Lawyers in the Library programs in the San Francisco Bay Area
The Lawyers in the Library program is a free consultation and referral program held at different libraries and is staffed by volunteer attorneys. The attorneys can answer questions on most legal topics or they can refer you to a lawyer who may be able to help. The consultations run for about 10-15 minutes. Always, please call the hosting library to confirm the time of the program and their sign-up procedures.
Alameda County
First Week of the Month
Tuesday | Oakland Public Library - West Oakland Branch
| 1801 Adeline St., Oakland | (510) 238-7352 | 5-6:30 pm
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| Oakland Public Library - Dimond Branch | 3565 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland | (510) 482-7844 | 6-8 pm | ||
| Oakland Public Library - Rockridge Branch | 5366 College Ave., Oakland | (510) 597-5017 | 6-8 pm
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| Oakland Public Library - Temescal Branch
| 5205 Telegraph Ave., Oakland | (510) 597-5049 | 6-7:45 pm | ||
Wednesday | Alameda Free Library - Main Branch
| 1550 Oak Street , Alameda | (510) 747-7713 | 6-8 pm | ||
| Alameda County Library - Albany Branch
| 1247 Marin Ave., Albany | (510) 526-3720 ext. 5 | 6-8 pm
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| Oakland Public Library – Main – Bankruptcy only
| 125 14 St., Oakland | (510) 238-3134 | 6-8 pm | ||
Thursday | Oakland Public Library - Main | 125 14 St., Oakland | (510) 238-3134 | 6-8 pm | ||
Saturday | Hayward Public Library -Main | 835 C St., Hayward | (510) 293-8685 | 12-2 pm
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Second Week of the Month |
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Monday | Oakland Public Library – Brookfield Branch
| 9255 Edes Ave., Oakland | (510) 615-5725 | 5-7 pm | ||
| Alameda County Library - Castro Valley Branch
| 3600 Norbridge Ave., Castro Valley | (510) 667-7900 | 6-8 pm | ||
| Oakland Public Library - Eastmont Branch | 7200 Bancroft Ave. #211, Oakland | (510) 615-5726 | 5-7 pm | ||
| Livermore Public Library - Rincon Branch | 725 Rincon Ave., Oakland | (925) 373-5540 | 6-8 pm | ||
Tuesday | Berkeley Public Library - Central Branch | 2090 Kittredge St., Berkeley | (510) 981-6148 | 6-7:30 pm | ||
| Oakland Public Library - Montclair Branch
| 1687 Mountain Blvd., Oakland | (510) 482-7810 | 6-8 pm
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| Oakland Public Library -Lakeview Branch
| 550 El Embarcadero, Oakland | (510) 238-7344 | 6-8 pm | ||
Wednesday | Oakland Public Library - Main
| 125 14th St., Oakland | (510) 238-3134 | 6-8 pm | ||
Thursday | Berkeley Public Library - Claremont Branch
| 2940 Benvenue Ave., Berkeley | (510) 981-6280 | 6-8 pm | ||
| Oakland Public Library - Main
| 125 14th St., Oakland | (510) 238-3134 | 6-8 pm | ||
Friday | Berkeley Public Library -West Branch – Spanish | 1021 81 Ave., Berkeley
| (510) 981-6270 | 10 -11:30 am | ||
Saturday | Oakland Public Library - Elmhurst Branch
| 1427 88th Ave., Oakland | (510) 615-5727 | 10-2 pm | ||
Third Week of the Month
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Monday | Alameda Free Library – West End Branch
| 788 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda | (510) 747-7767 | 6-8 pm
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Tuesday | Oakland Public Library - 81st Avenue Branch
| 1021 81st Ave., Oakland | (510) 615-5812 | 5-7 pm | ||
| Pleasanton Public Library
| 400 Old Bernal Ave., Pleasanton | (925) 931-3400 ext. 4 | 6-8 pm | ||
Wednesday | Alameda County Library - Dublin Branch | 200 Civic Plaza, Dublin | (925) 803- 7252 | 6-8 pm
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| Hayward Public Library - Weekes Branch – Spanish
| 27300 Patrick Ave., Hayward | (510) 782-2155 | 6-8 pm | ||
| Oakland Public Library - Main
| 125 14th St., Oakland | (510) 238-3134 | 6-8 pm | ||
Thursday | Downtown Oakland Senior Center
| 200 Grand Ave., Oakland | (510) 238-3284 | 9-11 am | ||
| Oakland Public Library – Main
| 125 14th St., Oakland | (510) 238-3134 | 6-8 pm | ||
| Berkeley Public Library – North Branch
| 1170 The Alameda, Berkeley | (510) 981-6250 | 6-7:30 pm | ||
| San Leandro Public Library – Main
| 300 Estudillo Ave., San Leandro | (510) 577-3971 | 6-8 pm | ||
Saturday | Oakland Public Library – Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch
| 6833 International Ave., Oakland | (510) 615-5728 | 12-2 pm | ||
Fourth Week of the Month | ||||||
Tuesday | Oakland Public Library – Cesar Chavez Branch – Spanish
| 3301 E. 12th St., Suite 271, Oakland | (510) 535-5620 | 6-7:30 pm | ||
| Alameda County Library – Fremont Branch
| 2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont | (510) 745-1401 | 6-8 pm | ||
| Oakland Public Library – Melrose Branch
| 4805 Foothill Blvd., Oakland | (510) 535-5623 | 5-7 pm | ||
| Alameda County Library – Union City Branch
| 34007 Alvarado-Nile Rd., Union City | (510) 745-1464 ext. 5 | 6-8 pm | ||
Wednesday | Oakland Public Library – Main
| 125 14th. St., Oakland | (510) 238-3134 | 6-8 pm | ||
Thursday | Berkeley Public Library – South Branch
