How many free legal aid providers are there in Illinois?

3 LSC-funded civil legal-aid providers serve Illinois according to the Legal Services Corporation Basic Field Grant Allocation data for FY2025. All listed providers receive federal LSC funding and offer free or low-cost civil legal help to income-eligible residents.

How much federal legal-aid funding does Illinois receive?

LSC-funded providers in Illinois received $16,916,481 in total federal legal-aid grant funding in FY2025, per the LSC Basic Field Grant Allocation data (source id `src:lsc:basic-field-grant-allocation:2026`).

Who qualifies for free legal aid in Illinois?

LSC-funded providers generally serve people at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. Eligibility rules vary by provider and case type. Contact the providers listed for Illinois directly to confirm eligibility — this page routes to them but does not determine your eligibility or provide legal advice.

What kinds of civil legal issues do free legal aid providers help with in Illinois?

LSC-funded legal aid covers civil (non-criminal) matters — commonly housing, family, benefits, consumer, and immigration issues. The specific areas covered vary by provider. This page lists which LSC-funded providers operate in Illinois; contact them directly for case-specific help. This page does not give legal advice.

How do I contact a free legal aid provider in Illinois?

Use the LSC provider finder at lsc.gov/find-legal-aid or lawhelp.org to locate and contact the LSC-funded legal aid organizations serving your area in Illinois. This page identifies which providers are funded; it does not facilitate intake or provide representation.

What types of legal aid programs operate in Illinois?

Illinois is served by LSC grant programs of the following types: Basic Field, Agricultural Worker. Basic Field grantees serve the general low-income population; Agricultural Worker programs serve farmworkers; Native American programs serve tribal communities. All are LSC-funded and offer free civil legal help to eligible residents.

Free Legal Aid in Illinois

3 LSC-funded civil legal-aid providers serve Illinois with $16,916,481 in federal legal-aid funding (FY2025) — per the Legal Services Corporation Basic Field Grant Allocation data.

Last updated: June 21, 2026 · Source: LSC Basic Field Grant Allocation (FY2025)

LSC-funded providers

$16,916,481

Federal allocation (FY2025)

1,426,520

Poverty population served

This page is a reference directory of which LSC-funded providers operate in Illinois. It informs and routes to free civil legal help. It does not give legal advice, represent clients, or predict case outcomes. To get help, contact the providers listed below or use lsc.gov/find-legal-aid or lawhelp.org.

Where do I get free legal aid in Illinois?

3 LSC-funded civil legal-aid providers receive federal Legal Services Corporation funding to serve income-eligible residents of Illinois. The primary program type is Basic Field (3 providers). All listed organizations offer free or reduced-cost civil legal help. Eligibility is typically set at 125% of the federal poverty level.

Program type	Providers	Share
Basic Field	3	75%
Agricultural Worker	1	25%

Source: LSC Basic Field Grant Allocation, FY2025.

Which organizations provide free legal aid in Illinois?

The following public legal-aid organizations are LSC-funded grantees serving Illinois. Contact them directly for intake. This list routes to them — it does not constitute legal representation. One row per LSC service-area grant — an organization may hold more than one (the 3 organizations below hold 4 grants).

Organization	Program type	Service area	Allocation (FY2025)
Legal Aid Chicago	Basic Field	IL-6	$7,748,398
Prairie State Legal Services, Inc.	Basic Field	IL-7	$5,353,610
Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, Inc.	Basic Field	IL-3	$3,525,538
Legal Aid Chicago	Agricultural Worker	MIL	$288,935

Source: LSC Basic Field Grant Allocation, FY2025. Provider names are public LSC grantees.

How much federal funding does Illinois receive for legal aid?

LSC-funded providers in Illinois received $16,916,481 in total federal legal-aid grant funding in FY2025, serving a poverty population of approximately 1,426,520 residents eligible for LSC-funded services.

Sources & provenance

Every figure on this page comes from the Legal Services Corporation Basic Field Grant Allocation (source id src:lsc:basic-field-grant-allocation:2026), FY2025, published by the Legal Services Corporation: lsc.gov/grants-grantee-resources/our-grant-programs/basic-field-grants.

Provider names listed are public LSC grantees. Allocation figures are FY2025 federal grant amounts. Poverty population figures reflect LSC-defined service areas and are omitted where not reported.

Data exported June 21, 2026 · content hash aa12cb164ae5d5c0 · machine-readable brief: /justice/states/il.context.md

Get help now: Use lsc.gov/find-legal-aid or lawhelp.org to find a legal aid provider in your area and begin the intake process. This page does not provide legal advice or representation.

How long you have to file a civil claim in Illinois

Read this before the table — it matters more than the numbers.

These are the statutes as written. They are not your deadline. When the clock starts (the “accrual” date) and whether it pauses (tolling, the discovery rule, a minor or incapacity) depends on the specific facts of your situation — and a missed deadline can permanently and irreversibly bar your claim. If you think you may have a claim, do not rely on this page to calculate your time: talk to a licensed attorney in Illinois right away. This atlas informs and routes; it is not legal advice and not a lawyer.

Illinois sets a statute of limitations for each kind of civil claim — the window, counted from when the claim accrues, within which a lawsuit must be filed. Below are 9 common civil claim types (the shortest is 1 year), shortest deadline first.

Claim type	Time limit	Statute
Defamation (libel / slander)	1 year Single-publication rule applies.	735 ILCS 5/13-201
Medical malpractice	2 years (4-year repose) discovery rule repose 4 years Foreign-object exception; minors up to 8 years/age 22.	735 ILCS 5/13-212
Personal injury	2 years Standard tolling for minors and incompetents under 5/13-211.	735 ILCS 5/13-202
Product liability	2 years (10/12-year repose) repose 10 years Discovery within repose period gets 2 more years to file.	735 ILCS 5/13-213
Wrongful death	2 years One year after disposition of related criminal case in some cases.	740 ILCS 180/2
Contract oral	5 years Standard tolling for minors and incompetents.	735 ILCS 5/13-205
Fraud	5 years discovery rule Fraudulent concealment gives 5 more years from discovery.	735 ILCS 5/13-205
Property damage	5 years Standard tolling for minors and incompetents.	735 ILCS 5/13-205
Contract written	10 years Sale-of-goods contracts under UCC § 2-725 are 4 years.	735 ILCS 5/13-206

What these figures are

RECORDED — each period and statute citation is the statute as written; verify it at the linked official code. Last verified 2026-04-29.
NOT YOUR DEADLINE — accrual, tolling, the discovery rule, and exceptions make your actual deadline fact-specific. Only a licensed attorney can tell you your date.

Find help: free civil legal-aid in Illinois · ABA lawyer referral · source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026)