Legal issues often arise when you least expect and usually at financially inconvenient times. It's not always easy to determine whether you need a lawyer, and, unfortunately, the cost of hiring one sometimes deters people from getting the legal help they need.

Fortunately, there are a number of resources and organizations at the national and state levels that provide free or low cost legal assistance to those in need. This might come in the form of a free consultation to help sort out your issues and plot a course forward. In other cases, it might involve actual representation in a proceeding on your behalf. Sometimes, these organizations even work with highly reputable law firms who offer their attorneys for pro bono (no cost) legal assistance.

Find out more about legal assistance resources in your area by reviewing the links below.

National Resources

• LawHelp.org (Probono.net)
• Legal Services Corporation (LSC)
• Military Legal Assistance (American Bar Association)
• National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA)

Alabama

• AlabamaLegalHelp.org
• South Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Program

Alaska

• AlaskaLawHelp.org

Arizona

• AZLawHelp.org
• Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education
• DNA-People's Legal Services - Free legal services in civil matters to qualified low-income residents on and near the Navajo Nation
• The Florence Project - Free legal services to those detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Inc.

Arkansas

• Arkansas Legal Services Online
• Arkansas Access to Justice
• Arkansas Volunteer Lawyers for the Elderly - Free services for elderly people living in rural Arkansas counties.

California

• Free and Low-Cost Legal Help - Information on free and low-cost legal help in California, from the Judicial Branch of California.
• LawHelpCA.org
• Bay Area Legal Aid
• Bet Tzedek (House of Justice) - Provides free legal assistance in the Los Angeles area
• California Indian Legal Services
• California Rural Legal Assistance
• Central California Legal Services - Serving Fresno, Kings, Mariposa, Merced, Tulare, and Tuolumne counties
• East Bay Community Law Center
• Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance
• Inland Counties Legal Services - Serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties
• Legal Aid Foundation for Los Angeles
• Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County
• Legal Aid of Marin County
• Bay Area Legal Aid - Napa County
• Legal Aid Society of Orange County
• Legal Aid Society of San Diego
• Legal Aid At Work - San Francisco
• Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County
• Legal Aid Society of Santa Clara County
• Legal Services for Seniors - Serving Monterey County
• Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County
• Sacramento - McGeorge Legal Clinics
• Voluntary Legal Services Program of Northern California - Serving Sacramento, Yolo, San Joaquin, El Dorado, and Placer counties

Colorado

• Legal Aid Foundation of Colorado
• Colorado Legal Services

Connecticut

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

Delaware

• Community Legal Aid Society, Inc.
• Legal Services Corporation of Delaware

District of Columbia

• Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia
• The Children's Law Center
• Whitman - Walker Clinic Legal Department

Florida

• Bay Area Legal Services
• Florida Legal Services, Inc.
• Florida Rural Legal Services
• Gulf Coast Legal Services
• Jacksonville Area Legal Aid
• Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County
• Legal Services of Greater Miami
• Three Rivers Legal Services

Georgia

• Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
• Georgia Legal Services Program
• Georgia Legal Aid

Hawaii

• Legal Aid Society of Hawai'i
• Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii

Idaho

• Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program
• Idaho Legal Aid Services

Illinois

• Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic
• Illinois Legal Aid Online
• Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
• Prairie State Legal Services

Indiana

• Indiana Legal Services, Inc.
• Legal Aid Corporation of Tippecanoe County

Iowa

• Iowa Legal Aid
• Upper Midwest Pension Rights Project

Kansas

• Kansas Legal Services
• Kansas State Board of Indigents Defense Services (BIDS)

Kentucky

• Access to Justice Foundation
• Louisville Legal Aid Society
• Kentucky Equal Justice Center

Louisiana

• Advocacy Center of Louisiana
• Legal Services of North Louisiana
• No/AIDs Task Force
• Southeast Louisiana Legal Services

Maine

• Disability Rights Center of Maine
• Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
• Legal Services for the Elderly
• Maine Equal Justice Partners
• Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project
• Pine Tree Legal Assistance

Maryland

• Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Service
• Maryland Legal Services Corporation
• Women's Law Center of Maryland, Inc.
• Maryland Crime Victims' Resource Center, Inc

Massachusetts

• Center for Public Representation
• Children's Law Center of Massachusetts
• Community Legal Services and Counseling Center
• Disability Law Center
• Greater Boston Legal Services
• Legal Advocacy and Resource Center
• Massachusetts Advocates for Children
• Massachusetts Legal Help
• Neighborhood Legal Services
• South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc.

