San Antonio Legal Services Association (SALSA), in partnership with volunteer attorneys, provides three monthly help desks for San Antonio area indigent Veterans and their dependents. The help desk occurs from 1-4pm on the second Friday of each month at the St. Phillips College Good Samaritan Veteran Outreach & Transition Center (GSVOTC); the third Wednesday of each month virtually over Zoom; and the last Friday of the month at a different location around the city (see volunteer calander for details).
The Veterans’ Legal help desk provides limited legal advice and counsel to low-income Veterans on a variety of civil and administrative issues. e.g. tenants seeking repairs or the return of their security deposit; requests/denials of occupational disability accommodations; domestic support issues; tax and mortgage problems; consumer issues; criminal record expunction and non-disclosure; VA benefit issues; and Military Discharge Upgrade actions. Although generally not necessary, SALSA staff attorneys and volunteer subject matter mentors are available for consult during the help desk for any legal issue that a volunteer may be unable to address.
When a Veteran comes to the help desk a Volunteer law student from St. Mary’s University will gather background information and attempt to identify the legal issues during intake. The Veteran and student are then partnered with a volunteer attorney who is asked to identify if an actionable legal issue exists and (a) provide advice and counsel to the client on how to proceed pro se; or (b) recommend SALSA take on the client for extended representation. Although some clients may be placed on the SALSA extended representation listing for pro bono assistance, representation of the client by the help desk volunteer attorney concludes at the end of the help desk. Volunteers are covered by SALSA’s malpractice insurance while working at a SALSA help desk, clinic, or on an extended representation case.