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.

IDRA and the Consulate General of Mexico in San Antonio are partnering to help Mexican and Mexican American families navigate the U.S. education system and learn about important educational opportunities in both countries. The program, called Ventanilla de Orientación Educativa (VOE), provides information on the civil rights of immigrant and English learner students, local educational services, and resources on how to access and succeed in college. The VOE also disseminates information on educational opportunities offered by the Mexican government for nationals abroad and develops various courses for immigrant parents.

Examples of VOE Services & Information include:

• How to approach U.S. K-12 and higher educational institutions
• How to apply for financial aid in the United States (including FAFSA & TAFSA)
• Information on resources for adult and community education in Spanish
• Opportunities to continue studying if you return to Mexico
• The rights of immigrant students to attend public school
• The rights of English learners to an equal educational opportunity
• Online educational opportunities in Mexico for students in the United States

Free

Student Programs

IDRA’s student programs demonstrate our core values that recognize the assets all students bring and that listen to students and engage them both in their own learning and in their leadership to transform schools and communities.

• Valued Youth Partnership
• VisionCoders
• Youth Advisory Board
• Youth Leadership Now
• IDRA Youth TechXPerts™
• MAS for Our Schools
• IDRA Digital Ambassadors
• More Student Research & Activism

Click here to learn more about each program.

Free

Do you need help with settling a small estate in Bexar County?

Walk-in assistance is available to qualifying applicants. 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

Volunteer attorneys offer advice on Small Estate Affidavits for estates under $75,000 and various deed and county records issues.

The Small Estate Help Desk provides free legal assistance for low-income individuals at the Bexar County Courthouse at 100 Dolorosa St., San Antonio, Texas 78205, Room 1.15, every other Thursday from 1:00-3:30 PM. 

Operating on a first-come, first-served basis with income qualifications, the service helps clients determine the best approach for their situation and can address questions about property transfers and fraudulent deed or lien issues. The Bexar County Clerk’s Office is on-site to accept ready documents. 

Check our Public Calendar for upcoming dates.

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.

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.

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.

To access the Deed Help Desk and receive free legal aid, certain eligibility requirements must be met. Individuals who meet the following criteria are eligible to seek assistance: 

1.Must meet income guidelines. 200% or below the federal poverty limit.

2. Must not currently have legal representation for the specific deed-related issue. 

If you meet these eligibility requirements, you can access the Deed Help Desk by walk-in. The upcoming dates for the Deed Help Desk are as follows: 

• 09/26/2023 
• 10/24/2023 
• 11/28/2023 

The City of San Antonio believes that every resident deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and provided fair access to opportunities. If you think you have experienced discrimination based on your identity, you will want to read more about the NDO to see if it applies to your situation.

The Non-Discrimination Ordinance (NDO) provides protection from discrimination in the areas of city employment, city contracts and subcontracts, appointments to Boards and Commissions, housing, and public accommodation. Within these areas, people are protected from being discriminated against on the basis of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, familial status, national origin or age.

The NDO therefore does provide employment discrimination protection for individuals employed with and/or seeking employment with businesses who have a contract with the City, and it does apply to allegations of employment discrimination by private businesses; however, charges involving private businesses with 15 or more employees are investigated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

This NDO only applies to incidents that happen within the San Antonio city limits, so if your incident happened elsewhere, please check the ordinance for that area.

Read the full City Ordinance

Fill out the Discrimination Complaint Form online.

If you would like to print out the Discrimination Complaint Form and fill it out by hand and mail it in, or submit it in person, here is the form you will need to fill out in order to submit a Discrimination Complaint Form.

To learn how to submit a Discrimination Complain, click here.

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, abusive, 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.

Click here for additional information.

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.  

Click here for additional information.

The City of San Antonio proudly partners with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) to offer legal aid services to households with low incomes who are experiencing eviction or other housing issues that threaten their housing status.

If you have received a notice to appear in Court or have a judgement against you, please contact the Right to Counsel (RTC) program immediately.

Apply for the City of San Antonio’s Right to Counsel Program:

• Free Legal Aid for those experiencing housing issues who income qualify.
• Attorney services are available on request for those in need, call 210-212-3703.
• Complete the Pre-Screen Intake Form here and email it to [email protected].

