Pro se and
community resources

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) 
https://www.gbls.org/
617-371-1234 
1-800-323-3205 (toll-free)
Civil legal issues, including evictions, family law, education, public benefits, foreclosures, bankruptcy, healthcare, employment, wage and hour, and immigration. 

De Novo Center for Justice and Healing
https://www.denovo.org/
(617) 661-1010
Housing (evictions and grievance hearings, pre-Notice to Quit), SSI/SSDI, family (custodial parents or domestic violence victims), immigration (political asylum, battered women, unaccompanied minors), and mediation on a sliding-scale fee basis.

Legal Services Center 
https://legalservicescenter.org/
617-522-3003 
Family cases, post-foreclosure evictions, public benefits, veteran’s issues, employment, student loan issues, bankruptcy (Chapter 11), and estate planning. 

Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services (CASLS)
https://www.gbls.org/our-work/cambridge-somerville-legal-services
(617) 603-1776
(617) 603-2700 (Elder Unit)
Disability rights, special education,benefits, housing (tenants only), and elder issues (benefits, housing, nursing, and protective services issues, guardianship defense, access to health care). Covers Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, and Belmont. Can also take some cases with higher income limits.

Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP)
https://vlpnet.org/get-help/
(617) 371-1234
(617) 603-1700
(617) 603-1815
Bankruptcy, consumer, family law (no domestic violence emergencies), guardianship of adults, housing (landlords and tenants – tenant intake through LARC), employment, and tort defense.

Disability Law Center
https://www.dlc-ma.org/
(800) 872-9992
(617) 732-8455
For information, advice, referral, and representation for disability-related civil legal issues (persons with disabilities only, no income limit).

Small Claims Advisory Services
https://www.masmallclaims.org/
(617) 497-5690
A public service organization run by Harvard undergraduates that provides free legal information regarding Massachusetts small claims law and procedure (amounts less than $2,000).

Northeast Legal Aid
https://www.northeastlegalaid.org/
978-458-1465
NLA offers free civil legal services to low income and elderly individuals and families in northeast Massachusetts (Essex and Northern Middlesex Counties). NLA has full-service offices in Lynn, Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts. NLA has an outreach office in Haverhill, Massachusetts with limited hours. 

Community Legal Aid
https://communitylegal.org/
(855) 252-5342
Community Legal Aid provides free civil legal services to low-income and elderly residents of Central and Western Massachusetts: Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester Counties.

South Coastal Counties Legal Services
https://sccls.org/
800-244-9023
SCCLS serves the following towns in Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands: Abington, Acushnet, Aquinnah, Attleboro, Avon, Berkley, Barnstable, Brewster, Bridgewater, Brockton, Bourne, Carver, Chatham, Chilmark, Dartmouth, Dennis, Dighton, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Eastham, Easton, Edgartown, Fairhaven, Fall River, Falmouth, Freetown, Gosnold, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Harwich, Kingston, Lakeville, Mansfield, Marion, Marshfield, Mashpee, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, Nantucket, New Bedford, North Attleboro, Norton, Oak Bluffs, Orleans, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Provincetown, Raynham, Rehoboth, Rochester, Rockland, Sandwich, Seekonk, Somerset, Stoughton, Swansea, Taunton, Tisbury, Truro, Wareham, Wellfleet, West Bridgewater, Westport, West Tisbury, Whitman, Yarmouth.

Metro West Legal Services
https://mwlegal.org/
(508) 620-1830
Practice areas include immigration, elder law, government benefits, family law, school and student rights, and housing in Framingham, Metro West region and Southern Norfolk County.

Please review the list of civil legal aid organizations above, as many of those organizations accept wage and hour / employment cases.

Chelsea Collaborative (La Colaborativa)
https://la-colaborativa.org/
617-889-6080 
Assistance with wage theft, employment, immigration, foreclosures, and tenants’ rights. Workers rights meetings every other Wednesday, 6-8pm. 

Justice at Work 
https://jatwork.org/
Assistance with wage theft and employment last Tuesday of each month, 6-8pm. 

Somerville Workers Center 
https://www.welcomeproject.org/somervilleworkerscenter.html
617-623-6633 
Assistance with wage theft, organizing workers, and enforcing Somerville’s wage ordinance. 

MassCOSH (Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health) 
https://masscosh.org/
617-505-8939 
Helps workers apply for workers comp for on-the-job injuries, organizes workers and coordinates legislative and administrative reform. Turns out people to attend court to support undocumented clients. 

