A team of researchers from Texas A&M University recently released a comprehensive legal needs assessment of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) region. The report presents the findings from a legal needs and oral history project simultaneously undertaken from August 2019 to September 2020.

The report provides a discussion about access to information and documents pertinent to the legal needs of the region. More than 600 individuals participated in surveys, focus groups and interviews to create an overview of the historic legal-resource environment that exists for residents of the region.

“It was important for us to consult with community leaders and legal services consumers who understood the daily legal needs of individuals in the region,” says Luz E. Herrera, Texas A&M Law professor and associate dean for experiential education.

The study found that information and services related to immigration, family and property law are major needs in the area. In addition, the cultural and political context of the region, particularly as it relates to immigration status, are significant obstacles to accessing information and assistance from the legal system.