Lone Star Legal Aid

Lone Star Legal Aid provides free civil legal representation, advocacy and community education to low-income Texans and Arkansans who cannot afford legal help. The organisation is the third largest free legal aid provider in the United States, working across nearly 60,000 square miles of service area that takes in 72 counties in Texas and four in Arkansas. Its practice covers housing disputes, family law, the rights of domestic violence survivors, veterans benefits, public benefits, consumer protection and disaster recovery.

The work is delivered by a team of attorneys, advocates and staff based in 14 offices. Alongside direct representation, Lone Star Legal Aid runs outreach events, legal clinics and educational programmes designed to give clients a working knowledge of their rights. Clients can apply for assistance through several routes, reflecting an approach that meets people where they are rather than requiring them to come to the organisation on its own terms.

The organisation describes its mission in terms of access to justice: no one should be denied legal representation because they cannot pay for it. Staff are embedded in the communities they serve and take part in the outreach and clinic work themselves. Lone Star Legal Aid has spent decades protecting and advancing civil legal rights across Texas and Arkansas.