Looking for Legal Help in North Carolina?
The UNC School of Law Clinical Programs
allows second- and third-year law students to assist low-income residents of
North Carolina with their legal issues.
The following clinics receive their cases from referring organizations: the Civil Legal Assistance Clinic, the Critical Race Lawyering Civil Rights Clinic, the Domestic and Sexual Violence Clinic, the Immigration Clinic, and the Youth Justice Clinic. These clinics do not accept cases from the public. People looking for help with these issues should select one of the options below to seek legal help.
If you are a former servicemember seeking assistance with a discharge-status upgrade, please call our Military and Veterans Law Clinic at 919-962-2888 (Mon.–Fri., 8 a.m.–5 p.m.). If you are a former servicemember but your issue does not involve your discharge status, please select “I am a servicemember or former servicemember needing legal assistance” below.
If you are a North Carolina resident looking for legal help with your student loans, please email Kate Sablosky Elengold with information about your concerns. We cannot guarantee legal assistance, but under certain circumstances, we may be able to represent you. Either way, we will respond to you as soon as possible.
The UNC School of Law Institute for Innovation houses the Startup NC Law Clinic, the Intellectual Property Clinic, and the Community Development Law Clinic. If you are looking for assistance related to a business or nonprofit venture, please call 919-445-0695 to speak with someone from the Institute for Innovation (Mon.–Fri., 8 a.m.–5 p.m.). Potential clients of the Startup NC Law Clinic may submit a request for legal services during certain times of the year.
We hope you find a resolution to your
situation.
Please note that the following links and
telephone numbers are strictly for information purposes. The UNC School of Law
Clinical Programs neither endorses nor has any formal affiliation with the
organizations listed below.
I am looking for a quick answer to a legal question.
If you would like to speak to an attorney for a free, 10-minute phone call, please visit NC Free Legal Help. This website has a database of 500+ attorneys who have agreed to provide free initial legal information via phone or email.
The American Bar Association also operates a service called Free Legal Answers, a virtual legal-advice clinic. You may ask a non-criminal legal question, and a volunteer attorney will answer via email. Your income must fall below a certain level to use this free service.
Unfortunately, many legal questions
do not have quick answers. You may still need to retain a lawyer using the
other resources found on this page.
I would like a referral to a private attorney.
Contact the North Carolina Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service (1-800-662-7660 or 919-677-8574) for a referral to an attorney who will offer you an initial 30-minute consultation for $50. If you don’t know what type of lawyer you need, the Lawyer Referral Service staff will assist you.
I am a full-time student at the University of North Carolina with a legal need.
The UNC School of Law Clinical Programs does not represent current students. If you need legal assistance, please contact Carolina Student Legal Services (919-962-1303) for legal advice or representation.
I am over the age of 60 and need legal assistance.
The Legal Aid of North Carolina Senior Law Project runs a free legal helpline for North Carolina residents over 60. Call 1-877-579-7562 any weekday between 9–11a.m. or 1–3 p.m.
The Campbell University Senior Law Clinic (919-865-4693) also assists North Carolina residents over 60 with their legal needs.
I am a servicemember or former servicemember needing legal assistance.
Thank you for your service.
Unfortunately, the UNC Military and Veterans Law Clinic is currently only able
to assist low-income former servicemembers who have issues related to their
discharge type or characterization. If your issue relates to your discharge
type or characterization, call the Military and Veterans Law Clinic at
919-962-2888 (Mon.–Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.).
Other organizations that assist
qualifying North Carolinians at little to no cost with discharge type and
characterization issues include:
The following people should contact
their military branch’s nearest Legal Assistance Office for help with legal
issues:
- Servicemembers currently serving in Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard status
- Family members of servicemembers currently serving in Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard status
- Military retirees
If you are looking to file an initial
claim for benefits with the Department of Veterans Affairs, we recommend that
you first contact a Veterans Service
Organization (VSO).
If you are looking to appeal your Veterans Claim with the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) or Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC), the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program (202-628-8164), may be able to provide assistance.
Many other local and national
organizations offer legal services to current and former servicemembers who
need assistance, including financial and housing assistance. For example, the
organization America Serves has branches throughout North Carolina. You may
reach the Raleigh branch, NCServes Central Carolina, by calling 1-866-249-6656.
For other legal issues, Stateside Legal maintains a directory of legal organizations that assist servicemembers and former servicemembers. The American Bar Association Home Front also offers information and legal help for current and former servicemembers and their families. Current or former servicemembers in crisis should contact the confidential Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255) to speak with a trained responder.
I need help with a family law matter like divorce or child custody.
Legal Aid of North Carolina helps with family law issues through two self-help clinics: Simple Divorce and Child Custody and Visitation. Self-help clinics are held about once a month in locations throughout the state, and participants should register in advance. If you are unable to attend in person, you can download information packets and watch recordings of the clinics on YouTube. Legal Aid may be able to offer additional help via their toll-free helpline (1-866-219-5262).
The North Carolina Central University Family Law Clinic also helps clients and community members with various family law issues. Call 919-530-6615 for assistance.
You can also contact the Compass Center (919-968-4610) for information and referrals related to family law in North Carolina.
If your family law issue involves domestic violence, please select “I need help related to domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking” below for additional resources.
I need help related to domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking.
If you are looking for help with a Domestic Violence Protection Order (“restraining order”), call Legal Aid of North Carolina at 1-866-219-5262 or apply for assistance online.
If you are looking for immigration
assistance (VAWA, U Visa, T Visa) related to the violence you have experienced,
contact the Legal
Aid Battered Immigrant Project (1-866-204-7612).
