Welcome to
Prairie State Legal Services
Since 1977, Prairie State Legal Services (PSLS) has fought to achieve equal justice for people living in poverty across 36 counties in Northern and Central Illinois. We operate 11 offices, with locations in Bloomington, Galesburg, Joliet, Kankakee, Moline, Ottawa, Peoria, Rockford, Waukegan, West Suburban (West Chicago), and Woodstock. PSLS celebrates more than 45 years of service to those in need.
Our Work
We dedicate our work to individuals and families who have depleted resources for basic human needs, ultimately securing safe housing, food, income, and personal safety.
Client Success Stories
Meet Deborah, a Illinoisan who struggles with mental health and substance abuse challenges. Deborah received a notice terminating her Section 8 housing voucher due to several incidents relating to her behavior. If Debora…
A Helping Hand for Deborah
Meet Zach. When Zach was in his late teens, he made a mistake and ended up with a felony conviction for cannabis on his record. Zach shared that this happened during a challenging time in his life – both emotionall…
Opening the Doors for Zach
Meet Janice, an older adult with a disability and a non-English speaker. Janice is a victim of fraud and identity theft, which led to more than $40,000 in unauthorized credit card debt. Janice turned to PSLS for help fig…
A Voice for Janice
Meet Melissa, a newly divorced woman who recently obtained a green card! PSLS staff were key in helping Melissa get to this point in her life. Several years ago, PSLS helped Melissa obtain an order of protection against…
A Fresh Start for Melissa
Meet Eloise, a wheelchair user who has lived in an independent living facility for several years. In the past, the facility’s HVAC unit broke down earlier than expected, because residents kept their doors open. Now…
High-Quality Legal Services for Eloise
Meet Blake, a man in his 20s who lives with his girlfriend. Blake is battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. He recently grew concerned about the safety of his apartment because of flooding issues. Blake’s doc…
A Safe Home for Blake
Meet Delilah, a middle schooler who has lived with her foster family for three years. Delilah loves band class, but is struggling academically due to ADHD and unmet social emotional needs. Delilah’s foster parents…
An IEP for Delilah
Meet Paula, who lives in a Section 8 housing apartment. Paula’s landlord recently served her an eviction notice, alleging rule violations. That is when Paula turned to PSLS for help avoiding eviction and losing her…
A Home for Paula
Meet Laila, a young lady who grew up in a tight-knight, religious community. Unfortunately, Laila also grew up in an abusive home. Laila moved out of her childhood home after an incident of abuse, and got an order of pro…
A Safer Life for Laila
Meet Alicia, a working mother in her 40s with a disability. Alicia has received Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for nearly two decades. Recently, Alicia stopped receiving the SSDI benefit because of an overp…
High-Quality Legal Services for Alicia
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Prairie State Legal Services provides free legal help to people who need it most and can afford it least.
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