| 1901 Russell St., Berkeley | (510) 981- 6260 | 6-7:30 pm | ||
| Oakland Public Library – Main
| 125 14th St., Oakland | (510) 238-3134 | 6-8 pm | ||
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Contra Costa County
Tuesday | Contra Costa Public Law Library (2nd Tuesday of the month)
| 1020 Ward St., 1st Floor, Martinez | (925) 646-2783 | 1:30-4:30 pm |
Thursday | Contra Costa Public Law Library (3rd Thursday of the month)
| 10037th St., Room 237, Richmond | (510) 374-3019 | 2:30-4:30 pm |
Marin County
Thursday | Marin County Law Library (2nd and 4th Thursday at of month)
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| (415) 472-3733 | 4:30-6:30 pm |
San Francisco
Sunday (check website for dates) | San Francisco Public Library – Citizenship Help | Bridge TechLab Workstation – 5th Floor 100 Larkin St., San Francisco | (415) 557-4388 | 1-4 pm |
Other Free Clinics
Alameda County Self-Help Center: Located in Hayward, they provide individual information and assistance with small claims, family law, restraining orders, unlawful detainers (evictions), name changes, and guardianship of the person. There are also free legal clinics covering numerous topics. Depending on your matter, you may be assisted on the same day, scheduled for a workshop, asked to return, or referred to outside agencies.
www.alameda.courts.ca.gov/Pages.aspx/Self-Help-and-Family-Law-Facilitator-Hours
Monday - Friday | Hayward Hall of Justice | 24405 Amador St., Hayward | (510) 272-1393 | 8:30 am-12 pm (walk-in )
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Asian Law Caucus: The ALC is a legal and civil rights organization serving the low-income Asian Pacific American communities in the Bay Area. Areas of focus include immigration, employment and labor, juvenile justice, language rights, housing and community development, and anti-Asian violence.
www.advancingjustice-alc.org/legal-clinics/
| Asian Law Caucus | 55 Columbus Ave., San Francisco | (415) 896-1701 | By appointment only |
Bay Area Legal Aid – Alameda County: Offers civil legal assistance to low-income residents of Alameda County in the areas of domestic violence & family law, housing rights, health care access, and public benefits & economic security.
Monday-Friday | Bay Area Legal Aid – Alameda County | 1735 Telegraph Ave., Oakland | (510) 663-4744 | 9 am-12 pm and 1-5 pm |
East Bay Community Law Center: Provides legal services to East Bay low-income and homeless residents in the areas of housing, welfare, HIV & health, homelessness and economic development.
https://ebclc.org
Monday-Friday | East Bay Community Law Center | 1950 University Ave., Suite 200, Berkeley | (510) 548-4040 | 9 am-5 pm |
International Institute of the Bay Area: A nonprofit serving as a resource for immigrants and refugees, the IIBA offers immigration legal services (including a free immigration information clinic) and a training and employment program for immigrants and refugees.
Thursday | International Institute of the Bay Area | 476 3rd St., Oakland | (510) 451-2846 | 9 am-12 pm and 1-5 pm |
Volunteer Legal Services Corporation: As part of the Alameda County Bar Association, the VLSC offers numerous free legal clinics to low-income Alameda County residents (at or below 125% of federal poverty income guidelines), available by appointment. Call several weeks in advance to reserve open slots – the clinics fill up quickly. The VLSC also offers referrals to pro bono attorneys for individuals who qualify (most referred matters are family law-related).
www.acbanet.org/pro-bono-legal-services/
Monday-Friday | Volunteer Legal Service Corporation |
| (510) 302-2222, option 4 | 8:30 am-3:30 pm |
CLASP - Community Legal Assistance Saturday Program: Volunteer Legal Services Corporation (VLSC) has launched a monthly clinic, CLASP, that will give anyone who walks in a chance to meet with an attorney in almost every legal field, and receive a 15-20 minute consultation.
www.acbanet.org/pro-bono-legal-services/
First Saturday of the month | Community Legal Assistance Saturday Program | Alameda County Law Library – 125 Twelfth St., Oakland | (510) 302-2222 | 10:30 am-12 pm |
Legal Advice and Referral Clinic (LARC): You will have a meeting with a volunteer lawyer who will give you brief legal advice. You may also receive referrals to agencies that might be able to help you. There will be lawyers who specialize in criminal law, family law, landlord/tenant, immigration, employment, personal injury, probate, consumer, and contracts. LARC is a free service provided by the Justice & Diversity Center of The Bar Association of San Francisco. Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish interpreters may be available, but please bring your own interpreter if you need one!
Legal Advice and Referral Clinic
Second Saturday of the month | LARC | UC Hastings -College of the Law 198 McAllister St., First Floor (at Hyde), Louis B. Mayer Lounge San Francisco | (415) 989-1616 | 10:30 am – 12 pm |
Last Saturday of the month | LARC | Providence Baptist Church of San Francisco, 1601McKinnon Ave. (at Mendell), San Francisco | (415) 989-1616 | 11 am-12:30 pm |
