About Legal Aid for Women
Legal aid in the United States is delivered through Legal Services Corporation (LSC)-funded nonprofits, law school clinics, pro bono panels, and court self-help centers. Most programs serve women at or below 125–200% of the Federal Poverty Level and handle family law, housing, public benefits, immigration, and protective orders. The American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession and the National Women's Law Center supplement local services. For women, the most common legal aid needs are custody, divorce, child support, VAWA-based immigration relief, and DV protective orders — all areas LSC grantees regularly handle. This directory aggregates state legal aid offices, women's legal clinics, and bar referral panels.
14 Resources
The Bowen School of Law operates several live-client clinics out of its downtown Little Rock campus, including a Children, Family, and Elder Law clinic that takes custody, divorce, and guardianship cases. Third-year students handle the work under faculty supervision and bar-licensed practice rules. Income guidelines apply; the intake coordinator screens callers. Cases are taken on an academic-semester calendar, so apply early in fall or spring.
501-324-9431 · 1201 McMath Ave, Little Rock, AR 72202 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm (semester) · Visit Website
The Leflar Law Center in Fayetteville runs civil clinics where supervised students represent low-income clients in northwest Arkansas. The family law and domestic violence clinics handle protective orders, custody, and divorce for qualifying women. Like all law-school clinics, the docket follows the academic calendar and intake closes when student capacity fills. Call early in August or January if you can wait for a full semester.
479-575-3056 · 1 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm (semester) · Visit Website
Arkansas Free Legal Answers is a virtual clinic where volunteer Arkansas attorneys answer civil legal questions in writing through the ABA-hosted platform. Mothers can post questions about custody, eviction, public benefits, or consumer issues and typically get a reply within a few days. Income guidelines mirror legal aid eligibility. No phone or in-person visit required, which helps if your schedule or safety situation makes appointments hard.
Online Service · Online 24/7
Disability Rights Arkansas is the state's federally designated protection and advocacy agency, with attorneys who represent women with physical, mental, and intellectual disabilities. They take on cases involving special education, abuse in institutions, employment discrimination, and access to disability benefits. Services are free regardless of income for clients with a qualifying disability. Statewide intake runs through the Little Rock office on West Capitol Avenue.
800-482-1174 · 400 W Capitol Ave Suite 1200, Little Rock, AR 72201 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website
The Access to Justice Commission is the planning body that funds and coordinates civil legal aid across Arkansas. They run the Free Legal Answers platform, fund pro bono projects, and publish data on the justice gap. While they don't take individual cases, their website routes mothers to the right legal aid office and to scheduled clinics in courthouses. Located inside the Justice Building on Marshall Street in Little Rock.
501-682-9400 · 625 Marshall St, Little Rock, AR 72201 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website
LSC is the congressionally chartered nonprofit that funds Legal Aid of Arkansas and Center for Arkansas Legal Services, the two grantees covering the state. Their website explains the income guidelines all LSC-funded offices use and lists every grantee nationwide. Helpful when you are moving between states and need to find the equivalent of Arkansas's legal aid program in your new location.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
LawHelp.org is the legal-aid front door funded by Pro Bono Net. The Arkansas portal compiles intake numbers, eligibility rules, and self-help materials for every civil legal aid office in the state plus court forms and brochures from the Arkansas Bar Foundation. The search is filtered by topic and county, so a mother in Garland County gets different results than one in Crittenden.
Nationwide · Online
The American Bar Association's directory of free legal help compiles pro bono projects, lawyer referral services, and law school clinics by state. The Arkansas section captures the two LSC grantees plus standalone projects like the Veterans Legal Clinic and the Pro Bono Partnership. Worth a search if Legal Aid of Arkansas or CALS turned you away for conflict reasons.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Pro Bono Net builds the technology that powers LawHelp, Free Legal Answers, and many state-level legal aid websites including Arkansas's. Their LiveHelp chat tool runs on several legal aid sites so visitors can get questions about forms answered in real time. They also publish best-practice guides for pro bono attorneys, which can help mothers understand what to expect from a volunteer lawyer.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Justia's legal aid directory pulls together free legal services by state with addresses, hours, and case-type notes. The Arkansas section lists Legal Aid of Arkansas, Center for Arkansas Legal Services, and several specialized programs like the Center for Arkansas Legal Services Senior Citizens unit. The Justia site is free to use and does not require registration.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
WomensLaw's Find-a-Lawyer feature is built around the needs of survivors and women in family court. The Arkansas listings prioritize organizations with domestic-violence experience including the Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence member shelters, which often have in-house legal advocates who can help with protective orders before referring out for full representation.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
NCADV publishes plain-language guides to every state's protective-order process. The Arkansas page explains how to file an Order of Protection in any circuit or chancery court, what to bring to the ex parte hearing, and how custody and child support get folded into the final order. Useful for mothers preparing a filing before a shelter advocate is available.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Stateside Legal is the nationwide legal-aid hub for veterans and military families. They host a SCRA helpline, foreclosure-prevention materials, and a directory of veteran-focused legal services. The Arkansas section flags the Veterans Legal Aid Clinic operating with Bowen Law and Center for Arkansas Legal Services. Useful for women veterans, military spouses navigating deployment-related custody, and survivors of military sexual trauma.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
The DOJ Executive Office for Immigration Review maintains the official list of nonprofit and pro bono immigration legal service providers recognized to practice before the immigration courts. The Arkansas listings include Catholic Immigration Services and a handful of recognized representatives in Springdale and Little Rock. Critical for mothers navigating U-visa, VAWA self-petition, or asylum claims tied to family violence.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website