Nebraska

OTHER PLACES TO FIND LEGAL HELP AND INFORMATION 

USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) Awards and Public Benefits 

For farmers and ranchers who applied for and received a one-time lump-sum award from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP): This general information will help people who receive USDA DFAP awards understand the potential impact of such money on public benefits, 

LEGAL AID PROGRAMS IN NEBRASKA  

Legal Aid of Nebraska: Non-profit law firm that provides free legal representation to low-income residents of Nebraska.  

To see if you qualify for Legal Aid of Nebraska services, apply online at lawhelpne.legalaidofnebraska.org or call: 

  • (402) 348-1060 AccessLine® if you live in the Douglas County area 
  • 1 (877) 250-2016 AccessLine® if you live outside the Douglas County area 
  • 1 (800) 527-7249 Elder AccessLine® if you are 60 and over 
  • 1 (800) 729-9908 Native American AccessLine® if you are Native American    

 

CLINICS 

Volunteer Lawyers Project: Community agencies host clinics, where volunteer lawyers help people with civil (non-criminal) legal matters. Qualified individuals receive free limited scope legal services on a first come/first serve basis. You can find dates, times, and locations through the Volunteer Lawyers Project website under the “Resources” tab. NeVLP.org. 

Nebraska Free Legal Answers: https://ne.freelegalanswers.org/ Members of the public can post legal questions on civil (non-criminal) matters at no cost. Volunteer attorneys answer those questions. Question topics include Family, Divorce, Custody, Housing, Eviction, Homelessness, Consumer Rights, Financial, Work, Employment, Unemployment, Health and Disability, Civil Rights, and State Benefits. 

Law School Clinics 

Creighton Law School Civil Legal Clinic: https://www.creighton.edu/law/clinics/abrahams-legal-clinic  If you’re a low-income Douglas County resident who needs help with a civil matter (non-criminal), you may be eligible for free legal services through the Milton R. Abrahams Legal Clinic. To apply, call 402-280-3068 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.  

University of Nebraska Civil Law Clinic: https://law.unl.edu/experiential-learning/ Law school clinics handle a wide variety of cases for eligible low-income Nebraska residents. There is no charge for attorneys’ fees, but clients may be responsible to pay a nominal administrative fee and court filing fees and costs if not eligible for a fee waiver from the court. To apply, call (402) 472-3271. 

IMMIGRATION ASSISTANCE 

Nebraska Immigration Legal Assistance Hotline (NILAH): 1 (855) 307-6730 

Low-income immigration legal assistance.  Those in need of immigration legal assistance should call to see if they are eligible and where they can get help. Hours: Monday & Wednesday 9am-11am, 12:30pm-3:30pm CST; Tuesday & Thursday 9am-12pm, 1:30pm-3:30pm CST; and Friday, 9am-12pm CST.  

Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Assistance Services 

http://www.ccomaha.org/program-and-services/immigration-legal-services 

Omaha office:  5211 S 31st Street, Omaha, NE 68107 (402) 939-4615 

Schuyler office:  Benedictine Monastery of Christ the King Priory at 1123 Road I, Schuyler, NE 68661 (402) 352-3644.   

Center for Legal Immigration Assistance, Lincoln:  www.clianeb.org 

Must do a preliminary consultation, which costs $50.00. CLIA staff will determine how best to assist you, if possible.  The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5;00 p.m. You must have an appointment to be seen. Lincoln, NE 68507 (402) 471-1777.  

Center for Immigration and Refugee Advancement (Formerly Immigration Legal Center): www.ciraconnect.org 

Free immigration representation. To find out if you are eligible for services, call the Nebraska Immigration Legal Assistance Hotline: 1 (855) 307-6730.  Contact information for all offices is: (402) 898-1349 and [email protected]. Offices in Omaha, Columbus, Grand Island, Lexington, and Council Bluffs.  

Lutheran Family Services: www.lfsneb.org/service/immigration-legal-services Affordable, quality immigration legal assistance to refugees, immigrants and asylees. Minimal fees for service are charged on a sliding scale. 

  • Omaha office: (402) 536-3500 
  • Grand Island office: (308) 382-4255 
  • Lincoln Office: (402) 441-7940 

ABA Federal Free Legal Answers: abafederal.freelegalanswers.org/ 

Members of the public can post questions related to immigration and veterans’ matters which may be answered by volunteer attorneys. To post a question, site users must verify their email address and provide information about their income. 

SELF-HELP RESOURCES 

Nebraska Online Legal Self-Help Center: https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help Information and links to legal resources to help you represent yourself in Nebraska courts, including forms and information provided by the Nebraska Supreme Court Committee on Self-Represented Litigation as part of the Nebraska Supreme Court's commitment to ensure that all Nebraskans have access to the courts. 

Law Help Nebraska: https://lawhelpne.legalaidofnebraska.org/#/login  

Information and forms for tenants and debtors representing themselves in landlord-tenant and debt collection cases in Nebraska.  This interactive Website is hosted by Legal Aid of Nebraska. The Website is in English and Spanish. 

Legal Brochures:  https://www.legalaidofnebraska.org/how-we-help/resources/handbooks-and-forms/  

Review basic information on various topics, including divorce, bankruptcy, domestic violence, wills, Landlord-Tenant Act and more. 

Valley County Self-Help Center, Ord, NE: 3rd Tuesday of each month at the Ord Public Library from 6-8pm. 

Madison County Self-Help Center, Madison, NE: 3rd Friday of each month at the Madison County District Court offices from 11am to 1pm. Inquiries can be made at the Madison County District Court office. 