Michigan

• Farmworker Legal Services of Michigan
• Legal Services of Eastern Michigan
• Legal Services of Northern Michigan | Internet Representation Project
• Michigan Indian Legal Services
• Michigan's Criminal Defense Resource Center

Minnesota

• Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota
• Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services
• Upper Midwest Pension Rights Project

Mississippi

• North Mississippi Rural Legal Services

Missouri

• Legal Aid Programs in Missouri
• Legal Aid of Western Missouri
• Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc.

Montana

• Montana Legal Services Association

Nebraska

• Legal Aid of Nebraska

Nevada

• Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada
• Nevada Disability Advocacy and Law Center
• Nevada Legal Services
• Volunteer Attorneys for Rural Nevadans (VARN)
• Washoe County Senior Law Project
• Washoe Legal Services

New Hampshire

• New Hampshire Legal Aid
• New Hampshire Legal Assistance

New Jersey

• Education Law Center
• LSNJ Law
• Legal Services of New Jersey

New Mexico

• DNA-People's Legal Services
• LawHelp New Mexico
• New Mexico Legal Aid

New York

• Capital Defender Office
• Erie County Bar Association Aid to Indigent Prisoners
• Legal Aid Society of New York
• Legal Aid Society of Orange County, Inc.
• Legal Services NYC - Bronx
• MFY Legal Services, Inc. | Manhattan Legal Aid for Seniors Project
• Nassua County Legal Aid Society
• Neighborhood Legal Services
• Public Utility Law Project
• Western New York Law Center
• Worker Justice Center of New York

North Carolina

• Legal Aid of North Carolina
• Legal Services of Southern Piedmont
• North Carolina Justice Center
• North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services

North Dakota

• Dakota Plains Legal Services
• Legal Services of North Dakota
• Upper Midwest Pension Rights Project

Ohio

• Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE)
• Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc.
• Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
• Legal Aid Society of Columbus
• Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati
• Ohio Legal Services
• Pro Seniors

Oklahoma

• Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma
• Oklahoma Indigent Defense System
• Oklahoma Indian Legal Services
• LegalAidOK

Oregon

• Legal Aid Services of Oregon
• Lane County Legal Services Programs
• Marion-Polk Legal Aid Services

Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania Client Assistance Program
• Community Legal Services of Philadelphia
• Homeless Advocacy Project
• Kids Voice
• Neighborhood Legal Services Association
• NorthPenn Legal Services
• Northwestern Legal Services

Rhode Island

• Rhode Island Legal Services, Inc.

South Carolina

• South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense
• South Carolina Legal Services

South Dakota

• Dakota Plains Legal Services
• Upper Midwest Pension Rights Project

Tennessee

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

Texas

• Bexar County Legal Aid Association
• Disability Rights Texas
• Legal Aid of Northwest Texas
• Legal Services of Southern Piedmont
• Lone Star Legal Aid
• Texas Legal Services Center
• Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
• Texas Advocacy Project

Utah

• Disability Law Center
• Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake
• Utah Legal Services

Vermont

• Law Line of Vermont
• Vermont Legal Aid

Virginia

• Central Virginia Legal Aid Society
• Legal Aid Justice Center
• Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia
• Legal Services Corporation of Virginia
• Legal Services of Northern Virginia
• Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society
• Virginia Legal Aid Society

Washington

• Disability Rights Washington
• Northwest Justice Project
• Office of Civil Legal Aid
• Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association Volunteer Legal Services

West Virginia

• Legal Aid of West Virginia
• West Virginia Online Legal Help
• West Virginia Senior Legal Aid, Inc.

Wisconsin

• Judicare
• Legal Action of Wisconsin
• Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee
• Wisconsin State Law Library - Legal Assistance

Wyoming

• Civil Legal Services Clinic - University of Wisconsin
• Legal Aid of Wyoming
• Student Legal Services - University of Wisconsin

State Legal Aid Resources: Next Steps

When you're dealing with a legal matter, having the assistance of an attorney is often critical to a successful outcome. Getting in touch with one, especially one that can assist you for free, is usually the biggest hurdle. Utilizing these state legal aid resources can help get you over that hurdle and on with your life.