Chinese Progressive Association 
617-357-4499
https://cpaboston.org/
For wage theft, eviction issues in Chinatown. Open for general service Mondays-Wednesday 9am to 5pm and Saturdays 10am to noon. 

Brazilian Worker Center
https://braziliancenter.org/
(617) 783-8001

Please review the list of civil legal aid organizations above, as many of those organizations accept housing cases.

Office of Housing Stability 
Boston: 617-635-4200, Somerville: 617-625-6600 ext. 2581
Housing crisis support, tenants’ rights information, and referrals with no income limits. 

Tenant Advocacy Project 
617-495-4394 
Representation for public and subsidized housing tenants at hearings before local housing authorities. For denial or termination of public or subsidized housing, Section 8 termination, and housing grievance hearings.

City Life / Vida Urbana
https://www.clvu.org/
617-524-3541
Every Tuesday evening at 6:15pm, City Life/Vida Urbana welcomes people struggling with a housing problem, facing eviction, or looking to support others.

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) 
https://www.gbls.org/
617-371-1234 
1-800-323-3205 (toll-free)
Civil legal issues, including evictions, family law, education, public benefits, foreclosures, bankruptcy, healthcare, employment, wage and hour, and immigration. 

Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic 
617-384-8165 
Representation of victims of human rights abuses in applying for U.S. refugee and related protections. Some family reunification and avoidance of forced removal work. 

Centro Presente
https://cpresente.org/
(857) 256-2981
Legal immigration services including Deferred Action (DACA), NACARA, TPS, family-based petitions, work permit renewals, fingerprints, adjustment of status, citizenship 56 applications. Provides, Spanish, English, and Citizenship classes. Will also refer clients to private attorneys.

Project Citizenship
https://projectcitizenship.org/
(617) 694-5949
Free citizenship assistance including eligibility screening, application assistance, legal referrals and all materials needed to apply for U.S. citizenship services, English language classes, and cross-cultural education programming.

Rian Immigrant Center  
https://www.riancenter.org/what/immigration-legal-services/
1 State St. Suite 800. Boston, MA 02109 
(617) 542-7654
Provides legal counsel, representation, and referrals for immigrants on issues related to U.S. immigration and citizenship. Also provides some social services, English language classes, and cross-cultural education programming. 

Catholic Charities Refugee and Immigration Services 
275 W. Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127 
(617) 464-8100
Handles immigration applications; represents clients before US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Immigration Court. Spanish speaking attorneys and staff. Other languages available.

Ascentria Care Alliance- Immigration Legal Assistance Program 
11 Shattuck St. Worcester, MA 01605 
(774) 243-3045 

Catholic Social Services of Fall River 
1600 Bay Street, Fall River, MA 02724 
(508) 674-4681 

Central West Justice Center 
One Monarch Pl. Northampton, Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester 
800-649-3718

Children’s Law Center 
781-581-1977 
info@CLCM.org

DOVE 
(617) 770-4065 
Hotline – (617) 471-1234

HaborCOV 
(617) 884-9799 
Hotline: (617) 884-9909 

KIND 
infoboston@supportkind.org  

Mabel Center for Immigrant Justice 
200 Portland Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02114 
(617) 417-4325 

Northeast Justice Center 
1- 800-336-2262 
(978) 458-1465 

Office of Immigrant Advancement 
Boston City Hall, 1 City Hall Sq. Boston MA 02201 
(617) 635-2980 

Pathway For Immigrant Workers 
(617) 941-5230 
Info@myimmigrantpathway.org

Political Asylum / Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project 
98 N. Washington St., Suite 106. Boston, MA 02114 
(617) 742-9296

Victim Rights Law Center   
11 Beacon St. Suite 520. Boston, MA 02108 
(617) 399-6720

Boston College Law LAB 
885 Centre St., Newton, MA 02459 
(617) 552-0248

Boston University Immigrants’ Rights & Human Trafficking Clinic 
765 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215

Immigrant Justice Clinic 
Northeastern University 
416 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115

Suffolk Immigration Clinic 
120 Tremont St., Boston, MA, 02108 
(617) 573-8100

UMass School of Law Immigration Law Clinic 
333 Faunce Corner Rd., North Dartmouth, MA 02747

Justice at Work 
33 Harrison Ave., Suite 501, Boston, MA 02111 
(857) 350 3873
Limited immigration relief, DALE/Work Permit Applications. Mostly focused on immigrant workers rights issues.

