LEGAL REFERRAL SERVICE

BEFORE YOU CALL A LAWYER

Find Out Which Lawyer to Call

WHAT IS THE LEGAL REFERRAL SERVICEThe Legal Referral Service (LRS) is the oldest law-yer referral organization in New York State, and the first one in New York City approved by the American Bar Association. Established in 1946, the Legal Referral Service is sponsored by the New York City Bar Association and the New York County Lawyers’ Association.

Our mission is to help individuals and busi-nesses find the appropriate lawyer for their legal concerns.

IF YOU NEEDLEGAL HELPContact the New York City Bar Association’s Legal Referral Service at 212.626.7373. We have the right lawyer for you, whether you are purchas-ing a home, writing a will, or starting a business. Perhaps you have suffered an injury or have been arrested. If you are having problems with your landlord, tenant, employer or employee, the Legal Referral Service can help you find the right lawyer.

FOR A REFERRAL TO AN EXPERIENCED LAWYER

CALL 212.626.7373EN ESPANOL: 212.626.7374MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY8:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Interpreters available for most languages

WHAT OURCLIENTS SAY ABOUT US“Excellent service, many thanks! Lawyer was superb!”

- Marilyn, Manhattan, NY

“All were courteous and helpful and the service was terrific. I will use it again and happily recommend it! Thank you.” - Michael, Manhattan, NY

“I am very happy this service is available. It made obtaining legal advice EXTREMELY simple! Thank you.”

- Brian, Queens, NY

“I was very impressed with the referral service. I was given the information I needed right away and the referred lawyer was absolutely wonderful. Thank you.”

– Liba, Brooklyn, NY

“Service was excellent! Renewed my faith in lawyers. Will continue to use this service in the future.”

- Barbara, Manhattan, NY

“Thank You! You have been very helpful, and I will call you again if I am in need of another lawyer.”

– Georgina, Bronx, NY

“This was the second time I used the LRS and both times had excellent experiences. Thank you and your participating lawyers for a truly valuable service to the public!” – Susan, Brooklyn, NY

“This service was invaluable to me, I will always be grateful and should I ever have another problem, I would call again.” – Denise, Staten Island, NY

LEGAL REFERRAL SERVICE42 WEST 44TH STREETNEW YORK, NY 10036

www.nycbar.org/LRS | www.iLawyer.org

SPONSORED BY:New York City Bar Association

New York County Lawyers’ AssociationABA Approved

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Other Programs

MONDAY NIGHTLAW CLINIC

BROWN BAGLAW LUNCH PROGRAM

Monday Night Law (MNL) is a free clinic that runs from October through August. At the clinic, vol-unteer attorneys meet with clients for half hour appointments to discuss bankruptcy, consumer issues, family law, basic employment and land-lord-tenant problems. There is no charge for this service. A client must schedule an appointment for MNL through the Legal Referral Service hotline 212.626.7373 or 212.626.7374 in Spanish. Walk-ins not permitted.

The Legal Referral Service sponsors a speaker’s bu-reau called Brown Bag Law Lunch. Through this program, your office, community group, school, or organization can schedule a skilled attorney to give a free presentation on any area of law. Each presentation is followed by a question and answer session and the entire program can be completed in one hour. Brown Bag Law Lunch is a public ser-vice; attorney speakers will not solicit business from workshop attendees. Our enjoyable, innovative presentations are designed to answer basic questions about topics ranging from “When and How to Hire a Lawyer” to “Estate Planning” to “The ABC’s of Buying a House/Coop/Condo.” The Legal Referral Service is happy to tailor a speaking engagement to suit your needs, and we look forward to having an opportunity to visit with your group or organization. For more information or to schedule a guest speaker, please contact Allen Charne at 212.382.6775 or by email at acharne@nycbar.org.

HOW ITWORKSWhen you call LRS, our legal staff will ask you some questions. This is necessary to determine what background and experience to look for in the law-yer we suggest. All of our counselors are paralegals or attorneys. The information you give the referral counselor will be held in the strictest confidence.

If you need a referral to a private lawyer, our counselors will guide you to a suitable lawyer from our pre-screened panel. The referral counselor will give you the name, background, address, and tele-phone number of a lawyer we recommend for your particular situation. You may contact the lawyer to schedule an appointment at your convenience. The LRS counselor may also offer other options to help you resolve your problem.

HOW DO WEFIND THE RIGHT LAWYERWe evaluate the lawyers we recommend before mak-ing any referrals. In order to be placed on our rec-ommended list, lawyers are thoroughly screened regarding legal knowledge, experience, and ethics. Applicants are carefully interviewed by a review panel of lawyers with expertise in the relevant areas of law. Panel members must also maintain profes-sional liability insurance to receive referrals from us.

HOW TOCONTACT USCall us at 212.626.7373, or online at www.nycbar.org/LRS or www.iLawyer.org, or fax us at 212.575.5676. We accept requests for referrals by telephone, fax, online, or by regular mail. Our legal staff are trained to help you evaluate your op-tions and recommend the appropriate legal help for you. The LRS maintains an extensive database of legal and social service providers in the New York Metro area, including government agencies, private organizations, free legal services, and lawyers in private practice who can help you.

HOW MUCHDOES IT COSTThere is no charge for your conversation with the LRS counselor, or for the referral to an attorney. If you are referred to a lawyer and schedule an appointment, you are entitled to an initial consultation of up to one-half hour with the lawyer. That consultation will be free if you are calling about an injury due to an accident or a faulty product, the negligence of a doc-tor, a workers’ compensation or a Social Security claim. If you are calling about any other legal prob-lem, a one-half hour consultation with an experienced lawyer will cost only $35. The lawyer will not charge additional fees for the initial one-half hour.

If further consultation or representation by a lawyer is needed, it is your choice whether to retain the at-torney or not. The fees for the attorney’s services are agreed upon by you and the lawyer. Remember, you are under no obligation to hire the attorney.

¿NECESITA A UN ABOGADO?Llame a la línea en español del Servicio de Referidos Legales.

Contamos con una gran variedad de abogados en diversas áreas legales.

Podemos ayudarle a conseguir un abogado privado.

Para español llame al 212.626.7374