<< Pittsburgh Lawyers

Legal Resource Guide

A list of the many local organizations and services that help people in need of legal assistance.

The following projects are operated by the Pro Bono Center. For more information, call 412/402-6677 or go to acbf.org and click "Client Services, Pro Bono Center."

• Adoption Committee Birthparent Consultation Project: Provides legal consultations to low-income birthparents contemplating, or involved in, private and private agency adoptions.
• Disaster Relief Project: Primarily provides representation and advice to victims of disasters and catastrophes.
• Divorce Law Project: Represents plaintiffs in relatively simple no-fault divorce actions and conducts outreach clinics at community-service agencies.
• Federal Court Prisoners Civil Rights Pro Bono Project: Represents prisoners who have filed nonfrivolous civil claims in Federal Court.
• Flood Assistance Program: Provides legal advice, referrals and/or representation to people affected by flooding in Allegheny County.
• Indigent Birthparent Attorney Project: Represents indigent birthparents in termination of parental-rights proceedings in Orphans' Court.
• Juvenile Court Projects: Provides pro-bono legal representation to qualified low-income parents who are parties to a dependency action through Allegheny County's Juvenile Court.
• Military Personnel Pro Bono Project: Offers legal advice, referrals and/or representation to military personnel and their immediate family members who are Allegheny County residents who have been called into active duty as a result of war and/or military action.
• McKees Rocks Clinic: This general clinic, held two times a month at Focus on Renewal in McKees Rocks, is staffed by attorneys from Alcoa, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, and Burns, White & Hickton.
• Anti-Predatory Lending Clinic: This clinic is located at Family Services of Western Pennsylvania, East Liberty office, and is staffed by attorneys from U.S. Steel Corp. and Pietragallo Bosick & Gordon L.L.P.
• Child Custody Guardian Project: This project provides attorneys to serve as guardians representing the best interests of at-risk children in high-conflict custody cases. The project is staffed by attorneys from Reed Smith, L.L.P.
• Family Law Custody Conciliation Pro Bono Project: This project provides limited representation of clients at family-law custody conciliations. It's staffed by Pro Bono Partnership member organizations and managed by Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, L.L.C.
• School Board Expulsion Hearing Pro Bono Project: Represents students of families who meet income guidelines at school-board expulsion hearings. It's staffed by the Education Law Center and the Academy of Trial Lawyers Association.
• The Wills Project: Provides drafting of wills, living wills and health care powers of attorney for seniors who meet income-eligibility guidelines. It's staffed by attorneys from Reed Smith, L.L.P. and GlaxoSmithKline.

The following organizations are members of the Pro Bono Center but operate independently:

• Christian Legal Aid Society of Pittsburgh: Offers free legal services to individuals on noncriminal matters, such as family law, protection-from-abuse orders, bankruptcy, landlord/tenant issues and elder law. CLA meets at Church of the Ascension in Oakland on the first and third Thursdays of the month from 6 to 9 p.m. (412/622-0232, clapittsburgh@yahoo.com)
• Adult Pro Se Program, Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania, Family Division: Through this program, volunteer attorneys, other volunteers and clerical staff offer assistance with preparing, serving and presenting motions and petitions. Any person who meets the financial-eligibility guidelines, who is not represented by an attorney and who wishes to present a motion or petition to the court may consult with one of the volunteers/attorneys. They are available on the first floor of the Family Law Facility, 440 Ross St., downtown, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. Sign up at the information desk starting at 9 a.m. (412/350-5600, alleghenycourts.us/family/adult/pro_se_assistance.asp)
• Education Law Center: This nonprofit legal and advocacy organization works to ensure that all children in Pennsylvania have access to a quality public education. It provides free help for families with problems related to public education. The ELC Helpline, 412/258-2120, is available to answer questions about legal rights of public-school students in Pennsylvania; it operates Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (412/391-5225, elc-pa.org)
• LawLinks: A program of the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management at Robert Morris University, it provides legal services and clinics for small, grassroots, nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits may receive basic legal consultation for a nominal fee. Clinics are held the first Wednesday of the month from 5 to 8 p.m. A 45-minute one-on-one consultation is $50; pre-registration is required. (412/397-6006, rmu.edu)
• Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts: Operating through Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, it provides advice and representation for small arts organizations as well as for individual low-income artists (musicians, actors, visual artists, etc.). Services include help with incorporation, by-laws, status filings, intellectual-property issues, contracts and more. Applications are available online. (412/391-2060, pittsburghartscouncil.org)
• Jewish Family & Children's Service of Pittsburgh: This organization provides family and immigration-law assistance to low-income refugees and immigrants along with a special program, the Removal Proceedings Project. (412/422-7200, jfcspgh.org)
• KidsVoice: Receiving major attention through the television program "The Guardian," KidsVoice provides full-service advocacy for abused, abandoned, neglected at-risk children. It represents them through the Juvenile Court dependency process and makes sure agencies involved meet the child's individual needs. (412/391-3100, kidsvoice.org)
• Mental Health America Legal Services: This organization provides legal consultation and/or representation on civil matters for individuals receiving treatment and support services through the community mental-health system. (412/391-3820, mhaac.net)
• Neighborhood Legal Services Association: Provides legal assistance to low-income people in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties. Services include help with consumer product and service problems, as well as credit and debtor issues; children/family; disability; education; elder; employment; health care; housing; immigration; migrant; public benefits and veterans' issues. There is a telephone helpline through which clients may obtain legal advice and a referral for further assistance. The weekly People's Law Clinic is held at the Allegheny County office, 928 Penn Ave., downtown, to provide legal advice and referrals on family law and debt advice. Clinics are also held at the Butler County office, 220 S. Main St., Butler. Evaluation forms are available online. (866/761-6572, nlsa.us)
• North Hills Community Outreach: This organization offers "Ask the Attorney" clinics in neighborhoods throughout the North Hills. These provide counseling and referral services for family, consumer and landlord-tenant issues. (412/487-6316, nhco.org)
• Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force Legal Committee: This pro-bono legal committee helps with legal and advocacy needs of people living with HIV/AIDS. Volunteer attorneys offer HIV-specific legal services for people struggling with discrimination, housing, wills/living wills, powers of attorney, Social Security appeals, bankruptcy and HIV confidentiality. (412/345-7456, ext. 569; patf.org)
• Uptown Legal Clinic: Volunteer attorneys offer pro-bono services to indigent and low-income individuals on matters including family law, housing, debtor-creditor and benefits. It meets the second Wednesday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m. at Bethlehem Haven, 905 Watson St., uptown. Contact for application/appointments is Sr. Judith Nero, administrative assistant for Bethlehem Haven. (412/391-1348, ext.12; 412/654-3111)
• YWCA Legal Resources for Women Program: Seminars and individual counseling for a variety of legal issues are offered through this program. There is also a reduced-fee program as well as a general referral program. The "What Every Woman Needs to Know About Divorce" workshop, which meets the second Tuesday of each month at the downtown YMCA, addresses the legal, financial and emotional issues of divorce and provides information about the community resources available. In addition, it offers attendees the opportunity to learn from experts and to talk with other women who have experienced the same issues. The cost of each workshop is $25. Registration is required. (412/255-1246, ywcapgh.org)