NM’s System of Civil Legal Services

Table of Contents:

Overview:

The NM Center on Law and Poverty maintains an energy-conscious, green workplace. Thanks to support received through the PNM Resources Foundation, the Center is taking steps to improve our energy efficiency, cut down on energy waste, and reduce our water consumption. With funding provided by PNM’s “Reduce Your Use” grant program, the Center purchased and installed energy-efficient appliances, programmable thermostats, and water-saving sinks. We also hired a consultant to conduct an energy audit of our office space. The audit helped identify several larger structural improvements that we must make to become even more energy efficient in the future. We’ve already implemented two of the audit’s recommendations. First, we replaced all of our old, single-paned, leaky glass windows with new, more efficient double-paned vinyl windows. We also added insulation to the ceiling of one of our office buildings.

Note: Most non-profit organizations assist low-income individuals only, defined as 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

View the latest Federal Poverty Levels:

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NM Civil Legal Non-Profits:

  • DNA People’s Legal Services works to protect civil rights, promote tribal sovereignty and provide general legal services to low-income people in San Juan County and on the Navajo and Jicarilla reservations.
    • DNA Protection and Advocacy System serves people with disabilities on the Navajo reservation: 1-800-862-7271
  • Law Access New Mexico provides a statewide telephone helpline to provide free legal advice and brief services for low-income New Mexicans across the state. When callers need more extensive representation than Law Access provides, they are referred to the appropriate provider. For this reason, Law Access is often a good starting point for people seeking civil legal aid. 1-800-340-9771
  • New Mexico Legal Aid provides general legal services to low-income individuals in all counties except San Juan, which is served by DNA People’s Legal Services. Individuals should apply for assistance through Law Access New Mexico. If Law Access cannot meet an individual’s needs, they will refer the matter to NM Legal Aid.  View locations and contact information for New Mexico Legal Aid offices.
  • New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty provides legal advocacy for groups of low-income New Mexicans who need representation in state administrative systems, the legislature and the courts. The Center generates systemic improvements to policy, regulations and programs that affect low-income New Mexicans. It also provides training and information to advocates and low-income people concerning public benefits programs, access to health care and other issues relating to low-income populations. It distributes know-your-rights pamphlets and other resources for low-income people and their advocates. The Center does not, in general, provide individual representation. 505-255-2840
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Specialty Civil Legal Assistance:

  1. Advocacy, Inc. provides assistance in uncontested legal guardianship services to low-income caregivers raising children whose parents are unable or unwilling to care for them. It offers four programs designed to fill the legal needs of children in Bernalillo County: a) guardianship legal services; b) adoption legal services; c) Guardian ad Litem services; and d) information, referral and training. 1-866-257-5320
  2. Catholic Charities provides free legal immigration services and representation to eligible immigrants to help them apply for legal status for themselves and their children under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The project provides intake and assessment of the domestic violence and the overall situation, then prepares all the necessary documents to take the case to the Immigration and Naturalization Services or the Executive Office for Immigration Review. 505-247-0442
  3. Disability Rights New Mexico provides legal assistance to people with disabilities and mental illness. It provides both direct services to individuals and systemic services that impact groups of New Mexicans with disabilities. The DNA Protection and Advocacy program serves people with disabilities on the Navajo reservation. 1-800-432-4682
  4. NMFLAG provides legal assistance to pro se litigants (people going through the civil court system without an attorney) in Albuquerque and also advocacy services for victims of domestic violence in counties surrounding Albuquerque. 505-256-0417
  5. Pegasus Legal Services for Children provides comprehensive legal services to children, youth and their caregivers, including direct representation, community legal education, and policy advocacy. The issues that they help with include children’s right to appropriate public education (including education needs of children with disabilities and children in foster care), kinship guardianship, family law for young parents, access to health and mental health care, transition from foster care to young adulthood, and child abuse and neglect. 1-800-980-1165
  6. United South Broadway Corporation works to address affordable housing opportunities, commercial revitalization, crime prevention and youth development. The organization is a HUD-certified housing counseling agency with experienced bi-lingual staff and has a statewide foreclosure defense project.  Their Fair Lending Center provides in-house legal services and direct legal representation for homeowners at risk of losing their homes. 505-764-8867
  7. Senior Citizens Law Office provides free civil legal services to Bernalillo County residents more than 60 years of age, especially concerning the following issues: income maintenance, guardianship/conservatorship, power of attorney and other advance directives, issues of financial exploitation, landlord-tenant and public housing problems, consumer issues, health-related issues and long-term care issues. Most of the clients served are low-income individuals. The Senior Citizens’ Law Office also provides systemic advocacy on a wide variety of elder law issues. 505-265-2300
  8. Southwest Women’s Law Center provides legal advocacy to address gender-related poverty issues and to improve opportunities for low-income women. In general, does not provide individual representation. 800-244-0542
  9. State Bar of New Mexico Lawyer Referral for the Elderly provides legal assistance and referrals to seniors around New Mexico, particularly outside of Bernalillo County.  800-876-6657
  10. State Bar of New Mexico Lawyers Care is the general referral and assistance program of the State Bar of New Mexico. For low-income people, referrals may be pro bono or reduced fee. The program accepts some of the overflow cases that New Mexico Legal Aid is unable to take.
  11. State Bar of New Mexico Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the State Bar of New Mexico sponsors two Homeless Legal Clinics. Volunteers provide pro bono legal services and pro bono referrals to homeless persons at the Health Care for the Homeless location in downtown Albuquerque and at the Mesilla Valley of Hope in Doña Ana County. Many services are brief services. Others require more extensive work and are referred to volunteers who have agreed to accept referrals from the Clinic.
  12. UNM Law School Clinical Law Program provides services to faculty, students and income eligible clients under the supervision of faculty members. Students represent low-income clients in a range of legal matters, including: landlord-tenant, consumer, family law, zoning, environmental, and wills. Additionally, the program operates a Southwest Indian Law Clinic serving American Indian communities and individuals.
  13. NM Immigrant Law Center is a project of the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty that provides legal advice, representation, and advocacy to immigrants and aspiring citizens living in New Mexico. 505 247-1023
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Other Resources:

  • Domestic Violence Legal Hotline: 505-243-4300
    • (Leave message; attorney will call back)
  • HIV/AIDS Legal Helpline: 1-800-982-2021
  • Law Help New Mexico
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