Bar Association of San Francisco

This is the Bar Association of San Francisco’s legal intake line that connects callers to private lawyers. Private attorney referrals are usually most applicable for low-income populations when there is no non-profit help available, or for cases where there might be funds recovered to pay an attorney (personal injury, a lawsuit against someone to recover funds for some kind of damage, SSI/SSDI, insurance cases, etc.).

Note that this same line screens clients for help through the Bar Association’s Justice and Diversity Center (pro bono services).

At the Legal Advice and Referral Clinic (LARC), clients get a 10-15 minute consult with a volunteer attorney who can give some basic advice, pointers, and further referrals if needed. Attorneys from the following specialties are typically present: bankruptcy, business issues, consumer, contracts, criminal, employment, estate planning, family, housing, immigration, personal injury, probate, and others.

The JDC primarily provides pro bono assistance in the following areas: family law, taxpayer disputes with the IRS, housing, and limited immigration.

JDC’s Family Law Project assists low-income individuals and families with family law and related probate matters including divorce, legal separation, nullity, parentage, domestic abuse, guardianship, conservatorship, and domestic violence restraining orders.

The Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) primarily assists with SSI, SSDI, and housing issues for clients who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, with a focus on people with mental disabilities.