Texas Legal Services Center

Texas Legal Services Center (TLSC) is a legal aid service provider in Texas. It serves as a gap filler to provide legal services to Texas residents who may not qualify for services from Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, Lone Star Legal Aid, Legal Aid of Northwest Texas, or Disability Rights Texas. TLSC also provides support services to each of those providers.[1] Texas Legal Services Center provides its services to Texas residents based on the subject matter involved in their legal issue.

Formation

Texas Legal Services Center was incorporated in 1977.[2] Its legal name is Texas Legal Services Center, Inc.[3] It is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation.[4]

Texas Legal Services Center is composed of several legal help departments each dedicated to providing legal aid based on legal topics or demographics.

The Legal Hotline for Texans was the first program created by Texas Legal Services Center that directly assisted Texans with legal issues. On May 1, 1989, the "Legal Hotline for Older Texans" was started as a revolutionary concept by providing legal advice to clients that the attorney never met in person. In the Speaker’s Committee Room news conference, Chief Justice Phillips, joined State Bar president James Sales, and Attorney General Jim Mattox and legislative leaders in making the announcement. Former State Bar President W. Frank Newton was instrumental in securing a resolution of support from the State Bar Board of Director in furtherance of the concept.

The Legal Hotline for Texans focuses on a specific demographic. It provides free legal advice to Texans age 60 or over and Texans of any age who would qualify to receive Medicare. That program provides advice on non-criminal law matters. Topics include: elder law, foreclosure defense, Medicaid law, fraud, credit card litigation, divorce, guardianship, public benefits (such as CHIP, SNAP, etc.), wills, landlord/tenant law, and housing.

Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault (LASSA) is a "collaborative effort of nine legal aid organizations[5] partnering with domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, and colleges and universities throughout the state for community outreach, education, and referrals."[6] Texas Legal Services Center attorneys provide legal advice and assistance with local referrals to the appropriate service providers based on the caller's situation and needs, be that a shelter, legal aid center, or education provider.

Funding

Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault is funded by the Sexually-Oriented Business Fee,[7] a fee enacted in 2008 also known as the "Pole Tax."[8][9] Texas strip clubs fought this new tax but lost their battle in the courts in 2014.[10] Funds from this tax are distributed to programs for sexual assault victims and public education.

South Central Pensions Rights Project

This project provides legal representation to people who reside in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, or Texas that are trying to gain access to their pension funds but face legal hurdles blocking their access.[11]

Transfer on Death Deed

The Transfer on Death Deed (TODD) project provides free document preparation to transfer real estate effective upon the death of the owner. In general, in order to qualify for the service, a person must be a Texas resident who has income under 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. A person can make up to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines and still qualify only if that person is over 60 years old.[12] The number to call the Transfer on Death Deed project is 1-800-622-2520.[13]

The law creating this sort of document was enacted on September 1, 2015[14][15] and amended in 2017.

Advocates for Victims of Crime (AVOICE)

Advocates for Victims of Crime (AVOICE) is a project of Texas Legal Services Center that assists victims of violent crime and identity theft with legal matters related to their victimization.[16][17] AVOICE attorneys provide legal advice, advocacy and direct representation for victims of crime.

Funding

This project was funded by a grant created during the 84th Session of the Texas Legislature for the 2015-2017 biennium.[18][19]

Health Law Program

The Health Law Program helps Texas residents with legal issues that affect their health or are health-related.[20] Examples of topics they help with are: kincare,Medicare and Medicaid matters and FMLA issues.

The Austin Medical-Legal Partnership is an affiliate of the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership.[21]

The Veterans Legal Assistance Project provides legal advice and services to Texas veterans primarily by phone.[22] The program also provides direct representation for Texas veterans in cases involving bankruptcy and foreclosure. In general, the Project focuses on assisting veterans with issues like: military discharge upgrades, service connected disability appeals, contracts, divorces, custody agreements, employment law, consumer law, and criminal expunctions.

Funding

The project was formed in 2011 after TLSC received a grant[23] from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans Assistance. Today, it is funded by a grant from the Texas Access to Justice Commission. That grant allows the Texas Legal Services Center to help Texas veterans with incomes up to 200%[24] of federal poverty guidelines.

CPS Family Helpline

The CPS Family Helpline is a new project of the Texas Legal Services Center that provides information, in a confidential manner, to anyone with questions about the Texas CPS system. It primarily helps parents with CPS cases who have questions about how the system works, what they do to resolve matters, and how long CPS may stay involved with their parenting.[25]

History


At that time TLSC's efforts were primarily directed at policy advocacy for providing legal aid to Texans. However, TLSC attorneys also provided limited assistance to the other legal aid offices in significant federal cases whose aim was to help impoverished Texans.

References
  1. "LSC Updates - April 29, 2009". Texas Legal Aid Lawyers Honored by State Bar: Legal Services Corporation. April 29, 2009.
  2. Legal Services Corporation (March 24, 1988). "Provision for the Delivery of Legal Services Committee Meeting" (PDF). Legal Services Corporation. p. 6. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  3. Assumed Name Certificate, Texas Legal Services Center, Inc., Office of the Secretary of State, Texas, File number: 56189701
  4. "Research Tax-Exempt Organizations: Texas Legal Services Center Inc". ProPublica. ProPublica. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  5. "2015-16 Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault Grantees" (PDF). Texas Access to Justice Foundation. p. 4. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  6. Texas Access to Justice Foundation (March 14, 2017). "Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault". Texas Access to Justice Commission. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  7. "Crime Victims Services Annual Report 2016" (PDF). Texas Attorney General. December 9, 2016. p. 9. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  8. "Texas, Strip Clubs Fight It Out Over $5 Tax on Customers". ABC News Dallas. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  9. Manny Fernandez. "Strip Club 'Pole Tax' Is Upheld in Texas". New York Times. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  10. Terri Langford (May 9, 2014). "Texas Strip Clubs Lose Appeal on Pole Tax". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  11. "South Central Pension Rights Project". Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  12. "Transfer on Death Deed". Texas Legal Services Center. Texas Legal Services Center. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  13. "Transfer on Death Deed". Texas Legal Services Center. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  14. "Texas Real Property Transfer on Death Act". Texas Constitution and Statutes. Section 114: State of Texas. Retrieved 31 May 2017.CS1 maint: location (link)
  15. Rania Combs. "The Texas Transfer on Death Deed". Rania Combs Attorney at Law. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  16. "Legal Assistance for Victims of Sexual Assault". Texas Legal Services Center. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  17. "Facebook: Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault". Facebook. General Information.
  18. "News Release". Texas Access to Justice Foundation. March 21, 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  19. "Texas Access to Justice Foundation Announces Legal Aid Grants". Texas Access to Justice Commission. October 2, 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  20. "Health Law Program". Texas Legal Services Center.
  21. "Austin Medical-Legal Partnership". National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  22. "Texas Veterans Legal Assistance Project". Texas Legal Services Center. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  23. "Grants Awarded" (.xlsx). Texas Veterans Commission. Closed Grants as of January 2017*. pp. Row 33. Retrieved 2 June 2017. Provides high quality legal assistance to Texas Veterans who do not have access to civil legal services to address problems such as family, employment, housing, consumer, probate, access to health care, and access to benefits.CS1 maint: location (link)
  24. "2017 FINANCIAL INCOME GUIDELINES" (PDF). Texas Access to Justice Foundation.
  25. "THE FAMILY HELPLINE & SPANISH VERSION OF THE PARENT RESOURCE GUIDE NOW AVAILABLE FROM THE CHILDREN'S COMMISSION". Texas Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
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