# Legal Aid

**What statement best describes your situation?**

* [I can't afford a lawyer](#i-cant-afford-a-lawyer)
* [I'm undocumented and don't know where to look for help](#im-undocumented-and-dont-know-where-to-look-for-help)
* [I want to vote for the first time](https://thinkofus.gitbook.io/command-center/resources/foster-youth/legal-aid/first-time-voting)

## "I can't afford a lawyer"

### Who can I turn to for legal advice?

* [Free Legal Answers](https://abafreelegalanswers.org/) is a virtual legal advice clinic from the American Bar Association. Post your legal question to your state's website, and you'll be emailed when your question receives a response.
* Legal Services Corporation has a [legal aid organization finder](https://www.lsc.gov/what-legal-aid/find-legal-aid) where you can enter your zip code and find legal aid near you.
* You can also visit [LawHelp.org](https://www.lawhelp.org/) to look up information about your legal questions and find free legal forms.

{% hint style="info" %}
Know your rights! If you are a youth in foster care, you have rights. These include rights related to your safety, family, health, personal choices, education, and more. [This resource](https://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/foster-care-bill-of-rights.aspx) compiles information from Bills of Rights from states and youth advisory boards across the country. 
{% endhint %}

### Where can I learn about my rights?

[NOLO](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/covid-19), an online legal site, has written extensively about the impact of COVID-19 on a wide array of law from business and personal injury, through immigration and evictions. They also cover how to safely communicate with a lawyer during the stay-in orders.

## "I'm undocumented and don't know where to look for help"

### Can I access to emergency funds if I am or my family is immigrant or undocumented?

* The [Betancourt Macias Family Scholarship Foundation](https://www.undocuscholars.com/) set up a emergency fund for undocumented families.
* The [Immigrant Families Fund](https://missionassetfund.org/immigrant-families-grant/) is providing financial support to immigrant families who have been left out of the federal government's relief efforts. Immigrants may be eligible to receive a $500 grant to help cover whatever is most pressing in their lives.
* [InformedImmigrant.com](https://www.informedimmigrant.com/guides/coronavirus/) has a frequently updated list of resources for undocumented immigrant communities that you can search based on your location, including for financial assistance, food, state or local benefits, and others.

### Am I eligible to receive unemployment insurance if I'm undocumented?

This [document](https://www.nelp.org/publication/immigrant-workers-eligibility-unemployment-insurance/) explains how immigrant workers must satisfy same basic requirements as other workers to be eligible for unemployment insurance.

## Missing a resource?

[Contact us](https://www.thinkof-us.org/contact-us) so we can add it.<br>

*The information and materials on this web site are intended for informational purposes only and are not intended to be treated as legal advice.*