• List of Illinois Legal Service Offices for Low Income Individuals

• Free (Pro Bono) Illinois Lawyer Referral List

• Illinois Lawyer Referral Programs

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Illinois Legal Service offices receive federal funding to handle family law cases for low income individuals. Many offices have special grants to handle domestic violence victims which allow the victim to have a higher income than the usual Federal Poverty Guidelines regarding eligibility criteria.

Assistance for your legal needs may be available by contacting the Legal Service office nearest you.

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There may be free (pro bono) legal help available for victims who qualify by contacting the listing nearest you in the following alphabetical list by county.

For a list of Cook County Pro Bono Programs, click here.

Prairie State Legal Services
Private Attorney Involvement Project
City: Rockford
Telephone: (815) 965-2902
Area Served: the counties of Boone, Carroll, JoDaviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago.

Champaign County Bar Association
Pro Bono Program
City: Champaign
Telephone: (217) 356-1351
Area Served: Champaign county

DeKalb County Pro Bono Program
City: St. Charles
Telephone: (708) 232-9415
Area Served: DeKalb county

DuPage Bar Legal Aid Service
City: Wheaton
Telephone: (708) 653-6212
Area Served: DuPage county

Illinois Volunteers for Justice
City: Murphysboro
Telephone: (618) 684-2282
Area Served: the counties of Alexander, Gallatin, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Nussac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union and Williamson.

Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation
Private Bar Involvement Program
City: Mount Vernon
Telephone: (618) 244-0235
Area Served: Pro bono serving eight counties. Contract program serving 18 counties in southeastern and southern Illinois.

Kane County Bar Pro Bono Program
City: Geneva
Telephone: (708) 232-6416
Area Served: Kane county

Prairie State Legal Services
Pro Bono Program
City: Kankakee
Telephone: (815) 935-2750
Area Served: the counties of Iroquois, Kankakee and Kendall.

West Central Illinois Legal Assistance
City: Galesburg
Telephone: (309) 343-2141
Area Served: six counties in west central Illinois.

Prairie State Legal Services
City: Ottawa
Telephone: (815) 434-5903
Area Served: the counties of Bureau, Grundy, LaSalle, Lee and Putnam.

Volunteer Lawyers Program
City: Waukegan
Telephone: (708) 662-7075
Area Served: Lake county

McHenry County Bar Association Legal Aid
City: Woodstock
Telephone: (815) 338-1011
Area Served: McHenry county. Program handles non-priority cases of Prairie State Legal Services. Office hours: Tuesdays 9:00 a.m — 12:00p.m. and Thursdays 9:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.

McLean County Pro Bono Program
City: Bloomington
Telephone: (309) 827-5021
Area Served: McLean county

Prairie State Legal Services
Private Attorney Involvement Project
City: Rockford
Telephone: (815) 965-2134
Area Served: Ogle county

Peoria County Pro Bono Plan
City: Peoria
Telephone: (309) 674-9831
Area Served: Peoria county

City: Peoria
Telephone: (309) 674-9831
Area Served: Tazewell county

Volunteer Lawyer Project of Rock Island County
City: Rock Island
Telephone: (309) 794-1328
Area Served: the counties of Henry, Mercer, Rock Island and Whiteside.

Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation
City: Springfield
Telephone: (217) 753-3300
Area Served: Sangamon and 7 surrounding counties.

St. Clair County Bar Association
Pro Bono Project
City: East St. Louis
Telephone: (618) 271-9140
Area Served: the counties of St. Clair and Monroe.

Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation
City: Champaign
Telephone: (217) 356-1351 Area Served: Vermilion county

Volunteer Lawyer Project of Whiteside County
City: Rock Island
Telephone: (309) 794-1328 Area Served: Whiteside county

Pro Bono Project
Will County Legal Assistance Program, Inc.
City: Joliet
Telephone: (815) 727-5123
Area Served: Will county

Volunteer Lawyers Project
City: Rockford
Telephone: (815) 965-2902
Area Served: Winnebago county

American Jewish Congress
City: Chicago
Telephone: (312) 332-7355

The Ark
(773) 973-1000
Fax: (773) 973-4362
6450 N. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60645
Type of Program: Social service agency with pro bono clinic.
Type of Cases: Family law, including uncontested and limited contested divorces, limited child custody cases; consumer law, including bankruptcy; probate, including wills, health care, and property; government benefits, including adult SSI; immigration; civil; limited criminal; unemployment compensation; no fee-generating cases.

Eligibility Criteria: The Jewish community; Poverty-level (Chicago Volunteer Legal Services guidelines)

Austin Christian Law Center
City: Chicago
Telephone: (773) 921-1446
Area Served: Metropolitan Chicago with priority to the Austin neighborhood.

Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic
(312) 266-1345
Fax: (312) 266-7417
206 W. Division St.
Chicago, IL 60610

Type of Program: Free legal services.

Type of Cases: All aspects of family law, housing, including landlord/tenant cases, and criminal defense.

Eligibility Criteria: Federal poverty guidelines.

CARPLS
(Coordinated Advice and Referral Program for Legal Services)
(312) 738-9200 M-F 9:30-4:30, W 9:30-7:30
Fax: (312) 738-9487
910 W. Van Buren Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60607

Type of Program: Legal Aid Hotline.

Type of Cases: All civil, some criminal. Volunteers work on special projects.

Eligibility Criteria: Cook County area, up to 200% of Federal Poverty Guideline.

