The Community Justice Program (CJP), the pro bono project of the San Antonio Bar Association, provides free legal services to individuals who may not otherwise have access to the legal system through partnerships with community organizations providing services for underserved populations in the San Antonio metro area.

Our committed volunteer corps, composed of judges, attorneys, paralegals, notaries, and law students, is the driving force behind the Community Justice Program’s efforts to improve access and close the justice gap.  To date, the Community Justice Program has matched over 10,000 pro bono cases to volunteer attorneys.

Please call or visit website to learn more about eligibility requirements.

Free.

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.

Every year MABA San Antonio is proud to offer scholarships to students in the community. Our annual Pete Torres Jr. Memorial Scholarship event is our signature charitable event for the year.

Thanks to MABA events like Dia De Los Muertos, Pachanga, our annual golf tournament, and other activities, MABA is able to raise funds specifically for our scholarship program. 

AccessAbility Fest is a gateway to information, resources, and opportunities for individuals working to overcome barriers caused by physical, cognitive, sensory, and mental health challenges.

AccessAbility Fest is for individuals of all abilities, including those with physical, developmental, sensory and/or mental health challenges, and it connects over 4,500 individuals to resources each year, creating opportunities for disability service organizations to collaborate, make referrals, and provide more comprehensive services.

This program is held in high traffic venues to raise awareness about the value, successes, and potential of people with disabilities among the general public.

The festival is FREE and OPEN for the public to attend.

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.

San Antonio Independent Living Services (SAILS) provides people with disabilities and their families:

• information, assistance, and support systems to promote changes that enhance their full integration to the community
• education on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• information about disability rights

At SAILS, you can:

• Learn skills to become independent
• Meet other people with disABILITIES
• Receive information and referrals
• Learn how to advocate
• Learn how to volunteer at SAILS
• Be a part of our community

Adults with disabilities.

SAILS provides information and assistance to people of all ages with disabilities
and their families to access support systems and promote changes that result in
full access to the community. SAILS can also provide information and education
on the Americans with Disabilities Act and information on disability rights.

You do not have to have an actual doctor's diagnosis to be assisted.

San Antonio Independent Living Services (SAILS) provides the following trainings and workshops to the community at large:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Education and Awareness
• Disabilities Awareness Workshops
• Sensitivity Trainings

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.

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

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.

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 cross-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.

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 LASA, 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 LASA, 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.

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.

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.

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 align 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.

Free legal counsel; some documentation fees may apply.

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.

This program helps clients attain economic self-sufficiency through the provision of comprehensive case management and services leading to employment within 120-180 days after their date of eligibility for the program.

Services include:

• case management
• employment and job skills
• and cash assistance

To be eligible for this program, the applicant must be:

• a newly arrived refugee
• a Special Immigrant Visa holder from Iraq or Afghanistan
• an asylee
• a victim of trafficking
• a Cuban/Haitian entrant
• employable (or a family member of another applicant who is)

The goal of the Fair Housing/ Housing Counseling Program is to help residents maintain housing stability, which is key to family well-being. The program is a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved housing counseling agency.

The Fair Housing Program provides the following services to rental tenants, homeowners and landlords:
* Tenant and landlord mediation
* Default counseling to homeowners
* Housing Discrimination Complaints
* Referrals and community outreach
* Rent Assistance
* Mortgage Assistance
* Utility Assistance

Limited resources available. Call for information. Re-apply frequently.

Do you need help protesting your property taxes?

We can connect you with a real estate agent that will help at no cost!

To get started, complete the contact form on our website here.

The RAICES Refugee Cash Assistance Program is a state-funded program, supporting newly arrived refugees to become self-sufficient. Services include:

• cash assistance
• refugee medical assistance enrollment
• employment assistance referrals

Must be in one or more of these groups:

• Newly Arrived Refugees
• Special Immigrant Visa holders from Iraq and Afghanistan
• Asylees
• Victims of Trafficking
• Cuban and Haitian Entrants

Free

The RAICES Refugee Resettlement Reception & Placement Program welcomes and supports refugees and their families as they make their home in San Antonio.

Intensive case management services are provided for 90 days after arrival.

Must be newly arrived refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders from Iraq or Afghanistan

Free

We provide advocacy services for children with learning differences and supervisions for family law matters.

Our services include:
• Initial consultation (1 hour)
• Consultative services (45 minutes)
• ARD (3 hours)
• Mediation (10 hours)
• 504 meeting (2 hours)
• Resolution session (4 hours)
• Supervision (4 hours)
• Other services (2 hours)

Contact for fee schedule.

Citizenship Education:

The Nuevos Ciudadanos Citizenship Education Program is Academia América’s New Americans Project. The Program has the dual goals of integration and civic engagement. The curriculum, modules in Civics, History and English, facilitate preparation for the naturalization examination and promote civic engagement. Financial Literacy education emphasizes social integration.

Legal Services:

Academia América partners with nonprofit legal assistance providers to facilitate access to low-cost legal services to our clients. Students enrolled in our classes receive assistance with completion of the naturalization application and related forms at discounted rates.

