Inland Counties Legal Services

Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS) pursues justice and equality for low-income people through counsel, advice, advocacy, and community education, treating all with dignity and respect.

ICLS has provided free civil legal services to communities across the Inland California region helping keep them housed, employed, naturalized, free from violence, and enrolled in vital public benefits and health care programs for more than 60 years. Last year ICLS provided direct legal services to more than 8,881 people in need, closing 15,000+ cases and impacting 39,000+ low-income people throughout our service area. We've grown from our humble beginnings as a 100% volunteer-attorney led organization with a single location in Riverside, to become the largest, most comprehensive civil legal services provider in our region. ICLS has nine specialized legal practice groups that include Housing, Health Law, Immigration, Consumer, Elder Law, Public Benefits/Education, Family Law/Domestic Violence, and Systemic/Impact Litigation. 

ICLS also has a thriving volunteer attorney program (Pro Bono) with over 500 attorneys from nearly 40 law firms and corporate legal departments across the country dedicating 5,000+ hours annually. Our pro bono program has grown around community need, assisting in areas that support underserved small business owners, small local non-profits, LGBTQIA+ community members, folx impacted by natural disasters, formerly justice-involved individuals, and families struggling to adjust to the everyday legal challenges associated with kinship care.  

Our Impact in Coachella Valley

Last year, nearly 1 in 10 of our clients called Coachella Valley home.  Some of the most sought out services included help with consumer debt, services for aging community members, family and domestic matters, and housing.

In addition to our extended services, ICLS is also active in the community, providing several clinics and different outreach events to serve low-income and underserved residents on a regular basis. Some of our most well attended and impactful community-based events include:

• A twice a week housing clinic and a weekly consumer (bankruptcy and debt) clinic at the Palm Springs Court House.
• Recurring outreach events serving seniors in Indio, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Coachella and surrounding areas.
• A monthly legal workshop on Health Law, in partnership with Molina Healthcare at their One Stop Health Center in Indio.

Finally, ICLS has a Systemic and Impact Litigation Practice Group, whose mission is to challenge unlawful policies, procedures, and practices that prevent indigent people from improving their lives. We focus on access to public benefits, preservation of low-income housing, and cases that will have a broad impact in the Inland Empire community overall. We have several active cases in the Valley now. 

Testimonials

"Being poor is genuinely one of the most expensive experiences--leaving little time to deal with and understand legal issues that affect vital quality of life--housing, health care, and more. ICLS is a necessary part of this community." ~ICLS Housing Practice Group Director, Attorney Veronica J. Garcia

"Going into the volunteer clinic, I was probably as nervous as the people waiting in line. It can be hard opening yourself to learning new things or going outside your usual type of law, but I was able to see how much just 30 minutes of our time could bring such hope to a client. Now that I have volunteered once, I know I will come back again and again." ~ICLS Volunteer and Board Member, Attorney Rebecca Eckley

"The attorneys were so patient and thorough. They listened and gave me information that empowered me!"~ICLS Small Business Client