Obtaining Legal Services

LCA exclusively provides assistance to individuals and organizations in the arts field facing legal issues in Illinois. If you don’t fall into any of these categories, please visit our Helpful Links page for information on alternative legal service organizations.

The process begins with a confidential online application, where you’ll provide details about yourself and your legal needs. This includes financial information, which helps us determine your eligibility for pro bono (free) legal assistance. To meet the requirements of our volunteer attorneys and funders, we are committed to offering pro bono services only to clients who qualify financially. However, we are open to considering special circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

If you qualify, any volunteer attorney who agrees to assist you will not charge legal fees. However, you will be responsible for any out-of-pocket expenses, such as court costs, filing fees, or registration fees. If you do not qualify for pro bono assistance, we can connect you with attorneys specializing in your area of need who may offer reduced rates for arts-related cases.

Application Fees

• $25 for individuals
• $75 for businesses or groups of two or more

Fees are payable by check, Visa, Mastercard, or Discover.
No fee will be collected until the initial intake is complete. Fee waivers are available for those in severe financial hardship.

Next Steps

Once we review your application, we will contact you by phone for additional information. If we cannot reach you by phone, we will follow up via email to schedule an appointment. To ensure a smooth process, please monitor both your email inbox and spam/junk folders, as important messages may occasionally be filtered there.

LCA acts as an educational resource and referral service, not as your legal counsel. Our role is to gather facts about your case and connect you with an appropriate attorney. In rare instances, our in-house attorneys may handle your case directly, which will be discussed with you if applicable.

Communication

Promptly notify LCA staff of any changes to your legal situation or contact information. If additional information is requested, your matter will not be referred until the requested details are received.

If your legal needs change or you no longer require assistance, notify LCA promptly. A new application may be required for a different legal issue.

For any questions about the application process, feel free to reach out to the Director of Operations at dritchie@law-arts.org.

Referral Process

Adverse Parties: If both sides of a legal dispute contact LCA, we will assist each qualified party independently. Mediation may require disclosing minimal information that both parties have sought our referral services. Confidentiality will be maintained unless explicitly permitted by the party providing the information.

Case List: After completing intake and paying your application fee, your matter will be added to our case list. This list is shared with our network of volunteer attorneys, who select cases based on their interests, expertise, and availability.

Timing: The referral process timeline depends on attorney availability and the complexity of your case. Matters involving disputes or litigation may take longer to place. While we strive to facilitate referrals as quickly as possible, the time required can vary significantly, ranging from a few days to many months.

Referrals are made only after a volunteer attorney has agreed to take on your matter. We cannot assign or require any attorney to represent you.

If you are dissatisfied with the referral timeline or secure representation elsewhere, you may request a refund of your application fee and ask to have your matter removed from our case list.

For time-sensitive matters, please refer to the “Emergencies” section below for additional guidance.

Scope of Representation: Volunteer attorneys agree to assist only with the specific legal matter discussed during your intake with LCA. They are not obligated to handle additional matters or serve as your general counsel.

If you require assistance with a different legal issue, you may return to LCA and submit a new application and pay the application fee for an additional referral.

Once referred, you will establish an attorney-client relationship directly with the volunteer attorney. LCA will not be involved in this relationship but remains available for follow-up if needed.

Working with Referred Attorneys: Once an attorney agrees to take your case, LCA will notify you and provide their contact information. It is your responsibility to reach out to the attorney.

If you are dissatisfied with the referred attorney, inform us, and we will add your matter back to the case list at no additional cost. You are not obligated to work with any specific attorney.

Emergencies

LCA cannot handle emergency legal matters. We are a small nonprofit that provides legal referrals and educational services. If your case involves urgent deadlines, please indicate this in your application. Additionally, we recommend seeking assistance from alternative sources, such as:

• Illinois Legal Aid Online
• The Chicago Bar Association
• The Illinois State Bar Association
• Chicago Volunteer Legal Services
• CARPLS

Additional Services

• Workshops: We offer educational programs, including nonprofit incorporation and tax exemption workshops held several times a year.
• Mediation: The Patricia Felch Arts Mediation Service provides a low-cost alternative to litigation for resolving disputes.
• Legal Areas: We provide assistance in various legal matters, including:
  • Corporate and business matters
  • Copyright and trademark
  • Contract drafting and negotiation
  • Dispute resolution and litigation
  • Nonprofit formation and tax exemption
  • Rights of privacy and publicity
  • Visa and immigration
  • Landlord-tenant issues
  • Employment law

Please note: We do not offer legal assistance for criminal or family law matters.

