Community Development Clinic
Information for Potential Clients
Building Stronger Communities
How Can We Help You?
The Community Development Clinic helps nonprofits and social entrepreneurs committed to advancing social infrastructure in underserved communities.
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Our services include:
- Counseling on real estate development and environmental justice issues
- Research support to advance local policy initiatives
- Advising nonprofit corporations on their tax-exemption applications
- Community legal education on a variety of legal issues
- Drafting Memoranda of Understanding and Community Benefits Agreements for nonprofits and community organizations
- Representing small businesses in lease negotiations
- Mediation of small business disputes
- Drafting and negotiating agreements for community gardens and other community development projects
- Filing administrative complaints for consumers with appropriate federal and state agencies
Am I eligible for clinic assistance?
Texas nonprofits, community organizations, and social entrepreneurs with limited financial resources who are in need of legal counsel are encouraged to apply. Clients are selected based on a variety of factors, including financial need, educational value to the law students, potential for positive impact in the community, and timing.
The clinic generally defines limited financial resources as annual gross income from all sources amounting to less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level for individuals and organizational budgets of $100,000 or less.
Although our legal services are provided at no charge, clients are responsible for certain fees and other costs charged by third parties for their transactions. For example, clients are responsible to pay for fees associated with filing an application for tax exemption. All such fees will be paid directly to the third party.
When is help available?
The clinic operates from January – April (spring) and August – November (fall), corresponding with the semesters in our academic calendar. While many matters can be handled in a single semester, the academic calendar means there will be delays between periods of work for matters that take longer than a single semester to complete. Those delays can range from five weeks (in the winter) to three months (in the summer). If your matter requires urgent or ongoing attention without delays, we suggest you contact another legal services provider.
Who works on my case?
Law students at the Texas A&M University School of Law who are supervised by an experienced attorney will handle your legal matter. Depending on how long it takes to resolve your matter, your file may be transferred to another law student after a new semester begins.
How do I apply?
To apply, please complete a Request for Legal Services Form and submit it online. You may also call 817-212-4123. The clinic only meets with prospective clients by appointment. Our normal hours of operations are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, but we may be able to make appointments outside that schedule. Please note that we do not accept walk-in applicants.
The Community Development Clinic is unable to assist you with the following:
At this time, the Community Development Clinic does not have the personnel to attend to large-scale litigation. The services we provide are generally transactional. However, we are available to support community lawyers who undertake legal representation on behalf of community organizations.