The State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) is designed to assist members of the public who want to hire an attorney and can afford to pay for legal services.

If you have a legal problem and cannot afford to hire an attorney, please contact your local legal aid office. For your convenience, the following is a link to the legal assistance programs and services found on the State Bar of Michigan’s website: View Legal Aid Programs and Services.

How the Lawyer Referral Service Works [Terms of the LRIS]

• You may dial (800) 968-0738 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to speak with a lawyer referral representative or submit an online referral request.
• When you call the LRIS, you will be asked to provide your name and address, the general nature of your concern, and the county in which you need assistance. A lawyer referral representative will give you the name and telephone number of one attorney (only 1 referral will be provided per call or request) who is a LRIS panel member. Referrals are made to panel members on an impartial, rotation basis.
• When you contact the attorney, please state that you received a referral from the State Bar of Michigan. The cost of your initial 30-minute consultation with a LRIS panel member will be no more than $20.00. Any and all fees beyond the initial 30-minute consultation (including, but not limited to, fee agreements for representation) must be negotiated with the attorney.

If the county in which your legal problem arose is on the following list, please call the lawyer referral service for that county first. Please note that the rules and fees for the referral services listed below may be different from the State Bar’s LRIS.

If you are an active member of the State Bar in good standing and interested in becoming a Lawyer Referral panel member, please complete the registration form and mail it to the address indicated on the form.