Testimonials
"I truly feel that this project is a valuable asset to the community. Especially to those who really need the help and have nowhere else to go. Thanks!""This project helped me more than they know. So I am grateful that I found them and they will forever be in my heart and prayers.""I appreciate this organization and its benefits to the public at large. It is nice to know that individuals, regardless of economic means, have a way to execute legal matters. Thank you."
The Legal Assistance Project of LMSS-Waco was designed to remove personal barriers to accessing justice, including feelings of hopelessness and despair. The Legal Assistance Project is structured to provide greater access in civil legal justice to Central Texans through a grass roots self-help pro se civil legal clinic and with legal educational community outreach forums conducted in collaboration with other social service agencies from throughout the Central Texas area.
The Legal Assistance Project is one of only 14 self-help or assisted pro se legal aid clinics in the State of Texas recognized by the state Court Administrator's Office for self-representing civil litigants. Of the 14, the Legal Assistance Project is the only one run by a faith-based organization and the only one to serve litigants from multiple counties, which include McLennan, Bell, Bosque, Falls, Hill, and Limestone.
Our clinic is an information, education and referral service modeled on the self-identified needs of poor and low-income persons in a study by the American Bar Association, Documenting the Justice Gap in America. Among the barriers to accessing equal civil justice for the poor, beyond their obvious inability to pay for an attorney's services, the ABA study found that the study participants identified a lack of capacity for getting help due to a lack of knowledge and resources for representing themselves, an unawareness of any agency or service to help them and an overpowering belief that nothing could be done to better their situation. The Legal Assistance Project of LMSS-Waco is designed to address those needs and remove personal barriers to accessing justice, including those feelings of hopelessness and despair.Persons who use the Legal Assistance Project's services are educated about the court process, provided standard legal forms and supported by non-attorney advocates who follow the guidelines for providing legal information as established by the Court Administrator's Office for the State of Texas.To access services, a person should call our office at (254) 757-3401 to schedule an appointment. Appointment times are only available M-F between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. There are no eligibility requirements for services, however, this is a service intended for low-income persons who cannot afford the expense of an attorney to represent them. Due to the limitations of our resources, we may be unable to assist every person who applies. However, even if we believe your situation is beyond the scope of our agency's abilities, such as if your case requires attorney representation, we can at least try to educate you about the process of finding an attorney. We may also be able to direct you to other resources who could assist you with your legal issue.
The primary types of cases we are able to help with involve all matters of family law, small claims, landlord/tenant disputes, and limited services in cases involving end-of-life decision-making. Read more about other legal resources in the State of Texas.
An ELCA Affiliated Social Ministry, LSA Member and Thrivent Choice Dollars Recipient
