The Texarkana office of Lone Star Legal Aid welcomed members of the community Thursday to its office on Richmond Road in celebration of Pro Bono Week.
The office in Texarkana serves Bowie and Cass counties in Texas and Hempstead, Lafayette, Little River and Miller counties in Arkansas. The branch office in Texarkana is the only Lone Star Legal Aid center that serves clients in two states. In addition to the counties served in Arkansas, Lone Star offices serve 72 counties statewide in Texas.
The managing attorney of the Texarkana office, Lisa Crittenden, said the office offers free legal help to low-income people needing assistance with civil matters. The office does not handle criminal cases.
The types of civil matters addressed by Lone Star include family law, custody, veteran's issues, foreclosures, evictions, bankruptcies, social security, disability, health care, discrimination and more. While the Texarkana office does employ two staff attorneys and two paralegals, it also partners with local agencies and lawyers in private practice to help meet the legal needs of clients.
Members of the Domestic Violence Prevention Program staff visited the open house Thursday as Lone Star and DVPP often share clients and referrals between the two agencies are often reciprocal. Lone Star recognized DVPP with an award at the open house for their community partnership.
Crittenden and Lone Star staff attorney King Wong said they are rarely turned down by members of the local bar association when a need for help in a particular legal specialty is needed. The Lone Star attorneys and staff praised Texarkana lawyers Pam Fisk and John Delk for their ongoing and consistent contributions to those who need legal services but don't have the funds to pay for them.
To inquire about eligibility for services locally, contact Texarkana's Lone Star office at 903-793-7661. Visit the organization's website at lonestarlegal.blog for more information about the agency or visit their Facebook page.