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 related death certificate and information about the estate.

Based at the Bexar County Courthouse, streamlines the service engagement process for domestic violence victims and perpetrators involved with the judiciary and legal system, CPS, and the military.

In Texas, an expunction means the Court destroys all records of both the arrest and any court proceedings, so they can’t ever be found on any government-maintained database by anyone. Any record of the expunction also gets destroyed. It’s like the arrest (and the expunction) never happened.

In order to receive an expunction, a Petition must be filed with a court that has jurisdiction requesting that all records pertaining to a specific offense(s) be destroyed. If a court finds a petitioner is entitled to an expunction they will issue an Order granting the expunction.

In Texas, you can expunge an arrest as long as you didn't get convicted or receive some type of community supervision. You can also expunge a Class C Misdemeanor if you've completed a deferred adjudication (probation, treatment, or community service).

Click here for fee information.

The Bexar County Family Justice Center can help you change the pattern of violence that dominates your life! At the Center, two agencies provide protective order assistance: (1) Bexar County Criminal District Attorney’s Office - Protective Order Unit, and (2) Texas RioGrande Legal Aid.  

The DA Protective Order Unit is made up of trained Victim Advocates, Paralegals, Investigators, and Assistant District Attorneys to provide services to victims.  They can help you obtain information about criminal charges, explain the criminal justice process, and see if they can assist you with applying for a protective order in Civil District Court. If there is a legal conflict that prevents the District Attorney’s Office from providing you with protective order assistance, your case may be referred to Texas RioGrande Legal Aid.  

If a protective order is granted by a Civil District Court Judge, it will order the person you filed against:

• Not to commit any violence against you.
• Not to come within a certain distance of where you live, work, and attend school.
• Not to communicate with you in any manner that is threatening or harassing, whether by phone, mail, or any electronic/online communication.
• Not to engage in any harassing, threatening, annoying, alarming, abusing, tormenting or embarrassing behavior towards you.
• Not to commit any of the above acts towards you or any other individuals covered by the protective order. 
• Not allow them to possess any weapons unless they are peace officers.
• Not to remove or harm pets or companion animals

• Family Violence: the law requires proof that (1) family violence has occurred and (2) family violence is likely to occur again in the future.
• Third Party: the law requires evidence that (1) you and the person you want protection from have (or have had) an intimate relationship with the same person, (2) that violence has occurred between you and the person you want protection from and, (3) the violence is likely to occur again in the future.
• Stalking: the law requires proof that you are the victim of stalking.
• Sexual Assault or Abuse: the law requires proof that you are the victim of sexual assault or indecency with a child. 
• Indecent Assault: the law requires proof that you are the victim of indecent assault.
• Trafficking: the law requires proof that you are the victim of trafficking.

The Victim Assistance Division of the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office is available to assist victims of crime whose case was committed within Bexar County.

Victim Assistance personnel strive to keep victims informed of their statutory rights, the status of their criminal case, upcoming court proceedings, and referrals to the appropriate social service resources to assist them through this difficult and stressful time.

We offer the following services:

• general information about the criminal justice system and court accompaniment;
• notification of the status of your case in the court system;
• referral to social service agencies; aid in preparing an application through the Crime Victim Compensation fund;
• aid in completing a Victim Impact Statement; limited restitution collection and distribution;
• and aid in returning property involved in a criminal case.  

MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) is the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization.

Our commitment is to protect and defend the rights of all Latinos living in the United States and the constitutional rights of all Americans.

MALDEF’s advocacy focuses on universal access to schools, fair distribution of public education resources, improving quality for all students, and expanding access and success in higher education for Latinos.

