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Home Illinois Lawyers, Courts & Self Help Lawyers
Lawyers
Choosing A Lawyer (Includes Free Lawyers)
Working With Lawyers
Complaints
Choosing A Lawyer
How To Find & Choose A Lawyer
Free Or Low Cost Lawyers
Lawyers & Legal Fees
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How To Find
& Choose A Lawyer
Making Your First Visit To An Attorney Go Smoothly (Illinois)
Tips On Where To Find A Lawyer (The Working Women's Survival Guide)
Verify a Lawyer is Licensed To Practice In Illinois
Lawyer
Disciplinary Reports And Decisions Search
(Illinois)
Search using a last name to see if the attorney has been disciplined and for
what.
The
Initial Interview-Is the Lawyer You're Talking To The Best One For The Job?
Some good observations that may keep you from hiring the wrong lawyer
for the job.
Finding and working with a mediator (Illinois)
Getting a lawyer’s help for a mediation (Illinois)
Using arbitration to resolve disputes (Illinois)
Lawyer Locators & Referrals (Consumer-SOS)
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Lawyer Locators &
Referrals
www.lawyers.com (All 50 States & DC)
Search here for lawyers based on their location and specialty.
http://www.attorneylocate.com/ (All 50 States & DC)
Attorney Locate is FREE to the public. Attorney
Locate allows you to search for an
attorney based on location and practice area.
Many of the attorneys listed
have provided full web sites or a detailed profile outlining their education,
experience and commitment to the practice of law as well as other useful legal
information.
Findlaw's Lawyers and Law Firms (All 50 States & DC)
Martindale-Hubble
Lawyer Locator (All 50 States & DC)
A List Of Attorney Locators Links (All 50 States & DC)
ABA Lawyer Referral Services (DC & All 50 States)
Mostly Phone #s, not many links.
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Free Or Low Cost Lawyers
First Defense Legal Aid (Chicago)
Providing 24 Hour Emergency Criminal Representation for Individuals in Chicago
Police Custody.
Locate Your Illinois Legal Aid Office
Lawyers For Specific Causes
(Consumer-SOS)
Aids, Artists, Immigrants, Seniors and more.
Getting free legal help if you can't afford a lawyer (Illinois)
Basic overview.
Free Pro bono Help Throughout Chicago & Illinois
Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation
Our volunteers resolve non-fee-generating family, consumer, probate, tort,
government benefits, immigration and miscellaneous cases.
Center
For Disability & Elder Law (Cook County)
Free legal advice for those who are permanently disabled or 60 and over. Must
also meet income requirements.
Chicago Legal Clinic (Sliding Scale Fees Based on Income)
Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation
Our volunteers resolve non-fee-generating family, consumer, probate, tort,
government benefits, immigration and miscellaneous cases.
4 Cases Where You
Can Qualify For Free Legal Services (Nolo.com)
Income Requirements For Legal Aid Or
Pro bono Help
(ABA)
Legal Aid & Clinics (All
50 States & DC)
The Directory of Pro Bono Programs (All 50 States & DC)
Lawyers for those who can't afford one. Scroll down to the bottom of their page,
click on their drop box and select your state. Has other legal help in
addition to legal aid. If you are seeking legal
representation, look to the listings in the county in which you live or in one near you. Those
programs that provide service on a stateside basis are listed at the top of each state listing.
http://www.ptla.org/links/services.htm
(All 50 States & DC)
Where available, each state has
resources relating to complaints & disputes, courts
& legal process, fees & costs, hiring a lawyer, legal aid & clinics,
referral services, and self
representation.
Legal Help For Specific Groups Or Causes
Aids
Center
For Disability & Elder Law (Cook County)
Free legal advice for those who are permanently disabled or 60 and over.
Must also meet income requirements.
Pine
Tree Legal Assistance Links (All 50 States & DC)
Free lawyers for low income people, state by state and some cities too.
Nationwide
Directory Of Legal Aids &Pro Bono Groups
Scroll to the very bottom to select your state from their drop box. Has
links to free legal services in DC & All 50 states.
See
Consumer-SOS/Disabilities
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Artists
Volunteer Lawyers For The Arts
For: CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, KS, LA, MA, ME, MD, MN, MS, MT, NH, NY, NC, OH,
OR, PA, RI, TX, UT, WA.
