Legal Service Providers

       Our four legal services providers are:

New Mexico Legal Aid – provides civil legal services to low-income people in every New Mexico county except San Juan, served by DNA.  Legal representation is provided in several core areas which address basic human needs-housing, safety from family violence, disability and welfare benefits, employment benefits and health care.  NMLA also runs specials projects which focus on particularly vulnerable populations, especially farm workers and Native Americans.

DNA – People's Legal Services – provides civil legal services to low-income people living on or near the Navajo Nation, the Hopi and Jicarilla Apache Reservations, and in parts of Cibola, McKinley, San Juan and Valencia counties.  Priority legal areas include family law (particularly domestic violence and elder abuse), health care, housing, consumer issues, government benefits, employment issues, education and environmental law as they relate to tribal sovereignty.

Law Access New Mexico – provides telephone advice or brief service throughout the state.  When advice or brief service is insufficient to help a client, Law Access refers the client to the most appropriate legal services provider, eliminating the runaround that low income people with legal problems often encounter.  Law Access has reduced pressures on other legal service providers, who are now able to focus more time on helping those clients whose problems require full representation.

The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty – conducts research and analysis on poverty law issues, advocates on behalf of poor people in public policy forums and provides training and information to legal aid programs, pro bono lawyers and community advocacy groups. The issues on which the Center focuses include access to health care, access to food stamps, New Mexico Works implementation and reform, homelessness and the State’s general assistance program.