Access to Justice
Legal Resources: Legal Aid and Pro Bono Lawyers in Chicago
If you’re looking for pro bono lawyers in Chicago, or other free or low-cost legal help, this page is a starting point. The organizations below are outside organizations. Each one sets its own rules about who it can help, and The Higher Law Firm is not a legal aid provider.
These organizations are listed for information only. The Higher Law Firm has no affiliation with them and does not endorse them.
This page is not legal advice.
The Higher Law Firm does not refer people to attorneys or match them with one.
Clarity. Structure. Strategy. Freedom.
Featured Guide
Illinois Expungement Guide
Our Illinois Expungement Guide explains how to clear or seal a criminal record in Illinois, in plain language and step by step. It is written for anyone with a record, and for the people who help them.
What’s inside:
The difference between expungement and sealing.
Which records can be cleared, which can only be sealed, and which can’t be either, including felonies.
How cannabis records are handled.
The steps to follow, from getting your record to the court’s order.
What it costs, and how fee waivers work.
Where to get free help.
Good to know (set apart):
Most felony convictions can’t be expunged, but many can be sealed.
Arrests that never led to a conviction can usually be expunged.
Cannabis records follow their own rules, and some were cleared automatically.
Eligibility depends on each person’s record.
Illinois changed some of these rules in 2026, and the guide shows when it was last checked. More guides are added here as they are published.
Where to Start
Legal Aid in Chicago
Legal aid organizations offer free or low-cost legal help to people who qualify. Many work with volunteer lawyers. These three are good places to start.
CARPLS Legal Aid
Runs a legal aid hotline and court advice desks for Cook County. Attorneys give advice and brief help with many kinds of civil legal problems, and can point you to other organizations. Free for people who qualify.
Legal Aid Chicago
Provides free civil legal help to people with limited income in Chicago and suburban Cook County, in areas including housing, family and safety, money and debt, work, public benefits, and immigration. Formerly known as the Legal Assistance Foundation (LAF).
Greater Chicago Legal Clinic
A nonprofit legal clinic that charges fees on a sliding scale based on income, which can help people who don’t qualify for free legal aid. Its work includes record sealing and expungement and immigration matters.
Housing, Eviction, and Debt
Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt helps Cook County residents and property owners with housing and debt problems, including eviction and foreclosure. Its services are free to Cook County residents and property owners regardless of income, language, or immigration status. CARPLS and Legal Aid Chicago also help with housing and debt problems.
Family Matters
For family problems such as custody, support, and personal safety, Legal Aid Chicago focuses on family and safety cases for people with limited income, and CARPLS gives advice on family law questions.
Criminal Records and Expungement
If you want to clear or seal a criminal record, start with our Illinois Expungement Guide, which explains what expungement and sealing mean and how the process works. Greater Chicago Legal Clinic also handles record sealing and expungement.
Seniors and People With Disabilities
The Center for Disability & Elder Law provides free legal services to low-income seniors and people with disabilities in Chicago and suburban Cook County, including help with documents such as powers of attorney and with housing and public benefits.
Court Self-Help
If you are going to court without a lawyer, two free resources can help you understand the process.
Illinois Court Help
A free service from the Illinois Courts that connects people without lawyers to the information they need to go to court. Its court guides don’t give legal advice, but they can point you to legal aid.
Illinois Legal Aid Online
A free website with plain-language information on topics like housing, family, money and debt, and expungement, plus tools for finding legal aid.
Small Business
If you are starting or running a small business, our Civil Justice Access Initiative offers programs through its Economic Empowerment pillar. Eligibility depends on the program and its funding.
Questions About Finding Legal Help
What is legal aid?
Legal aid is free or low-cost legal help for people who can’t afford a lawyer, usually provided by nonprofit organizations. Each organization decides which kinds of problems it handles and who qualifies, so the best place to start depends on your situation.
How do I know if I qualify for legal aid in Illinois?
Each organization sets its own rules, usually based on your income, where you live, and the type of legal problem. Check the organization’s website or intake line to see whether you qualify. Some programs have no income limit, and Illinois Legal Aid Online can help you search for the one that fits.
Where can I find a pro bono lawyer in Chicago?
Start with the legal aid organizations on this page, many of which work with volunteer lawyers, or with Illinois Legal Aid Online, which helps you search for free and low-cost legal help. Pro bono attorneys in Chicago usually take cases through these organizations rather than directly, so contacting the organization that handles your type of problem is the quickest route.
Does The Higher Law Firm offer free legal help?
Our private estate planning practice is flat-fee. Free or reduced-cost help comes through funded Civil Justice Access Initiative programs when they are available. Eligibility depends on the program and its funding, and you can see what is running on the Civil Justice Access Initiative page.
More From Access to Justice
Learn how the legal system works, or join a program near you.
Attorney advertising. The information on this website is general information, not legal advice. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Chicago Office
© 2026 The Higher Law Firm. All rights reserved.