Legal Aid Organizations
Housing & Economic Rights Advocates (HERA)
HERA is a California statewide, not-for-profit legal service and advocacy organization dedicated to helping Californians — particularly those most vulnerable — build a safe, sound financial future, free of discrimination and economic abuses, in all aspects of household financial concerns.
Contact Information:
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- Address: 610 16th Street, Suite 420, Oakland, CA 94612
HERA strongly encourages you to phone or email our Oakland office to make an appointment. If you drop-in, you will probably not be served on that day, but you are welcome to leave your name and contact information for a staffer to contact you at a future time. - Phone: 510-271-8443
- Fees: HERA works with low- and moderate-income California residents.
- Address: 610 16th Street, Suite 420, Oakland, CA 94612
Services offered:
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- Debt collection defense
- Predatory lending & abusive mortgage servicing
- Foreclosure defense
- Help with homeowners’ association problems
- Help building/improving credit
- Managing student loan debt
- Medical debt issues
East Bay Community Law Center
Consumer Justice & General Clinic Remote assistance only.
Contact Information:
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- Address: 2921 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703
- Phone: 510-548-4040
- Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Fees: Free for low-income litigants residing in Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, and Alameda.
Consumer Justice & General Clinic
The Consumer Justice program advocates for personal financial independence, stability, and empowerment. EBCLC provides free legal advice and assistance on:
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- Personal debt management (e.g. credit card debt)
- Personal debt lawsuits
- Student loans
- Credit reporting errors
- Identity theft
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Bay Area Legal Aid
Bay Area Legal Aid gives bankruptcy counseling and consumer debt advice.
Contact Information:
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- 1735 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94612
- Legal Advice Line: (510) 250-5270 Visit the Legal Advice Line page for clinic hours.
- Fees: Free for low-income litigants.
Services:
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- Debt collection defense
- Fair debt collection practices
- Bankruptcy counseling
- Foreclosure prevention
- Student loan discharge/restructuring
- Innocent spouse tax relief
Alameda County District Attorney, Consumer, Environmental & Worker Protection Division
The Consumer, Environmental & Worker Protection Division of the District Attorney’s Office focuses primarily on cases involving fraud (and other economic crimes), environmental violations, and unfair business practices.
Contact Information:
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- Address: 7677 Oakport St., Suite 650, Oakland, CA 94621
- Phone: 510-383-8600
- Email: askcepd-da@acgov.org
- Fees: Services are free for crime victims.
Services:
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- Investigate and prosecute economic crimes against consumers, identity theft, real estate fraud, and mortgage fraud.
- Offers no-cost voluntary mediation through its Consumer, Environmental and Worker Protection Division. The program is made available to all consumers and businesses located in or doing business in Alameda County.
Alameda County Court Self-Help Center
The Self-Help Center does not take walk-in patrons, but you may make an appointment to talk to someone in person. Contact the SHC via phone or chat to make an appointment. You can contact the Self-Help Center for help in the following ways:
LiveChat
Monday-Thursday, 9AM-12PM They may stop taking chats before the stated hours once they reach capacity.
Phones
Call: (510) 272-1393, Mon-Thurs, 2PM-4PM Voicemails can only be left during phone hours; Messages are returned within 5 business days.
English flyer describing Self-Help Center Services: (PDF, external) | Folleto Español (PDF, external)
Attorney Referrals
BALI: Bay Area Legal Incubator
Affordable legal services. Some attorneys offer sliding scale fees. In-take form available on website, and you can also read the profiles and get contact information for the BALI attorneys.
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- Address: 125 12th St. Oakland, CA Mezzanine Level
- BALI Website
Alameda County Bar Association Attorney Referral Service
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- Receive a match with a carefully pre-screened local lawyer qualified to help you with your legal needs. There is a $40 administrative fee, but the initial consultation with the attorney is free. If you want to hire the attorney, you will need to discuss that separately.
Phone: 510-302-2222 Option 4
- Receive a match with a carefully pre-screened local lawyer qualified to help you with your legal needs. There is a $40 administrative fee, but the initial consultation with the attorney is free. If you want to hire the attorney, you will need to discuss that separately.
The California State Bar hosts a certified lawyer referral service search page. The organizations are certified by the State Bar and can be identified by their State Bar certification number or mark in all advertising. Certified Lawyer Referral Services in California are managed by a variety of associations, legal service programs, and other organizations. They operate independently from the State Bar. You can also find certified services in your county.
Updated 4.21.2026
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