What is TRLA?		What are the TRLA eligibility standards?
	What cities and counties do you serve?		Who are the clients that TRLA serves?
	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. TRLA also operates public defender programs in eight Southwest Texas counties, providing representation to persons accused of crimes. Services generally include representation in felonies, misdemeanors and juvenile cases. The public defender programs are jointly funded by the Texas Task Force on Indigent Defense and the participating counties. TRLA is the only non-profit corporation providing trial-level criminal defense services in Texas.

What are the TRLA eligibility standards?

To qualify for free legal services from TRLA, an applicant must meet the income, asset and immigration requirements established by the United States Congress, the Texas Legislature, and by various funding sources. Generally, each funding source has its own requirements that TRLA staff must apply to determine whether an applicant is eligible under a particular grant. With over 50 different funding sources, those requirements are obviously complicated, but TRLA will always attempt to find a funding source that will permit representation for persons who are unable to afford the services of a private attorney, if possible.

Income guidelines are complicated; the following is a summary of the current federal income requirements, 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.

The 2010 federal income guidelines are as follows:

What cities and counties does your service area include?

TRLA is the largest legal aid provider in the state and the third largest in the United States. It provides services to eligible residents of a 68-county region of Southwest Texas, from the Mexican border on the Rio Grande to Central Texas. (Click here to see an interactive service area map). TRLA's main office is located in Weslaco in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and branch offices are located in Austin, San Antonio, Victoria, Beeville, Sinton, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, Harlingen, Edinburg, Laredo, Eagle Pass, Del Rio, Alpine, and El Paso. TRLA also serves migrant and seasonal farm workers throughout Texas, and, in addition, has an office in Nashville, Tennessee that serves farm workers in six southern states (Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky) through its Southern Migrant Legal Services project. Representation in criminal cases is provided in 8 counties: Bee, Live Oak, and McMullen from an office in Beeville; Willacy County from the Harlingen office; and Val Verde, Kinney, Edwards and Terrell counties from the Del Rio office.

Who are the clients that TRLA serves?

TRLA employs over 135 attorneys and 65 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. In counties where TRLA does not have a public defender program, we can still provide legal advice and counsel on such matters as how to obtain a court-appointed lawyer, or what options are available for getting released from jail before trial, such as no-fee personal recognizance bonds.

As of 2010, TRLA represents criminal defendants through its public defender programs in Bee, Live Oak, McMullen, Willacy, Val Verde, Edwards, Kinney and Terrell counties. If you have been charged with a felony, misdemeanor or juvenile offense in one of those counties, or believe that you might be, you may consult with a TRLA criminal defense lawyer in the Beeville, Harlingen or Del Rio offices.

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.