About Us
Every year, thousands of low income individuals and families seek legal advice and assistance from Rhode Island Legal Services. Our clients are as diverse as our state, encompassing all races, ethnic groups and ages. The problems that bring them to RILS relate to family matters, housing, employment, government benefits or consumer disputes. Frequently they involve crisis situations for our clients and their families. Without the benefit of legal advice and representation, the consequences may be as serious as the loss of a family's only source of income, homelessness, domestic violence, or even the breakup of the family itself.
Our basic priorities are to ensure that low-income people have food, shelter, income, medical care, and freedom from domestic violence. To accomplish this, RILS provides a full range of legal assistance, including advice and brief service, investigation, negotiation, and litigation in all state and federal trial and appellate courts. RILS also provides community legal education services to its client community.
RILS is the State's major law firm for low-income people with civil legal problems.
Mission Statement
Rhode Island Legal Services provides high quality legal assistance and representation to low-income individuals and eligible client groups for the purpose of improving their economic condition and overall wellbeing by protecting and enforcing legal rights, stabilizing the family unit and communities where clients live, promoting self reliance, ending domestic violence, preventing homelessness, affording dignity to all people, and reaching out to groups with added burdens on their ability to access the civil justice system.
Vision Statement
Rhode Island Legal Services, Inc.'s vision is for a fair, just and equitable legal system, which is accessible to all members of the community without discrimination and to eliminate barriers to justice through high quality legal services, education, and community partnerships. We envision a state where low-income people have access to services and resources to meet their basic needs and where all residents can vindicate their legal rights and be treated fairly throughout the civil justice system.