Pro Bono Lawyers and Attorneys in Illinois
Where to ask for pro bono legal services or a free attorney in Illinois, including legal aid programs, who qualifies, and other free or low-cost help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
Where to ask for a free lawyer or attorney
| Pro bono and legal aid programs | The Illinois State Bar Association's "Can't Afford a Lawyer?" page lists free and legal aid programs by region. Chicago Volunteer Legal Services supports pro bono representation of the Chicago area's poor and working poor: apply online at cvls.org or call 312-332-1624. Other programs listed include Illinois Legal Aid Online (statewide), CARPLS and the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services (Chicago area), Land of Lincoln Legal Aid (central and southern Illinois), and DuPage Legal Aid and Prairie State Legal Services (western, central and northern Illinois). CVLS: https://www.cvls.org/ |
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| Who qualifies | Chicago Volunteer Legal Services says it supports representation of "the Chicago area's poor and working poor"; its home page gives no income limit. Source: Chicago Volunteer Legal Services |
| Cases covered | Chicago Volunteer Legal Services lists adoption, divorce, guardianship, child support, landlord disputes, tenant eviction, mortgage foreclosure, probate assistance, title and property claims, wills and advance directives, consumer problems, Chapter 7 bankruptcy and immigration. Source: Chicago Volunteer Legal Services |
Other free or low-cost help
| Free legal questions online | Illinois Free Legal Answers, listed by the Illinois State Bar Association, is a clinic where "qualifying users post civil legal questions at no cost." A few questions determine whether you qualify. Topics include family, divorce, custody, housing, eviction, consumer rights, employment, health and disability, civil rights and education. Criminal questions are not covered, and volunteer lawyers "can't call you and can't represent you in court." |
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| Does the bar's referral service find free lawyers? | The Illinois State Bar Association's Illinois Lawyer Finder describes a phone referral with a capped fee: "Call and receive a 30-minute consultation with a lawyer in your area for no more than $25." The page does not say it refers people to free lawyers and links to a separate "Can't Afford a Lawyer?" section. |
| Free legal aid | The Illinois Courts self-help page links to IllinoisLegalAid.org to apply for legal aid, Illinois Court Help for referrals and e-filing help, and resources for self-represented litigants. Illinois's LSC-funded legal aid organizations, which give free civil legal help to eligible low-income people, are Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, Legal Aid Chicago and Prairie State Legal Services. LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
| Lawyer referral service | The Illinois State Bar Association's Illinois Lawyer Finder lets you search an online directory of lawyers by area and field of law, or call for a referral matched to your location and type of legal problem. ISBA says you can "receive a 30-minute consultation with a lawyer in your area for no more than $25." Phone referrals: 217-525-5297, Monday-Friday 9:00-3:00. You are not obligated to hire the lawyer; discuss fees for further services. Phone referral page: https://www.isba.org/public/phonereferral |
All legal help in Illinois · What is a pro bono lawyer? · Pro bono lawyers in other states
Last verified against official sources: November 4, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.