Programwide Overview

For over thirty-five years, Northwestern Legal Services (NWLS) has provided free legal aid in civil cases to low-income individuals and families throughout our program region.  We currently serve 10 counties in northwestern Pennsylvania (Cameron, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango, and Warren Counties) through six staffed offices located in Bradford, Erie, Farrell, Franklin, Meadville and Warren, Pennsylvania.  In addition to the direct representation and counsel provided to clients by NWLS law workers, our central intake unit offers telephone consultations and brief service whenever appropriate. NWLS also coordinates an extensive program of private attorney (pro bono) involvement, and facilitates pro se (self-help) clinics in matters such as divorce and custody arrangements.  We also serve our clients through community legal education and outreach, as well as emerging technologies such as the Internet.