Leadership SAISD is a FREE 9-month educational leadership development program that provides community members with the information and skills to become thought leaders around education. Participants develop a nuanced understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing school communities with topics such as school finance, policy and advocacy, and educational equity. Cohort members meet once a month to learn from experts in the fields of education, leadership, equity and public finance. Together, participants and experts explore the issues that shape public education today with an emphasis on real-world solutions and practical problem-solving. Seminars provide a factual, non-partisan look at how schools function. Cohort members explore the most relevant topics in education today including:

• School Finance
• Education Policy
• Education Advocacy
• Mental Health in Schools
• Diversity and Equity

Graduates of Leadership SAISD are equipped and positioned to serve in several leadership roles, including Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), site-based decision-making committees, Board of Trustee task forces, non-profit boards, and volunteer positions. Moreover, LSAISD graduates have the knowledge and skills to effectively advance the broader discussion around public education within San Antonio.

Services are provided by Crisis Response Team members. This team is made up of police officers and caseworkers assigned to each SAPD substation.

Services include:

• Victims' services
• Violence prevention
• Crisis intervention counseling
• Case management
• Child and family counseling
• Support groups
• Information and referrals

Click here for tips to keep yourself and your children safe, as well as a checklist of things to remember when leaving an abusive situation.

Child Advocates is a volunteer position with Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA). CASA Advocates serve as an emotional support and a familiar face to children who face many traumatic changes in their life. By visiting the children monthly and gathering information from all the people involved in the case, CASA Advocates act as a fact-finder and report to the judge about the needs of the child during the life of the case.

Click here for volunteer application.

The Requirements:

• Be at least 21 years old
• Have a valid Texas drivers license
• Have access to a vehicle and proof of insurance
• Complete criminal and CPS background checks
• No previous experience or education required. All training and support provided.

The Commitment:

• Minimum 12 month commitment
• Complete new volunteer training
• Visit child(ren) once per month
• Maintain confidentiality

COPS/Metro's strength is in its members: the religious institutions, labor locals, and other nonprofit and civic institutions that share a concern for community and are rooted in traditions of democracy. COPS/Metro is broad-based and works in the interest of our community's families, as an interfaith organization that embraces a membership of both religious and secular institutions.

As COPS/Metro members, institutions commit to building "organizing teams" or “action teams” of leaders and potential leaders to work on local issues identified by the team. By joining with other institutions that have similar goals and concerns, COPS/Metro members increase their collective power and work to achieve victories on local and city-wide issues.

Contact COPS/Metro Alliance to learn more about the initiatives launched by member institutions around immigration, healthcare, education and living wages.

The Committee on Social Action of Bethel AME is a part of the Connectional Commission on Social Action. We coordinate local church activities and information on social issues affecting the members and the neighbors of our church. 

Our goals include:

• voter participation through registration drives and hosting meetings on neighborhood concerns and with local politicians;
• economic development by offering assistance with job searches and job preparation; 
• public awareness of issues that impact our local neighborhoods, such as the gentrification of East San Antonio; and
  literacy through our ongoing speed reading program.

Contact us at [email protected] if you have issues or concerns affecting our neighborhoods. Include CSA or Social Action in the subject line and we will respond as quickly as possible.

Thousands of Texas parents have their parental rights involuntarily terminated each year. These terminations often begin with a report of alleged child abuse or neglect to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), the umbrella agency that houses Child Protective Investigations (CPI) and Child Protective Services (CPS). From the initial report, parents may face investigations, extrajudicial services, lasting administrative findings, child removal from the home, and termination of their rights to their child. Families are separated and children are removed from their communities due to circumstances often stemming from poverty. 

Family Defense Project defends parental rights and preserves family integrity by representing parents involved with DFPS at a variety of stages. FDP prioritizes advocacy during the following five stages where an indigent parent is not otherwise entitled to a court-appointed attorney.

Click here for more information on the Family Defense Project.

To apply for representation, call TRLA’s intake line.

TRLA's Housing Group protects the rights of low-income tenants and homeowners with the aim of keeping them in their homes and reducing the number of people forced into homelessness.