Please call or visit our Facebook page for registration information.

Provides legal aid to low-income and immigrant families, as well as to victims of crime, domestic violence and human trafficking.

Participants are offered legal information, and if necessary, referrals to legal aid or to other attorneys who may work on a sliding scale or a payment plan.

Please contact Caritas Legal Services for additional information at (210) 433-3256.

Free.

Through advocacy, education and direct service, the Immigration Services works toward the just and humane treatment of all immigrants by helping them to achieve the full benefits available to them under immigration law.

Providing professional consultation and reduced-fee legal services, the Immigration Services focuses on reuniting families by guiding immigrants through the complex legal process.

All individuals and families seeking legal services must first undergo a consultation. Through our consultation process, our staff is able to fully assess the extent of a client’s situation and provide the most appropriate options available.

$50 consultation fee. Some fees may be waived if grant funding is available.

Please contact Caritas Legal Services for additional information at (210) 433-3256.

Our services are open to everyone who meets our income guidelines and case priorities. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation.

If you or a loved one is currently facing deportation or immigration detention, please call the Línea de Defensa Comunitaria/Deportation Crisis Hotline: (512) 270-1515

Click here or call the office to apply for services.

This program offers legal guardianship services, including less restrictive alternatives, for those who lack mental capacity due to illness or disability, and who are at risk of abuse, neglect and exploitation. With the goal of protecting the most vulnerable in our society by ensuring their safety in the community, the Guardianship Services creates 1/3 of all guardianships established in Bexar County.

For additional information call LaSonya Robinson, Guardianship Legal Case Manager at 210-455-6105.

Outpatient HIV Medical Care: Providing compassionate medical treatment that empowers health and prevention in an outpatient setting:

• Healthcare provided by doctors with board-certified expertise
• Onsite blood draw service
• Onsite pharmacy (while you wait or delivery)
• Medication assistance for eligible clients
• Medication counseling by physician or pharmacist
• Medication assistance for eligible clients
• Multidisciplinary approach to provision of comprehensive healthcare
• For an appointment, phone 210-225-4716 or email [email protected]

Onsite Pharmacy:

• Astoria Pharmacy, a division of Southside Pharmacy, is located at SAAF in the outpatient clinic suite. Astoria offers:
  o Retail pharmacy
  o Specialty pharmacy
  o Free confidential delivery
  o Refill reminders
  o Copay assistance
  o ADAP Program
  o 340B pharmacy
  o Patient advocacy and community liaison
  o Competitive cash prices.
  o Accept 350 insurance plans and provide pharmaceutical assistance for patients who qualify for Ryan White benefits.
  o To transfer or refill your prescription, phone: 210-951-8877 or email [email protected].

Medical Case Management:

• Clients meet regularly with our medical case managers who ensure access to medical care, retention in care and adherence to medications. Treatment adherence counseling is provided to ensure readiness for and adherence to complex HIV treatments.
• In addition, medical case managers help to navigate and coordinate the complex social service system thus ensuring access to all available medical and supportive services that may help to optimize their life situations and improve healthcare outcomes.

Non-Medical Case Management:

• Our non-medical case managers provide guidance and assistance to clients in accessing medical, social, community, legal, financial and other needed services. Non-medical case managers may also help clients access other public and private programs for which they may be eligible, such as Medicaid, Medicare Part D, State Pharmacy Assistance Programs, Pharmaceutical Manufacturer’s Patient Assistance Programs and Health Insurance Marketplace Plans.

Behavior/Mental Health:

• Professional counselors help clients identify goals and potential solutions to problems which cause emotional turmoil; seek to improve communication and coping skills; strengthen self-esteem; and promote behavior change and optimal health.
• Our mental health clinicians are state-licensed professionals who can provide individual and group therapy.

Dental Care:

• Clients receive HIV-related oral health care or dental care through dental subcontractors in the community. Through Ryan White funding SAAF can subcontract diagnostic, preventative and therapeutic services by general dental practitioners, dental specialists and dental hygienists.
• For More Information or to set up services, contact the intake coordinator at 210-225-4715.

Transitional, Short-term Housing:

• Only a short walking distance from SAAF, the facility houses a total of 20 men, women and transgender homeless clients at any given time
• Staffed 24/7
• Residents may remain in the program for 90 days and are eligible to re-enter program after 90 days of discharge.
• The Carson House is a drug and alcohol free environment.
• The mission of the program is to allow homeless individuals living with HIV/AIDS to reside in a comfortable, home-like environment for up to three months, providing them the opportunity to move beyond their present situation and achieve residential stability.
• Clients admitted to program can be referred from any variety of AIDS service or social service organizations, such as prison discharge units, hospital discharge units, drug treatment programs, etc.
• Residents pay a minimal monthly housing fee.
• The facility is wheelchair accessible.

Services only available to registered clients - individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

Legal Services are provided to veterans at this location by the San Antonio Bar Association.

Veterans.

Free.