Other Sources of Legal Help
Unfortunately, the Student Press Law Center bylaws only allow us to provide legal help and information to student journalists ( and those working on their behalf) who have media law related problems or questions (e.g., libel, copyright law, censorship, open records/meetings, etc.).
If you are looking for low-cost or free legal help on another matter, we suggest you contact your local Legal Aid Society, whose number is usually listed in your telephone book, or the legal aid clinic at a local law school. If you have a civil rights-related problem, you may want to contact your local affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. If you simply need help finding an attorney with experience in a particular area, you should contact your state's bar association, most of which provide a free referral service. A listing of state bar associations and other recognized referral services can be found online at the American Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service.
Additionally, there are a number of law-related sites on the Internet that may help you research your problem or question on your own. Some of our favorites:
Cornell University Legal Information Institute: Legal research site
Findlaw.com: Legal research site.
Nolo Press: A great source for nonlawyers looking for assistance in handling their own legal matters. Nolo publishes many useful books and provides online information on most common legal isues.
Thomas: Library of Congress search engine (good source for information on federal legislation)
Finally, there are quite a few commercial Web sites that allow you to confer with a lawyer, obtain standard legal documents or research a legal topic. Many of these operate on a fixed or flat-fee basis. We've listed a few of them here for informational purposes only. We have no direct knowledge about the quality of information or service provided by any of these companies and their listing here should not be interpreted as an endorsement by the Student Press Law Center. Among them:
Best wishes,
The Student Law Press Center