The Lawyer Referral & Information Service will refer you to one private attorney for a consultation of up to 30 minutes. If you are seeking an attorney for a personal injury, workers’ compensation, medical malpractice, or social security disability case, you may qualify for a free consultation and our staff will determine that when we speak with you. All other legal matters will be charged a $50 consultation fee. This fee is collected by the ECBA office at the time of the referral and can be paid via credit/debit card or in cash at our office.

This video provides a quick overview of how the LRIS works:

Your Information

Our staff will need to collect some basic information from you. You will be asked to explain your case and to also provide your name, address and phone number. For all cases, except those involving family law, a survey will be sent to your home asking you to rate the quality of our service. You will not receive any other mailings from us. Your information is for our files and the referred attorney and is not given to any other organizations.

All of our attorneys will charge reasonable fees for their services. The LRIS does not refer to pro bono or free attorneys. The attorney will discuss fees for additional advice or representation during the consultation and this will be entirely between you and the attorney. You are under no obligation to hire the attorney to whom you have been referred and they are under no obligation to take your case beyond the initial consultation.

In order to save time, bring any and all relevant documents and information you have received from court pleadings to your first appointment. Be prepared to explain your case completely and clearly.  Sometimes writing down the important points in advance will help.

Normally an attorney is able to schedule the consultation within five (5) days of the referral. We will make every effort to assist you in finding an attorney quickly, but cannot guarantee that anyone can see you on the day that you contact us.

All of the attorneys in our service are private attorneys and will charge reasonable fees for their services. The LRIS does not refer to pro bono or free attorneys. If you cannot afford to hire a private attorney, an LRIS staff member may be able to direct you to an alternate community service to better assist you, including Northwestern Legal Services and the Public Defenders Office.