Prairie State Legal Services, Inc. - Fox Valley Office
1024 West Main Street St. Charles, IL 60174| View map
Phone: 630-232-9415
TTY: 630-232-9414
Toll-free: 800-942-4612
Languages: English, Spanish
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Prairie State Legal Services, Inc. provides free legal services in civil legal matters for persons who have incomes below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines and senior citizens age 60 and older regardless of income.

Eligibility

Whether you are eligible for help from Prairie State Legal Services depends on the following factors:

• You meet our income and asset guidelines, or are age 60 or older.
• We have no ethical conflict of interest regarding your legal issue.
• You live within the service area of Prairie State, or have a civil legal problem in one of the counties in our service area.
• You meet the citizenship or immigration requirements established by Congress. It should be noted that immigrants who are fleeing domestic violence or trafficking are eligible for legal help regardless of immigration status in matters to address the abuse.
• Government regulations do not prohibit Prairie State Legal Services from handling your type of legal problem.
• You have one or more legal problems that can be addressed by PSLS attorneys and that fall within our established priorities.

Types of Legal Help

Due to high demand for our services, our staff is able to provide representation in certain areas of civil law designated as a priority. The following kinds of problems are illustrative of the cases that we may be able to help with (not an exclusive list):

High Priority Cases

• Family Law: Protection from abuse or exploitation of domestic violence victims, elderly, children and persons w/disabilities; divorce and related relief for domestic violence victims.
• Housing Law: Evictions and lock-outs; foreclosure defense; loss or denial of subsidized housing benefits; loss or denial of essential public utilities; substandard housing conditions cases that cannot be addressed by other agencies.
• Health Care: Loss or denial of medical or nursing home care; loss or denial of medical benefits (Medicaid, Medicare).
• Needs-based government assistance: Loss or denial of SSI, GA, TANF, VA, food stamps.
• Other income benefits where alternative representation is unavailable: Loss or denial of unemployment insurance, Social Security Title II benefits.

Other Cases We May Handle

• Family Law: Child support, custody, guardianship, visitation, parental rights, divorces for non-domestic violence victims.
• Housing: Rent issues; security deposits; unit size; discrimination.
• Education: admission, expulsion, special education & related services.
• Health care and people with disabilities: powers of attorney and other health care documents; discrimination and reasonable accommodations.
• Income or benefits: overpayments of government assistance; health insurance matters; employment issues.
• Consumer Law: Bankruptcy or other debt relief; consumer fraud; protection of exempt income and assets; unfair debt collection practices; repossession; contract defenses.
   

View current federal poverty levels

Administer Justice
1750 Grandstand Place
#15 Elgin, IL 60123| View map
Phone: 847-844-1100
Languages: English, Spanish
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Administer Justice is a charitable, non-profit organization providing low-income legal, financial and conflict resolution services.  Our mission is to Administer Justice through a program of education, legal assistance, financial counseling and conflict resolution, to empower the powerless, give hope to the hopeless, and show mercy and compassion to those in need.

Our educational programs include community seminars, self-help clinics as well as training in legal matters, financial planning and conflict resolution.  Our legal assistance consists of individual appointments with an attorney to help a person with legal forms, educate them about their rights, and (when necessary and available) provide a free attorney for those whose income is low enough and whose legal problem is in Kane County.  Our financial counseling includes helping educate people about their rights under our tax code, particularly those who are Spanish-speaking, and providing budget counseling to avoid some of the common problems that result from money mismanagement. Our Low Income Taxpayer Clinic assists low-income taxpayers who are having problems with the IRS. Our conflict resolution services include mediation and arbitration of disputes, which are much cheaper and faster than a lawsuit. For more information visit our web site at http://www.administerjustice.org/.

Community Crisis Center
Elgin, IL 60120| View map
Phone: 847.697.2380
Languages: English, Spanish
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Domestic violence services available at the Community Crisis Center include: a 24-hour crisis intervention hotline staffed by professional counselors; emergency shelter for women and their children needing a safe place to stay; on-call trained volunteer advocates who meet with victims in area emergency rooms to offer support and information about services; help obtaining Orders of Protection and Legal advocacy to assist in civil and criminal cases; individual counseling; weekly support groups for women victims of domestic violence, with concurrent children's groups available, and; information and referral services. 

