Pro Bono and Free Legal Assistance for Artists, Musicians, Non-profits in Texas

What Does Pro Bono Legal Services Mean?

Pro Bono is typically equated with “free legal services” provided to those who cannot afford an attorney. There are numerous organizations across all 50 states that help individuals, families, and non-profit organizations by providing free or reduced cost legal services.

Are there Pro Bono Legal Services available for Artists, Musicians, Inventors, Creators?

Yes! There are many organizations that work with qualified and experienced attorneys to provide free or reduced cost legal services for trademark, copyright, patent and other intellectual property issues.

Who Qualifies for Pro Bono/Free/Reduced Cost Legal Services?

While qualifications can vary between organizations, the standard for an artist/musician/singer/songwriter/writer/inventor/individual to qualify for free/Pro Bono legal services is for the total household income to be less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.

If a non-profit has an annual operating budget of less than $200,000.00, the non-profit may qualify for free or reduced cost legal services.

Remember, you will need to check with each organization to determine if you meet their financial qualifications.

Where can I apply for free/Pro Bono Legal services for artists/creatives/inventors in Texas?

Here’s a list of potential free/Pro Bono legal service providers in Texas for artists/musicians/singers/songwriters/inventors/arts businesses/non-profits:

• Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts - Statewide program providing free or reduced cost legal and accounting services to artists and art nonprofits: http://talarts.org/

• Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas: a nonprofit organization that provides free civil legal help to low-income residents in 114 Texas counties throughout North and West Texas: https://legalaidtx.org/

• CBAR – Providing free legal help to eligible nonprofit groups in 68 counties in South and West Texas: https://www.trla.org/nonprofits

• Dallas Bar Association Attorney Referral Service: https://www.dallasbar.org/index.cfm?pg=LawyerReferralService

• Dallas Bar Association Free Legal Advice program: https://www.dallasbar.org/index.cfm?pg=legalline

• Tarrant County Bar Free Legal Advice program: https://www.tarrantbar.org/?pg=LegalLine

• INTA - International program connecting eligible low-income individuals, small-to medium-enterprises, and not-for-profit, and nonprofit or charitable organizations with low operating budgets to trademark legal assistance. https://www.inta.org/resources/pro-bono-clearinghouse/#layout-2-section-1

• Baylor Law School Intellectual Property Clinic: https://law.baylor.edu/why-baylor-law/academics/experiential-learning/legal-clinics

• SMU Small Business and Trademark Clinic: https://www.smu.edu/Law/Clinics/Small-Business-Clinic-Trademark-Clinic

• Texas A&M Law School Clinics: https://www.law.tamu.edu/legal-help.html

• University of Houston Law Center, Entertainment Law Clinic: advanced entertainment law course for students seeking practical experience in transactional and administrative aspects of the entertainment industry. https://www.law.uh.edu/clinic/Entertainment.asp

• North Texas Small Business Development Center:  https://ntsbdc.org/services/business-advising/

• Texas Music Office: https://gov.texas.gov/music

• Texas Film Commission: https://gov.texas.gov/film

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