Request for Legal Assistance

What issues and types of cases does Earthjustice handle?

Earthjustice handles court and administrative impact litigation that involves environmental laws or issues and that have the potential to generate results and align with our mission. We generally do not handle private disputes. Rather, given our mission and limited resources, we take on high impact cases that provide the most benefit to the planet and the greatest number of people. Our work includes large-scale impact litigation and advocacy to:

  • Defend public lands, wildlife, and threatened ecosystems;
  • Clean up our air and water, protect human health, and reduce the impact of pesticides and toxic chemicals; and
  • Drive adoption of clean energy sources and reduce reliance on fossil fuels and petrochemicals.

Learn about our work in these practice areas.

What is Earthjustice unable to provide legal help with?

Earthjustice is not a general legal services or legal aid organization, and we generally do not assist individuals with private legal matters, such as individual property disputes.

For example, Earthjustice does not provide legal assistance regarding the following:

  • Criminal cases, including sentencing or post-conviction appeals
  • Complaints about an attorney, judge, or the police
  • Domestic or family law matters (domestic violence, divorce, child custody, visitation, and wills)
  • Denial of government benefits, such as disability, unemployment, or social security benefits
  • Employment matters, such as discrimination, payment of wages, or wrongful termination
  • Housing, including eviction and habitability issues
  • Individual property, inheritance, or tax matters. For example, we would not consider taking on a case that involves a development that obstructs a private property owner’s view. We may, however, consider taking on a case that involves an industrial development project that would increase air pollution and affect the health of a community at-large.
  • Medical malpractice
  • Residential development disputes

Please consider the above before submitting a request for legal services. Even if your issue falls within the above guidelines, submitting a request does not guarantee Earthjustice will provide legal assistance.

How can I request legal help from Earthjustice?

Submitting a request for legal assistance to Earthjustice does not mean that we have agreed or will agree to provide legal advice or represent you. Earthjustice cannot represent all those who request our services, and we typically need 3–4 weeks or longer to review requests for assistance. Therefore, if you are facing an upcoming court date or deadline, you should continue to seek legal assistance elsewhere while we review your inquiry. Your local bar association may have a lawyer referral service or similar program that may be able to assist you.

If you already have a lawyer, please ask your lawyer to reach out to Earthjustice on your behalf; legal ethics rules limit our ability to communicate with you directly.

Submit a request for assistance below. We will review your inquiry and will contact you by phone or email if we believe that we may be able to assist you.

A paper copy of the form to request legal assistance can be printed or obtained by calling our main number at (415) 217-2000 and requesting a form be mailed to you. Please be aware that submitting a request by postal mail will increase the amount of time it takes to respond to your request.

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