If you’ve received an eviction notice, have a custody hearing coming up, or are experiencing any number of legal matters finding a lawyer can feel like one more thing to deal with. At the Allegheny County Law Library (ACLL), we can’t recommend a lawyer, but we can show you where to look.
Find a Lawyer
The Allegheny County Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service connects you with an attorney online at GetAPittsburghLawyer.com or by phone at 412-261-5555. Participating attorneys offer a free first 30-minute consultation.
Gale Legal Forms, a database available to all Allegheny County library card holders, includes an Attorney Directory you can browse by state and practice area. You can access Gale Legal Forms from the database page on our website, acllib.org/databases.
Westlaw is a legal research database you can use at any Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh location. It includes a tool called Westlaw Profiler, that lets you search for attorneys by location and practice area.
Free and Low-Cost Help
If you can’t afford an attorney, legal aid organizations may be able to help for free or at low cost. That can mean explaining your rights, helping with forms, giving legal advice, or sometimes representing you in court. They handle civil problems like housing, family law, public benefits, and consumer issues. Most have income and other eligibility rules and limit the kinds of cases they take.
Neighborhood Legal Services is one local example: they serve eligible low-income Allegheny County residents, and you can apply at nlsa.us or call 1-866-761-6572.
PaLawHelp.org offers free legal information and details on free legal services across Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Free Legal Answers is a free virtual legal advice clinic in which qualifying users can post civil legal questions to be answered by pro bono attorneys licensed in our state.
Our Legal Resources for the Public Library Guide includes a directory of more legal organizations in Allegheny County.
Learn About a Lawyer
The Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board’s Attorney Search confirms an attorney is licensed in Pennsylvania. An attorney with “active” status is eligible to practice law in Pennsylvania. You can also look that attorney up in Westlaw Profiler to see their education, bar admissions, and past cases. Profiler is not a rating and does not confirm license status, so it’s best to use both.
Need Help Using These Tools?
If you need help using Gale Legal Forms or Westlaw Profiler, we are happy to show you. ACLL hosts regular classes on Gale Legal Forms and Westlaw, so check our events page to see when the next one is. Can’t wait for a class? Come visit us at the Allegheny County Law Library or reach out at acll@carnegielibrary.org.
Anyone can use Westlaw at any Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh location. If you have a card from any Allegheny County public library, you also have remote access to Gale Legal Forms. No card yet? You can register for one online here.