Chicago Bar Association
(312) 554-1204
(312) 554-2000
Fax: (312) 554-1203
Chicago Bar Foundation: 321 S. Plymouth Court
321 S. Plymouth Court
Chicago, IL 60604

Type of Program: Volunteer attorneys assist victims of domestic violence obtain civil orders of protection at the Maywood and Skokie Courthouses. Social workers and attorneys work together to provide holistic counseling services.

Type of Cases: Domestic violence.

Eligibility Criteria: There are no eligibility requirements, but most clients meet Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Chicago Legal Aid to Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM)
(312) 332-5537
Fax: (312) 332-2570
205 W. Randolph, Suite 830
Chicago, IL 60606

Type of Program: Staff attorneys at CLAIM provide legal assistance for family law issues to mothers incarcerated in Cook County Jail and the Illinois Correctional Centers at Dwight, Logan, Kankakee and Dixon. In addition, CLAIM provides incarcerated mothers with education on the law, and referrals to related services to preserve families. Attorneys also present classes every Saturday at Cook County Jail on criminal procedure, child custody issues and other relevant legal matters. CLAIM's volunteer panel attorneys provide pro bono representation on family law matters in Cook County.

Type of Cases: CLAIM provides legal advice and assistance for family law matters, including custody, contested and uncontested divorces, and juvenile court matters; guardianship of minors; abuse/neglect cases and other matters affecting the client's family.

Eligibility Criteria: Income based guidelines; a family member must be incarcerated.

Chicago Legal Clinic, Inc.
(773) 731-1762
Fax: (773) 731-4264
South Chicago Office, 2938 E. 91st Street
Chicago, IL 60617

Type of Program: The Chicago Legal Clinic, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit corporation providing free and low cost legal representation. The Volunteer Attorney Panel provides pro bono representation.

Type of Cases: General civil cases, including minor and disabled adult guardianship and adoptions. Bankruptcy; landlord/tenant cases; family law, including uncontested divorces and domestic violence (the Clinic's domestic violence program handles orders of protection); government benefits, including adult and child SSI; probate, including wills, health care, and property; immigration; and environmental cases (handled by the Clinic's environmental law program).

Eligibility Criteria: 125% poverty guidelines; subject matter.

Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation (CVLS)
City: Chicago
Telephone: (312) 332-1624
www.cvls.org
100 LaSalle St, Suite 900
Chicago, IL  60602
Area Served: Cook county

Cook County Bar Association
(312) 630-9363
Fax: (312) 630-0983
188 W. Randolph St., Suite 720
Chicago, IL 60601

Type of Program: Advice and representation by experienced lawyers.

Type of Cases: Landlord, tenant, unemployment compensation, consumer law and family law.

Eligibility Criteria: Must meet Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation/SAVE (CCLAF)
City: Oak Park
Telephone: (708) 524-2600
North Area Office, Evanston:  (847) 475-3703
Area Served: suburban Cook county.

Horizons LBTH Helpline
(773) 871-2273
Fax: (773) 281-1421
961 W. Montana St.
Chicago, IL 60614

Type of Program: Consultations and referrals to participating lawyers.

Type of Cases: General practice.

Eligibility Criteria: None, but primarily gay/ lesbian/ bisexual/transgendered; sliding-fee scale based on income level.

Legal Services Institute
City: Chicago
Telephone: (312) 554-2000
Area Served: Chicago Volunteer Legal Services program and the Legal Clinic for the Disabled.

Midwest Immigrant and Human Rights Center (MIHRC)
City: Chicago
Telephone: (312) 6600-1370
Area Served: Midwest in asylum defense, and related immigrant matters; also a Midwest Regional Resource Center

Northwestern University Community Law Clinic;
Children and Family Justice Center
(773) 342-4919
Fax: (773) 342-5161
1014 N. Noble St.
Chicago, IL 60622

Type of Program: Direct representation, community advocacy

Type of Cases: Advice in family law areas, including uncontested divorce, custody and visitation, and domestic violence. Involved in cases of guardianship and probate, disability and immigration issues, juvenile justice, adult criminal representation, and suspensions/expulsions.

Eligibility Criteria: Flexible

Pro Bono Advocates/Legal Advocacy for Women
City: Chicago
Telephone: (312) 827-2420
Area Served: All of Cook county. Serve victims of domestic violence, providing orders of protection, divorces, custody, and visitation litigation. Legal/support groups available.

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The Illinois Lawyer Referral Service is sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association. It is designed to assist those who can afford an attorney find one if they do not know where to go.

When accessing the Illinois Lawyer Referral Service website, please notice there are other referral programs, unassociated with the Illinois State Bar Association. These Lawyer Referral Programs serve the Chicago area, plus DuPage, Kane, Lake, Peoria, Will, and Winnebago Counties. Each is sponsored by the Bar Association in their county; and their rates, policies, and procedures may differ from the Illinois Lawyer Referral Service sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association. The location and phone number for each of these counties are available on the Illinois Lawyer Referral Service Website.

If you live outside any of the above listed counties, you may contact the Illinois Lawyer Referral Service (Lawyer Find.com) at (217) 525-5297 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, for assistance in finding you an attorney. Once you are referred by the Illinois Lawyer Referral Service, you can attend a short session with the attorney at a reduced fee of approximately $15.00 for a half-hour consultation. Whether or not you decide to hire that attorney is up to you. After your initial meeting with the attorney, it is important to discuss what the legal fees and costs will be before making a decision to hire that attorney.

If you cannot afford an attorney, you can attempt to get legal help by going to the List of Illinois Legal Service Offices for Low Income Individuals or the Free (Pro Bono) Lawyer Referral List.

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