Founded in 1966 by the Philadelphia Bar Association, CLS has provided free civil legal assistance to more than one million low-income Philadelphians. As the City’s oldest and largest legal services program, CLS represented approximately 10,000 clients in the past year. CLS assists clients when they face the threat of losing their homes, incomes, health care, and even their families. CLS attorneys and other staff provide a full range of legal services, from individual representation to administrative advocacy to class action litigation, as well as community education and social work. CLS is nationally recognized as a model legal services program.
Community Legal Services attorneys put forth a call to action for other nonprofits serving immigrant groups: Work together, or fail in reaching your mission.