While Legal Aid will ask more specific questions during our intake interview, please keep in mind that clients with current legal issues should be referred. 

In order for Legal Aid to provide anything more than a helpful referral or general legal information, we have eligibility requirements for (1) Income; (2) Assets; and (3) Immigrant Eligibility. For our general guidelines on case referrals, feel free to check out our Referral guidance for All Community Partners.

Current Legal Issue: 

Make sure the person's need is present on the screener. 

If you aren’t sure, reach out to the team for a consult before placing a referral, or review our self-help resources for additional guidance. In many situations, Legal Aid attorneys can provide legal information for you to convey to your patient or their families without the need for a referral. 

Below are some common examples of things we are not able to help with: 

• Legal Aid cannot help with situations that do not present an "active" legal issue. While applying for public benefits is a need many patients face, this is not a legal issue, unless the application has been pending longer than the legal time limit. If a patient is denied* benefits or their benefits are being stopped or lowered, that is a legal issue we can help with. Similarly, many patients struggle with finding safe and affordable housing – that, in and of itself, is not a legal issue.  
• Legal Aid cannot assist with active criminal proceedings (but can help with expungements).

Make sure the person is ready to consult with an attorney. Often they are not ready to take that step, or wants to try to resolve an issue on their own. 

*One exception is SSI/SSDI applications and related appeals, as there are a lot of private attorneys who handle those cases. We can advise and/or represent on cases there isn’t a private market for, like terminations of benefits and overpayments. If you have patients who need advice on whether to apply, or ask for representation on the appeal of an application (which we highly recommend getting), please feel free to provide them this list of attorneys as a resource. 

Existing MLP & OBBO Partners: Please submit referrals using the e-referral form. 

Opioid Crisis Response Project Partners: Please submit referrals using this e-referral form.

We recommend completing the e-referral with the person whenever possible. They can also complete the screening and referral themselves on an iPad.

Note: Right now, the e-referral is only available in English. 

• If completing with a patient, we have clinic flyers, screeners, and ROIs available for reference in Arabic, French, Nepali, Somali, and Spanish. 
• We also will (TBD) have the MLP screener and ROI in video form, available in each of these languages. 

If using paper, please transfer the information into the online e-referral form after meeting with the patient.

If you are not completing the e-referral with the client present, make sure you have oral consent. We will not be able to process referrals without a completed release of information.

Explain to patients what will happen next, and give them a copy of the screening tool cover sheet, which explains what to expect from the intake process and scope of Legal Aid services:

Intake will text--most often, but not always,  from (614) 333-0853--to let them know we are trying to reach them. 

Intake will call within three (3) business days. Clients should be ready for that call with information like: 

• Case numbers, letters, pictures, or names of people who can help.  
• Deadlines, court dates, person, court, or agency involved in the situation. 
• How we can help depends on things like the kind of case, how many clients we have at the time, what has happened so far, and what kind of help the patient wants.  If the patient’s case is an area we do not practice in, we may refer them to other attorneys or organizations. 

Our goal is to help people who can't afford a lawyer. Intake will ask questions about their family, income, and immigration status to make sure they are eligible for LASCO services.

If you have any questions, please reach out. Thank you for all you do for our community!