About

Community Legal Center is a non-profit organization providing legal services to those with limited means.

The Community Legal Center has evolved over the past 20+ years into a legal aid agency offering a number of civil legal services to those of limited financial means and those at risk, including populations not served by other legal aid agencies.

Those who call us speak with a sensitive, bilingual intake coordinator. Each caller is treated with respect and, after detailed questioning, is either placed with the appropriate Community Legal Center program or referred out to another legal aid provider or appropriate social service agency. If callers do not meet our income restrictions, we refer them out to private attorneys. We offer the following programs to accomplish our vision of improving the lives of those we serve by giving them access to justice.

Our Mission

The Community Legal Center’s mission is to provide civil legal services to those with limited means and those at risk, including populations left behind by traditional legal aid. This comes from our conviction that regardless of ones’ circumstances in life, each person deserves the opportunity to seek justice. Most people cannot afford a private lawyer until their basic needs are met, and by then, it may be too late. With the help of private donors, we can bridge that gap. Together, we provide legal protection and stability to those who need it most.

Fundamentals

Since its founding in 1994, the Community Legal Center has grown into a trusted legal aid organization in Memphis. Today, our core programs continue to meet the evolving needs of Shelby County’s most vulnerable:

  • The Civil Law Program offers legal aid to those earning below a living wage.
  • The Immigrant Justice Program serves people in Memphis Immigration Court’s geographic jurisdiction with needs ranging from removal defense to asylum and DACA.
  • The Elder Law Program addresses abuse, advance directives, and conservatorships through the CREA network.
  • The Pro Se Parents’ Clinic assists low-income parents in uncontested visitation and divorce matters

Our staff has spent more than 30 years making sure that clients are treated with dignity, thoroughly screened, and matched with the right legal resources or directed to the CLC. Thanks to our donors, every case becomes more than just legal aid; it is a route to security, stability, and justice.