Seeking Legal Help
The ACLU of the District of Columbia works to protect and extend civil liberties and civil rights in our local community, Washington, D.C. We do this by filing lawsuits, educating the public, and lobbying the D.C. government.
Before you contact us, please read this page.
- We take only take a limited number of cases, and with regret must turn down some requests even when serious injustice has occurred.
- We do not take walk-ins.
- Please note that sending us a request does not establish an attorney-client relationship and that the ACLU of D.C. is not responsible for ensuring any statute of limitations requirement or other requirement/deadline is met in your case.
- Please let us know if your email or if necessary, in a voicemail, if you need a translator or if your primary language is not English.
If our response criteria are not met or followed accordingly, we cannot respond to your complaint or assist you:
- We cannot respond to requests about events that happened outside of Washington D.C., unless they involve the federal or D.C. government. Instead, contact your local ACLU affiliate, which you can find at aclu.org/affiliates.
- Requests for help must include: (1) your name, (2) your phone number, (3) your email, and (4) a detailed description of your complaint (“Please help me” or “Please call me about the police” is not enough). Unless you include all of those items, we cannot respond.
- We accept voicemail requests only if you are unable to send an email or use our web form — for instance, if you have a disability that prevents you from typing your complaint, you don’t have computer access, or if you are incarcerated or unhoused. If you leave a voicemail and do not clearly say why you’re unable to email or use our web form, we cannot respond to you.
Here are some answers to FAQ’s about filing a claim with us.
- Nothing on this website is intended as, or should be taken as, legal advice. Even if it sounds like legal advice, it is not legal advice for your particular situation, because every situation is different.
- No communication made through this website, whether from you or to you, can create an attorney-client relationship; only a signed agreement can create such a relationship.
- Descriptions of work we have done, or work we are doing, do not mean that we can or will do similar work for you, or that we can achieve similar results for you, even if we agree to represent you. Past success is no guarantee of future results.
If your civil liberties or civil rights were violated, you may email us at [email protected] or file a complaint through our web portal.
If you have a case not involving civil liberties or civil rights, please see our resource guide for help with other legal problems in the D.C. area.
For requests for legal help that meet the requirements listed above, we review and respond within 4 to 6 weeks. We do not accept requests to expedite any cases.
Another way to contact us about a civil rights or civil liberties violation is to leave a voicemail at 202-601-4269, but please note that intakes received through our web portal or [email protected] are processed up to twice as fast as voicemails. If you do leave a voicemail, please include your email and/or mailing address.
We accept voicemail requests only if you are unable to send an email or use our web form — for instance, if you have a disability that prevents you from typing your complaint, you don’t have computer access, or if you are incarcerated or unhoused. If you leave a voicemail and do not clearly say why you’re unable to email or use our web form, we cannot respond to you.
If you have a case not involving civil liberties or civil rights, please see our resource guide for help with other legal problems in the D.C. area.
