation of Tippecanoe County

[top]Iowa

Iowa Legal Aid

[top]Kansas

Kansas Legal Services

[top]Kentucky

Appalachian Citizens Law Center
Kentucky Legal Aid
Legal Aid Network of Kentucky
Louisville Legal Aid Society

[top]Louisiana

Acadiana Legal Services
Advocacy Center (Elderly and Disabled)
AidsLaw of Louisiana
Legal Services of North Lousiana
New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation

[top]Maine

Disability Rights Center of Maine
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
KIDS Legal Aid of Maine
Legal Services for the Elderly
Maine Equal Justice Project
Pine Tree Legal Assistance

[top]Maryland

Legal Aid Bureau, Inc.
Maryland Legal Services Corporation
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service

[top]Massachusetts

Center for Public Representation
Children's Law Center of Massachusetts
Committee for Public Counsel Services
Community Legal Services and Counseling Center
Disability Law Center
Greater Boston Legal Services
Legal Advocacy and Resource Center
Massachusetts Advocates for Children
Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Massachusetts Legal Help
Massachusetts Legal Services
Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee
Merrimack Valley Legal Services
Neighborhood Legal Services (Lynn and Lawrence)
New Center for Legal Advocacy (Bristol and Plymouth County)
South Middlesex Legal Services

[top]Michigan

Farmworker Legal Services of Michigan
Legal Services of Eastern Michigan
Legal Services of Northern Michigan
Michigan Indian Legal Services
Michigan Legal Assistance Network (for clients)
Michigan Poverty Law Program (for advocates)

[top]Minnesota

Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota
Mid-Minnesota Legal Services
Minnesota Legal Services Coalition
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services

[top]Mississippi

Mississippi Legal Services

[top]Missouri

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc.
Legal Aid of Western Missouri
Missouri Legal Aid Offices

[top]Montana

Montana Legal Services

[top]Nebraska

Legal Aid of Nebraska
Nebraska Equal Justice Clearinghouse

[top]Nevada

Clark County Legal Services
Nevada Disability Advocacy and Law Center
Nevada Legal Services
Washoe County Senior Law Project
Washoe Legal Services

[top]New Hampshire

Legal Advice and Referral Center
New Hampshire Legal Assistance

[top]New Jersey

Camden Center for Law and Social Justice
Education Law Center
Legal Services of New Jersey
LSNJ Law

[top]New Mexico

DNA-People's Legal Services

[top]New York

Advocates for Children
Empire Justice Center
Farmworker Legal Services of NewYork
HIV Law Project
Legal Aid Society of New York
Legal Assistance of Western New York
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley
Legal Services for New York City
Legal Services for the Elderly, Disabled or Disadvantaged (Western NY)
Nassau / Suffolk Law Services
Neighborhood Legal Services (Buffalo)
New York Legal Assistance Group
Public Utility Law Project
Queens Legal Services
Rural Law Center of New York
South Brooklyn Legal Services
Western New York Law Center

[top]North Carolina

Legal Aid of North Carolina
Legal Services of Southern Piedmont
North Carolina Justice and Community Development Center
North Central Legal Assistance Program

[top]North Dakota

Dakota Plains Legal Services
Legal Assistance of North Dakota
Legal Services of North Dakota

[top]Ohio

Equal Justice Foundation
Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
Legal Aid Society of Columbus
Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati
Ohio State Legal Services AssociationPro Seniors

[top]Oklahoma

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma

[top]Oregon

Legal Aid Services of Oregon
Lane County Legal Services Programs (Eugene)
Marion-Polk Legal Aid Service

[top]Pennsylvania

Center for Disability Law and Policy
Community Legal Services of Philadelphia
Homeless Advocacy Project (Philadelphia)
Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania
MidPenn Legal Services
Neighborhood Legal Services Association (Pittsburgh)
Northwestern Legal Services
Pennsylvania Legal Services
Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Philadelphia Legal Assistance

[top]Puerto Rico

Servicios Legales

[top]Rhode Island

Rhode Island Legal Services
HelpRILaw

[top]South Carolina

South Carolina Law Help
South Carolina Legal Services

[top]South Dakota

Dakota Plains Legal Services

[top]Tennessee

Legal Aid of East Tennessee
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands
Memphis Legal Aid Society
Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services
West Tennessee Legal Services, Inc.

[top]Texas

Advocacy Incorporated
Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse
Legal Aid of Northwest Texas
Legal Hotline for Older Texans
Lone Star Legal Aid
Texas Legal Services Center (State Support)
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
Women's Advocacy Project

[top]Utah

Disability Law Center
Utah Pro Bono Volunteer Resource Guide
Utah Legal Services

[top]Vermont

Legal Services Law Line of Vermont
Vermont Law Help
Vermont Legal Aid

[top]Virginia

Blue Ridge Legal Services
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society
Legal Aid Justice Center
Legal Services of Northern Virginia
Potomac Legal Aid Society
Rappahannock Legal Services
Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society
Virginia Legal Aid Society
Virginia Poverty Law Center

[top]Washington

Columbia Legal Services
Equal Justice Coalition
Legal Foundation of Washington
Northwest Justice Project

[top]West Virginia

Legal Aid of West Virginia
Legal Help for West Virginians
West Virginia Senior Legal Aid

[top]Wisconsin

Legal Action of Wisconsin
Senior Law
Wisconsin Equal Justice Coalition
Wisconsin Judicare



How to Update Wiki

The Law Wiki is still very new and so it's a great time to jump in and start updating it and learning how to use it. You really can't mess anything up, because all revisions are stored and can be rolled back by a moderator, so play away and you can help make this a great resource for WORLDLawDirect visitors.