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Non-profit

Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA)

Website:

www.lonestarlegal.org/
Location:

Houston, TX
Tax ID:

74-1537787
Budget (2021):

Revenue: $43,029,051
Expenses: $43,828,082
Assets: $17,702,589
Type:

Legal Services Non-Profit
Formation:

1948
CEO:

Paul Furrh Jr

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Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) is a non-profit that provides free legal services for those with incomes below 125% of the poverty line in 72 counties of Texas and 4 counties in Arkansas. The organization has 14 offices that handle landlord-tenant, foreclosure, benefits, environmental equal outcomes, recovery, tax relief, fair housing, family law, domestic violence, sexual assault, crime victim rights, and veteran benefit cases. 1 2

LSLA provides advocacy, legal representation, and community education  to ensure equal access to justice and claims to be the third-largest legal-aid organization within the United States. 3

History

Long Star Legal Aid was founded in 1948 as Houston Legal Aid Clinic, which became the Houston Legal Foundation before being renamed the Gulf Coast Legal Foundation by the Houston Bar Association and Texas Southern University. In 1977 East Texas Legal Services was founded. The two organizations merged in 2002, becoming Lone Star Legal Aid. 4

Partners

Lone Star Legal Aid claims over 500 community partners divided by issues including domestic violence and sexual assault, environmental equal outcomes, military and veterans, housing and homeless, mental health, media, healthcare, children, food security, education, religious, and LGBT interests. 5

LSLA partners include Texas Crime Victims Legal Assistance Network, Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault, National Disaster Legal Aid, Legal Aid Disaster Resource Center, and Texas Disaster Legal Help. 6

Funders

Lone Star Legal Aid funders include Bob Woodruff Foundation, Night Court, Equal Justice Works, Legal Services Corporation, Texas Access to Justice Foundation, Greater Houston Community Association, Fund For Veterans Assistance (Texas Veterans Commission), and Wells Fargo. 7

Grants

In 2021, Lone Star Legal Aid made grants to Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse and Houston Volunteer Lawyers of $190,000 each and to Jefferson County Pro Bono of $61,667. 8

Activities

Lone Star Legal Aid in 2019 joined with the National Environmental Policy and Law Center (NELC), Environment Texas, and Sierra Club in sending a notice of intent to sue the Valero Energy Corporation’s Port Arthur oil refinery for violating the Clean Air Act. The case was assumed and lost by the Texas Attorney General and Commission on Environmental Quality. 9

LSLA’s environmental justice section successfully advocated against USA Waste of Texas Landfills and Waste Management application to expand the Hawthorn Park landfill in Harris County, Texas. The application was withdrawn by the applicant in January 2024. 10

LSLA successfully overturned a United Health Care decision not to pay for eye care of a cancer victim due to the patient’s doctor being outside the network authorized by the insurance company in January 2024. 11

People

Paul Furrh Jr. is CEO of Lone Star Legal Aid and Earnest Brown Jr. is co-principal officer. Karen Lukin, Paul Kruse, Richard E Roberts, Thomas J Brandt, James L. Germany, and John W. Alexander act as LSLA’s chairs of Pai/Pro Bono attorneys, development committee, personnel and governance, finance, nominating, and long-range planning respectively. 12 13

Finances

Lone Star Legal Aid revenues from gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees grew from $27,463,617 in 2017 to $42,929,015 in 2021. Expenses for 2021 were $43,828,082 with net assets shrinking to $9,708,811 from $10,507,842. 14 15