For Applicants Outside Illinois

Most of our volunteers are licensed in Illinois. If your legal needs involve parties or issues outside Illinois, we recommend finding a Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA) organization in your state.

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Are you an artist, an arts worker, or applying on behalf of an arts organization? *Please selectYesNo

Note

LCA exclusively provides assistance to individuals and organizations in the arts field facing legal issues. If you don't fall into any of these categories, please visit our HELPFUL LINKS page for information on alternative legal service organizations.

I have read and understand Lawyers for the Creative Arts’ Client Policies and Referral Procedures outlined above. *Please selectYes, I have read and understand the policies and procedures.No, I have not read or do not understand the policies and procedures.

Are you, the related arts organization, or the legal issue for which you seek assistance based in Illinois (IL)? *Please selectYesNo

Note

LCA primarily collaborates with lawyers certified to practice law within the state of Illinois. If none of the mentioned entities or issues are located in IL, kindly refer to our NATIONAL VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS DIRECTORY for assistance in other states.

Art-Related Activities *

• Dance
• Film and TV
• Literary
• Music
• Performance Art
• Theater
• Visual
• Other Arts Area

Other Art-Related Activity *

Please provide an overview of your artistic practice/ service to the artistic community, including your primary discipline(s) and medium(s) or your organization’s mission and work in the creative arts field. *

Contact Information

First Name *

Middle Name

Last Name *

Email *

Daytime Phone *

Mobile Phone (if different from Daytime Phone)

Demographic Information (Optional)

Race and EthnicityPrefer not to answerAmerican Indian or Alaska NativeAsianBlack or African AmericanNative Hawaiian or Other Pacific IslanderHispanic or LatinxWhite (Not Hispanic or Latinx)Other or Multiracial

AgePrefer not to answerLess than 1818-3435-5960+

Gender IdentityPrefer not to answerFemaleMaleNon-BinaryTransgender WomanTransgender ManAgender/I don't identify with any genderGender not listed

Mailing Address

Country *United StatesAfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBritish Virgin IslandsBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCaribbean NetherlandsCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongo (Brazzaville)Congo (Kinshasa)Cook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHondurasHong Kong S.A.R., ChinaHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacao S.A.R., ChinaMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorth KoreaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinian TerritoryPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint BarthélemySaint HelenaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint MaartenSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluU.S. Virgin IslandsUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVaticanVenezuelaVietnamWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe

Address 1 *

Address 2

City *

State: *IllinoisAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingAmerican SamoaGuamNorthern Mariana IslandsPuerto RicoU.S. Virgin IslandsDistrict of Columbia

County *CookAdamsAlexanderBondBooneBrownBureauCalhounCarrollCassChampaignChristianClarkClayClintonColesCrawfordCumberlandDekalbDewittDouglasDuPageEdgarEdwardsEffinghamFayetteFordFranklinFultonGallatinGreeneGrundyHamiltonHancockHardinHendersonHenryIroquoisJacksonJasperJeffersonJerseyJo DaviessJohnsonKaneKankakeeKendallKnoxLakeLaSalleLawrenceLeeLivingstonLoganMaconMacoupinMadisonMarionMarshallMasonMassacMcDonoughMcHenryMcLeanMenardMercerMonroeMontgomeryMorganMoultrieOglePeoriaPerryPiattPikePopePulaskiPutnamRandolphRichlandRock IslandSalineSangamonSchuylerScottShelbySt. ClairStarkStephensonTazewellUnionVermilionWabashWarrenWashingtonWayneWhiteWhitesideWillWilliamsonWinnebagoWoodford

ZIP code *

Business Information (Optional)

Business Name *

Indicate all business names, including stage or artist names, currently used or that you intend to use. If incorporated, give the name of the corporation. If your business is a not-for-profit corporation, give the name of the corporation and indicate if it has a 501(c)(3) tax exemption. Please limit your entry to 200 characters.

