What is TRLA?		How do you define low income?
	What cities and counties do you serve?		What kind of people need TRLA’s help?
	Does TRLA represent people who have been charged with crimes?		How do eligible clients get help?

What is Texas RioGrande Legal Aid?

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) corporation that provides free civil legal assistance to low-income Texans in South, Central and West Texas. In addition, TRLA provides services to migrant farm workers in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana on cases that involve issues relating to their status as migrants. TRLA's mission is to promote the dignity, self-sufficiency, safety and stability of low-income clients by providing high quality civil legal assistance and related educational services. Since May 2006 TRLA has additionally operated a Regional Public Defender Program based in Del Rio, providing criminal defense to low-income persons accused of crimes in Val Verde County; this program is expected to expand into Edwards, Kinney and Terrell Counties.

How do you define “low-income?”

Income guidelines are complicated; the following is a summary, but those with legal problems should apply even if uncertain about eligibility.

Clients who are eligible for TRLA's services must generally be at or below 125% of Federal Poverty Guidelines; at or below 187.5% of those guidelines if the case is eligible under Crime Victims Compensation funding; or at or below 200% of guidelines if the applicant or household member has one of the following factors: limited income prospects or seasonal variations in income; fixed debts or obligations; unreimbursed medical expenses, including medical insurance premiums; expenses such as dependent care, transportation, or equipment necessary for employment, job training, or educational activities in preparation for employment; non-medical expenses associated with age or disability; responsibility for paying current taxes.

The 200% guidelines also apply if (a) the applicant is seeking legal assistance to obtain benefits provided by a governmental program for low-income individuals or families; or (b) if the applicant is seeking legal assistance to obtain or maintain governmental benefits for persons with disabilities.

In addition, if the applicant meets the appropriate asset ceiling (or the asset ceiling is waived) and the income of the applicant's household is above 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, the applicant is financially eligible for LSC-funded legal assistance if:

• The applicant is seeking legal assistance to maintain benefits provided by a governmental program for low-income individuals or families; or
• TRLA's executive director or designee has determined that the income of the applicant's household is primarily committed to medical or nursing home expenses and that, after deducting such expenses, the applicant would be otherwise financially eligible for legal assistance.

In addition, some grants allow TRLA to accept a limited number of cases on behalf of domestic violence victims and the elderly without regard to income guidelines.

Those guidelines are currently as follows:

What cities and counties does your service area include?

TRLA is the largest legal aid provider in the state, serving eligible clients from throughout Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, El Paso, the entire Rio Grande Valley and the entire Texas-Mexico border. TRLA's service area covers 68 counties and encompasses 1,171,000 income eligible Texas residents. TRLA's main office is located in Weslaco, with branch offices in Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Harlingen, Edinburg, Del Rio, Victoria, Laredo, Eagle Pass, and Sinton. TRLA also serves migrant and seasonal farm workers throughout Texas and six southern states (Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky) through an office located in Nashville, Tennessee.

What kind of people need TRLA’s help?

TRLA employs over 115 attorneys and 60 paralegals who work to provide the basic human needs of our clients. The majority of TRLA clients are low-income women and children who are victims of domestic violence and who need assistance in escaping violence and remaining violence-free. Other types of clients include migrant and seasonal farm workers, disabled residents, victims of elder abuse, the homeless, and displaced workers to name a few. Our screening process is designed to prioritize clients whose problems are life-altering or threatening. TRLA clients share two very important characteristics: they are overwhelmingly Latino, and they are oppressively poor. Over 90% of TRLA's clients are of Mexican descent. Upwards of one-half of the clients speak Spanish as their primary language.

Does TRLA represent people who have been charged with crimes?

Most of TRLA's grants are restricted to providing services in civil cases, rather than representing persons who are accused of crimes. There are some exceptions to those rules, such as when the criminal charge arises out of a case where TRLA is representing the person in a civil matter. TRLA does provide legal advice and counsel to those who are seeking criminal representation through Texas' court-appointed lawyer system.

In May 2006 TRLA received funding to operate a Regional Public Defender Program based in Del Rio, providing criminal defense to low-income persons accused of crimes in Val Verde County; this program is expected to expand into Edwards, Kinney and Terrell Counties.

How do eligible clients get help?

Clients can access TRLA’s services by calling our toll-free number at 1-888-988-9996 or by coming into any one of the offices listed above.