Anyone in Illinois with a question about a legal matter can call and talk to a lawyer – at no cost – on the 32^nd Annual Ask-A-Lawyer Day, Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) in cooperation with bar associations in Chicago, DuPage County, and Lake County, Ask-A-Lawyer day will have scores of lawyer volunteers responding to phone calls.

Illinois residents can call a toll-free number (or a local number in some areas) to receive a free phone consultation:

• The Chicago Bar Association – 312.554.2001
• DuPage County Bar Association – 630.653.7779
• Lake County Bar Association – 847.244.3143
• From anywhere in Illinois, call the Illinois State Bar Association – 800.252.8908 or 217.525.1760

Lawyer volunteers will be standing by to answer questions about consumer problems, family law, estate planning, personal injury, or any other legal situations affecting individuals. Callers will be advised of steps they can take to resolve their legal problems and, if they need additional legal services, they will be advised to see their lawyer. If they don’t have a lawyer, they can receive a referral to a lawyer who practices in their area through the referral service offered by participating bar associations.

“People often have legal questions and don’t know where to turn,” said John E. Thies, of Urbana, president of the Illinois State Bar Association. “Ask A Lawyer Day provides an easy way for the public to get information about how best to address a legal problem.”

Each of the bar associations operates a lawyer referral service for people who need legal services but do not have a lawyer.  Lawyers contacted through a referral service provide an initial consultation at a nominal cost. Also, lawyers can be found online at one of these bar association websites:

http://www.chicagobar.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Need_a_Lawyer  (Chicago)

http://www.dcba.org/for-the-public/how-to-find-a-lawyer/find-a-lawyer (DuPage County)

http://www.lakebar.org/find-a-lawyer (Lake County)

http://www.illinoislawyerfinder.com (statewide)

The 32,000-member ISBA (isba.org), with offices in Springfield and Chicago, provides professional services to Illinois lawyers, and education and services to the public through a website (illinoislawyerfinder.com), a cable television program (“Illinois Law”), consumer brochures, and distribution of legal information.