Resources for Legal Assistance

Last updated: 4/1/26

Legal Assistance Resources

Details: For nearly 50 years, Iowa Legal Aid has strengthened Iowa families through vital support in housing, domestic violence, and income-related issues. We don’t just provide legal assistance—we help solve problems, offering a hand up, not a handout, to Iowans working to build better lives. This stability ripples outward, supporting stronger communities and a stronger Iowa. At Iowa Legal Aid, our clients reflect vulnerable populations across the state who face serious barriers to justice. Most live at or below 125% of the federal poverty level and are coping with challenges like unemployment, disability, or the rising cost of basic needs. Many live in rural areas with limited access to help. These demographics highlight the financial and systemic gaps Iowa Legal Aid works to close every day.

Details: The Iowa Office of Civil Rights works to provide impartial, efficient, and fact-driven investigative analyses of discrimination complaints filed in Iowa. Discrimination is the unfair treatment of an individual because of a personal characteristic. The Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965 prohibits these types of practices. Anyone who believes that they have been discriminated against may file with the IOCR. The IOCR is a neutral, objective, law enforcement agency. Help is available to either party upon request. Before filing a complaint, review where The Iowa Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination.

Details: Attorneys listed in this directory charge $25 or less for up to 30 minutes of initial consultation. The Iowa State Bar Association Find A Lawyer a directory provided by The Iowa Bar Association (ISBA) to assist the public in locating and selecting a lawyer. All lawyers listed in the directory are ISBA members who have given their permission to have their names published in this directory by areas in which they practice. All practice areas listed were selected by the lawyer and not by the ISBA. The ISBA does not recommend or endorse the services of those listed, nor does the omission of others from this directory imply a negative assessment, evaluation or recommendation whatsoever.

Details: The Victim Assistance Section (formerly known as the Crime Victim Assistance Division) was established in 1989. It provides essential funding and survivor-centered training to support victims of violent crime in Iowa. The Victim Assistance Section administers programs that directly benefit victims of crime, including those that assist victims with the financial burden resulting from violent crime, that assist local crime victim service programs, and that assist the criminal justice system in holding offenders responsible for the effects of their crimes. Funds for these programs come primarily from fines and penalties paid for by state and federal criminals.

Details: The Youth Law Center is dedicated to advocating on behalf of children and youth who are abused and neglected, educating youth, and promoting statewide policies that positively impact Iowa's children