Free legal services and lawyers in Mississippi
Free legal help in Mississippi is divided by geography. North Mississippi Rural Legal Services covers the northern 39 counties, and the Mississippi Center for Legal Services covers the central and southern 43. Which call center to contact depends on the county your case is in, so the first step is knowing which half that is.
Both firms handle civil matters only, which means criminal charges go to a public defender instead. Mississippi also has statewide programs on top of the two regional firms, including a free website where a volunteer Mississippi attorney may answer your legal question by email.
North Mississippi Rural Legal Services - the northern 39 counties
North Mississippi Rural Legal Services, or NMRLS, is the non-profit law firm for the northern half of the state. Its territory takes in the Delta plus the areas around Southaven, Oxford, Tupelo, Corinth, Columbus, Starkville, Greenwood, Greenville, and Clarksdale.
New clients apply by calling 1-800-898-8731 and following the prompts or see the website at https://nmrls.com/. The call center is normally open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 in the morning to 3:30 in the afternoon, and the online application is listed as temporarily closed, so the phone line is currently how new clients apply.
Mississippi Center for Legal Services - the central and southern 43 counties
The Mississippi Center for Legal Services, often shortened to MCLSC, serves central and southern Mississippi. That covers the Jackson metro area, the Gulf Coast, and the areas around Hattiesburg, Meridian, Vicksburg, Natchez, and McComb, with staffed offices in several of those cities.
Call the intake hotline at 1-800-519-2915 or see https://mscenterforlegalservices.org/. The older call center number of 1-800-498-1804 still appears across the firm's own website, so try it if the new line does not connect. Intake normally runs Monday through Thursday from 9:30 to 3:30, and both firms close for major holidays.
An intake worker usually approves or denies the application during that first call. Callers cannot leave a message, and hanging up means losing your place in line. Some cases then go to a local office for a closer look before the firm decides whether to take them on.
What the two legal aid firms may help with
Evictions and other landlord problems are a major part of both firms' work. A lawyer may explain the notice you received, respond to the court case, or challenge an illegal lockout or a refusal to make repairs. Money to catch up on rent is a separate system, and the eviction prevention and rehousing in Mississippi page covers those programs.
The firms may also take foreclosure prevention cases, along with consumer problems such as debt collection lawsuits, garnishments, and predatory loans. An attorney may also contest a utility disconnection that appears to break the rules.
Public benefits cases are another area, and a lawyer may help with denied or cut off SNAP food stamps, Medicaid, TANF, Social Security, and SSI disability claims. Appeals of these decisions run on short deadlines, so calling soon after a denial letter arrives matters.
Survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault may get help with protection orders, custody, and divorce. The Mississippi Center for Legal Services states that some of its funding carries no income test for survivors, and the same is true for people age 60 and older.
Senior cases include wills, powers of attorney, guardianship, and problems such as nursing home disputes or elder financial abuse. Both firms handle senior matters as staffing and funding allow, which is worth knowing since older Mississippians may qualify even above the normal income limits.
Income limits and other rules
The baseline income limit at both firms is 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, based on household size. Eligibility may go up to 200 percent of poverty when special circumstances exist, and there are also limits on assets such as savings and property other than your home.
The help itself is free, though a client may still owe court costs such as a filing fee or a process server. The firms generally cannot take a court appearance scheduled for the same day someone applies, so call as early in the problem as you can.
Ask a Mississippi lawyer a question online for free
Mississippi was one of the first states in the country to run a Free Legal Answers website, found at https://ms.freelegalanswers.org/. A person who qualifies creates an account and posts a civil legal question, and a volunteer Mississippi attorney may reply with advice by email at no charge.
The service is generally for adults with household income under 200 percent of the poverty level and limited assets, and it does not take criminal questions. The site works best for a specific question, such as what an eviction notice means, rather than for a case that needs full representation.
Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project
The Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project at https://mvlp.org/ has connected low-income Mississippians with private attorneys who work for free since 1982. The project is a partnership between The Mississippi Bar and the legal services firms, and many of its clients arrive as referrals after legal aid screening.
Most of its cases involve family and household matters, including divorce, custody, guardianship, conservatorship, and estate planning documents such as wills. For some cases, a volunteer attorney instead prepares the paperwork and coaches the person to represent themselves in court. Reach MVLP at 601-960-9577.
Mississippi Center for Justice
The Mississippi Center for Justice at https://mscenterforjustice.org/ is a statewide, non-profit public interest law firm, and it is a different organization from the legal services firm with the similar name. Its work centers on tenant rights and affordable housing, foreclosure prevention, consumer protection, and helping people get public benefits such as Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF.
The firm is based in Jackson at 601-352-2269, with a Gulf Coast office reachable at 228-702-9983. Since it is not funded by the Legal Services Corporation, it may take on some matters the two regional firms cannot.
Legal help for Mississippians with disabilities
Disability Rights Mississippi at https://www.drms.ms/ is the state's federally designated protection and advocacy agency. It has provided free legal and advocacy services statewide for disability-related problems, including special education, discrimination, abuse or neglect in facilities, and access to Medicaid and community services.
A federal funding crisis forced the agency to pause new cases in 2025, so anyone calling should ask whether it is accepting cases again. The number is 601-968-0600, and disability benefit denials can also go through the two legal aid intake lines above.
Free legal information and court forms
The two legal aid firms jointly maintain MSLegalServices.org (website: https://www.mslegalservices.org/), a plain-language library with guides on landlord and tenant law, an eviction FAQ, divorce, public benefits, and senior topics, plus free online legal forms. The Mississippi Access to Justice Commission runs a second self-help site at msatjc.org with court forms and a courthouse directory.
These pages matter because neither firm can take every eligible case. Reading the guide for your problem before calling makes the intake conversation faster and more useful.
Phone numbers for free legal aid in Mississippi
- North Mississippi Rural Legal Services (northern 39 counties) - 1-800-898-8731, nmrls.com.
- Mississippi Center for Legal Services (central and southern 43 counties) - 1-800-519-2915 or 1-800-498-1804, mscenterforlegalservices.org.
- Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project - 601-960-9577, mvlp.org.
- Mississippi Center for Justice - 601-352-2269 in Jackson, 228-702-9983 on the coast.
- Disability Rights Mississippi - 601-968-0600.
- Ask a question online - ms.freelegalanswers.org.
If you are not sure which half of the state your county falls in, call either legal aid number and staff may point you to the right firm. More help with rent, utility bills, food, and other needs is listed on the main page of financial help in Mississippi.
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