Business Website / URL

Please provide valid URL(s) with the starting https:// or http://

Type of Assistance

I am seeking legal counsel as a/an: *

• Individual
• Group of individuals or partnership
• Not-for-profit entity
• For Profit Entity - 2+ Owners
• For Profit Entity - Sole Owned

Do you seek pro bono (free), or reduced fee, legal assistance? *Please selectYesNo

How many people, including yourself, live in your household? *Please select1234567891011121314151617181920+

Additional Group Members

Have you applied for tax-exemption from the IRS? *Please selectYesNo

Did you receive your tax-exemption determination letter from the IRS *Please selectYesNo

Board Members

Registration Type *Please selectCorporationLimited Liability CompanyOther

Additional Shareholders or Members

State in which your business is registered: *IllinoisAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingAmerican SamoaGuamNorthern Mariana IslandsPuerto RicoU.S. Virgin IslandsDistrict of Columbia

Financial Information

Please provide your annual household income: *

Please enter only numerical values in this field. Do not include any symbols, letters, or other characters.

Please provide the combined household income of all partners and members of the group: *

Please enter only numerical values in this field. Do not include any symbols, letters, or other characters.

Please provide the combined gross revenue from your business and the total gross family incomes of the principals of the organization: *

Please enter only numerical values in this field. Do not include any symbols, letters, or other characters.

Please provide your non-profit's annual budget: *

Please enter only numerical values in this field. Do not include any symbols, letters, or other characters.

Did you file a tax return for the most recent tax year? *

• Yes
• No

Is your income limited to state or federal benefits, such as Social Security, SSI, disability or any similar benefit program? *

• Yes
• No

Monthly Benefit Payment *

Please enter only numerical values in this field. Do not include any symbols, letters, or other characters.

Do you have any special financial circumstances that affect your ability to pay? Please provide the amount below.

Extraordinary Medical Expenses:

Please enter only numerical values in this field. Do not include any symbols, letters, or other characters.

Student Loan Debt:

Please enter only numerical values in this field. Do not include any symbols, letters, or other characters.

Other special financial circumstances that impact your ability to pay for legal service:

Legal Issue

Requested Legal Assistance *

• Business Startup/Corporate
• Commercial Litigation
• Contracts
• Copyright Infringement
• Copyright Protection/Licensing
• Disputes
• Employment
• Estates
• Landlord-Tenant
• Not for Profit Advice
• Patent Protection
• Patent Infringement
• Personal Injury/Damage to Property
• Rights of Privacy and Publicity
• Trademark Infringement
• Trademark Protection
• Visa and Immigration
• Other Legal Area

Other Requested Legal Assistance *

The State in which your legal issue arises or occurred *IllinoisAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingDistrict of ColumbiaAmerican SamoaGuamNorthern Mariana IslandsPuerto RicoUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsVirgin Islands, U.S.

Briefly describe your legal issues *

Adverse or Additional Parties

Please list all individuals and companies involved in any way with your matter or legal issue. If your legal issue involves claims, litigation or other disputes, please provide the names of every person or company on both sides of the dispute. Similarly, if your legal issue relates to a business relationship, such as a partnership, contract, employment, or real estate matter, list all individuals and companies with any interest or involvement in that relationship. In addition to the name of the individual or company please provide the city and state where the person is located and the nature of the relationship to the matter.

Note that it sometimes happens that we receive a request for referral from individuals or entities that are adverse to other individuals or entities that separately contact us for referral on the same or related matter. In these situations, we will not disclose information provided by one applicant to the adverse applicant, and we will not disclose the fact that applicants who are adverse to one another have applied to us for legal help. We will attempt to expeditiously find separate referral counsel for each applicant that qualifies for our assistance.

Do you have adverse or additional parties you'd like to add to this application? *Please selectNoYes - 1 additional partyYes - 2 additional partyYes - 3 additional partyYes - 4 additional party

Additional Party 1

Name 1

Company 1

Location 1

Relation to Matter 1

Additional Party 2

Name 2

Company 2

Location 2

Relation to Matter 2

Additional Party 3

Name 3

Company 3

Location 3

Relation to Matter 3

Additional Party 4

Name 4

Company 4

Location 4

Relation to Matter 4

Have you already consulted an attorney in the matter? *

• Yes
• No

Other Attorney(s): *

How did you hear about LCA?Please selectFriendBoard MemberWord of MouthWebsiteSocial MediaAttorneyOther Art OrganizationEvent/SeminarMagazine/NewspaperOther Legal ServiceOther

Would you like to be a part of our mailing list and receive information on upcoming webinars, seminars, or events? *

• Yes
• No

Client Declaration: *

• To the best of my knowledge, all information provided in this Application is accurate and true. In addition, I have read, and I understand LCA’s Client Referral Policies and Procedures, and I agree with the terms stated therein.

• Client Referral Policies and Procedures
• Terms of Service

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