Asians
Immigrant Legal Advocates (Illinois)
The
National Asian Pacific Bar Association
Professional
Bar association of Asian American attorneys and law students that offers free
legal clinics and education on Asian-American issues.
Asian Law Association
Links
Scroll down to their "Minority Law Resources"
Cancer
Children/Juveniles
Civil Rights/Religious Expression
National Directory Of Civil Rights Organizations (All 50 States & DC)
Free lawyers to help Defend your religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and
the preservation of marriage and the family. The Alliance Defense Fund regularly
combats the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other like-minded
organizations in their efforts to limit public acknowledgement of God. We are
convinced that, by God's continued grace, America can be truly free again - with
no restraints on the Gospel's proclamation; no unconstitutional restrictions on
your right to speak, pray and worship.
The Center For Individual Rights
(CIR) is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to the defense of
individual liberties. CIR provides free legal representation to deserving
clients who cannot otherwise afford or obtain legal counsel and whose individual
rights are threatened.
Christian
Legal Society
(703) 642-1070
The CLS is a national organization where lawyers and law students can enjoy
Christian fellowship. While they
don't usually provide free legal counsel, they may be willing to help you if
your religious rights have been violated.
Christian
Law Association (813) 399-8300
Located in Seminole, Florida, this group does trial work for religious liberty
issues and offer help even to non-Florida residents.
American
Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU is a private volunteer-based, non-profit organization engaged in community education, legislative action, and
litigation on selected civil liberties issues.
The ACLU takes civil rights/civil liberties cases which it believes will
have a far reaching impact on the state
of the law. In the past,
the ACLU has taken up causes involving freedom of association,
freedom of speech, the right to vote, the freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, separation of church and
state issues i.e. freedom of religion and freedom from
religion, right to a fair trial, etc.
Western
Center For Law And Religious Freedom
(503) 588-2532
As
the trial advocacy arm of the Christian Legal Society, this agencydefends
religious freedoms under the U.S. Constitution.
Conservative/Republican Causes
(CIR) is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to the defense of
individual liberties. CIR provides free legal representation to deserving
clients who cannot otherwise afford or obtain legal counsel and whose individual
rights are threatened.
Legal Links For Conservative Values
Consumer Law
Free Pro bono Help Throughout Chicago & Illinois
The
Office Of The Attorney General (All 50 States)
This state agency has attorneys to help people who have been victims of various
unfair practices. Many also have online brochures on numerous consumer topics.
National
Consumer Law Center
(202) 986-6060 (617)
523-8010
This
nonprofit group offers free consumer advice to legal services providers serving
low income individuals. Private
lawyers can get the same advice for a fee of $160/hr.
The National Consumer Law Center also represents consumer issues before
Congress and government agencies. Do
not call if you are an aggrieved consumer as they will not take consumer
complaints directly from the public.
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Criminal
Defense
First Defense Legal Aid
(Chicago)
Providing 24 Hour Emergency Criminal Representation for Individuals in
Chicago Police Custody.
List
Of Legal Services In All 50 States (No Links)
May have contacts or know who else can help you.
The National Legal
Aid & Defender Association
If you've been unsuccessful finding a defender through the phone directory,
Internet, bar association, or court. Call or e-mail NLADA, 202-452-0620,
info@nlada.org
Hundreds of links all in alphabetical order.
See Criminal Justice
The
Elderly/Disabled
Center
For Disability & Elder Law (Cook County)
Free legal advice for those who are permanently disabled or 60 and over.
Must also meet income requirements.
The Guidebook of Laws and Programs for People with Disabilities
(Illinois & Federal Law & Resources)
Chapter 1:
General Considerations (What's a Disability under State & Federal Law)
Chapter 2:
Access to Services, Programs, and Activities
Chapter 3:
Care of Children with Disabilities
Chapter 4:
Right to Confidentiality
Chapter 5:
Education
Chapter 6:
Employment
Chapter 7:
Government Benefits
Chapter 8:
Guardians and Representatives
Chapter 9:
Health Care
Chapter 10:
Housing
Chapter 11:
Independent Living and Productivity
Chapter 12:
Institutional Care
Chapter 13:
Protection from Abuse and Exploitation
Chapter 14:
Telecommunications
Chapter 15:
Transportation
Chapter 16:
Miscellaneous Rights
Legal Hotlines For Older
Americans
Free legal help for people in
AZ, CA, DC, GA, HI, IA, IN, KS, KY, MD, ME, MI, MS, NH, NM, OH, PA, PR, TN, TX,
WA, WV.
