If you need legal help, the Lawyer Referral Information Service (LRIS) can help connect you with a private attorney who handles your type of legal issue.
LRIS works with experienced attorneys across many areas of law. All participating attorneys are in good standing with the Supreme Court of Ohio and carry professional liability insurance.
You may request an attorney referral through LRIS in the following ways:
Call the CMBA Lawyer Referral Information Service at (216) 696-3532
Phone hours are Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Most requests are processed within five (5) business days. Urgent legal matters are reviewed more quickly, typically within 24–48 hours, when possible. All requests are reviewed and prioritized by LRIS staff.
Walk-ins are welcome Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Please visit the CMBA office at 1375 E. 9th Street, Cleveland, OH 44114 and check in at the intake desk on the second floor.
You may request a referral by completing the online form below.
You must contact the attorney directly. Attorneys do not contact you first.
If no attorney is available in your area of law, a referral cannot be made. 
The referral fee includes an initial consultation of up to 30 minutes.
If you hire the attorney, they will charge their standard legal fees.
Attorneys in LRIS do not provide free or reduced-fee representation.
If cost is a concern, please be prepared to provide your gross income from your most recent federal and state taxes. Some legal matters may be eligible for referral to a modest means panel, which connects individuals with attorneys offering more affordable options to those who qualify.
Select the category that best describes your legal issue and complete the referral form below, or call (216) 696-3532
Thank you for your patience as we work to respond as efficiently as possible.
Frequently asked questions are listed below. Please review these topics and feel to reach out with any additional questions.
The Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s (CMBA), Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) provides callers with a referral to a qualified lawyer or resources pertaining to their legal issue. The LRIS Program determines the legal area of the problem you describe and provides a referral to a proper lawyer or agency.
All our lawyers are active members of the Ohio State Bar and are licensed to practice law in Ohio. They must meet the LRIS qualifications as required by the Bylaws for the Lawyer Referral Information Service established by the CMBA LRIS Committee. In addition, all LRIS lawyers carry malpractice insurance and must meet our experience requirements.
We do not have lawyers within our intake department. When you call, please note that the LRIS staff who answer the phone is not a lawyer. Staff members are not qualified to give you legal advice or answer legal questions. Our LRIS staff members are trained to assess your legal issue and refer you to a lawyer who is qualified to answer your legal questions.
We charge you an administrative fee of $25 to refer you to one lawyer. When you use our self-referral service or call, we will collect this fee using your VISA, Mastercard, Amex or Discover. We also take debit cards. Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association will show up on your credit card statement.
For a Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS), an administrative fee typically covers the cost of connecting clients with attorneys, including staff time for intake, matching, and handling the referral, plus operational costs like phone, marketing, and resource system maintenance.
The lawyers on our network do not work for free and we do not have/provide a list of pro bono lawyers. We refer you to a qualified private practice lawyer within our network based on your legal needs.
Please call Megan Johnson, LRIS Program Manager at: (216) 539-5970. We may be able to refer you to a non-profit organization or agency that may be able to assist you. You can also visit our “More Resources” page More Resources for more information on legal agencies that may be able to assist you
All the lawyers on the LRIS Program are private practice lawyers. The LRIS does not maintain fee information on the lawyer. If you decide to retain the lawyer after the 30-minute consultation, you will need to discuss the fees and payment options with them at that time
The lawyers are categorized by the specific areas of law that they practice. We have a basic underlying rotation but may be able to accommodate a geographic area or language preference if we have an available lawyer. We do not refer based on race, gender, nationality, or religion.
If you live in Cuyahoga County, we will try to refer you to a lawyer who is close to you. But remember, our priority is to refer you to a lawyer who handles the field of law related to your problem and who has the right experience for your case.
We do not schedule the appointments. Once you have obtained your referral, it is your responsibility to contact the lawyer to set up an appointment.
You should call the lawyer to schedule your appointment as soon as you receive the referral. Every lawyer on the LRIS Program has an active caseload and may not be able to immediately take your call, but the lawyer will return your call in a timely manner. Please leave a message with your name and phone number and patiently wait for the lawyer to return your call. If the lawyer we refer you to is not able to take your call within 3 business days, please call our office.
The LRIS staff can only provide one referral per legal issue. If you have multiple legal issues, keep in mind that the $25 administrative fee is per legal issue.
The $25 administrative fee is not refundable. It is your responsibility to contact the lawyer to set up a consultation. If you decide not to use your referral, you will not be refunded.
We do not have access to any of the lawyer’s schedules – the lawyer may be in court or fully scheduled for the day. We ask that you call/email your lawyer and leave your name and phone number and wait at least 3 business days for the lawyer to return your call.
Whether or not you have a meritorious case, it cannot be determined until you have a consultation. The consultation is an opportunity for you to describe your case and determine if you want to hire a lawyer. If it is determined that you do not have a case that can benefit by legal action, often the lawyer can point you in a direction without the need for legal services. Please keep in mind that further services beyond an initial consultation are not guaranteed. Neither you nor the lawyer are under any obligation to proceed beyond the initial consultation. If you choose to hire the lawyer for any services, the lawyer will set his/her own fee.
To receive a referral from our service, we must record your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address (if any). We are required to keep records. However, this information is only shared with the referred lawyer; it is never sold to a third party. We will also mail/email you a client satisfaction survey so we can get your input about your experience. Your feedback is very valuable to our organization, and we encourage you to fill it out and send it back.
We only refer lawyers who are licensed to practice law in the state of Ohio and who have an offi