Fighting discrimination by landlords, lenders, and government entities against tenants based on their race, color, religion, sex, familial status, disability, and national origin.

Enforcing tenant rights regarding landlord retaliation; repairs; late fee limitations; lease termination due to domestic violence, stalking, or military deployment; and catastrophes including hurricanes, fires, and tornadoes.

Defense of people who face eviction.

Defense of people who face termination of their Housing Choice Voucher assistance or have been denied access to subsidized housing programs.

Representing clients in administrative hearings with public housing authorities.

Click here for more information.

Free.

LASSA's mission is to provide trauma-informed, client-centered legal services to victims from intake to case closing. To that end, LASSA case handlers and advocates focus on client safety, privacy, and legal goals.

Services and Activities:

• Advise and represent survivors so they can achieve their civil legal goals, including divorce, child custody, obtaining unpaid wages, maintaining benefits, fighting workplace discrimination, and obtaining work permits and immigration status for immigrant victims of violence
• Help survivors ensure their safety through protective orders and special safety requests at work and school
• Help survivors safeguard their privacy by protecting their health information and counseling records, and by assisting them in managing ongoing privacy concerns
• Provide survivors with access to legal services by conducting trauma-informed intakes through our LASSA hotline and by reviewing legal requests for survivors at shelters and rape crisis centers
• Help empower survivors and their families by coordinating Coss-agency  referrals from and to community partners
• Survivors of sexual violence can apply for our services by calling our intake number (800-991-5153). Legal advocates at shelters and rape crisis centers also conduct intakes for survivors.

For more information, please visit LASSA.

Legal aid for survivors of sexual assault (LASSA) call the hotline (800-991-5153) or click here to get free legal help.

TRLA represents, advises, and advocates for young people facing a range of legal, educational, and economic problems.

• TRLA’s Education and Special Education Team helps students, including those with disabilities, handle school-related issues;
• The Juvenile Justice Team represents young people facing criminal charges, including Class C misdemeanors;
• Texas Foster Youth Justice Project helps current and former foster youth understand and protect their legal rights.
• TRLA may also be able to help if you’re a young person living in homelessness and need assistance with legal issues related to housing, securing CPS documents, and public benefits. For help with these problems, please call our general legal services hotline (888) 988-9996. TRLA staff will guide you through the application process.

Since 1999, TRLA has partnered with rape crisis centers, shelters, and other agencies and organizations that provide direct services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The partnerships, known as LASSA, provide important results in terms of providing services to survivors and strengthening the ability of partners agencies to expand their reach in their communities. Through LASSA, survivors can apply for a full range of legal services at the agencies where they first turn for help, which promotes a safe, holistic, and victim-centered approach to their cases.

For more information for LASSA Legal Aid please click here

LASSA TEXAS HOTLINE 844-303-SAFE (7233) Option 1 

Welcome to the page for TRLA’s LGBTQ+ Civil Rights Project. This project is an intersectional effort within TRLA to combine expertise from various legal teams to serve the unique needs of low-income LGBTQ+ Texans in our service area. 

We know that being an LGBTQ+ Texan can be challenging at times, and we are here to see how we might be able to help you navigate legal issues, from changing your name and correcting your gender marker to reflect your identity to confronting discrimination in the workplace.

We can help with:

• Name Change & Gender Marker Correction Services
• Employment
• Education
• Civil Rights
• Family Law
• Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault
• Immigration
• Housing
• Reentry & Expunction

To learn more, click here or you can apply by calling 1-833-329-8752 to get connected to legal advice and assistance.

TRLA partners with medical providers in San Antonio as part of a national effort to improve the health and wellbeing of low-income people by combining the expertise of attorneys and medical practitioners. Our Medical-Legal Partnership program (MLP)-part of the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnerships-operates in recognition that poor health is linked to poverty and related problems such as substandard housing and inadequate education. In fact, research has established that about 60 percent of an individual's health is determined by social and economic factors such as personal and family stability, income and health insurance, immigration status, housing and utilities, and education and employment. As such, TRLA's MLP staff work with their medical partners-both hospitals and health clinics-to identify the legal problems that compromise the health of their patients. Once TRLA's medical partners have referred patients for free legal services, MLP staff work to resolve adverse legal and administrative problems to the benefit of both the clients and their families.

