California Indian Legal Services – Escondido

CILS has four offices in the state of California. If you are an individual or Tribe seeking services, please contact the office that serves the county where you live or the county that your Tribe is in. The Escondido office serves these counties: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura. Call toll free: 1-800-743-8941.
All persons, tribes, tribal organizations and entities requesting free legal assistance must participate in an intake interview to determine eligibility.
Free Legal Services and Client Eligibility:
Individuals: CILS can provide free legal services if the person qualifies as “low income” (is at or below the federal poverty level) and has a legal issue or question of federal Indian law. *For individuals in our Escondido office, there is no low-income requirement for assistance for Native American victim of domestic violence and stalking.
Tribes, Tribal Organizations, and Entities: CILS can provide free legal services if the tribe, tribal organization or entity qualifies as “low income.” The tribe, tribal organization or entity must demonstrate and certify that they do not have unrestricted funds to retain private legal counsel and that 51% of their members are at or below the poverty level. The tribe’s, tribal organization’s or entity’s legal issue must involve a question of federal Indian law.
Fee for Legal Services:
CILS may represent, on a fee-for-service basis, persons, tribes, tribal organizations and entities who are over income for free services. CILS’ fee structure is flexible and adjustable depending on the client’s available resources and unique circumstances.