Brazilian Worker Center
14 Harvard Ave., 2nd Floor, Allston, MA 02134 
(617) 783-8001
They run a welcome center for newly arrived immigrant families. They provide housing search assistance, food pantry, and referrals to social service organizations. They also provide information on immigrants’ rights, but no legal representation.

International Institute of New England
2 Boylston St., 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02116 
(617) 695-9990
They have employment support and education programming for recently arrived immigrants and refugees. It seems like they also provide take on immigration law work, assisting immigrants with asylum application, work permits, naturalization, green card applications, and TPS.

La Comunidad Inc.
471 Broadway Suite 1, Everett, MA 02149 
(617) 387-9996 info@lacomunidadinc.org
They focus on community organizing and serving the Latinx community in Everett. They also provide ESL classes, translation and interpretation services, and immigration services. They claim to take all types of immigration cases and applications (TPS, asylum, work permits, naturalization, green card applications, etc.)

Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers
Multiple locations throughout Boston. https://maps-inc.org/office-locations/  
(617) 864-7600
They provide social services to recently arrived immigrants through their Immigrant Integration Center. They also provide referrals for Portuguese-speaking legal services, including immigration. 

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
69 Canal St 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02114 
https://miracoalition.org/ 
Immigration Helpline Number: (508) 293-1871
Have a lot of great immigration KYR resources on their website. They also run an immigration helpline that can provide legal information/resources (but no advice or representation) and referrals. They also provide assistance with citizenship and DACA applications.

Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services
(800) 882-1413
(617) 482-2773

Harvard Defenders
(617) 495-3127
For show-cause hearings for clients facing upcoming criminal proceedings.

Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project (PLAP)
(617) 878-0339
(800) 445-8989
HLS advocates for clients charged with violating prison regulations at disciplinary hearings. 

Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) 
617-482-6212 
Massachusetts public defender service for income-eligible clients beyond the show-cause stage. 

Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) 
617-496-8143 
Harvard Law School (HLS) defense counsel for income-eligible clients beyond the show-cause stage. 

Legal Advocacy and Resource Center
(617) 371-1234
(617) 603-1700
(617) 603-1815
For phone information/advice, assistance with representing yourself (pro se), and referrals for civil law issues (housing, family, employment, consumer, public benefits, health, estate planning, bankruptcy).

MA Bar Dial-a-Lawyer
(617) 338-0610
Hours: 5:30PM – 7:30PM on the first Wednesday of every month/ For answers to basic legal questions and brief legal advice.

Trial Court Law Libraries
(617) 878-0339
(800) 445-8989
For librarian assistance with legal research.

National Lawyers Guild
(617) 227-7008
Hours: 9:00AM to 4:00PM
30-minute phone consultation at a cost of $15 (sliding scale fee arrangements may be available) For referrals to private attorneys in most practice areas (including criminal, civil rights, disability, domestic, and employment).

Boston Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service
(617) 742-0625
Income-eligible callers get reduced-fee referrals (between $0 and $25 for the first 30-minute consultation)For referrals to private attorneys for many types of cases.

Middlesex County Bar Association
(617) 494-4150
For free self-help advice and referrals to private lawyers on many types of case.

Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyer Referral Panel
https://www.masslawhelp.com/lrs-find-lawyer-intellinx.html
(617) 654-0400
(866) 627-7577
Hours: 9:00AM – 4:45PM
Income-eligible callers get reduced-fee referrals (no more than $75/hour)For referrals to private attorneys for many types of cases, including contingency fee cases. No phone advice available.

Psychiatric Emergencies – Cambridge Hospital
617-665-1560  
The Psychiatric Emergency Service (PES) of the Cambridge Health Alliance is located in the Emergency Department at the CHA Cambridge Hospital campus, 1493 Cambridge St., Cambridge. The PES serves people of all ages from across the Greater Boston region. 

Psychiatrists and clinical social workers are on duty 24-hours a day to help manage all acute mental health emergencies. Call 911 for immediate medical help or PES.

Boston Emergency Service Team (BEST) Team 
800-981-4357 
877-382-1609
This is the primary emergency service team in the Boston area. In-person behavioral health crisis assessment, intervention, and stabilization services 24 hours a day for individuals of all ages covered by MassHealth (Medicaid) plans, Medicare, and the uninsured. Clients can be seen in the community or at their  two centers. They provide assessment, treatment planning, and hospitalization, if necessary. There is also respite care at their two centers in Boston and Cambridge. 

