San Antonio Legal Services Association (SALSA) is a corps of attorney volunteers coordinated by professional staff to provide free civil legal services to those with limited means and those who are vulnerable or at-risk.
Legal Priority Areas:
Our programs are designed to meet significant legal needs in San Antonio and surrounding communities that otherwise would go unaddressed. SALSA volunteers provide free legal services across a variety of civil legal issue areas and multiple areas of substantive law.
As new unmet needs are identified, SALSA’s volunteer corps adjusts to fill these gaps. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, SALSA volunteers drafted wills for over 300 frontline healthcare workers, providing critical peace of mind so these heroes could care for San Antonio’s most vulnerable citizens.
Legal Service Models:
SALSA offers many different kinds of volunteer service opportunities. Some can be completed in a day, and others assist clients as they navigate more complex legal issues.
San Antonio Legal Services Association (SALSA) assists attornies who want to provide pro bono service, including meeting the State Bar of Texas' recommendation that every attorney perform 50 hours of pro bono service a year.
SALSA provides training resources, mentorship, and coverage under SALSA’s Professional Liability policy. Attornies can give back within their area of expertise or take on a limited-service matter in a new area of the law.
Volunteer for a clinic. Provide limited legal advice or assistance at an isolated pro bono event. (This requires limited or no follow-on assistance.)
Participate in a program. Provide limited scope representation in a subject matter area that has ample training resources and mentor oversight.
Take a case. Provide extended representation services in your area of expertise.
Click here to learn more and sign up.
SALSA offers volunteer opportunities for non-attorney volunteers seeking to give their time to support legal efforts that benefit indigent, vulnerable, and at-risk members of our community.
SALSA works with other non-profits in San Antonio to identify gaps in coverage that are ideal for volunteers to fill.
Click here to learn more and sign up.
Do you need help with settling a small estate in Bexar County?
Walk-in assistance is available to qualifying applicants every other Thursday from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM. Click here for a calendar of upcoming Small Estate Clinics.
Applicants are encouraged to bring all relevant documents, including the:
- Decedent's death certificate
- Evidence of decedent's assets
- Evidence of decedent's debts
- Any previously filed SEAs
- Any responses from the court regarding previously filed SEAs
SALSA’s Deed Help Desk is a first-come, first-served, walk-in help desk for low-income communities. Income qualifications are required. If you qualify for SALSA’s services, you’ll be paired with a volunteer attorney to receive legal advice about deed and county records questions and issues. The Bexar County County Clerk’s Office will be on site at the help desk to accept any documents ready for filing.
Volunteer attorneys can answer basic questions about deeds and county records. For example:
- How do I change the name on my deed?
- How do I add a name?
- How do I take off a name?
- How do I transfer my parent’s deed to my name?
- Someone filed a fraudulent deed on my property, what do I do?
- After probating an estate, what needs to be filed here to change the deed?
- How do I put my property under an LLC?
- If a family member passes away, how do I remove their name from the deed?
- Someone filed a fraudulent lien on my property, how do I remove it?
- What form do I need to file to remove my ex from my deed?
- How do I get a new deed with just my name?
Services will be held in the Bexar County Archives Building.
Help Desk calendar dates can be viewed here.
SALSA is at Haven for Hope, every Wednesday from 2–4PM, to assist qualifying applicants with housing and tenants’ rights legal issues, including evictions and eviction appeals, disability accommodations, lockouts, repairs, security deposits, utilities, and expunctions.
No appointment is needed to speak with a SALSA attorney at the Haven for Hope Legal Assistance Clinic. You do not have to be a Haven for Hope client. Individuals will be assisted on a first come, first served basis.
Clinic is located at the Haven for Hope Community Center (John L. Santikos Welcome Center).
For all matters, please bring documents related to your legal issue. Originals are not necessary.
Haven for Hope has a strict “no children policy” on the part of the campus where our offices are located. Please plan for your little ones prior to attending SALSA’s walk-in legal clinic.
If you are seeking legal assistance regarding an expunction, and the offense(s) occurred in Bexar County, please obtain a copy of your criminal history from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. For more information on how to get a copy of your criminal history, please visit the Bexar County Sheriff’s Website.
Free
SALSA hosts a free legal assistance clinic for eligible Veterans and family members. Veterans unable to come to the clinic in person may request a virtual appointment or an individual meeting with a staff attorney.
Please bring all relevant documents pertaining to your legal issue to the clinic or your appointment.
Click here for additional information and to apply for services.
SALSA assists qualifying applicants with eviction-related matters, including eviction appeals and negotiating with your landlord
Appealing an eviction judgment can buy you more time to stay on the property while you find a new residence.
No appointment is needed, but priority is given to applicants who have already received an eviction judgment, are filing an eviction appeal, or have an eviction hearing that day.
Please bring the following documents:
- notice(s) to vacate (This is the 3-day notice that you receive from the landlord);
- eviction citation (the document you receive from the constable);
- your current lease;
- any other documents you think SALSA should review, such as rent ledgers, deeds, emails/texts, etc.
(Note: We cannot always review every document or take custody of originals.)
Must live in Bexar County’s Precinct 1. (Click here to find your Bexar County Precinct.)
If you do not live in Precinct 1 and would like legal assistance before your hearing, you can call St. Mary’s University School of Law, Center for Legal and Social Justice (CLSJ) Housing Hotline at (210) 570-6135.
Free