How to qualify for legal aid in texas

The Texas Access to Justice Commission estimates that only 20% of people who qualify for civil legal services are able to get the legal help they need. Those who don’t receive assistance from legal aid must either attempt to represent themselves or find an attorney who will take their case on a pro bono basis.

Texas attorneys provide about 2.5 million hours of pro bono services per year. These attorneys are vital in helping to provide access to the courts for our 5.7 million poor Texans.

Section 6 of the Preamble to the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct states that lawyers have an ethical obligation to do pro bono and that every lawyer, regardless of professional prominence or workload, should be doing pro bono. It also provides assurance that pro bono could be one of the most rewarding experiences of an attorney’s life.

There are many ways to offer pro bono legal services, including working in a legal advice clinic, mentoring another attorney in an area of law in which you have expertise, or taking a case from a legal services organization. For more information on pro bono opportunities across Texas, visit the "Organizations in Need" link on texaslawyershelp.org or contact the State Bar of Texas - Legal Access Division:  800.204.2222, ext. 1855, or .

Pro Bono Spring Break

During Pro Bono Spring Break, over 50 law students and supervising faculty members travel across the state to volunteer their time helping low-income Texans resolve their civil legal problems. The program is a partnership between the Texas Access to Justice Commission, all ten Texas law schools, and various legal aid providers across the state.  Learn more…

Access to Justice Fac

  • Currently in Texas, there are nearly 4 million people living below poverty level. Approximately 5.2 million Texans qualify for legal aid (125% poverty).1
  • To qualify for free civil legal services, an individual must not earn more than $16,988 per year. A family of four must not earn more than $34,688 per year.2
  • Legal aid organizations help more than 140,000 Texas families each year with their civil legal needs.3
  • Texas lawyers provide more than 2.82 million hours annually in free or indirect legal services to the poor, valued at more than $564 million, according to the 2017 State Bar of Texas Pro Bono Survey.  4
  • Texas ranks 46th in access to legal aid lawyers.5
  • There is approximately one legal aid lawyer for every 7,000 Texans who qualify.3
  • Due to a lack of resources,less than 10 percent of the civil legal needs of low-income and poor Texans are being met.6
  • For every one person helped by legal aid, a qualifying individual is turned away.7

Sources:
1 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey
2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
3 Texas Access to Justice Foundation
4 State Bar of Texas
5 The Justice Index
6 Texas Unmet Legal Needs Study
7 Legal Services Corporation

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We help income-eligible Texans access healthcare, safety, stability, housing, government benefits, and employment. All TLSC services are free. 

Our Mission

Our mission is to ensure equal justice for all Texans by educating, empowering, and representing vulnerable people while reshaping the greater legal system that impacts us all.

Eligibility Guidelines.
Who can get legal aid? You qualify for legal aid if: You are on a low income or receive income-related benefits, such as income support, income-related ESA or JSA. If your monthly income, excluding PIP or DLA is above £2657 you will not be eligible for legal aid.
The program assists with civil cases such as family law (divorce, custody, adoption, name change, guardianship), welfare and income assistance, veterans' benefits, employment, health care, consumer issues, housing issues (eviction, landlord/tenant issues), neighborhood issues, public education, license issues, ...

What happens if you can't afford an attorney in Texas?

If you are indigent—not financially able to employ counsel, as defined by Texas Code of Criminal Procedure article 1.051(b)—and charged with a criminal offense higher than a class C misdemeanor, you are entitled to representation by a court-appointed lawyer.