Free Legal Aid in Atlanta
Last updated: September 27, 2013
The legal world can be a confusing place, so enlisting the aid of a trained professional is usually in your best interest. Unfortunately, many people cannot afford legal representation. If you are one of them, Legal Aid is a fantastic way to even the odds in your favor. Legal Aid groups in Atlanta specialize in representing low-income individuals and people in particularly vulnerable positions, such as recent immigrants or battered women.
The keys to selecting a quality Legal Aid lawyer are to contact a group that specializes in your particular legal issue and to feel comfortable speaking earnestly with the person who will be representing your interests. To make your search easier, we have compiled a list of Legal Aid groups in Atlanta and sorted them by specialty.
Civil Law Legal Aid
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Atlanta Legal Aid Society
151 Spring St. NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Tel: (404) 524-5811Note: The Legal Aid Society is dedicated to representing poor individuals in civil matters. They have a large network of specialized lawyers and cover a wide variety of practice areas. If you are divided as to which Legal Aid group to ask for assistance, you really cannot go wrong with speaking to the Atlanta Legal Aid Society.
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Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation
235 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
Tel: (404) 521-0790Note: The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation provides civil legal representation to low-income Georgians on civil matters primarily through the use of volunteer lawyers.
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DeKalb Volunteer Lawyers Foundation
315 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Suite 561
Decatur, GA 30030
Note: The DeKalb Lawyers Foundation provides, through volunteer lawyers, legal services to low-income residents of DeKalb County. They handle civil matters such as domestic relations, landlord-tenant, general litigation, wills and trusts, real property, social security, bankruptcy, debtor-creditor, nonprofit corporation, foreclosure, fraud, guardian ad litem, juvenile law and employment.
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Legal Aid of Cobb County
30 South Park Square
Marietta, GA 30090
Tel: (770) 528-2565Note: Legal Aid of Cobb County is a branch of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. They provide free civil (non-criminal) legal services to very low-income people living in Cobb County.
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Georgia Law Center for the Homeless
100 Edgewood Ave., Suite 1625
Atlanta, GA 30303
Tel: (404) 681-0680Note: The Georgia Law Center for the Homeless provides representation for the homeless throughout Georgia in civil cases and administrative proceedings. They handle a wide variety of civil issues such as landlord tenant cases, consumer cases, zoning conflicts, child deprivation, foster care issues, wage claims, employment related issues and domestic violence protective orders.
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Georgia Lawyers for the Arts
887 West Marietta St. NW, Suite J-101
Atlanta, GA 30318
Tel: (404) 873-3911Note: The Georgia Lawyers for the Arts serves the legal needs of the artists and art organizations of Georgia. They give free legal advice to nonprofit arts organizations with budgets under $500,000 and conduct workshops on topical issues relating to the arts and the law including contracts and copyrights, taxes and record keeping and nonprofit incorporation.
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Justice Center of Atlanta
976 Edgewood Ave., NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
Tel: (404) 523-8236Note: The Justice Center’s goal is to reduce the cost of lengthy legal battles, so they offer free mediation services. They mediate domestic problems involving family members, neighborhood disputes, landlord tenant disputes, claims over money and personal property, allegations involving misdemeanors, juvenile disputes, business related disputes, educational disputes, work place disputes, personal injury claims, disputes involving churches and congregations, public policy disputes and land use and zoning issues.
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Southside Legal Center
Note: The Southside Legal Center is a pro bono legal services program that provides legal services for family law, housing, real estate law, guardianships and business law matters to low-income individuals. They ask clients for a flat $50 rate, which is donated to charity.
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Georgia Legal Services Program
104 Marietta Street, NW, Suite 250
Atlanta, GA 30303
Tel: (404) 206-5175Georgia Legal Services Program is a statewide non-profit law firm serving 154 rural counties in Georgia outside the five-county metropolitan Atlanta area. Individuals living in Atlanta are encouraged to contact the Atlanta Legal Aid Society instead. They do not handle criminal cases.
