Consumers’ Guide to Legal Help :  The American Bar Association has an FAQ section dedicated to assisting the public in how to find a lawyer.   This section uses a question/answer format, and many topics are covered.  The topics include what to look for in an attorney, specialized practices, and where to look for an attorney (including their state by state referral service).

Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ):  LSNJ is a statewide service providing legal assistance to low income New Jersey residents for their civil legal issues.  In addition to assistance with finding legal representation, LSNJ has a number of low or no cost digital publications about topics including divorce, landlord/tenant issues, foreclosure, and expunging criminal records.

New Jersey State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Services:  Every county in New Jersey has a County Bar Association that participates in a Lawyer Referral Service .  This link goes to the list of each county, with a link to their referral service.  You should contact the bar association for the county you reside in.

New Jersey Judiciary Pro Bono Portal:  The New Jersey Judiciary has a web-based portal for finding pro bono representation.

Rutgers University Law School Clinics:  Rutgers Law School offers numerous law clinics where law students, supervised by full-time Law School faculty, provide legal services and assistance to clients covering a wide range of topics including child advocacy, domestic violence, education, entrepreneurship, immigration, and intellectual property.

Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ):  VLJ provides free legal services throughout New Jersey to economically disadvantaged adults, children, and families.

Self-Help Guides

Nolo’s Legal Encyclopedia:  This online resource provides brief overviews on a variety of common legal topics.  For more in-depth or New Jersey specific research, contact our reference desk at reflaw@njstatelib.org.

New Jersey Judiciary’s Self-Help Resource Center:  The New Jersey Courts provide a great deal of information and assistance for people acting as their own attorneys in matters before the court.  In addition to this online directory, the NJ Judiciary Ombudsman program provides a neutral staff person to help the public navigate the court system.  The Ombudsman are county based.  A complete county by county list of contacts can be found here: