Legal Aid in San Jose, CA: How to Get Help in Santa Clara County

If you live in San Jose and need civil-legal help but don’t have the resources for a private attorney, there are multiple real organizations serving low-income or vulnerable residents. This guide lays out who they are, what they handle, and how to reach them.

Major legal aid organizations serving San Jose

Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal)

What they do: BayLegal provides free civil-legal services to low-income individuals and families in Santa Clara County (among other counties). They handle housing and landlord/tenant issues, eviction defense, public-benefits, consumer problems, domestic violence, immigration/immigrant-rights in many cases, and other civil-law matters.

How to contact: Office at 4 North Second Street, Suite 600, San Jose, CA 95113 — phone: (408) 283-3700.

Law Foundation of Silicon Valley (LFSV)

What they do: The Law Foundation offers multiple programs: fair-housing law, eviction defense clinics, health-related legal services, children & youth advocacy, mental-health advocacy, and public-interest law for seniors/disabled/underserved populations. They also represent clients in housing discrimination, health-care, disability access, and other civil-rights matters.

Who they help: Low-income individuals, families, seniors, persons with disabilities, youth — especially people facing housing issues, discrimination, or public-benefit problems.

Contact info: Main office at 4 North Second Street, San Jose, CA 95113; phone: (408) 293-4790.

Pro Bono Project Silicon Valley (PBP-SV)

What they do: Provide free or low-cost legal advice and limited-scope representation for eligible residents. They handle family law, domestic violence, eviction defense / tenant issues, record-clearance or reentry, consumer law, and other civil-legal needs.

How to contact: Call (408) 998-5298. Offices at 25 N. 14th Street, Suite 506, San Jose, CA 95112.

Other helpful services, clinics & referrals

• Housing Help & Tenant Rights (e.g. fair-housing, eviction clinics) — Law Foundation and BayLegal offer eviction-assistance clinics and tenant-rights support for people facing eviction or unsafe housing.
• Self-help & court referrals: Santa Clara County courts and self-help centers provide resources, referral services, and guidance for people handling family law, small claims, or tenant issues on their own.
• Senior & disability support: Through Law Foundation’s public-interest law and health-advocacy programs — useful for elder law, disability-rights, or health-related access issues.
• Immigration or immigrant-rights help (limited): Some organizations (BayLegal, Law Foundation, others) may provide limited immigration support or referrals depending on case and eligibility.

What these providers typically handle — and what they usually don’t

Common civil-law issues covered:

• Evictions, housing/tenant problems, unsafe or uninhabitable rentals
• Housing discrimination, fair-housing complaints, landlord/tenant disputes
• Public-benefits issues, social services, healthcare access problems, disability-related assistance
• Family law: custody, child support, domestic violence, protective orders (through limited-scope/clinic representation)
• Consumer protection, debt, employment disputes or wage issues for low-income workers
• Senior-law issues, disability rights, youth & children advocacy, mental-health legal aid

Matters generally NOT covered (or with limited availability):

• Major complex commercial litigation
• Large personal-injury cases (unless referred out)
• Most high-asset divorces or family-law cases outside income thresholds
• Criminal defense (except for limited reentry or record-clearance support via some organizations)
• Highly specialized or unusual immigration cases (only limited or referral-based help)

When to reach out immediately

• Eviction notices or threat of homelessness: Contact BayLegal or Law Foundation immediately — housing-related deadlines move fast.
• Unsafe or uninhabitable housing conditions: Fair-housing or tenant-rights departments may help with habitability, eviction, or discrimination issues.
• Domestic violence, threats to safety, or protective-order needs: Pro Bono Project or specialized clinics may provide help with domestic-violence, family-law, or restraining-order cases.
• Public-benefits denials, disability access issues, homelessness risk, or elder / disability rights concerns: Reach out to public-interest or health-legal aid programs sooner rather than later.
• Debt collection, wage theft, consumer fraud or predatory practices: Contact a civil-legal aid provider promptly — documentation helps build your case.

How to prepare before calling or applying

1. Gather all relevant paperwork: lease or rent agreements, eviction or notice letters, rent receipts, pay stubs, benefits or medical-coverage letters, debt or collection notices, IDs, court papers, and any deadlines or appointment letters.
2. Create a timeline of events: note when issues started — e.g. missed rent, housing problems, benefit denial, wage issue, discrimination, etc. This helps intake staff quickly understand urgency and context.
3. Have household & income info ready: number of people living in household, monthly income, benefit status, disability or health info, children, age or senior status — many programs use this for eligibility screening.
4. Write a clear summary of your need: in 2–3 sentences, describe what happened, what help you're requesting (eviction defense, benefits application, protective order, debt assistance, etc.), and why it's urgent or important now.
5. Identify any special or urgent factors: risk of homelessness, health issues, domestic violence, disability, elder status, children or dependents — this can affect prioritization.

What to do if you don’t qualify for full free aid

• Request limited-scope or brief-advice services: Organizations like Pro Bono Project often offer short-term help, consultation, or help with specific tasks.
• Try self-help or court self-help centers: Many civil issues — eviction defense, small claims, family law filings — can be handled with self-help guidance and legal-forms assistance.
• Use community clinics or referral services: For limited representation, referrals, or immigration/health-legal advocacy via specialized clinics.

Conclusion: How to get started in San Jose

If you need legal help in San Jose and can’t afford a lawyer, a good first step is calling (408) 283-3700 to reach BayLegal, or (408) 293-4790 to contact the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley. If those don’t work, try Pro Bono Project Silicon Valley at (408) 998-5298. Before you call, gather paperwork, make a timeline, and be ready to explain your situation — that helps them assess your case more quickly. Even if you don’t qualify for full-service aid, limited-scope help, self-help resources, or short consultations may still be available. Stay persistent — there are several good options to help you navigate legal problems without high fees.