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Legal Services in Massachusetts

Legal Services in Massachusetts

Here is a listing of legal resources that cover a variety of  issues throughout Massachusetts.

Attorney General’s Office

Andrea Joy Campbell – Attorney General

  • Main Office Number: 617-727-2200
  • TTY: 617-727-4765
  • Consumer Protection Hotline: 617-727-8400
  • Elder-Hotline: 888-243-5337
  • Fair Labor/Business: 617-727-3465
  • Health Care Hotline:  (report scam) – 888-830-6277

Massachusetts District Attorney’s Offices

Massachusetts District Attorney’s offices can help in handling crimes against the elderly and people with disabilities including abuse and neglect. Some offices have Elder & Disabilities units.

Better Business Bureau

Eastern Massachusetts Better Business Bureau –

Phone: 508-652-4800

Send your request by postcard/letter to:
BBB

290 Donald Lynch Boulevard, Suite 102
Marlborough, MA 01752

        E-Mail: info@boston.bbb.org

Central and Western Massachusetts Better Business Bureau

Phone: 508-755-3340

Send your request by postcard/letter to:
BBB

l400 Grove St
Worcester, MA 01605

Email:  info@cne.bbb.org

Boston College Legal Services Lab

      • At BCLS LAB, law students provide free legal services to low-income individuals and families under the supervision of law faculty who are licensed attorneys. The firm’s staff includes 8 supervising attorneys, a full-time staff social worker, an Administrative Assistant, an Intake Coordinator, 50-60 law students, and graduate level social work students who work as part of the legal team.
      • If you have a housing problem, want a divorce, or are having a problem with EAEDC, SNAP, SSI, SSDI, or Unemployment benefits, you must be low-income and live in Waltham, Watertown, Newton or Allston-Brighton.If you are looking for help with the kind of legal issues handled by our Community Enterprise Clinic, you must live in the Greater Boston area and not be able to afford a private attorney.If you have an immigration problem you must be referred by attorneys or other social and legal services providers.If you are looking for help from our Juvenile Rights Advocacy Program, you must be referred by the court or another agency.
      • Phone: 617-552-0248
      • Email: bclegalserviceslab@bc.edu

Center for Law & Education (CLE)

      • Attorneys train other attorneys, parents, educators about education rights
        Phone: 617-451-0855

Center for Public Representation (CPR)

      • Nonprofit public law firm providing mental health law and disability law services(class action suits). Does not provide individual representation (only Social Security appeal representation)

Northampton: 413-586-6024 (Voice/TTY)

Newton: 617-965-0776

Email: info@cpr-ma.org

Children’s Law Center, Inc.

Phone: 781-581-1977
Email: Info@CLCM.org

Boston (EdLaw Project)

  • Offices of CPCS/Youth Advocacy Division
    44 Bromfield Street
    Boston, MA 02108
    Phone: 617-910-5829
    Email: Info@CLCM.org

Community Legal Aid

      • Provides free civil legal services to low-income and elderly residents of central and western Massachusetts regardless on income.Benefits and Employment, Elder Law, Family Law, Housing and Homelessness, and Immigration.
      • Offices in Northampton, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Worcester with satellite offices in Fitchburg, Greenfield, Holyoke, Milford, North Adams, and Southbridge.
      • Phone: 508-755-3260 TTY/TDD
      • Toll free: 855-252-5342

Disability Law Center (DLC)

DLC has experienced staff who provide services in the following issue areas.  Please see our priorities for each of the issue areas:
Access to Community Services, Special Education, Health Care, Disability Benefits, Rights and Conditions in Facilities

  • Boston: 617-723-8455 or 800-872-9992
  • Northampton: 413-584-6337 or 800-222-5619
  • Email: mail@dlc-ma.org

ADA Info Line – Department of Justice (DOJ)

  • Technical assistance on ADA standards for accessible design; ADA provisions that apply to business; how to file ADA complaints
  • Phone: 800-514-0301
  • 800-514-0383 (TTY)

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD)

      • Chapter 151B description on web link.
        • Boston: 617-994-6000
        • Springfield: 413-739-2145
        • Worcester: 508-453-9630
        • New Bedford: 508-990-2390

Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD)

      • Legal assistance for discrimination based on HIV or sexual orientation.
        617-426-1350 or 800-455-4523
      • Call GLAD Answers Monday through Friday, 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM at 800-455-GLAD, or contact us by live chat or email at www.GLADAnswers.org
      • Email: gladlaw@glad.org

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS)

GBLS provides free civil (non-criminal) legal assistance to low-income people in Boston and thirty-one additional cities and towns (See a list of towns in GBLS’s service area.) The help we offer ranges from legal advice to full case representation, depending on client need. Our work includes; Asian Outreach, Children’s Disability Project, Consumer Rights, CORI and Re-Entry Project, Elder, Health and Disability: ​Elder Abuse Prevention Project, School to Prison Pipeline Intervention Project, Employment, Family, Housing, Immigration, and Welfare.

