Resources: Chapter 4

LOCAL LINKS

Asian Human Services
Offering legal services to the pan-Asian, immigrant, refugee, and low-income communities of Chicago.

Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic
Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic provides free legal services in the areas of family law, housing law, and criminal law.

CARPLS: Coordinated Advice & Referral Program for Legal Services Legal aid hotline that provides legal advice, information and referral services over the telephone to low-income residents of Cook County.

Center for Economic Progress (CEP)
The Center for Economic Progress offers a variety of services to the community including free preparation of federal and state tax returns through the Tax Counseling Project. Individuals must qualify to participate in the tax program.

Chicago Bar Association
The CBA offers a Lawyer Referral Service and screen all attorneys for experience, check to make sure they are licensed to practice law in Illinois and make sure they are in good standing with the Illinois Supreme Court.

Chicago Bar Association: Lawyer Referral Service
CBA's lawyer referral service provides consultations with an attourney specializing in the area of law you are interested in, for a $20 fee for the first session.

Chicago Legal Clinic
Representation for legal issues, ie. closings, rental disputes, environmental issue and debt elimination. No income eligibility or case type restriction. Sliding scale based on ability to pay.

Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation (CVLS)
Represents low-income Chicagoans with collection defense, bankruptcy, landlord/ tenant disputes, insurance issues, etc. CVLS accepts clients whose income is up to 175% of the Federal Poverty guidelines.

Community Economic Development Law Project (CEDLP)
Providing pro bono legal services for corporate tax and real estate law issues to eligible community-based organizations and small businesses.

Cook County State's Attorney
Provides assistance with consumer related problems through the Public Interest Bureau.

Illinois Board of Examiners (IBE)
Board certification for CPAs.

Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS)
ICPAS offers free preparation of federal and state tax returns for qualifying individuals through the Tax Counseling Project, a collaborative program with the Center for Economic Progress.

Illinois Division of Banks and Realtors (OBRE)
The primary purpose of OBRE is to protect and educate the public on matters associated with the banking and real estate industries. In addition, OBRE oversees the regulation and licensure of State chartered banks and many other agencies.

Illinois Lawyer Finder (ILF)
IllinoisLawyerFinder.com is the Illinois State Bar Association's lawyer directory. Not every attorney qualifies for a listing here: IllinoisLawyerFinder lawyers must meet certain eligibility requirements.

Illinois Legal Advocate
A compantion legal website to Illinois Legal Aid.

Illinois Legal Aid
Illinois Legal Aid Online provides easy to understand legal information and assistance to the public.

Illinois Pro Bono
A companion legal site to Illinois Legal Aid.

Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association
The Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association is the only bar association in the state of Illinois comprised solely of real estate attorneys. Offers a lawyer locator and general information real estate topics.

John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Clinic
The Clinic provides legal services in cases of discrimination relating to housing, insurance, affordable housing, and lending only. Website offers extensive resources on fair housing issues.

Kent College of Law: Low Income Taxpayer Clinic
The Tax Clinic provides representation to taxpayers who need assistance asserting their positions and rights before the Internal Revenue Service, yet lack the financial means to a hire a private attorney.

Lawyer's Committee for Better Housing, Inc.
Through the Attorney of the Day Eviction Defense Project, LCBH provides no-cost legal services to low-income Chicago families who are facing eviction and who otherwise would have no legal representation.

Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Provides free legal services to challenge discrimination and other violations of civil rights in both the public and private sectors, including assistance with fair housing.

Lawyers for the Creative Arts
LCA provides eligable artists with referals to legal services in all art-related areas and in general legal areas where artists may need help, including contracts, non-profit incorporation and immigration.

Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities (LCMOC)
LCMOC provides legal assistance to individuals that have been discriminated against in their search for housing, home loans, or other real estate-related services.

Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
The LAF provides free civil legal services to individuals in the Chicago area and suburban Cook County who are unable to afford an attorney.

Loyola University Business Law Center Clinic (BLCC)
The Loyola University BLCC offers affordable legal services for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and not-for-profits.

Loyola University Federal Tax Clinic
This clinic provides services to clients for matters concerning the Internal Revenue Service.

Loyola University Community Law Center
Provides assistance for low-income earners. Cases handled by the CLCC focus on family issues, landlord-tenant conflicts, eviction, and benefit questions.

Metropolitan Tenants Organization
Operates a tenants' rights hotline and works with residential tenants in the Chicago area.

Northwestern University Small Business Opportunity Center (SBOC)
The SBOC provides affordable legal services to small businesses and nonprofit organizations that focus on job creation and economic development in the Chicago area.

University of Chicago Law School: Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship (IJ)
The IJ Clinic provides legal services that relate to starting a business.

INTERNATIONAL LINKS

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) AICPA's primary mission is to be a resource and information clearinghouse for CPAs. AICPA develops the examination for the CPA certification and licensing process.

Appraisal Institute (AI)

HUD Appraisers
Offers a searchable database of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved for residential properties.

Illinois Division of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR)
IDFPR offers an online license verification search for accountants and other professionals.

Illinois Professional Land Surveyors (IPLS)
IPLS provides a list of qualified licensed surveyors. IPLS is the only statewide organization of Land Surveyors licensed to perform Land Surveys in the State of Illinois.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
The IRS website provides extensive information on filing income taxes for individuals, businesses and not-for-profits. Documents for filing and completing federal tax forms are explained and are available to be downloaded.

Lumity a Nonprofit Resource Service Consulting Group
Lumity works to catalyze the nonprofit community to do more good work by increasing the capacity of charitable organizations to more effectively fulfill their missions.