Medical-Legal Assistance for Families (MLAF) operates as a partnership between TRLA, the Children's Hospital of San Antonio, and the Baylor College of Medicine's Pediatric Residency Program at the Children's Hospital. Under the partnership, TRLA accepts patients for legal assistance by referral from the two pediatrics departments. TRLA also accepts referrals from the pediatrics department at UT Health San Antonio. Our legal priority areas are education, housing, public benefits, and guardianships for children transitioning to adulthood.

Click here for Medical Legal Partnernership with TRLA

A psychiatric advance directive (PAD) allows patients with serious mental illness to state their preferences and make other advance decisions about their care in psychiatric hospitals. TRLA is partnering with St. Mary's School of Law to host a weekly PAD clinic at the Haven for Hope courtyard. Clinic clients will have the opportunity to execute Psychiatric Advance Directive (PADs), Medical Power of Attorneys, and Declaration of Guardian.

The Texas Foster Youth Justice Project provides free legal services for current and former foster youth throughout Texas. The team helps youth with various legal and administrative matters such as obtaining copies of CPS records; erasing criminal and juvenile records; and accessing foster youth benefits and programs that help in the transition from foster care to independence.

The clinic serves homeless and low-income veteran populations in Bexar County. Staff work to remove barriers to obtaining driver's licenses by providing assistance in clearing outstanding citations and applying for DPS surcharge waivers; staff also assist in researching and resolving other issues that prevent individuals from obtaining a license.

Every Friday at 1:30 pm. Appointments encouraged. For information and/or appointments call (833) 329-8752.

For more information, please email [email protected].

In partnership with St. Mary’s University School of Law Pro Bono Program and Texas Law, Pride Center San Antonio's Richard and Ginni Mithoff Pro Bono Program offers gender marker and name change clinics for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals. The project aims to assist people in aligning the gender presented on their government identifications, driver’s licenses, and other documents with how they identify.

Changing one’s identification to align with who they know themselves to be is a major milestone and affirmation of their identity. These corrections have the potential to curb discrimination, violence, and having to be outed as transgender every time they have to present their ID.

Email The Center for assistance in changing your gender marker. 

Free legal counsel; some documentation fees may apply.

RAICES provides legal services to asylum-seekers that may be eligible to obtain relief on humanitarian grounds. The primary claim for asylum could be on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

Individuals who have been persecuted or who have a credible fear of persecution and who are unable or unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of their country of origin can apply for asylum protection from the U.S. government.

The asylum cases that we handle are complex, fraught, and challenging. Asylum seekers are coming from countries where there is no stability, where violence against them or their families is common, and where they have no hope of building a peaceful life for themselves or their children.

Call 210-222-0964 to make an appointment.

Our Direct Services team consists of social workers and case managers devoted to ensuring our client’s basic necessities are being met.

We carry out these services by providing individualized needs assessments, emotional support, resource linkage, empowerment, and education.

Our services include, but are not limited to:

• ICE/ISAP/Court Accompaniment
• School Registration
• Access to:
  • Nutrition
  • Clothing Assistance
  • ESL Classes
  • Medical Care
  • Mental Health
  • Dental Care
  • Housing
  • Internet Connection/Wifi
  • Safety Planning
  • Transportation

For more information, contact us.

Each RAICES office handles DACA renewals, and our attorneys advise DACA recipients on all aspects of their immigration cases.

DACA and other federal programs are complex and are cost-prohibitive. RAICES helps beneficiaries of DACA and other programs with fee assistance as well as paperwork filings and other legal advice for recipients of these programs.

