California Pro Bono & Community Legal Resources

As the most populous state in the United States, California - which has approximately 37 million residents - is absolutely vast. Of those 37 million people, about 13 percent of them live below the federal poverty level. With incomes that are below the federal poverty level, people can't afford to hire skilled or experienced attorneys. As a result, they are more at risk for experiencing increasingly severe legal problems.

Unlike many states, California's state bar does not provide pro bono services of any kind. However, that doesn't mean that poverty-stricken California residents are entirely out of luck. Tracking down pro bono and community legal resources in California may not be as cut-and-dry as it is in many other states, but it's still doable.

Pro Bono Resources in California

Depending on where you live in the state, there should be a decent variety of pro bono services available. A few of the most useful pro bono services in the state of California include:

SoCal Pro Bono Center

Bay Area Legal Aid
405 14th Street, Floor 9
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510.663.4751

Family Violence Law Center
PO Box 22009
Oakland, CA 94623
Phone: 510.208.0220

Central California Legal Services Inc. -- Voluntary Legal Services Program
1999 Tuolumne Street 700
Fresno, CA 93721
Phone: 559.570.1200

Burbank Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service and Legal Aid
2219 West Olive Ave., Ste. 100
Burbank, CA 91506
Phone: 818.843.0931

Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice
2606 East 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90033
Phone: 213.266.2690

California Community Legal Resources

As large as it is, California has plenty of community legal resources available to those in need. If you live in the state, you should take advantage of these important services.

State Bar of California
180 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415.538.2000

Public Counsel Law Center
601 South Ardmore Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90005
Phone: 213.385.2977

California is spread over a massive geographic area. Be sure to check locally to see if there are any community legal resources in your neck of the woods. Most major California cities have plenty of them to offer.