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The Farmworker Division of Georgia Legal Services Program
Tel: (800) 537-7496Note: The Farmworker Division of Georgia Legal Services Program handles civil cases that are related to a client's employment as a farmworker. Some of the problems they assist clients with are the recovery of unpaid wages, assistance with unsafe working conditions, unsanitary living conditions, unlawful evictions, problems from exposure to pesticides and discrimination claims.
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Institute for Foreclosure Legal Assistance
Note: Associated with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, the Institute for Foreclosure Legal Assistance is dedicated to giving legal representation to families facing foreclosure and financial ruin because of abusive subprime mortgages.
Family Law Legal Aid
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Fulton County Family Law Information Center
185 Central Avenue, S.W., Suite T-704
Atlanta, GA 30303
Tel: (404) 612-2789Note: The Fulton County Family Law Information Center was designed by the Superior Court to provide individuals with accurate information and the necessary forms for self-representation in family law matters. As a government sponsored website and help desk, the information contained is highly reliable.
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DeKalb County Family Law Information Center
120 West Trinity Place, Room 412
Decatur, GA 30030
Tel: (404) 687-3990Note: The DeKalb County Family Law Information Center was created to serve as a resource center to assist individuals who want to represent themselves on family law matters. As a government sponsored website and help desk, the information contained is highly reliable.
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Gwinnett Family Law Clinic
180 Camden Hill Rd., Suite A
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
Tel: (678) 376-4545Note: Clinic specializing in family law, such as child custody, marriage and divorce, child abuse, domestic violence and guardianship. The link above provides useful forms for various family law matters.
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Forever Family
765 McDaniel St., S.W., Suite 3104
Atlanta, GA 30310
Tel: (404) 658-9606Note: Forever Family focuses on supporting children with an incarcerated parent as their parents, caregivers and extended families work to remain a family. This could be an excellent resource for incarcerated individuals with children.
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The Appalachian Circuit Family Law Center (Fannin County)
400 West Main St.
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
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The Appalachian Circuit Family Law Center (Gilmer County)
1 Westside Square
Ellijay, GA 30540
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The Appalachian Circuit Family Law Center (Pickens County)
50 N. Main St.
Jasper, GA 30143
Note: The Appalachian Family Law Information Center was developed to assist residents of Pickens, Gilmer and Fannin Counties who wish to represent themselves in domestic legal matters or educate themselves about domestic issues. They provide forms and legal information to people with family law disputes.
Criminal Legal Aid
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Georgia Innocence Project
2645 North Decatur Rd.
Decatur, GA 30033
Note: The Georgia Innocence Project uses DNA testing to free those wrongly prosecuted. The Innocence Project is a useful resource for individuals who have already been convicted.
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Georgia Justice Project
438 Edgewood Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30312
Tel: (404) 827-0027Note: The Georgia Justice Project provides legal services combined with social services and employment support for low-income individuals accused of a crime.
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American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia (ACLU)
1900 The Exchange, Suite 425
Atlanta, GA 30339
Tel: (770) 303-9966Note: The ACLU specializes in defending civil liberties such as privacy rights, immigrant’s rights, LGBT rights, prisoner’s rights, reproductive freedom, free speech issues and countering racial profiling.
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Southern Center for Human Rights
83 Poplar St., NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Tel: (404) 688-1202Note: The Southern Center for Human Rights specializes in representing people of color, poor people, people with mental illnesses and other disadvantaged people facing the death penalty at trials, on appeal, and in post-conviction and clemency proceedings. The Center also challenges inhumane conditions of confinement and encourages the use of alternatives to incarceration to reduce prison overcrowding via media, advocacy, and civil rights litigation.
Domestic Violence
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TAPESTRI, Inc.
3939 Lavista Rd., Suite E
Tucker, GA 30084
Tel: (404) 299-2185Note: TAPESTRI, Inc. is a coalition of ethnically diverse advocates working on issues of violence against women, primarily in immigrant and refugee communities. They use culturally sensitive methods to counter domestic violence, sexual assault and exploitation.