Other Senior Hotlines (Google)
Has South Carolina and other states not listed above.
The
Environment
(Groups With Lawyers On Staff)
Sorry. There are no resources available here at this time. Please check back later.
Hispanics
Immigrant Legal Advocates (Illinois)
The
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
This non-profit group protects and promotes the civil rights of
the more than 35 million Latinos living in the United States. They are
national in scope and have offices in AZ, CA, GA, IL, NM, TX and Washington DC.
Call them even if you live in another state.
The Homeless
Free Pro bono Help Throughout Chicago & Illinois
For More See The Homeless
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Homeowner
Law In Other States/Fed Law
http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/
http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/state_statutes.html#property
The
United States Code
For More See Legal Research
Links
Women
Civil Legal Help For Incarcerated Mothers (Illinois)
Provides legal advice on family law and foster care
issues for mothers in the Cook County Jail and in
Illinois prisons. We provide representation in Cook County
courts only. We represent mothers who are incarcerated or returning home
after incarceration, free of charge, for child custody, visitation, or
guardianship matters.
National
Women's Law Center
(202) 588-5180
A public policy group that does research and advocacy on national landmark cases
affecting women and their families. They
deal with issues such as abortion, health care, child care, employment and
education. Call them for help,
publicity or referrals.
See
Domestic
Violence
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Free Pro bono Help Throughout Chicago & Illinois
Locate Your Illinois Legal Aid Office
See Consumer-SOS Main Law Topics
Lawyer Referrals
Martindale-Hubble Lawyer Locator (All 50 States & DC)
Working With Lawyers
Tips On How To Cut Down Costs
Common Problems With Lawyers
Legal Fees
Tips On How To Cut Down Costs
Ways To Save On Legal Fees
(Nolo.com)
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Common Problems With Lawyers
Common
Problems-What To Do (Nolo.com)
What To Do When You're Mad At Your Lawyer (Nolo.com)
Identifying
Problems When Working With Your Lawyer
Also has some tips on what to do about them.
Lawyers & Legal Fees (Consumer-SOS)
Complaints Against Your Lawyer (Consumer-SOS)
Complaining Against Your
Lawyer (Illinois)
Brochures from the Attorney Registration & Discipline Commission of the Illinois
Supreme Court.
The Client Protection
Program (Illinois)
Provide
reimbursement to clients who have lost money or property because of dishonest
conduct by lawyers admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois. The
Program reimburses clients who cannot get reimbursement from the lawyers who
caused their losses, or from other sources such as insurance.
Rules Governing Illinois Lawyers & Judges
Where
To File
A Formal Grievance Against Your Lawyer
Scroll down to select your state.
Bar
Associations In Every State & DC
Links to State Bar Associations and sometimes includes county bar associations
as well.
Lawyers & Legal Malpractice-Firing & Suing Them (Nolo.com)
State
Bar Ethics Rules For All States & DC
Choose your state, select your topics and go.
Learn what your lawyer did wrong and what he must do right! Links to the rules
and ethical opinions that lawyers must answer to in all 50 states & DC. In
some cases may also
have the rules that judges must answer to.
The Rules That Govern Lawyers (All 50 States & DC)
Some links go to all the rules, others go only to rules on Lawyer advertising, solicitations
and marketing.
Note: often, these links are just one or two chapters of the rules that govern
lawyers. To get all the rules, select your state and when the URL appears, try
shortening it by the last few letters.
For example: the link to Kansas offers just rule 7. But you get all the rules if
you simply remove the bolded part of http://www.kscourts.org/ctruls/rule7.htm#7.1"
and press "enter".
Find The AARP In Illinois
The AARP offers legal advocacy for seniors and may also have state specific
consumer brochures which are available to everyone.
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Lawyers & Legal Fees
How Lawyers Set Fees (Illinois)
Four Basic Ways Lawyers Charge for Services (Illinois)
Confirming
Your Arrangement And Discussing Legal Fees
What to ask from the attorney when it comes time to discuss legal fees.
Tips On How To Cut Down Costs (Consumer-SOS)