Mutual Ground, Inc.
P.O. Box 843 Aurora, IL 60507| View map
Phone: 630.897.0080
Languages: English, Spanish
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Mutual Ground (MGI) provides services to victims of domestic violence; victims are provided safety, shelter and support services while they learn they have the power to change their lives. Services include 24-hour crisis hotline, confidential counseling, court advocacy, social service referrals, and an emergency shelter for women and their minor children who are victims of domestic violence. MGI does not provide legal services.

Equip for Equality
20 N. Michigan Avenue
Suite 300 Chicago, IL 60602| View map
Phone: 800-537-2632
TTY: 800-610-2779
Toll-free: 800-537-2632
Languages: English, Spanish, American Sign Language
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The mission of Equip for Equality is to advance the human and civil rights of children and adults with physical and mental disabilities in Illinois.  Equip for Equality serves people who have:

• a developmental disability such as autism, cerebral palsy and mental retardation.
• a significant psychiatric disability such as depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia (we give priority to individuals at risk for abuse due to seclusion, restraint, and any related serious injuries or fatalities, neglect, or civil rights violations, while residing in residential facilities).
• a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act other than one that is developmental or psychiatric such as blindness, deafness or hard of hearing, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, paraplegia, quadriplegia and multiple sclerosis.
• traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

Some of our work involves assistive technology needs, voting access and participation for individuals with disabilities, and vocational rehabilitation services, employment services, and other support services for Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities.

How to Request Services

People seeking assistance should call (800) 537-2632 on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. We accept limited calls on Tuesday and Thursday from individuals in institutions (usually when they are emergencies only).

Lambda Legal Midwest Regional Office
11 E. Adams St.
Suite 1008 Chicago, IL 60603| View map
Phone: 312-663-4413
Languages: English, Spanish
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Lambda Legal is committed to achieving full recognition of the civil right of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV.  The Midwest Regional Office has three attorneys devoted to sexual orientation, gender identity, and HIV/AIDS issues.

Lambda's Legal Help Desk responds directly to members of our communit(ies) who are seeking legal information and assistance with discrimination related to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and HIV status. 

The Midwest Regional Office accepts Help Desk calls at any time during business hours (M-F 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.). Call 312-663-4413, ask for the Help Desk, and a Help Desk staff person will assist you. If Help Desk staff is busy helping other callers, your call will automatically be routed to the Legal Help Desk voicemail.

Latinos Progresando
3047 W. Cermak Road
Second Floor Chicago, IL 60623| View map
Phone: (773) 542-7077
Languages: English, Spanish

Based in Chicago’s Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods—together home to the second largest Mexican population in the country—Latinos Progresando is a nonprofit organization that works with immigrants and their families to build stronger and healthier communities.

Latinos Progresando serves immigrants by providing the highest quality services at low cost: legal services, youth programs, and community forums are all part of our vision to build stronger and healthier families and communities.

Our Immigration Legal Service Program is accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals, the nation's highest immigration court, and is listed as a referral agency for the local office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Our agency's reputation for high-quality service draw clients from as far away as Waukegan, Bolingbrook, and Indiana.

Family Services
Our Immigration Legal Services program helps reunite. In FY08, we served over 1,400 clients and their families. We provide informational consultations and responsible referrals so clients are aware of the immigration process, including both their responsibilities and the benefits available to them.

Violence Against Women Act Program
Our VAWA program assists immigrant survivors of domestic violence – at little to no cost -- in separating from abusive family members without losing their eligibility for immigration benefits. The VAWA program was launched in 1991. It is named after the federal Violence Against Women Act, which allows battered immigrants to leave their abusers while maintaining eligibility for legal status.

Our office is open:

Tue-Fri: 9am - 6pm
Sat: 9am - 3pm

Our consultation hours are:

Wed-Thu: 9am - 5pm
Sat: 9am - 1pm

All Legal Services staff is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Bankruptcy Help Desk
The Dirksen Federal Courthouse
219 S. Dearborn Street
Room 622 Chicago, IL 60604| View map
Phone: 312-435-6032
Languages: English
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The Bankruptcy Help Desk provides help to people who do not have a bankruptcy attorney. Lawyers provide information, advice and brief legal assistance. Help Desk lawyers cannot represent people in court, but can help file a bankruptcy case, answer questions about completing schedules and make referrals to lawyers, legal aid hotlines, government agencies, and social services that can offer further help. The Help Desk also provides free access to a computer to find online legal information, forms and resources.