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Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence
P.O. Box 171
Decatur, GA 30031
Tel: (404) 370-7670Note: The Women's Resource Center provides services to survivors of domestic violence and their children. They also host a 24 hour crisis hotline, provide confidential emergency shelter, peer support groups and legal advocacy.
Immigration Law
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Catholic Charities Atlanta
680 West Peachtree St, N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30308
Tel: (678) 222-3920Note: This religious organization also offers free legal services on limited matters, such as immigration rights, housing issues and foreclosure defense.
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Refugee Family Services
5561-H Memorial Dr.
Memorial Square, GA 30083
Tel: (404) 299-6217Note: Refugee Family Services is not a Legal Aid group per se, but instead supports the efforts of refugee and immigrant women and children to achieve self-sufficiency in the United States by providing education and economic opportunities.
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Center for Pan-Asian Community Services
3760 Park Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30340
Tel: (770) 936-0969Note: The Center for Pan-Asian Community Services promotes self-sufficiency and equity for immigrants, refugees and the under-privileged through comprehensive health and social services, capacity building and advocacy.
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Raksha, Inc.
P.O. Box 12337
Atlanta, GA 30355
Tel: (404) 842-0725Note: Raksha's mission is to promote a stronger and healthier South Asian community through confidential support services, education, and advocacy. They provide technical assistance in completing appropriate immigration papers that will allow them to work in the United States, as well as refers clients to legal resources that can assist in getting them proper immigration status.
Other
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State Bar of Georgia Pro Bono Project
104 Marietta St., N.W., Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30303
Tel: (404) 527-8763Note: The Georgia State Bar has an excellent referral system to help you find exactly the pro bono lawyer to assist you with your specific legal issue.
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Georgia First Amendment Foundation
150 E. Ponce de Leon, Suite 230
Decatur, GA 30030
Tel: (404) 525-3646Note: The Georgia First Amendment Foundation conducts free workshops on state open government laws and reports open government violations occurring throughout Georgia.
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Georgia State University College of Law Tax Clinic
140 Decatur St. S.E., Room 161
Atlanta, GA 30303
Tel: (404) 413-9230Note: This law student clinic provides representation to low-income taxpayers who otherwise would be unable to afford a lawyer in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service.
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Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection
#2 MLK, Jr. Dr., Suite 356
Atlanta, GA 30334
Tel: (404) 651-8600 or (800) 869-1123Note: Government office that protects consumers from unfair or deceptive business practices. They have telephone counselors ready to help consumers during normal business hours.
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Lambda Legal
1447 Peachtree St., Suite 1004
Atlanta, GA 30309
Tel: (404) 897-1880Note: Lambda Legal is committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, the transgendered and people with HIV or AIDS through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.
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Georgia Senior Legal Hotline
2 Peachtree St. N.W., Suite 9-398
Atlanta, GA 30303
Tel: (404) 657-9915Note: A branch of Atlanta Legal Aid Society, lawyers at the Senior Legal Hotline give legal advice, brief service and referrals to other attorneys or services where necessary. The Hotline is staffed on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., and is consultations are free for individuals over 60 years of age.
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Disability Law and Policy Center of Georgia, Inc.
1439 E McLendon Dr.
Decatur, GA 30033
Tel: (770) 270-9964Note: The Disability Law and Policy Center of Georgia is a non-profit organization that enforces the legal rights of people with disabilities through education, individual case assistance, mediation, and complex litigation.
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Georgia Advocacy Office, Inc.
150 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., Suite 430
Decatur, GA 30030
Tel: (404) 885-1234Note: The Georgia Advocacy Office serves individuals with physical and/or mental disabilities who have been discriminated against. They investigate abuse, neglect and rights violations, and also visit state psychiatric hospitals, prisons, jails, foster care settings, group homes and private psychiatric hospitals.