Rhode Island Legal Services

Address:  56 Pine Street, Providence, RI  02903

Telephone:  800-662-5034 x-182 (toll free in RI only); 401-274-2652 x-182

Fax:  401-453-0310

Email:  steve.fischbach@gmail.com

Website:  www.rils.org; www.helprilaw.org

Organization Description

Rhode Island Legal Services (RILS) is the federally funded provider of free legal assistance to income eligible Rhode Islanders in civil matters including housing, bankruptcies, foreclosures, divorces, child support and custody, income tax, domestic violence, public benefits and environmental justice.  RILS is the sponsoring organization of the Environmental Justice Forum 2007.

RILS represented low income individuals and groups in lawsuits challenging the siting of public schools in Providence on toxic waste sites.  The lawsuits resulted in better clean up of the sites, increased opportunities for public participation in the clean up of contaminated sites, and new laws and policies on environmental justice. 

With funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency RILS has produced research papers on school siting policies and state environmental justice programs, and has developed handouts for use in community meetings relating to environmental justice.