Legal Aid Organizations
Legal aid organizations provide free legal information, advice, representation and/or other legal services in various areas of law. They typically have subject-matter, income, geographic, or other limitations for who they can help. Legal aid offices may also offer self-help informational resources that can help you get started.
The list of local legal aid organizations below is provided for informational purposes. It is not an exhaustive list. Alameda County Law Library does not endorse or warrant the services provided by any of the organizations listed, and makes no guarantees about organizational capacity or your eligibility for services.
Legal Access Alameda (ACBA)
1000 Broadway, Suite 290. Oakland, CA 94607 Clinic Intake: (510) 302-2222 x4
Pro per clinics for qualifying low-income individuals in the areas of bankruptcy, divorce and family law, domestic violence restraining orders, guardianship, and unlawful detainer assistance for landlords.
Bay Area Legal Aid
1735 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94612 Legal Advice Hotline: (510) 250-5270
Free legal counseling, representation and referrals for qualifying low-income individuals in the areas of debt collection defense, bankruptcy, eviction defense, foreclosure defense, fair housing, domestic violence restraining orders, Medi-Cal and SSI-SSDI.
East Bay Community Law Center
2921 Adeline St. Berkeley, CA 94703 Phone: (510) 548-4040
Free legal counseling and representation for qualifying low-income individuals in the areas of debt collection defense, workers’ rights, tow hearings, storage unit disputes, eviction defense, Section 8 termination hearings, rent board hearings, criminal records clean-up (Clean Slate), immigration/naturalization, starting a business or non-profit.
Centro Legal de la Raza
3400 E 12th St. Oakland, CA 94601 Phone: (510) 437-1554
Free legal counseling and representation for qualifying low-income individuals in the areas of immigration, eviction defense, rent board hearings, and workers’ rights.
Housing & Economic Rights Advocates (HERA)
Email: inquiries@heraca.org Phone: (510) 271-8443
Free legal advice, representation and consumer workshops in the areas of debt collection defense, predatory lending & abusive mortgage serving, foreclosure defense, HOA problems, estate planning, and credit repair.
Family Violence Law Center (FVLC)
470 27th St. Oakland, CA 94612 Phone: (510) 208-0220
Free legal representation and preparation of domestic violence restraining orders, dissolution, separation and annulment forms, child and spousal support orders, and child custody and visitation orders for survivors of domestic violence living in Alameda County.
Echo Housing
1305 Franklin St. #305 Oakland, CA 94612 Phone: (510) 496-0496
Free legal counseling, investigation, and mediation related to landlord-tenant matters, such as housing discrimination, fair housing, and landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities.
Legal Assistance for Seniors
333 Hegenberg Rd. Oakland, CA 94621 Phone: (510) 832-3040
Free legal counseling and representation for Alameda County seniors in the areas of grandparent guardianship, elder abuse, SSI, MEDI-CAL/MEDI-CARE, and immigration/naturalization.
API Legal Outreach
310 8th St. #308 Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: (510) 251-2846 Email: help@apilegaloutreach.org
Free legal counseling and representation for low-income members of the Asian and Pacific Islander community in the areas of immigration & naturalization, family law, eviction defense, elder abuse, public benefits, foreclosure defense, and wills & trusts.
Legal Aid at Work
Email: info@legalaidatwork.org Phone: 415-404-9093 (Berkeley and Oakland office)
Legal Aid at Work’s Workers’ Rights Clinic provides low-income and unemployed people with free, confidential information about their legal rights related to work in California including wage protection, working conditions, and unemployment benefits. Other clinics and helplines include Work and Family, Disability Rights, Project SURVIVE (Domestic Violence /Stalking), and Racial Economic Justice. They provide services in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and other languages.
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area
Email: info@legalaidatwork.org Phone: (415) 543-9444
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area provides free legal services to low-income Bay Area individuals with programs such as Commercial Tenant Legal Assistance, Legal Services for Entrepreneurs, Police Violence Legal Support, and other programs.
California Free Legal Answers
California Free Legal Answers is a virtual legal advice clinic in which qualifying users post civil legal questions at no cost to be answered by pro bono attorneys licensed in their state.
Question topics include Family, Divorce, Custody, Housing, Eviction, Homelessness, Consumer Rights, Financial, Work, Employment, Unemployment, Health and Disability, Civil Rights, Income Maintenance, Juvenile and Education Law.
Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative
Phone: (888) 382 -3406
Free legal help for survivors of California disasters, and resources for volunteers, provided by trusted California nonprofit legal aid providers
Upsolve
Upsolve is a free, self-service tool that guides California debtors through the process of filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy.