Where You Can Find Help

Legal Services Programs

If you have a legal problem or question, and you are low-income, the following organizations may be able to help:

Community Legal Services (CLS)
1424 Chestnut St. Philadelphia • 215-981-3700 
walk in: Mon.-Fri. 9AM-12 PM

CLS handles employment, housing, welfare, health care and other problems. Interpretation services into many languages are available, but please call in advance if possible.

Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA)
42 South 15th Street  Philadelphia PA • 215-981-3800
walk in: Mon. & Wed. 9AM-11:30 AM
phone in: Tues. & Thurs. 9:30AM-12 PM 

PLA handles unemployment compensation, medical assistance, custody, bankruptcy and other problems. Interpretation services are available, but please call in advance if possible. PLA cannot help undocumented immigrants. 

Friends of Farmworkers (FOF)
42 S 15th St, Suite 605, Philadelphia PA  • 215-733-0878 or 800-729-1607
phone in: Mon.-Fri. 10:30AM-5 PM

FOF handles employment issues mostly for people who work in agricultural, food processing and landscaping jobs. FOF handles minimum wage and wage payment problems, unsafe or unhealthy work conditions, and discrimination based on immigration status, race or sex. Spanish interpretation services are available. Interpretation services are also available for other languages, but please call in advance if possible.

Other Legal Services Programs

For information about other legal services programs in Pennsylvania go to:  http://www.palegalaid.net/

For information about legal services programs in New Jersey go to: http://www.lsnj.org/directory.htm


Private Employment Law Attorneys 

The National Employment Lawyers Association has a referral network of private employment law attorneys if you do not quailfy for free legal services programs. 

The Philadelphia Bar Association's Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) can also refer you to private attorneys with appropriate legal expertise.


Where You Can Find Help -- Immigration Problems

If you need to find a private immigration lawyer:

American Immigration Lawyers Association
Lawyer Referral Service
Telephone: 1-202-216-2438
Immigration Free or Low Cost Legal Services Providers:
If you cannot afford a private immigration lawyer because you are unemployed or have limited income, contact: 

HIAS and Council Migration Service 
2100 Arch Street, 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 832-0900
Fax: (215) 832-0919

Nationalities Service Center 
1216 Arch St., 4th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215) 893-8400
Fax: (215) 735-9718

Catholic Social Services 
Holy Family Center
227 North 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 854-7019
Fax: (215) 854-7020

Lutheran Children and Family Service 
5901 North 5th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19120-1824
Phone: (215) 276-7850
Fax: (215) 276-5533

PRIME- Ecumenical Commitment to Refugees
129 Owen Ave., P.O. Box 5
Lansdowne, PA 19050-0005
Phone: (610) 259-4500
Fax: (610) 259-4515 

Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC)
50 Mt. Zion Road
York, PA 17402
Phone: (717) 600-8099
Fax: (717) 600-8044 

The Immigration and Naturalization Services maintains a national list of organizations that have agreed to provide free or low cost assistance in immigration matters.

For a local listing of other immigration resources go to: http://hiaspa.org/resources/local.htm


Additional Links and Resources

Making Wage Complaints

Complaints about unpaid wages in Pennsylvania may be made:

· through a lawyer, or 

· to the United States Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, or 

· the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Bureau of Labor Law Compliance


United States Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division

Pennsylvania Offices
 


Philadelphia District Office
US Dept. of Labor
Wage & Hour Division
US Custom House, Room 400
Second & Chestnut Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Phone: (215) 597-4950
Fax: (215) 597-4949

Stewart Bostic
District Director
Pittsburgh District Office
US Dept. of Labor
Wage & Hour Division
Federal Building
1000 Liberty Ave., Suite 1416 
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Phone: (412) 395-4996
Fax: (412) 395-5772

John DuMont
District Director
Wilkes Barre District Office
US Dept. of Labor
Wage & Hour Division
7 North Wilkes Barre Blvd.
Stegmaier Bldg. Suite 373M
Wilkes Barre, PA 18702-5284

Phone: (570) 826-6316
Fax: (570) 821-4186

Alfonso J. Gristina
District Director


Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry

Bureau Of Labor Law Compliance

Addresses:

Harrisburg

1302-A Labor & Industry Bldg  
651 Boas Street
Harrisburg, PA 17121
(717) 705-5969 or 1-800-932-0665

Fax:  (717) 787-0517

Pittsburgh

301 5th Avenue
Room 3300
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 565-5300 or 1-877-504-8354

Altoona: 1-877-792-8198

Philadelphia

110 North 8th Street, Suite 203
Philadelphia, PA 19130-4064
(215) 560-1858

Scranton

201-B State Office Building
100 Lackawanna Avenue
Scranton, PA 18503-1923
(570) 963-4577 or 1-877-214-3962

The form for making wage complaints to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry is available on the internet. An online form for submission is available in English and in Spanish at the PALI web site. Click here to open it. You can get information from the state at its website:   http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/labor_law_compliance/10515

Unemployment Insurance Claims

For information on Unemployment Insurance Claims click here.