      • Main Office
        Toll free: 800-323-3205;
      • Phone: 617-371-1234
      • 617-371-1228 (TDD)
      • Cambridge & Somerville
        Phone: 617-603-2700
        617-494-1757 (TDD)

Harvard Law School Tenant Advocacy Project (TAP)

Tenants We Help

      • Current public housing tenants or applicants
      • Section 8 or MRVP voucher recipients
      • Section 8 or MRVP voucher applicants
      • Phone: 617-495-4394
      • Email: tap@law.harvard.edu

Health Law Advocates (HLA)

      • Represents low income on health care access and insurance matters. HLA does not handle medical malpractice cases. “Health Care For All” legal help.
        Phone: 617-338-5241
      • Toll-free:  888-211-6168

Lawyer Referral Services (Massachusetts Bar Association)

The MBA’s Lawyer Referral Service (LRS), one of the largest legal referral services in the nation, makes it easy for you to find the right lawyer to answer your questions and help resolve your legal problems. Call us to speak to a trained LRS representative* (Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.) at (617) 654-0400 or (866) 627-7577

*Translation services are available.

There is no cost to utilize LRS, but referrals are made to fee-charging attorneys, who may charge you no more than $25 for the initial half-hour consultation.

Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC)

      • Education, Special Education, Child Welfare and Health
      • Phone: 617-357-8431
      • Helpline: 617-357-8431 ext 3224

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD)

Discrimination services about employment, housing, public accommodations, services & education

Español, 中文, Kreyòl Ayisyen, русский, Português, etc. (617) 994-6071
      • Boston: 617-994-6000
      • Springfield: 413-739-2145
      • Worcester: 508-453-9630
      • New Bedford: 774-510-5801
      • Email: assistanttochairman@state.ma.us

Massachusetts Disabled Persons Protection Committee (DPPC)

      • Protects adults with mental and physical disabilities, ages of 18 and 59, from abuse and neglect by their caretakers. 24 Hour Hotline; conducts investigations; ensures protective services are provided; provides free training and education for service providers, consumers, law enforcement personnel and the public.
      • Phone: 617-727-6465
      • DPPC Hotline: 888-822-0350 TTY
      • Toll free: 1-800-426-9009 Voice

MassLegalHelp

      • Basic Legal Information

Legal Resource Finder

      • Can help you find legal aid in your area.

Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee (MHLAC)

      • State agency providing free legal representation for individuals, families, and associations involved in the mental health system.
        Phone: 617-338-2345  (toll free- MA only) 800-342-9092
      • Email:  MHLAC@mhlac.org

Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD)

      • Advocacy accessibility specialists, training & technical assistance, “Client Service Program”
        Phone: 617-727-7440; 800-322-2020 (Voice/TTY)

Medicare Advocacy Project (Greater Boston Legal Services)

      • Gives advice or free legal representation to elderly & disabled whom are unfairly denied Medicare.
        Phone: 617-371-1234 or  617-371-1228 (TDD) – Boston
        Cambridge / Somerville: 617-603-2700 or  617-494-1757 (TDD) –
      • Toll free: 800-323-3205

National Lawyers Guild Referral Service

      • Referral to attorneys who will represent you for a reduced fee
      • Phone: 617-227-7335
        Please note that we do not conduct in person client intake for referrals or walk-ins.
      • For referral requests for attorneys call 617-227-7008. Please note the call volume is high. We advise all clients to utilize the online request form . Within one business day you will receive an email with an attorney’s telephone number.

Northeast Legal Aid

      • Family law, housing, income maintenance, elder law Lowell
        Phone: 978-458-1465

Patient Advocacy Contact Info at Boston Hospitals

Patient Rights and Responsibilities – Massachusetts General Hospital

Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts

      • Provides civil legal assistance to persons incarcerated in Mass county & state correctional facilities. Does not provide criminal defense services.
        Phone: 617-482-2773
      • Family and Friends call Monday from 1:00 to 4:00 (call Tuesday if Monday is a holiday): Toll free: 800-882-1413

South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. (SCCLS)

      • SCCLS provides free legal help to low income and elderly clients in the following areas: housing law, family law, government benefits including social security disability, elder law, education law, and consumer law.
        Brockton: 800-244-8393
        Fall River: 800-287-3777
        Hyannis: 800-742-4107

Women’s Bar of Massachusetts

The Women’s Bar Foundation is dedicated to ensuring access to justice for low-income women.  We create a community committed to providing free legal assistance to low-income women and their families.

      • Family Law Project for Battered Women (pro-bono); Elder Law Project-wills health care, Women’s Prison and Re-Entry Project- attorneys meet with women and answer questions regarding family law, child custody, care and protection, housing, CORI, and criminal warrant clearing in Framingham and Suffolk County, Hampden County Housing Court Project –  to help reduce the number of unrepresented people in Housing Court, Women’s Lunch Place Project – volunteer attorneys to staff a weekly clinic for the guests of The Women’s Lunch Place, a day shelter for homeless women in Boston.
        Phone: 617-973-6666

Volunteer Lawyers Project

The Volunteer Lawyers Project  (VLP) provides free civil legal assistance to low-income residents of Greater Boston, primarily through the pro bono services of private attorneys.
VLP Handles, Landlord/Tenant, Homeownership, Foreclosure Prevention, Family Law, Guardianship, Probate (Wills Consumer Debt, Assistance to Non-Profit Organizations)

      • If You are Under 60: 617- 603-1700 or 1-800-342-LAWS (5297)
      • If you are 60 or older call ERLI’s Elder Helpline at 1-800-342-5297
    • Children issues: DCF custody, guardianship, special education 766, suspension, expulsions and SSI. Serves low income children in eastern Massachusetts. The helpline hours vary depending on available staff.
      Toll free: 888-KIDLAWS or  888-543-5297 or
    • Phone: 781-581-1977
    • Email: Info@CLCM.org

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Fact Sheet last updated on: 9/1/2022

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