Legal Aid and Support Organizations
National Resources
- National Legal Aid & Defender Association: Find legal aid in your area
- The Innocence Project: For wrongful convictions
- ACLU: Civil liberties advocacy and legal support
- National H.I.R.E. Network: Employment resources for people with records
Expungement and Record Sealing
- Clean Slate Initiative: Automatic record clearance information by state
- Collateral Consequences Resource Center: State-by-state guides on record relief
- Legal Aid Society: Many local chapters offer expungement clinics
Employment Rights
- National Employment Law Project: “Ban the box” resources
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: File discrimination complaints
- State labor departments: Know your state’s fair chance hiring laws
Housing Support
- National Alliance to End Homelessness: Housing resources for people with records
- Local fair housing organizations: Challenge discriminatory housing practices
- HUD: Federal housing discrimination complaint process
Harm Reduction and Drug Policy Reform
- Drug Policy Alliance: Advocacy for drug policy reform
- National Harm Reduction Coalition: Resources and support
- Filter Magazine: Drug user health and advocacy
Sex Worker Rights and Support
- Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP): Advocacy and peer support
- National Survivor Network: By and for trafficking survivors
- Red Umbrella Fund: Global sex worker rights
Mental Health and Crisis Support
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- NAMI: Mental health support and education
Know Your Rights Resources
- Flex Your Rights: Videos and guides on police encounters
- Electronic Frontier Foundation: Digital rights
- National Lawyers Guild: Legal observer training and rights education
State-Specific Resources
Check your state bar association for:
- Free legal clinics
- Pro bono attorney referrals
- Self-help legal resources
- Court navigator programs
Note: This is a starting point. Always verify current resources and contact information. Laws and available services vary significantly by location.