LOCE DC Pro Bono Resources

LOCE's District of Columbia PRO BONO LIBRARY using technology to balance the scales of justice...updated 11/20/2001
Our Mission Visitor No. 32099th	Finding Pro Bono Help Other Pro Bono Resources	Credits & Press Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant
General Resources	Topical Resources
COURTS U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (Home Page) U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Home Page) D.C. Superior Court (GIDEON's Unofficial Site) DC Superior Court Pretrial Services (DC Pre-Trial Services Site - criminal) D.C. Court of Appeals Page (maintained by the D.C. Bar) D.C. Superior Court Page (maintained by D.C. Bar) D.C. Small Claims Court Statute AGENCIES D.C Agencies (links to District of Columbia agencies) CASELAW Supreme Court Decisions (Cornell LII Site) Decisions of U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (DC Circuit Site (searchable)) Select Decisions of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia( District Court Home Page) D.C. Court of Appeals opinions(maintained by the D.C. Bar) Superior Court Home Page D.C. Court of Superior Court Page (note that case law not yet available) Statistical Information on Federal and Bankruptcy Court Decisions (Cornell Site) STATUTES & REGS U.S. Code (Cornell LII) Code of Federal Regulations (Cornell LII) Federal Rules of Civil, Criminal and Appellate Procedure (U.S. District Court for DC Site) Federal Rules of Evidence (Cornell LII) D.C. Code (LEXIS version available free at Michie site) (free access) Table of Contents to D.C. Municipal Regulations (note: the actual DCMR are not available online) State Codes On-Line (another Cornell site) FREE LEGAL RESEARCH Free legal research on the Internet abounds and can substantially benefit pro bono practitioners who may not have the financial resources to afford computerized legal research. Below are several free, powerful on-line caselaw databases: LEXIS ONE free searchable LEXIS databases for US Supreme Court and federal and state appellate court decisions (including DC) post 1995. D.C. Circuit Decisions (DC Circuit has a searchable data base of court decisions going back to 1997) DC Law Libraries (a list of DC law libraries -- always a great source of free legal research!) Free Legal Research Article Detailed article on how one practitioner used free legal research for a federal circuit appellate brief LOCE Tutorial on How to Conduct Legal Research On-Line for Free This tutorial is designed especially for non-lawyers who want to understand the basic underpinnings of the law and locate free legal resources on line.	BANKRUPTCY Bankruptcy Overview (links to US Code, CFR provisions, state (including DC) business and bankruptcy codes and fed. circuit bankruptcy decisions) Bankruptcy Questions (responses to layperson's questions about bankruptcy) Consumer Bankruptcy Information (bankruptcy information at findlaw) U.S. Bankruptcy Court for DC (list of forms for filing bankruptcy petitions and fee schedule info) CRIMINAL Federal Public Defender, D.C.(extensive criminal resources, also sample brief library) GIDEON - DC Criminal Resources (information on criminal law in DC; links to articles and related sites; bulletin board service available for additional information) D.C. Public Defender Service (information about DC PDS office, training programs and manuals) J. Flax Criminal Resources (links to sites with criminal law information, but no specific DC information) CONSUMER DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (contains forms to obtain information on DC licensees) D.C. Consumer Law (articles on consumer law topics, links to DC consumer law providers and organizations) DC Bar Section on Consumer Affairs (info on auto buying; enforcement of DC Consumer protection law and description of common consumer problems in DC) Overview of Consumer Credit (Cornell site with links to debt collection and truth in lending statutes; court decisions on consumer credit) FTC Site (information on consumer credit and consumer protection, including FTC pamphlets; the Legal Framework (menu item links to statutes and regs enforced by the FTC) Consumer Law Center (advice for attorneys handling consumer law problems) DISCRIMINATION DC Office of Human Rights Site (information about Office of Human Rights and Complaint and Mediation procedures) DC Dept. of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs (information on DCRA's enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act) Equal Employment Opportunity Comm. (links to federal employment legislation and regulations; description of EEOC procedures) LAMBDA Site (search for info on DC's anti-discrim. laws and hate crimes ELDER LAW National Senior Citizens' Law Center (articles on age discrimination, medicaid, etc...) AARP Research (research papers on issues affecting the elderly) Medicare (info on medicare policies) EMPLOYMENT ISSUES DC Employment Services (extensive information on unemployment benefits, worker protection programs and labor issues) DC Employment Justice Center (statutes, regulations and some DC cases on legal issues affecting low wage workers) FAMILY LAW DC Divorce Law Information (DC divorce laws, statutes, guidelines and FAQ) Childrens' Law Center (extensive information on DC adoption law, with many sample filings and pleadings) DC Name Change Law (procedure for name changes in DC; other family law and divorce info)	FOOD STAMPS USDA Food Stamps Program (contains food stamps information, eligibility rules and contact numbers, including DC offices) Poverty Law Center (substantive law and developments on food stamp programs) IMMIGRATION Immigration and Naturalization Services Site (contains links to INS laws and regulations, downloadable INS forms and links to local field and asylum offices) Immigration Forms Dept. of Justice (practice manuals and links to immigration courts and other immigration resources) LANDLORD-TENANT Overview of Landlord Tenant Law (Cornell site with general info on landlord tenant law; links to relevant state statutes, including DC) Rental Housing WebSite (many general and state specific L-T resources, including VA and MD, but none for D.C.) Megalaw L/T Information (state L-T statutes, L-T decisions and federal regulations) DC Dept. of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (can request certificates of occupancy for DC landlords) NON-PROFITS Form for DC Non-Profit Incorporation (Department of Consumer Regulatory Affairs Site) PUBLIC BENEFITS Welfare Information (clearinghouse on Welfare Reform and other related info) Poverty Law Center (extensive substantive info on various public benefits programs) Overview of Public Benefits (Cornell site with links to education, health, medicare/medicaid, mental health and welfare statutes, regulations and relevant federal agencies) Homelessness Issues (Health and Human Services Site with information on homelessness issues) PUBLIC HOUSING DC Local HUD Office (contains forms, complaint procedures and contact information) HUD Resources (library with links to HUD statutes, regulations, handbooks; also downloadable forms file) Section 8 (National Housing Law Project's Section 8 information, with links to forms, statutes, regulations and discussion of new developments) Nat. Assoc. of Housing & Redevelopment (info on affordable housing, HUD notices and related legislation SOCIAL SECURITY Social Security Administration Site (Social Security handbook, links to statutes and CFR governing benefits, disability and eligibility; some forms available) EBRI Organization (fundamentals on social security benefits) VETERANS BENEFITS Dept. of Veterans' Affairs (information and forms for veterans benefits) National Veteran's Organization Resources (handbooks on benefits eligibility, veterans' court decisions, veterans' manuals and links to relevant CFR sections)