Call 210-222-0964 to make an appointment.

The Karnes Pro Bono Project was launched in 2014 by a group of attorneys committed to serving the legal needs of women and children in the newly opened Karnes family detention center (“Karnes”). The project has since come under the direction of RAICES, providing free legal services to people in ICE custody at Karnes. The families are typically forced to pass a credible or reasonable fear interview before they can be released to pursue asylum. The failure to meet these requirements for asylum can lead to deportation, which can mean a return to persecution and death.

RAICES provides support to detained families by preparing them for their screening interviews, representing them in hearings before an immigration judge if they fail their interview, and submitting requests for reconsideration to the Asylum Office if the immigration judge affirms the negative interview decision. When the need arises, RAICES has helped persons detained at Karnes with parole requests, bond motions, asylum applications, representation in final asylum hearings in immigration court, and in appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals. Our work also includes public advocacy campaigns and regular involvement with litigation and policy advocacy.

For more information, contact us.

RAICES established the LEAF fund to ensure that children coming to this country can receive quality legal representation both in detention centers and once they are released. In 2018, our specially-trained team provided ongoing legal counsel to 400 children, and more than 4,500 children received training to help them understand their rights here in the United States.

The LEAF fund is a major source of support for the many RAICES programs benefiting unaccompanied children. Our children’s programs include:

• “Know Your Rights” presentations and legal screenings for thousands of children
• An advocate for children who have had their rights violated
• Legal representation for children both in detention and post-release
• Post-detention care, including ongoing access to counsel for children in their immigration cases
• Assistance with other fees associated with immigration documentation, forms, and applications

Call 210-222-0964 to make an appointment.

The RAICES Bond Program is a Texas-based bond fund that seeks to mitigate the harmful effects of and otherwise dismantle ICE detention.

The RAICES Bond Program started in 2014 to cover release of mothers and children then held in Family Detention Centers in Texas and Pennsylvania. In June, 2018, the program grew when a viral Facebook fundraiser inspired more than 500,000 individual donors who were furious at the government ripping families apart and the otherwise inhumane treatment of immigrants in the United States. Since then, we have responded to daily requests from people in detention, and our Bond Program covers people within the geographic scope of the state of Texas.

We have been on the ground during workplace raids and the Zero Tolerance Family Separation of 2018. By building closer connections with participants, the Program gives people a wider array of resources and a greater degree of agency with which to navigate the complex immigration system and U.S. society, more broadly. We believe that paying an individual’s bond is a short-term intervention to free someone from detention, while our long-term goal is ending the harmful practice of ICE detention.

We are proud members of the National Bail Fund Network, a network of bail and bond funds who seek to end mass incarceration including ICE detention.

To apply for assistance through our bond fund, please fill out our form.

For questions, contact us.

RAICES serves community members in all of our Texas regions in defending themselves against deportation in Immigration Court. Because immigration proceedings are a civil rather than a criminal matter, immigrants have the right to counsel but the onus to pay for an attorney is borne by the immigrant and the “lack of appointed counsel may have a profound impact on immigrant’s ability to receive a fair hearing.”

RAICES attorneys represent people in detention who are seeking release through bond, and we handle a full range of defenses both for people in detention and those who are fighting their court cases following release.

To request help in defending a case in Immigration Court, you or your family can call the RAICES office nearest to you, or if your home is in San Antonio, please call our Immigration Detention Hotline at (800) 409-2893.

Know someone who is currently detained? Click here to get help.

The path to citizenship in the United States is a long and often torturous road. The list of eligibility requirements is long and the process is complex. Even so, each year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services grants citizenship to roughly 700,000 – 750,000 people.

RAICES provides low-cost assistance with residency or citizenship applications.

Appointments are available at all RAICES offices, where, for a small fee, a lawyer will meet with clients. The consultation will also determine eligibility for RAICES services.

Please call 210-222-0964 to make an appointment.