The Legal Help Center is a free service offered by the Volunteer Legal Services Program of the Bar Association of San Francisco to provide information and limited-scope legal assistance to pro se litigants who have civil matters before the San Francisco or Oakland divisions of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

The Legal Help Center is located on the 15th Floor of the Federal Courthouse, Room 2796 and is staffed by an attorney employed by the Volunteer Legal Services Program (“VLSP”) of the San Francisco Bar Association and all services are provided in San Francisco. The Legal Help Center is a project of the Bar Association of San Francisco and functions independently from the U.S. District Court; the staff attorney is not a court employee. The center's regular office hours are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm – 6:00 pm.

The Help Center’s attorney will provide litigants with information about their legal rights and responsibilities, information about the court procedures applicable to their cases, limited-scope legal advice, help preparing simple pleadings, and referrals to legal, social, and government services. If a litigant seeks help from the Legal Help Center, he/she will still represent him/herself. The attorney at the Legal Help Center can provide information, advice, and basic legal help but cannot represent litigants as their lawyer.

Any litigant who is representing him/herself in the San Francisco or Oakland divisions of Northern District of California, or who is considering filing a complaint in those divisions, may seek help at the Center. This service is not available to litigants who have legal representation. The litigant may sign up for a 45-minute appointment up to two weeks in advance in the appointment book located on the table outside the door of the Center. He/she may only sign up for one appointment at a time. Litigants should check the appointment book for availability. Appointments may be scheduled in person at the Legal Help Center on the 15th floor or by phone at (415) 782-9000 x8657.


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