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.
16 Resources
RILS at 56 Pine Street in Providence is the state's primary LSC-funded civil legal aid program, helping low-income women with custody, eviction, public benefits, and survivor cases. Intake screens for income under 125% of the federal poverty line and case priority. Call 401-274-2652 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm to start; Spanish-speaking advocates available. Free representation when accepted.
401-274-2652 · 56 Pine St Suite 400, Providence, RI 02903 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
Run from the RI Bar offices at 41 Sharpe Drive in Cranston, the Volunteer Lawyer Program matches eligible low-income women with pro bono attorneys for divorce, custody, and uncontested family matters. Cases that don't fit RILS intake often land here. Apply by phone at 401-421-7758 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; expect a wait while a volunteer is recruited.
401-421-7758 · 41 Sharpe Dr, Cranston, RI 02920 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Based at 1 Empire Street in downtown Providence, the Center for Justice litigates impact cases and represents individual low-income women in housing, immigration, and worker-rights matters. Especially active in eviction defense and tenant retaliation cases. Phone 401-491-1101 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. Intake is selective; the website lists current priority areas.
401-491-1101 · 1 Empire St Suite 410, Providence, RI 02903 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
Dial 211 from any Rhode Island phone to reach United Way of RI's information line for free routing to legal aid, DV advocates, housing help, and basic-needs programs. Operators are bilingual and available around the clock. Particularly useful when you're not sure which agency to call first. Free, confidential, 24/7. Text 898211 also works.
211 · Statewide Service · 24/7 · Visit Website
RIDLC at 349 Eddy Street in Providence is the state's designated protection-and-advocacy agency for women with disabilities. Free representation in special-education disputes, SSI/SSDI appeals, employment discrimination, and accessible-housing cases. Call 401-831-3150 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. TTY available; intake includes a disability-related eligibility screen.
401-831-3150 · 349 Eddy St, Providence, RI 02903 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
The ACLU of RI at 128 Dorrance Street in Providence litigates civil-rights cases including reproductive freedom, prisoners' rights, and protest/free-speech issues affecting women. They don't handle routine family law but will review serious constitutional matters. Submit a complaint by phone 401-831-7171 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm or via the online intake form on riaclu.org.
401-831-7171 · 128 Dorrance St Suite 400, Providence, RI 02903 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
An ABA-sponsored online clinic where Rhode Island women with low incomes can post a civil legal question and receive written advice from a volunteer RI-licensed attorney, usually within a few days. Covers family law, housing, consumer, and benefits matters but not criminal cases. Free, anonymous, available 24/7 at ri.freelegalanswers.org.
Online Service · Online 24/7
LSC at lsc.gov is the federal nonprofit Congress created to fund civil legal aid; the site's program locator lists every LSC-funded office near you, including Rhode Island Legal Services. Useful when you've moved or have a multi-state issue. Free; the locator does not require an account.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
LawHelp.org is a Pro Bono Net project that aggregates plain-language legal information and local legal-aid contacts. Filter by state to see Rhode Island providers and topic guides for divorce, eviction, and benefits. Many articles include downloadable forms with instructions. Free, no registration, mobile-friendly.
Nationwide · Online
The American Bar Association's Free Legal Answers and pro-bono portal at americanbar.org/groups/legal_services/flh-home/ links to every state's free clinics, lawyer referral services, and online Q&A tools. A good fallback when local intake lines are full. Free public resource.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Pro Bono Net at probono.net builds and maintains the technology behind state legal-aid websites (including LawHelp). Its public-facing tools let women find free clinics, parenting-plan generators, and step-by-step interviews for civil filings. Particularly useful for pro se litigants assembling pleadings.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Justia maintains a free state-by-state directory of legal aid offices, law school clinics, and pro bono panels at justia.com/lawyers/legal-aid-and-pro-bono-services. The Rhode Island page lists RILS, the Volunteer Lawyer Program, and law-school clinics with phone numbers. No log-in required.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
WomensLaw's Finding a Lawyer page lists DV-savvy legal-aid programs, pro-bono panels, and law school clinics across Rhode Island. Especially useful when your custody or divorce matter involves abuse, immigration, or a protective order. Free, available 24/7. Email Hotline available for follow-up questions.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
NCADV's Get Help portal at ncadv.org/get-help compiles state-specific protective-order information, lethality-assessment resources, and legal-aid links for survivors. Useful background reading before you call a hotline or file. Free, anonymous, no account needed.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Stateside Legal at statesidelegal.org is the LSC-funded portal for veterans and military families, with content for women service members and spouses on family law, VA appeals, and military-specific protections like SCRA. Includes a national directory of veteran-focused legal-aid clinics. Free public resource.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
The DOJ's recognized-and-accredited representatives list at justice.gov/eoir lets immigrant women find Rhode Island nonprofits authorized to handle visas, asylum, U-visas, and VAWA self-petitions. All listed providers must meet federal standards and offer low- or no-cost help. Free public registry.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website