Legal FACS Mission and Facts 
 Mission
Statement
To provide access to justice for children and families by empowering and educating indigent civil litigants and victims of
domestic violence with legal assistance and social support.
Legal FACS strives to provide free and low cost legal services
to low income persons with civil legal problems through referral
to volunteer attorneys for individual cases, direct representation
in some matters, and by using volunteer attorneys and advocates to give information
and forms to self-represented litigants and victims of domestic
violence.
History of Legal FACS
Legal FACS, established in 1971 as Legal Services Corporation,
and then the Albuquerque Bar Volunteer Lawyers Office, rose to meet
the dire need for legal assistance for low income people. For its
first 20 years, Legal FACS acted as a pro-bono referral agency,
directing individual clients to volunteer attorneys for representation.
In 1990, a committee of Albuquerque Bar Association members and
local judges met to brainstorm how volunteer attorneys could more
efficiently serve the increasing numbers of low income pro se litigants.
After a three year struggle to obtain malpractice coverage, the
Courthouse Lawyer Service (CLS) or "Booth", as it was
then known, was launched to serve people with domestic relations
and domestic violence issues. This involved volunteer attorneys
working out of court donated space to assist low income litigants.
The CLS structure empowers people and teaches them to help themselves
through some of the most difficult issues they will face in their
lifetime. CLS volunteer attorneys meet individually with litigants
and provide them with forms and instructions on how to proceed in
their case. In 1999, the format expanded into Metropolitan Court
to assist low income litigants in small claims and landlord/tenant
disputes. Domestic violence victims receive individual counseling
or direct representation, which often prevents victims from dismissing
their cases because of fear or intimidation by abusers or the system.
The Forms
Clinic, also introduced in 1999, allows low income litigants
to meet individually with a paralegal or student and learn how to
complete and file their cases. Today Legal FACS has a staff of qualified
attorneys who will also provide limited and full representation
to victims of domestic violence in Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance
and Valencia Counties.
Legal FACS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, which heavily
depends on the generosity of our supporters and volunteers through
their donation of time and financial support to our mission of assisting
low-income individuals and families with domestic and small claims
cases, and assisting victims of domestic violence. If you would
like to help keep our service going, consider
making a tax deductible contribution now to Legal FACS, 400
Gold SW, Suite 106, Albuquerque, NM 87102, or volunteer for one
of our programs.
Legal FACS Board of Directors
- President: Valorie D. Romero
- Vice President: Timothy Hale, Esq.
- Secretary: Hon. James J. Loughren
- Treasurer: Anthony L. Allred
- Prof. Alfred Mathewson
- Stephen P. Comeau
- Emmanuelle Sainte
- Kenneth C. Lersten
- Aquila Graff
- Rose Marie DeLeon-Garcia
Executive Director
Cherie Harris
Staff
Other recently hired staff include; a Domestic Violence Project
Coordinator; two Staff Attorneys, two Domestic Violence Victim Advocates;
a Paralegal; a Office Administrator; and a Receptionist.
FISCAL REPORT
2004 Calendar-Year (Un-autlited)
Revenue:
Grants and Contributions $382,082
IIn-Kind Contributions $46,000
Cash Forwarded $2,788
2004 Total Income $430,870
Expense:
Program Services ........ $327,419 Administrative ............. $ 80.514
2004 Total Expenses $407,933
Projected 2005 Calendar-Year Budget
Revenue:
Grants and Contributions..... $42 1,215
In-Kind Contributions ........... $ 38,000
Cash Forwarded ................. $ 20,937
2005 Total Income $562,142
Expense:
Program Services .................$458,406 Administrative .......................$103,736
2005 Total Expenses $562,142
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