Hours are Monday - Friday, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Help is available on a first come, first served basis. No appointment is necessary.

Midwest Center on Law & the Deaf
P.O. Box 804297 Chicago, IL 60680| View map
Phone: 800-894-3653
TTY: 800-894-3654
Languages: English, American Sign Language
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MCLD provides information to the general public on the rights of deaf and hard-of-hearing people, and helps deaf and hard of hearing people find attorneys willing to provide accessible legal services.  If you or a deaf or hard-of-hearing person you know needs a lawyer, please call MCLD to help you find one.

Farmworker Advocacy Project
100 W. Monroe
Floor 18 Chicago, IL 60603| View map
Phone: 847-668-2114
Languages: English, Spanish
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The Farmworker Advocacy Project provides legal representation to the thousands of migrant and seasonal farmworkers who work planting and harvesting crops, detasseling corn, and cultivating nursery products. The vast majority of these migrants are Spanish speakers who migrate to Illinois from Texas or Mexico for 6-9 months. The primary focus is on migrants living in Northern Illinois. The FAP represents farmworkers, regardless of their immigration status, in disputes over wages, working conditions, housing, and field sanitation. We assist migrant workers to obtain tax credits, Social Security earnings records, and emergency Food Stamps. We also advise migrant workers who are eligible to naturalize.

Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)-Chicago
28 East Jackson Boulevard
Suite 1410 Chicago, IL 60604| View map
Phone: 312-212-1520
Languages: English

CAIR-Chicago is a local chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization. The organization’s mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. CAIR-Chicago’s Civil Rights Department counsels, mediates and advocates on behalf of Muslims and others who have experienced religious discrimination, defamation, or hate crimes.

If you feel you have been the victim of any form of discrimination because you are Muslim, or because you were mistaken to be Muslim, please contact CAIR-Chicago at 312-212-1520 to see how we can help.

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights
55 E. Jackson Blvd.
Suite 2075 Chicago, IL 60604| View map
Phone: 312-332-7360
Languages: English, Spanish
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ICIRR is dedicated to promote the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social, and political life of our diverse society. In partnership with our member organizations, the Coalition educates and organizes immigrant and refugee communities to assert their rights; promotes citizenship and civic participation; monitors, analyzes, and advocates on immigrant-related issues; and, informs the general public about the contributions of immigrants and refugees.

Kane County Legal Self-Help Center
Kane County Law Library & Legal Self-Help Center
37 West 777 Route 38 St. Charles, IL 60175| View map
Phone: 630.406.7126
Languages: English, Spanish
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The Kane County Law Library & Legal Self-Help Center gives the public a place to learn about the legal system and the steps involved in going to court in Kane County. It provides legal information to Kane County residents about their legal rights and responsibilities, instructions on how to handle common legal problems, assistance with some legal documents and forms, and referrals to free and low-cost legal services.

Kane County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service
P.O. Box 571 Geneva, IL 60134| View map

Languages: English
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The Kane County Bar Association's online "Find A Lawyer" Search Tool is a free service designed to help people find a Kane County Lawyer or Law Firm whose specialty fits their legal needs. This service is provided free of charge and individuals can search as many times as they wish.

Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois Lawyer Referral Service
321 South Plymouth Court Chicago, IL 60604| View map
Phone: 312-554-2045
Languages: English, Spanish
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Our 24-hour answering service provides referrals to private English/Spanish-speaking attorneys with experience in every area of the law.  Please call 312-554-2045.

IllinoisLawyerFinder.com
Illinois State Bar Association
424 South Second Street Springfield, IL 62701| View map
Phone: 217-525-5297 (LAWS)
Toll-free: 800-922-8757
Languages: English
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Illinois Lawyer Finder is the Illinois State Bar Association's lawyer directory. This online referral service is designed to serve everyone who can afford the services of a lawyer. If you prefer a telephone referral please call Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. We charge no referral fee, and our operators can put you in touch with a lawyer in your area who has agreed to provide an initial consultation for no more than $15 for the first half-hour.