References

  1. “About US • Lone Star Legal Aid.” Lone Star Legal Aid, February 21, 2022. https://www.lonestarlegal.org/about/.
  2. “Services • Lone Star Legal Aid.” Lone Star Legal Aid, October 13, 2023. https://www.lonestarlegal.org/services/.
  3. “About US • Lone Star Legal Aid.” Lone Star Legal Aid, February 21, 2022. https://www.lonestarlegal.org/about/.
  4. “History of LSLA • Lone Star Legal Aid.” Lone Star Legal Aid, August 1, 2023. https://www.lonestarlegal.org/about/history/.
  5. Norris, Ashley. “Lone Star Legal Aid Launches Giving Season Campaign for Texas Community Partner Organizations • Lone Star Legal Aid.” Lone Star Legal Aid, April 19, 2023. https://www.lonestarlegal.org/news/2021/11/lone-star-legal-aid-launches-giving-season-campaign-for-texas-community-partner-organizations/.
  6. Lone Star Legal Aid • Justice has no boundaries. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://www.lonestarlegal.org/.
  7. “About US • Lone Star Legal Aid.” Lone Star Legal Aid, February 21, 2022. https://www.lonestarlegal.org/about/.
  8. “Lone Star Legal Aid” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2021, Part II, lines 1, 2, 3.
  9. Rebeccanovak, and Rebeccanovak. “You Searched for Valero+Energy+Corporation+port+Arthur • Lone Star Legal Aid.” Lone Star Legal Aid, July 1, 2019. https://www.lonestarlegal.org/?s=valero%2Benergy%2Bcorporation%2Bport%2Barthur.
  10. Ayala, Clarissa. “Community Victory: Waste Management Withdraws Landfill Expansion Permit Application in Carverdale Area • Lone Star Legal Aid.” Lone Star Legal Aid, January 24, 2024. https://www.lonestarlegal.org/news/2024/01/community-victory-waste-management-withdraws-landfill-expansion-permit-application-in-carverdale-area/.
  11. Cochran, Natalie. “Lone Star Legal Aid’s Elizabeth Green Reverses Medicare Denial for a Young Client with Rare Brain Cancer • Lone Star Legal Aid.” Lone Star Legal Aid, January 3, 2024. https://www.lonestarlegal.org/news/2024/01/lone-star-legal-aids-elizabeth-green-reverses-medicare-denial-for-a-young-client-with-rare-brain-cancer/.
  12. “Lone Star Legal Aid” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2021, Part VII, line 23, 20, 25, 24, 11, 9.
  13. “Lone Star Legal Aid.” LONE STAR LEGAL AID – GuideStar Profile. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/74-1537787#operations.
  14. [1] “Lone Star Legal Aid” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2021, Part II, line 1a, 1e.
  15. “Lone Star Legal Aid” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2021, Part VII, line 26.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: May 1, 1950

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2021 Dec Form 990 $43,029,051 $43,828,082 $17,702,589 $7,993,778 N $42,929,015 $21,624 $1,383 $1,357,210
    2020 Dec Form 990 $42,657,641 $42,548,727 $25,362,701 $14,854,859 N $42,510,015 $1,600 $4,278 $650,670
    2019 Dec Form 990 $23,937,132 $35,821,539 $17,305,241 $5,924,010 N $23,901,411 $20,000 $13,598 $631,587 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $30,469,288 $28,773,819 $25,161,042 $1,895,404 N $30,383,362 $32,399 $9,258 $639,559 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $27,683,572 $24,063,840 $16,895,967 $1,394,016 N $27,463,617 $900 $3,337 $0 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $18,147,677 $21,770,669 $14,660,273 $2,104,652 N $18,068,304 $2,600 $994 $172,500 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $29,258,490 $19,075,135 $18,151,334 $1,972,721 N $29,212,432 $28,130 $1,366 $801,109 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $18,062,537 $18,836,936 $8,925,161 $2,929,903 N $17,906,085 $6,880 $534 $898,854 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $16,661,503 $18,022,951 $8,086,107 $1,316,450 N $16,633,677 $20,150 $1,545 $288,813 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $18,475,677 $17,834,472 $9,572,955 $1,441,850 N $18,398,759 $23,800 $1,263 $323,727 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $19,037,698 $19,523,486 $8,899,273 $974,420 N $19,019,477 $8,065 $688 $954,625 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA)

    1415 FANNIN 3RD FLOOR
    Houston, TX 77002-0000