Our mission is to organize and advocate for the community's behavioral health needs by distributing resources, connecting local agencies, facilitating behavioral health programs, and providing funding recommendations to the Commissioners Court to continuously improve the availability and quality of services in Bexar County.

Click here to access the following:

• Immediate Needs
• Resources and Support
• County Initiatives
  • School-Based Mental Wellness
  • Criminal Justice & Jail-Based Programs
• Community

If you are in crisis call or text 988

For mental health emergencies, please call The Center for Healthcare Services at 210-223-SAFE(7233).

Click here to send us an email.

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.

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.

Civic Engagement/Base Building: We seek to educate, facilitate, and help others understand the community engagement process through a variety of outreach efforts. Read more.

Restoritive Justice and Healing: We work to create equitable environments of support and care for students and youth who have been directly impacted by systemic racism and the inequities surrounding underserved communities. Read more.

Youth Leadership Development: AIT-SCM's YLD initiative consists of four interactive elements which include Education, Mentoring, Health and Wellness, and Advocacy/Skill-Building groups. Read more.

Tribal and Urban Native Equity: Our goal is not to just see Native American culture preserved, but honored, embraced, and thriving in Bexar County and surrounding areas. Read more.

Warrior Roots Community Organizing Training Camp: The camp's goal is to raise consciousness and develop the collective leadership skills of People's Movements in south Texas with the vision of building a sustainable network of communities capable of mobilizing to protect and defend ourselves accordingly. Read more.

Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation Advocacy: AIT-SCM is helping to revitalize their ancestral language, assemble an archive of historical documents and works, elevate a national voice, and sustain indigenous values. Read more. 

Hello, precious woman. Your story matters. No one can take that from you. We believe you are here to help navigate the rest of your story.

We understand the reality of working in the industry. We offer counseling and mentorship. We want you to know we are here for you no matter where you are on your journey in life. We would love to have coffee hear your story and see how we can be of support for you. 

Finding a community with women who can be trusted and have your best interest at heart is the first step to healing. We are such a community—women who have found themselves in broken relationships, addiction, loss of hope, and in deep need of healing from the trauma of sexual exploitation. You will find community and support with the NSAGirls. 

We offer a bi-weekly support group for your mind, body, and soul. We have trauma therapies available along with resources in our community to help you live a whole, healed, and productive life after your abuse.

This program is open to any woman or youth (13-18) who has been sexually abused, exploited, or trafficked.

Our programs:

• Mentoring/Advocacy
• Career Path Development
• Healing Retreat/Community

Free

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.

TTY uses Texas Relay by dialing 7-1-1 or
1-800-RELAY TX (210.735.2989)

Advocacy:

We advocate for the systemic changes needed within the institutions of the community to effectively respond to these needs.

We challenge law enforcement when they deviate from departmental policy in response to family violence calls. Advocate on how city dollars are spent in terms of effective response from community agencies.

The judicial system as a vital link in dealing effectively with domestic violence, the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative has worked to improve the criminal and civil response to domestic violence. During October, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative plans, designs and implements events and activities in a citywide effort to create awareness, get community involved, in eradicating the violence in families. 

Coalition Building:

We work to engage community members in discussions about the effects of family violence on family members and the community as a whole.

We are training them to know what to expect from law enforcement in terms of laws, safety, protections, resources and their rights which they in turn will teach other community residents.

We have learned that most survivors of family violence seek help with those people closest to them, therefore it is imperative we build a community consciousness of awareness, accountability and response.

This way that community member, will know what to say, how to respond, and where to send survivors of family violence for the appropriate help and support.  

The Civil Rights Team defends the fundamental rights of low-income individuals and communities through litigation and other advocacy. The team's attorneys combat unlawful discrimination, protect against abuses by government officials, ensure voting rights, and address denials of equal protection and due process of law. 

Services and Activities: 

• Litigate to protect the rights of low-income individuals and communities under the U.S. and Texas constitutions and other federal and state laws; 
• Provide legal education and assistance about constitutional and other legal rights and the administrative processes for asserting those rights; 
• Collaborate with partners and other TRLA teams to identify and address systemic civil rights issues affecting impoverished communities throughout Texas. 

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

The Community Development Team provides education and legal assistance to community groups to combat systemic inequities in housing, infrastructure, adverse environmental conditions, and health. The team works to empower low-income neighborhood groups to create safe, healthy, and thriving communities.