The project accepts calls on Tuesdays (3:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.) and Thursdays (9
a.m.–1 p.m.).
You can contact the Compass Center (919-929-7122) for other services and referrals related
to domestic and sexual violence.
The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence also provides a list of domestic violence service providers in North Carolina.
I need help with a consumer issue.
If you think you’ve been the victim of a scam, contact the NC Attorney General’s consumer hotline at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM (1-877-566-7226) or 919-716-6000. You may also file a consumer complaint online.
You may also wish to file a complaint with a national agency, the Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau. The CFPB will work with the company to try to get a resolution within
15 days.
Legal Aid of North Carolina offers help
with a variety of consumer-related issues. For issues such as mortgage or
foreclosure, auto, debt collection, and unfair/deceptive trade practices, call
the Legal Aid helpline (1-866-219-5262) or apply for help online.
You can find a list of local consumer
attorneys registered with the National Association of Consumer Advocates using
the list
on the NACA website.
You can find information about local
consumer bankruptcy attorneys registered with the National Association of
Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys using the NACBA Member Database.
If you are at risk of foreclosure, consult this list of housing-counseling organizations approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
I am a tenant looking for help with a housing issue involving my landlord, eviction, or housing discrimination.
Legal Aid of North Carolina provides a Housing Helpline to tenants in North Carolina. Tenants in North Carolina facing eviction or other housing issues, can obtain free legal assistance from Legal Aid. This toll-free number 1-877-201-6426 connects directly to Legal Aid’s housing lawyers, paralegals, and outreach workers. This Helpline allows callers to bypass the general caller’s queue and avoid long wait times by quickly connecting callers to housing specialists. The Housing Helpline is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Callers are also able to seek legal assistance with housing related issues by calling Legal Aid’s general helpline 1-866-219-5262 or by applying online.
For issues specifically involving housing discrimination, contact the Legal Aid Fair Housing Project (1-855-797-3247).
Legal Aid also runs Self-Help Tenant Rights clinics. Self-help clinics are held about once a month in locations throughout the state, and participants should register online in advance. If you are unable to attend in person, you can review relevant information online or watch a recording of the clinic on YouTube.
I am worried about losing my house or my land.
If you are at risk of foreclosure, consult this list of housing-counseling organizations approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Legal Aid of North Carolina also offers help with issues related to mortgage and foreclosure. To request help, call the Legal Aid helpline (1-866-219-5262) or apply for help online.
If you are a farmer or landowner at risk of losing your land, contact the Land Loss Prevention Project (1-800-672-5839).
I am looking for help for an incarcerated person (myself or someone else).
North Carolina Prisoner
Legal Services assists incarcerated people in
correcting errors in their convictions and sentences. They also assist with
prisoners’ civil rights claims, such as use of force by prison staff, dangerous
prison conditions, inadequate medical care, religious freedom, and free-speech
issues. You may reach NC Prisoner Legal Services by calling 919-856-2200 or
sending a letter to PO Box 25397, Raleigh, NC 27611.
The UNC Law Innocence Project collaborates with the NC Center on Actual Innocence to assist prisoners and their family members in challenging wrongful convictions. Please visit the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence website to read about how to submit a claim.
I need help with a civil liberties or civil rights issue.
You may request help from the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina by using this online form or by sending a letter to PO Box 28004, Raleigh, NC 27611. You might also try contacting the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (202-662-8600), a national organization that has an office in the Triangle.
I need help with an advance directive like a will, living will, or healthcare power of attorney.
Legal Aid of North Carolina helps with wills, living wills, and powers of attorney. Call the helpline (1-866-219-5262) or apply online.
Legal Aid of North Carolina also runs Self-Help Health Care POA & Living Wills Clinics. Self-help clinics are held about once a month in locations throughout the state, and participants should register online in advance. If you are unable to attend in person, you can watch an instructional video on YouTube.
If you are a first responder, you may be eligible to attend a “Wills for Heroes” clinic hosted by the North Carolina Bar Foundation. See available dates and sign up here.
I need legal help related to a medical issue like medical malpractice or health insurance.
For an extensive list of low-cost
healthcare providers and health-related legal services in the Triangle Area,
refer to this
publication by the Carolina Health Law
Organization.
For free help enrolling in affordable health insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace, contact the NC Navigator Helpline at 1-855-733-3711 or make an appointment online.
If you are looking for help with a case
involving medical malpractice or a wrongful death, you may need to retain a
private attorney using the Lawyer
Referral Service (1-800-662-7660). Please be advised that many attorneys
take these cases on a contingency basis, meaning that you may not have to pay
unless you win your case.
If you are living with HIV or cancer and are experiencing legal problems related to your diagnosis, please contact the Duke Law Health Justice Clinic (919-613-7169).
I would like free help with a legal issue not listed here.
Legal Aid of North Carolina assists with
a wide variety of legal issues beyond those listed here. Legal Aid publishes a full list of the services
they offer on their website. You may contact Legal
Aid via their helpline (1-866-219-5262) or by applying for assistance online.
The North Carolina Justice
Center (919-856-2162) may also be able to
take some civil litigation cases.
If you live in Western North Carolina
(Buncombe, Madison, Transylvania, Henderson, Polk, and Rutherford Counties),
you may also be able to obtain assistance from Pisgah Legal Services by calling 828-253-0406 or applying
for help online.
If you live in the Charlotte area (Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, and Union Counties), you may be able to obtain assistance from the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy by calling 704-376-1600.
