In 1987, LCD was born of the then-innovative idea of addressing unmet legal needs to promote health and well-being; these many years later, LCD remains committed to continuous improvement through innovation and creativity.
From our humble beginning with one attorney working with one patient at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, LCD has grown over 35 years to have an ever-wider, ever-deeper impact upon thousands of low-income people with disabilities in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties.
LCD began as one attorney in one room of Magee Rehabilitation Hospital. In the 1980s, the Chair of the hospital’s board visited The Chicago Rehabilitation Hospital, where he saw a sign for the Legal Clinic for the Disabled. The need in Philadelphia was clear, and the connection to Magee was natural, and so he worked with the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division and the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division to create such a legal clinic at Magee. It took over two years, but eventually the clinic became a reality, and LCD opened our doors at Magee in 1990. Magee provided office space, phones, and client referrals. LCD’s partnership with Magee formed one of the first medical-legal partnerships (MLP) in the country. While LCD is a separate organization, we have been part of the Magee family since our inception and always had a home there.
Being only the second legal clinic in the country serving the disability community presented challenges, but the staff and supporters persevered. Because the Americans with Disabilities Act had yet to be passed, many people with disabilities that needed legal aid could not physically get to lawyers. Most buildings and offices were not accessible. For nearly a decade, the sole attorneys working with clients were the Executive Director and volunteer attorneys from the Philadelphia Bar Association.
Slowly but surely, LCD grew and continued to serve clients through our MLP with Magee and through general telephone intake. We created our MLP Initiative in 2009 and began forming MLPs with additional hospitals and health centers. In 2017, we launched our Housing & Habitability Initiative to address housing stability and quality issues that our clients face. Through that initiative, LCD collaborated with other local agencies and the City to establish the Philadelphia Eviction Prevention Project.
Today, LCD has a diverse staff of attorneys and advocates who provide a range of services to low-income clients with disabilities across the City of Philadelphia and in the surrounding counties.

Now hiring!
LCD is excited to announce our current open career opportunities! Director of Development Legal Director Paralegal...