Legal Aid Chicago

What is “legal aid”?

Legal Aid is free representation in civil legal matters for clients who lack the resources to hire an attorney on their own. The American legal system promises equal justice to all citizens, but it’s also enormously complex, and hiring a lawyer to navigate through it can be prohibitively expensive. Too often, the high costs of representation block people living in poverty from participating in the legal system that is meant to protect them.Legal Aid Chicago seeks justice for people living in poverty. Through litigation and advocacy, our team of full-time lawyers and staff fight to secure individual rights to affordable housing, basic healthcare, fair working conditions, protection from abuse, and economic stability.

Legal Aid Chicago provides free legal assistance in civil cases to people living in Chicago and suburban Cook County.

Legal Aid Chicago does not discriminate in the delivery of services based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, order of protection status, marital status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, or unfavorable discharge from military service.