Legal Aid in New Orleans: Where to Get Free or Low-Cost Legal Help

If you live in New Orleans and can’t afford a private lawyer, there are several nonprofit, volunteer-lawyer, and self-help organizations that can help with civil-legal problems. This guide shows where to turn, what they handle, and what you can do before you call so you get help fast.

Major Legal Aid & Pro Bono Organizations in New Orleans / Orleans Parish

(SLLS — New Orleans Office)

• Who they help: Low-income individuals and families in Orleans Parish (and several surrounding parishes) whose income is at or below SLLS’s eligibility guidelines.
• What cases they take: Civil-law matters — housing (evictions, landlord/tenant issues, unsafe housing), public benefits, consumer/debt issues, family law (including domestic-violence and protective orders), wills and succession, and other basic-needs legal help.
• How to contact: Office: 1340 Poydras Street, Suite 600, New Orleans, LA 70112. Phone: (504) 529-1000 or toll-free (877) 521-6242.

(Civil & Volunteer-Attorney Project)

• Who they help: Low- to modest-income residents in Orleans Parish (and nearby parishes) who need civil-law help but may not qualify for or get full services from legal-aid offices.
• What cases they handle: Civil issues — housing, debt/consumer law, family law (non-criminal civil family cases), bankruptcy self-help, and other civil-law matters.
• How to contact: Phone: (504) 581-4043. Address (intake/building): 935 Gravier Street, Suite 1340, New Orleans, LA 70112.

Free or Low-Cost Clinics & Self-Help Resources

• Virtual Civil Legal Clinic via / SLLS partnership — Offers civil-law help (eviction, housing, debt, benefits, family law, etc.) via phone or video to eligible low-income residents. Helpful if you need quick advice or can’t travel to an office.
• Self-Help Resource Centers at the local courts — For people representing themselves (“pro se”): centers at the civil district court and bankruptcy court provide forms, instruction, and limited assistance.
• Specialized Legal-Aid & Advocacy Organizations — For example: helps people living with HIV with housing, benefits, discrimination, privacy rights, estate planning, and more.
• Immigration & Refugee Support — Immigration & Refugee Services — For immigrants, refugees, and their families needing immigration-related legal support, ESL, and resettlement services.

What Legal Aid in New Orleans Usually Doesn’t Handle

• Most criminal defense cases — The organizations above focus on civil matters (housing, benefits, family law, consumer, immigration, etc.). Criminal legal defense is generally not provided by these civil-aid groups. (For criminal defense, a public-defender office or court-appointed counsel would be needed.)
• High-stakes or complex business/commercial litigation — These aid services are aimed at individuals, families, vulnerable populations — not corporate or large-value cases.
• No guarantee of representation or long-term help for everyone — Due to high demand and limited resources, even eligible people may get advice, brief services, or referrals rather than full representation — especially for non-urgent or complicated civil cases.

When You Need Help Fast — Emergency & Urgent Legal Issues

If you face urgent issues — eviction, risk of homelessness, unsafe housing, domestic-violence or protective-order needs, benefits denial, consumer scams, or other civil emergencies — these services may offer quicker help or prioritize based on urgency:

• Call Southeast Louisiana Legal Services immediately at (504) 529-1000 or toll-free (877) 521-6242 — For housing emergencies, eviction defense, domestic violence, benefit denials, or other civil-legal emergencies.
• Use The Pro Bono Project hotline or clinics — If SLLS is unavailable or wait-listed, pro bono attorneys may still be able to take your civil-law case, depending on volunteer availability.
• Use the New Orleans Public Library virtual legal clinic — Good for quick legal advice or guidance if you can’t reach a lawyer immediately or need pointers while you wait.

How to Prepare Before You Call or Seek Help in New Orleans

• Have proof of income or financial hardship ready — pay stubs, benefit-award or denial letters (SNAP, Medicaid, unemployment, SSI), disability paperwork — these help programs determine eligibility quickly.
• Gather any documents related to your issue — lease or rental agreements, eviction or landlord notices (for housing issues); debt or collection notices, contracts, bills (consumer/debt cases); court or agency letters (benefits, family law, protective orders); immigration papers (if applicable); any correspondence or notices relevant to your problem.
• Know your household information — number of people living in the home, ages, dependents, disabilities or special needs, veteran or senior status — as this may affect eligibility.
• Write down any deadlines or upcoming court dates — eviction hearings, court-filing deadlines, benefits cut-off dates, utility shut-offs — urgency can affect whether you’re accepted for help.
• Prepare a clear summary of your situation — when the problem started, who’s involved, what’s changed, and what help you need (e.g. housing help, benefits appeal, eviction defense, debt relief, protective order, etc.). Concise, honest info helps intake staff assess quickly.

Alternatives If You Don’t Qualify for Free Legal Aid

• Ask The Pro Bono Project for volunteer-attorney help or referrals — Even if free-aid offices are full or you don’t meet strict income limits, pro bono lawyers may still be willing to take certain civil matters.
• Try the New Orleans Public Library virtual legal clinic or self-help resources — Good for legal advice, document support, or help filling out forms if you must represent yourself.
• Seek specialized aid organizations — For example, CrescentCare Legal Services (for people living with HIV), or immigration/refugee-service providers such as Catholic Charities, if your issue intersects with health, discrimination, immigration, or benefits.
• Use statewide or national legal-aid directories — Websites like LawHelp.org or American Bar Association’s Free Legal Answers may help you find additional resources if local options are unavailable.

Key Takeaways

• New Orleans has multiple civil-legal aid providers — notably SLLS and The Pro Bono Project — offering help with housing, benefits, debt, family law, immigration, and other everyday civil issues.
• If you’re facing urgent problems — eviction, housing instability, domestic violence, benefit issues, debt troubles, immigration or health-related legal needs — reach out early. There is a real chance of free or low-cost help, particularly if you prepare properly.
• Even if full representation isn’t possible — there are fallback paths: volunteer attorneys, self-help clinics, specialized legal-services providers (housing, health, immigration), online legal-aid tools, and legal-help hotlines.
• Before contacting legal aid: gather paperwork (income, housing, benefit or debt documents, identity, household info), note any deadlines, write a clear summary of your issue — being ready improves your chance of getting meaningful help quickly.