Services and Activities:

• Provide legal education and assistance to a neighborhood or other low-income advocacy groups through a community lawyering model;
• Identify inequities in housing, infrastructure, water, and adverse environmental impacts through outreach and collaboration with other teams and advocacy partners;
• Provide holistic support for low-income communities throughout other TRLA practice areas;
• File administrative complaints and litigation, if applicable, under the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, and other state and federal laws.

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

The Consumer Protection Team's mission is to help low-income people protect their income and assets by providing representation, legal assistance, advocacy, advice, and education to those who are cheated by unscrupulous businesses or individuals. The team addresses a wide range of consumer issues, including unlawful repossession, student loans, payday and title loans, garnishments and receiverships, deceptive sales practices, fraudulent auto sales and repairs, shoddy home improvements, unfair debt-collection practices, home solicitations, and warranty and contract issues.

Services and Activities:

• Represent eligible consumers in state and federal courts; 
• Conduct financial literacy education training for low-income communities; 
• Collaborate with community partners to educate consumers about unscrupulous business practices and the danger of high-interest loans.

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

The Disaster Benefits Team provides advice and representation for people seeking financial resources to help themselves, their families, or their small businesses recover from disasters. 

Services & Activities 

• Help low-income disaster survivors access FEMA assistance, insurance, and low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); 
• Help navigate FEMA to seek financial aid from its Individuals and Households Program (IHP); 
• Appeal FEMA denials or award amounts; 
• Pursuing extension of temporary shelter or rental assistance; 
• Defending against recoupment demands; 
• Pursue litigation to seek solutions to systemic FEMA problems; 
• Help clients who seek fair handling of their claims with the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association and the National Flood Insurance Program 
• Help people who have applied for personal disaster loans from the SBA in relation to FEMA.

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

The Environmental Justice Team represents low-income people in environmental matters to improve the health and safety of communities impacted by pollution. The team focuses on community outreach and education, as well as administrative advocacy before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and other government agencies with regulatory authority over the environment.

Services and Activities:

• Represent clients before administrative agencies that regulate polluting industries;
• Prosecute “citizen suits” to enforce federal environmental laws;
• Address nuisances that impact TRLA clients, such as odors, dust, or noise;
• Promote enforcement of environmental laws in low-income minority communities disproportionately affected by pollution;
• Represent clients at contested case hearings on air, water, or solid waste permits before the TCEQ or on permits within the jurisdiction of the Railroad Commission of Texas;
• File citizen suits under the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act;
• File administrative complaints under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act;
• Pursue state court suits for nuisance;
• Educate communities about making environmental complaints and about their rights under environmental and civil rights laws.

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

TRLA's Fair Housing Team represents individuals and families facing illegal discrimination in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act.

The team’s mission is to ensure that landlords, lenders, and government entities comply with the provisions of the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, disability, and national origin.

The team uses the reasonable accommodation provision of the Fair Housing Act to prevent evictions of people with disabilities and help them access affordable housing programs.

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

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 representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

This clinic helps families of children with disabilities who are transitioning to adulthood. Families and students are counseled on legal documents that will allow the student to obtain support and help without the need for guardianship.

Persons interested in having the clinic at their school or in their community should contact [email protected].

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

The mission of the Homeless Prevention team is to keep individuals and families in their homes, regardless of whether those are their own houses or rentals, by preventing evictions and foreclosures.

The team defends people facing eviction and challenges predatory lending policies that result in foreclosures and loss of homes.

(The team's work overlaps with the work of the Home Foreclosure Team and the Private Landlord-Tenant Issues Team.)

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

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.

Click here for more information.

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

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 representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

The first priority of the Manufactured Housing Team is to prevent homelessness when homeowners or renters are on the verge of losing titles or possession of their homes.

Services and Activities:

• Prevent evictions and foreclosures with appropriate litigation;
• Help manufactured homeowners avoid losing ownership in foreclosure cases;
• Help manufactured homeowners keep their homes when they are being evicted from rented lots;
• Help obtain title to homes in cases of deception or negligence;
• Help homeowners file complaints with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs-Manufactured Housing Division (TDHCA-MHD) in warranty or unlicensed activity cases.