People can’t access justice if they don’t know help is available.
Our projects bring legal help directly to those who need it most — from school-based clinics to disaster relief programs.
Current Projects
Hotline for Older Iowans
We provide free legal advice and referrals to Iowans aged 60 and over through our dedicated phone hotline. This service helps seniors address issues like healthcare, housing, public benefits, and elder abuse, promoting their independence and well-being.
Community Schools Project
We bring legal aid directly into schools, addressing family legal issues that impact students’ ability to learn. Our on-site clinics help families navigate challenges related to housing, domestic violence, and income security.
Disaster Project
Our 24/7 Disaster Legal Hotline provides free advice to survivors of recent Iowa disasters, assisting with issues like FEMA denials, insurance claims, and contractor disputes.
Elder Justice Innovation Project
The Elder Justice Innovation Project offers screening for current and potential financial abuse of older Iowans, additional services to address those issues, and holistic needs assessments with case management services.
Fair Housing Project
The Fair Housing Project provides confidential advice and representation for persons facing discrimination in housing across Iowa. You have a right to be free from discrimination in your housing, including adverse housing action based on your race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sex, or family status. Some examples of adverse housing actions may include evictions for non-lease renewals or non-payment where you have suffered a loss to your use and enjoyment of your rental because of discrimination, different terms or conditions in your housing, and housing opportunity denials, both rental or mortgage.
Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC)
Iowa Legal Aid’s LITC provides a wide variety of services to our clients to address various tax-related issues. Primarily, we provide representation on behalf of clients that have tax-related disputes with the IRS. We also provide educational and outreach activities to taxpayers about their rights and responsibilities as taxpayers.
VOCA/VAWA Project
We provide legal advocacy for adult survivors of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and/or stalking, on civil legal issues that help survivors and their families overcome physical and economic victimization. Legal issues primarily involve civil protection orders, divorce, and custody matters, but can also include other legal issues related to victimization, such as preventing homelessness and resolving consumer matters.
Eviction Diversion Project
Our Eviction Diversion Project aims to prevent unnecessary evictions by providing legal assistance and mediation services at county courthouses. We help tenants and landlords find alternatives to eviction, promoting housing stability in our communities.
Veterans Project
We assist Iowa’s Veterans with overcoming barriers that prevent them from accessing the legal system and obtaining state and federal benefits. Whether those barriers are generalized civil legal issues or service related, such as discharge upgrades and disability benefits, we are equipped to meet veterans where they are to support them.
Expungement and Employment Barriers Project
We provide legal representation to those who have criminal and juvenile records that are causing barriers to employment, housing, education, and transportation. The project hosts expungement and employment barrier clinics throughout the State that focus on record clearance, court debt management, and driver license/car registration issues.
Farmworker Rights Project
The Farmworker Rights Project helps agricultural workers in Iowa with civil legal problems, such as not receiving full wages, being discriminated against, being sexually harassed in the workplace, child and labor trafficking, working in unsafe or unhealthy conditions, retaliation, being unfairly fired, or being evicted by the employer.
Foreclosure Defense Project
We provide legal advocacy to occupant homeowners who are facing the potential loss of their homes to foreclosure.
Join Our Community of Supporters
Every day, underserved Iowans face legal challenges that threaten their basic needs. Together, we can give each person a voice and create a fairer legal system for all.