Suicide Prevention Lifeline 
(800) 273-TALK or (800) SUICIDE 

NAMI Mass Compass: Your Guide to Mental Health Resources 
(617) 704-NAMI (6264) or toll free, (800) 370-9085 Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm 
(800) 950-NAMI 
http://namimass.org/resources/compass 
Navigating the mental healthcare system can be complicated—we help individuals and families affected by mental health issues find their way. The NAMI Mass Compass is operated by peers and family members who have dealt with these issues first hand. Navigators are available to answer a wide range of questions and refer to NAMI support & education programs and other community resources. 

Alternative House
alternative-house.org
1-978-454-1436
Fax: 978-937-5595
Shelter for battered women, member of Jane Doe Inc. Provides legal advocacy for domestic violence issues. Offers teen-dating violence education program. Transitional housing available. 24-hour hotline 888-291-6228.

Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence
atask.org
617-338-2355
Operates the Asian Shelter and Advocacy Program (ASAP), which provides 90-day emergency shelter, 14 day temporary safe homes. Also provides community outreach and education, multilingual advocacy, comprehensive stabilization services for both residential and non-residential families. Including housing and legal advocacy, mental health counseling, English as a second language tutoring, and Children programs.

Casa Myrna Vazquez, Inc.
casamyrna.org
24-hour hotline: 1-800-992-2600

24-hour Safelink: 1-877-785-2020
Phone: 617-521-0100
Fax: 617-521-0105
A community-based, multicultural organization dedicated to addressing the full scope of needs of battered women and children. Focuses on women and children of color. Programs include emergency shelter, transitional living, adolescent transitional living, mothers and sons.

Common Purpose
commonpurpose.com
Common Purpose, a Boston-based batterer intervention program, has provided domestic violence intervention, treatment and prevention since 1989. The overriding goal of Common Purpose is to create safety — freedom from violence and fear — for the batterer's partner and children. Men explore the intent and roots of their abuse and learn alternative behavior.

Daybreak - Domestic Violence
ywcacentralmass.org
The domestic violence shelters provide refuge for victims at safe, confidential sites. These are the only confidential shelters in Central Massachusetts. Domestic Violence Services Advocates provide support, advocacy, counseling, and individual case management. The goal while at shelter is to empower the lives of survivors and their families, and to assist them in rebuilding for the future.
1 Salem Square Worcester Ma, 01608
508-791-3181

YWCA Central Massachusetts: Daybreak
ywcacentralmass.org
508-755-9030

Fax: 508-767-1301
Offers community education, community services and shelter. Child Assault Prevention (CAP) program is a sexual assault prevention program that teaches children, parents and teachers a variety of strategies to reduce children's vulnerability to threatening or assaultive situations. Assists women and children fleeing domestic violence. Can provide immediate shelter to women and their families who are fleeing to safety. Provides court advocacy and short term counseling. Spanish & Vietnamese available.

DOVE, Inc. (Domestic Violence Ended)
dovema.org
Hotline: 617-471-1234; 888-314-3683
Phone: 617-770-4065
Fax: 617-770-2206
Serves communities, families, and individuals impacted by domestic violence, specifically women and children. Provides emergency shelter, education, and support services.

Elizabeth Stone House
elizabethstonehouse.org
HOTLINE: 877-785-2020
Phone: 617-427-9801
Fax: 617-427-6252
A feminist alternative mental health program, providing both residential and community-based services. It is run by women, for women. Offers emergency shelter as well as supportive and transitional housing. Programs include: family empowerment, nurturing and reunification group, economics and financial literacy, and 12 week anger management and relapse prevention group. Contact the transitional housing program, groups, parent/child center at 617-427-9801.

Finex House
finexhouse.org
617-436-2002
Fax: 617-287-0553
Provides emergency shelter and a comprehensive array of services for the most vulnerable of battered women, particularly for those who have disabilities, and their children. Some services include court advocacy, parenting groups, special needs advice, and mental health therapy. Offer services in Sign Language, Spanish, Khmer, and Haitian Creole.

GLBTQ Domestic Violence Project
glbtqdvp.org
Trauma-Informed Approaches for LGBTQ* Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence. In our 22 years of service provision we provided free and confidential support and services for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer survivors of domestic and sexual violence. We worked with victims and survivors to increase safety, security, and foster empowerment through direct services, education, and advocacy.

Direct Services: We supported GLBTQ victims and survivors through our 24-hour domestic violence hotline, emergency safe home, legal services, crisis intervention and safety planning, housing and employment advocacy, sexual assault case management, and ongoing supportive services.

