Our History
The Legal Aid Society (LAS) is the legal aid arm of Metropolitan Family Services. Founded in 1886, we are the oldest provider of legal aid in Illinois and the second oldest in the nation. We are based in Chicago, Illinois, and provide legal services to clients in Cook and DuPage Counties, and the Decatur area. We also conduct statewide Anti-Human Trafficking work and outreach.
LAS has four practice groups: Safety & Family focuses on issues related to family law and orders of protection for survivors of domestic violence and on the prevention of abuse and financial exploitation of seniors; Health, Housing, & Economic Stability represents low-income tenants facing evictions, housing voucher terminations, and other housing issues; Individual Rights & Social Justice works with survivors of human trafficking and immigrant victims of crime to obtain immigration relief, and with individuals with certain employment law matters; Communities Partnering 4 Peace is a community lawyering project dedicated to removing barriers to housing, employment, and financial stability, among other issues, for members of the Chicago community.
We also present “Know Your Rights” workshops on the areas of law we practice and lead several legal clinics. In partnership with Metropolitan Family Services, we offer comprehensive services to our clients by providing meaningful opportunities to move up and out of poverty.
In addition, we work with community partners, local and state bar associations, and local court administrators to advocate for better laws and a system that is more responsive to its clients and to low-income families in general.
— Mission
The mission of the Legal Aid Society (LAS) is to protect and strengthen families by providing equal access to justice for all by focusing on the most vulnerable communities, including those who are impoverished, the elderly, and victims of violence & crimes.