The Chicago Bar Association sponsors a non-profit Lawyer Referral Service (LRS). The service refers individuals and businesses to local attorneys in Chicago, and the surrounding areas of Cook County, DuPage County, and Lake County, Illinois.
More than 300 pre-screened attorneys participate in the Lawyer Referral Service for their experience and to confirm the adequacy of coverage in Professional Liability (Malpractice Insurance). These attorneys serve on more than 40 different subject matter panels depending on their experience in the needed practice area.
The attorneys that participate in the service have an average of 20 years of experience and are throughout Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Referrals can also be made to attorneys on the panels that speak a foreign language if requested. Even after the referral, the service continually evaluates the attorneys for customer satisfaction.
The Lawyer Referral Service in Chicago is recognized by the American Bar Association for meeting its Standards for Lawyer Referral.
Contact Information:
The Chicago Bar AssociationMore than 300 attorneys participate in the Chicago Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service. These attorneys concentrate in more than 40 different types of law. When you call the service you will talk with a referral counselor about your legal concern. The conversation is confidential. You will be asked several questions to help the referral counselor determine whether an attorney is needed and which type of attorney would be best for your particular case.
After being referred to the attorney, you can then contact the attorney for a 30-minute consultation at no additional charge. You must pay a $30 consultation fee to the attorney at the time of the consultation. During the consultation, you can discuss your legal concerns and the attorney fees required for additional representation.
If you retain the attorney then the attorney must remit to the Chicago Bar Association 15% of all legal fees obtained as a result of the referral. To use the service, the individual must agree to the following release of any claim against the Chicago Bar Association or its Lawyer Referral Service:
I HEREBY RELEASE THE CBA, ITS LRS, AND ANY OF THEIR OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND LRS COMMITTEE MEMBERS FROM ANY LIABILITY, LOSSES, DAMAGES, CLAIMS, CAUSES OF ACTION, INTEREST, EXPENSES, COSTS, AND ATTORNEYS' FEES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS REFERRAL OR MY REPRESENTATION BY THE ATTORNEY.
The lawyer referral services has special panels including:
The special experience panels for the lawyer referral service managed by the Chicago Bar Association include:
The CBA also has three Limited Scope Referral Panels for attorneys offering "unbundled" legal services (primarily for clients with modest means) that cover the following practice areas:
Additional Resources
Chicago Bar on Facebook - Visit the Facebook page to learn more about Chicago Bar Association to learn more about CLE seminars and upcoming events including the Annual Bar Show and Moot Court Competition. Find information on programs managed by the CBA including the Call A Lawyer Program, Career Advancement Program, and lawyer referral service.
Illinois State Bar Association - The Illinois State Bar Association is a non-profit and voluntary-membership association with more than 30,000 members who are lawyers. As a voluntary bar association, the ISBA has no statutory or regulatory role relating to the registration or discipline of attorneys in Illinois. Instead, complaints and disciplinary actions against attorneys are handled by the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission.
Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission - Effective on February 1, 1973, the Illinois Supreme Court established the ARDC as an administrative agency charged with assisting the Court in the regulation of the legal profession in Illinois. The Court adopted Regulatory Objectives for the Provision of Legal Services in 2017. Use the lawyer search feature to confirm an attorney's good standing, search for lawyers not currently authorized to practice due to recent status changes, or for new admittees.
If you need to find an attorney in Chicago, or the surrounding areas throughout Cook County, DuPage County, or Lake County, Illinois, then consider the benefits of using a Lawyer Referral Service.
The Lawyer Referral Service of the Chicago Bar Association has helped thousands of individuals find a qualified local attorney with experience in the needed practice area.
At Lawyer Legion, we understand the importance of Lawyer Referral Services sponsored by local bar associations throughout the State of Illinois.
This article was last updated on Friday, January 31, 2020.