Buffalo County Self-Help Center, Kearney, NE: 1st Friday of each month at the Buffalo County Justice Center from 10am to 2pm. 

LIBRARIES 

State Of Nebraska Library, Lincoln: https://nlc.nebraska.gov/ 

Legal resources, including using the Internet to do legal research. The State Library is located in Room 325 at the State Capitol Building in Lincoln.   

Creighton Law School Library, Omaha: https://www.creighton.edu/law/academics/law-library  

Some assistance and computers for legal research.  Open to the public 7am to 7pm Monday through Friday when school is in session. Corner of 21st & Cass Street, Omaha, second floor of the Ahmanson Law Center.   

University of Nebraska College of Law Library, Lincoln: https://law.unl.edu/library/ 
Located on the east campus of UNL. It has one public access computer to conduct legal research.   

Public Library 

Your local public library may have some resources and public access to computers and the Internet.  

PRIVATE OPTIONS (may require payment of some fees) 

Nebraska Find-a-Lawyer: https://www.nefindalawyer.com/  

This website is administered by the Nebraska State Bar Association, it is not an exhaustive list of all attorneys but is a good resource to search for attorneys you would pay or ask to work on commission. 

 

Omaha Bar Association Lawyer Referral: https://www.omahalawyerreferral.com/ 

If you think you need a lawyer, call (402) 280-3603 to set a consultation appointment with a private practice lawyer.  Serving Douglas, Sarpy, Cass, and Washington Counties.  

OTHER HELPFUL ORGANIZATIONS 

American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska (ACLU):   https://www.aclu.org/affiliate/nebraska 

The ACLU works to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the United States Constitution and laws of Nebraska guarantee everyone in Nebraska.  No in-person visits. Call during normal business hours to apply. 1 (855) 557-ACLU (2258) x 101 or [email protected]   

Disability Rights Nebraska: www.disabilityrightsnebraska.org 

Investigates incidents of abuse and neglect and may provide legal representation to protect the legal and human rights of people with disabilities. (402) 474-3183, toll free number 1 (800) 422-6691; fax (402) 474-3274; [email protected]. Offices in Lincoln and Scottsbluff.  

Nebraska Association of Area Agencies on Aging:  

Legal advice and representation for persons 60 and older with economic or social needs through eight area agencies on aging.  Services may include assistance with wills, durable, and health care powers of attorney, eviction notices, debt collection and government benefits.    

  • Western Nebraska: Scottsbluff, NE 69361 (308) 635-0851, toll free (800) 682-5140; aown.org. 
  • West Central Nebraska: North Platte, NE 69101 (308) 535-8195, toll free (800) 662-2961; wcnaaa.org. 
  • Northeast Nebraska: Norfork Ave. Norfolk, NE 68701; (402) 370-3454, toll free (800) 672-8368; nenaaa.org. 
  • South Central Nebraska: Kearney, NE 68847; (308) 234-1851, toll free (800) 658-4320; agingkearney.org. 
  • Blue Rivers: Beatrice, NE 68301; (402) 223-1376, toll free (888) 317-9417; braaa.org. 
  • Aging Partners: Lincoln, NE 68508 (402) 441-7070, toll free (800) 247-0938; aging.lincoln.ne.gov 
  • Eastern Nebraska: Omaha, NE 68105; (402) 444-6536, toll free (888) 554-2711; enoa.org. 

 

ACTIVE DUTY/VETERANS LEGAL ASSISTANCE RESOURCES 

ABA Home Front: www.abahomefront.org 

ABA Home Front provides legal information, resources, and a directory of legal programs for veterans, service members, and military families. Programs include military legal assistance offices, lawyer referral and information services, and military-specific programs where available. 

 

ABA Military Pro Bono Project: www.militaryprobono.org 

The ABA Military Pro Bono Project accepts case referrals from military attorneys on behalf of junior-enlisted, active-duty military personnel facing civil legal issues, and it works to place these cases with pro bono attorneys. 

ABA Federal Free Legal Answers: abafederal.freelegalanswers.org/ 

Members of the public can post questions related to immigration and veterans’ matters which may be answered by volunteer attorneys. To post a question, site users must verify their email address and provide information about their income. 

 

INFORMATION FOR PERSONS AFFECTED BY COVID-19  

Legal Aid of Nebraska’s Disaster Relief Hotline offers free legal assistance on legal issues to persons affected by COVID-19 and is partnering with VLP to provide services through a network of volunteer lawyers across Nebraska. 

If you are in need of legal assistance related to the Novel Coronavirus, you can apply for assistance online by going to http://lawhelp.org , or by calling the Disaster Relief Hotline at 1- (844) 268-5627. 

For information and resources please visit https://www.legalaidofnebraska.org/how-we-help/resources/covid-19-coronavirus/ 

Help with Food, Shelter, Clothing, Medicine 

211 is a community resources hotline that is available to the public. Languages spoken are English, Spanish, Arabic and Vietnamese. Call or text 211, and you will be connected with an operator to provide information and offer referrals.  Hours are Monday through Friday 7am to 8pm and Saturday, 8am to 5pm.  If dialing 2-1-1 is not working, try calling 1 (866) 813-1731.  

 

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This information is provided as a helpful resource only.  It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for legal advice.  Understanding the law and the court process can be difficult and complex.  You should contact a lawyer licensed to practice law in Nebraska for legal advice about your legal problem. The Nebraska State Bar Association makes no endorsement of the quality of services provided by any of the organizations listed in this document.