The DC Victim Hotline has compiled a list of frequently needed resources related to legal services. This is not an exhaustive list of options available to you. The resources listed consist of both national and local resources. If you are interested in resources in jurisdictions other than the District of Columbia (such as Maryland and Virginia) please visit VictimConnect Resource Center.
For an individualized plan, please reach out to a DC Victim Hotline Victim Service Specialist, here.
DC Resources
The Legal Aid Society of DC: Legal Aid provides free or low cost legal services to those in poverty in the District. Apply online or call 202-727-2132.
Victim Legal Network of DC (VLNDC): VLNDC, a project of Volare, is a network of legal service providers in DC that provide legal assistance to survivors of crime in DC. With a network of over 25 different legal service organizations, VLNDC provides survivors support with a wide variety of issues, including (but not limited to) family law, immigration, debt collection, housing, protection orders, and crime victims’ rights. When a survivor contacts VLNDC, we strive to connect them to any member organizations that may be able to assist them with their pending legal needs. If we’re unable to assist, we provide the survivor with other resources to explore. Call 202-629-1788.
Volare: Volare provides free, holistic, and trauma-informed advocacy, legal, and therapeutic services to survivors of any type of crime in the District of Columbia. We believe in survivor-defined care, healing, and justice. This means that only survivors can make decisions about what healing and justice look like for them. Volare provides resources and support to survivors making those decisions. Call at 202-742-1727.
Ayuda: provides legal, social, and language services to help low-income immigrants in our neighborhoods access justice and transform their lives. Ayuda’s attorneys provide free family law, protection order and crime victims’ rights legal services to low-income, immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Call 202-387-4848
Volunteer Legal Advocates: Volunteer Legal Advocates (formerly DC Volunteer Lawyers Project) is ending the cycle of violence for survivors and children through pro bono legal aid. We provide free legal representation in protection orders, family law, and immigration cases and operate walk-in clinics throughout Washington, DC, and Montgomery County, MD, to expand access to justice. Powered by a dedicated network of volunteer attorneys and advocates, we help thousands across our community build safer and more stable futures at no cost to them. Together, we create lasting change and empower individuals to reclaim their lives with dignity and hope. Learn more at VolunteerLegalAdvocates.org.
Break the Cycle: provides telephone intake and legal advice in Civil Protection Order, custody and child support matters. They are also providing advocacy assistance and information in criminal witness advocacy, Title IX and social service support matters. These services are available to youth ages 12 – 24 who have experienced dating abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Call 202-849-6282 or email at [email protected].
Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment & Appeals Project (DV LEAP): DV LEAP, a project of Volare, is a national leader in appellate advocacy on behalf of survivors. When survivors of domestic violence, dating abuse, sexual assault, or stalking face harmful or unjust outcomes in court, DV LEAP helps them take the next step by appealing.
The Amara Legal Center: provides legal intakes and referrals for anyone who has traded sex for money or any other benefit, whether their involvement in commercial sex was by choice, coercion, or circumstance. Amara is currently accepting phone intakes and referrals through our hotline number: (240) 257-6492, through email at: [email protected], and via their website.
Bread for the City: Bread for the City’s Legal Clinic provides advice and representation in family law, housing, immigration law to DC residents living with low-income. Call 202-386-7616 for intake.
National Resources
The National Crime Victim Bar Association: the nation’s first professional association of attorneys and expert witnesses dedicated to helping victims seek justice through the civil system
Women’sLaw.org: provides legal information to help support women in domestic violence situations. They have helpful content on their site as well as an email helpline.
LawHelp.org: LawHelp.org has been created for people living on low-incomes and the legal organizations that serve them. LawHelp.org provides referrals to local legal aid and public interest law offices, basic information about legal rights, court forms, self-help information, court information, links to social service agencies, and more in your state.
FindLAW: The FindLaw Lawyer Directory features detailed profiles of attorneys from across the United States. If you haven’t hired an attorney before, you may want to consult FindLaw’s Guide to Hiring a Lawyer and Guide to the U.S. Legal System.
VictimLaw: VictimLaw is a searchable database of victims’ rights legal provisions including federal, state, and territorial statutes, tribal laws, state constitutional amendments, court rules, administrative code provisions, and summaries of related court decisions and attorney general opinions.
ABA Free Legal Answers: Free Legal Answers is a virtual legal advice clinic. Qualifying users post their civil legal questions to their state’s website. Users will then be emailed when their question receives a response.
Injury Claim Coach: Learn what you need to support your calculations for pain and suffering and how to increase your total injury compensation.
National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI): NCVLI provides general information on our website about the rights of crime victims and also provides referral information to other agencies that may be able to provide direct assistance. NCVLI does not, however, provide legal advice to victims, cannot conduct research on individual victim’s cases, and cannot serve as an individual victim’s attorney. NCVLI’s Victim Resource Map is a tool for victims with links to organizations that provide aid, information, and support directly to victims of crime. NCVLI’s Victim Law Library contains victims’ rights laws, organized by jurisdiction, and legal publications about crime victims’ rights.
VINELink: Visit VINELink for additional victims’ rights information, state-specific resources, and to register to be notified of your offenders’ custody status changes.
More Resources & Information
Visit our Criminal and Civil Law page, Civil Protection Order, and Victim Rights pages for more relevant information.