Education: We provided presentations/workshops and ongoing technical assistance and training for community groups, service providers, and domestic violence organizations who were looking to work alongside and/or support GLBTQ survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Advocacy: We worked with city, statewide, and national officials to advocate for responsive public policy that supported the complex needs of GLBTQ victims and survivors.

Passageway
brighamandwomens.org
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
(617) 732-8753
Faulkner Hospital
(617) 983-7854
Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center
(617) 983-4148
Brookside Community Health Center
(617) 983-6024
Whittier Street Health Center
(617) 989-3027
Mission Hill Community
(857) 225-6559
Passageway program works to improve the health, well being, and safety of those experiencing abuse from an intimate partner. by providing the following services: Free and confidential advocacy, Safety planning, Individual counseling and support, A safe place to talk, Information about the health effects of domestic violence, Support groups, Medical advocacy, Legal and court advocacy, and Referrals to community resources (health care, housing, shelter, lawyers, and others).
Several Locations all open Monday-Friday, 8:30am – 5pm


Renewal House
uuum.org
Phone: 617-566-6881 (24-hour hotline) or 617-277-4194
Fax: 617-318-6022
Offers a variety of services relative to domestic violence: emergency shelter up to 3 months, safety planning, in-house support groups, bilingual Spanish/English advocacy; healthcare advocacy; pastoral counseling; children's programs; referrals for job training; legal assistance and educational programs; community education; ministry of the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry.

Safe Haven
interfaithpartners.org
Find advocates, service providers, shelters, and other roads to safety

Cambridge Heart
https://www.cambridge-heart.org/
“We are a grassroots organization led by individuals with lived experience and deep connections to the Cambridge, MA community. We exist to model a world where people in crisis are met with care, compassion, and transformative accountability—rather than punishment. At Cambridge HEART, we believe in a future where communities are interconnected through practices of care, healing, self-determination, and transformative accountability. Our goal is to build a society that is free from carceral systems, where the dignity of every individual is respected.”

Safety Planning and Intimate Partner Violence Toolkit
https://survivedandpunished.org/2022/04/13/new-toolkit-safety-planning-and-intimate-partner-violence/
“In situations of domestic violence, survival can become criminalized in unexpected and chilling ways. However, because isolation is a central strategy of abuse, many survivors lack the community and resources needed to find support for both the violence as well as the risks of criminalization. What can concrete support for intimate partner violence survivors look like from a prison abolitionist perspective? What can it look like in practice to support survivors while being acutely aware of both the dangers of abuse and the overwhelming violence of the criminal legal system? Join us for a lively exploration of the concept of “abolitionist safety planning” from feminists and abolitionists, who will share their experiences, challenges, and lessons learned from supporting survivors in situations of active and ongoing violence.”

The Network/La Red 
https://www.tnlr.org/en/24-hour-hotline/
24/7 free hotline: 617-742-4911 (voice) 800-832-1901 (Toll-Free)
“The Network/La Red’s 24-hour hotline provides confidential emotional support, information, referrals, safety planning, and crisis intervention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and/or transgender (LGBTQ+) folks, as well as folks in kink and polyamorous communities who are being abused or have been abused by a partner. We also offer information and support to friends, family, or co-workers on the issue of domestic violence in LGBTQ+ communities. All hotline staff are trained in domestic violence, peer counseling, crisis intervention, and safety planning. You don’t have to leave or want to leave your relationship to get support.”

Meeting Point
https://www.themeetingpoint.org/
“The Meeting Point is a collective of independent body workers and mental health practitioners who believe that the support and celebration of intricate identities, complex bodies and creative minds is a social justice issue. As such we are committed to creating greater access to care for populations including LGBTQI  identified individuals, POC, people who have experienced trauma, and  those with physical and/or emotional disabilities. As a holistic mind/body collective, we hope to support individuals  with complicated bodies and minds in their journey through this  complicated and beautiful world. We do this both by providing a home to  like-minded practitioners and serving as a resource and site for  community events, advocacy, and awareness.”

Boston Resource Net
https://www.boston.gov/low-income-resources
For a database of human services providers searchable by location and practice area.

Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC)
(617) 868-2900
For non-legal advocacy for food stamps, MassHealth, and housing (pre-Notice to Quit, informal conferences, negotiation). Income not mandated by funding. Serves Cambridge and surrounding areas.

Mental health resources
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/statewide-resources