State Law Library of Montana
Find a Lawyer
Do I Need a Lawyer?
How Can I Find a Lawyer Who is "Right" for My Type of Case?
What if I Can’t Afford to Pay for a Lawyer?
How Can I Find Out if a Certain Person is Licensed to Practice Law in Montana?
How Can I Find Out if a Particular Lawyer has Been Disciplined?
Do I Need a Lawyer?
Only you can decide whether you need a lawyer or whether you can handle your case on your own. The State Law Library cannot give you advice on whether you should hire a lawyer. If you would like more information on whether you should or should not hire a lawyer, what a lawyer can do for you, and whether you can handle a matter on your own, the American Bar Association's "A Consumer's Guide to Legal Help." may be helpful.
How Can I Find a Lawyer Who is “Right” for My Type of Case?
- Montana State Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS)
The Montana State Bar Association offers a free, non-profit, Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) for the community. The LRIS staff will listen to your problem and then refer you to an appropriate Montana lawyer for your situation. Not all attorneys who are licensed to practice law in the State of Montana have signed up to participate in this service. A lawyer may be an active member of the Montana State Bar Association in good standing and still not appear in this directory. All of the lawyers who participate in the LRIS program are active members of the State Bar of Montana in good standing, and they all have liability insurance. In addition, these lawyers have agreed to charge LRIS clients no more than a reasonable fee for their services. However, keep in mind that what you consider a reasonable fee may not be the same as what the lawyer considers a reasonable fee or what the legal community as a whole considers a reasonable fee.You can learn more about LRIS on the Montana State Bar Association's website. For a lawyer referral, call 406-449-6577.
- Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Locator
Martindale-Hubbell, a legal publisher, provides free online access to their directory of lawyers and law firms from over 160 countries. This directory does not contain
information
on every lawyer who is licensed to practice law. A lawyer may be an active member of the
Montana State Bar Association in good standing and still not appear in this directory.
Using Martindale-Hubbell's Lawyer Locator, you can search the directory by type of case and by
geographic location. Many entries also contain ratings provided by other lawyers that describe
the lawyer's legal ability and ethical standards.
Click here to search the Lawyer Locator.
Please Note: As employees of the Judicial Branch, the staff of the State Law Library cannot refer you to a particular lawyer for your case.
What if I Can't Afford to Pay for a Lawyer?
- Montana Legal Services Association
The Montana Legal Services Association provides free legal assistance in certain civil cases to low-income Montanans. You can find out more information about the types of cases that Legal Services accepts and their financial requirements by visiting Montana Legal Service's website. You can also call them toll free at 1-800-666-6899 - Local Public Defender Offices – State Court
The 2005 Montana Legislature passed a bill, S.B. 146, to createa new statewide Office of State Public Defender to oversee the provision of free legal services to Montananscharged with offenses that could result in
jail time. This new statewide office will open its doors on July 1, 2006. Until then, local public defender
offices continue to provide legal representation to low-income Montanans in certain criminal cases.
For information about a public defender in your area, contact your local Clerk of Court
- Federal Defenders of Montana, Inc.
The Federal Defenders of Montana, Inc. is a non-profit organization that ensures the right to counsel to those who cannot afford to hire an attorney to assist them with their defense of federal criminal charges. For more information about the Federal Defenders of Montana, click here.
How Can I Find Out if a Certain Person is Licensed to Practice Law in Montana?
The office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court maintains the official Roll of Attorneys licensed to practice law in Montana. You can access the online Roll of Attorneys, or contact the Clerk's office for more updated information at 406-444-3858.
How Can I Find Out if a Particular Lawyer has Been Disciplined?
The Office of Disciplinary Counsel keeps records on disciplined lawyers. You can find a list of publicly disciplined lawyers online on the ODC’s web site.
