Justice
for those in need

Our mission is to Provide Excellence in Legal Advocacy for Those in need.

View Our Services

Important Notice

If you are facing an eviction, or have been evicted, please read.

The Tennessee Supreme Court lifted the moratorium on evictions effective June 1.  The Shelby County General Sessions court will be hearing cases effective p/June 15.  On June 15 evictions will start being heard on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Some evictions are covered by the CARES Act, which would mean the landlord could not evict at this time.  If you have received an eviction notice and are unsure about whether you property is one the CARES  Act may apply to, CONTACT MEMPHIS AREA LEGAL SERVICES IMMEDIATELY.

If you have a case set, PLEASE GO TO COURT.  If you do not appear, a default judgment can be entered against you. If you go to court and are unsure about how to proceed, you have the ability to ask the judge for one continuance.  The request has to be made before the hearing actually gets started.

Memphis Area Legal Services, Inc.
50 years of serving Memphis and the Midsouth

It’s Our 50th Birthday, but Instead, of celebrating with a party, MALS is celebrating by serving our COVID-19 impacted community.

We provide free legal advice and representation for low-income, disabled, and elderly clients in legal crises that threaten self-sufficiency or quality of life. We serve people in Fayette, Lauderdale, Shelby and Tipton counties.

COVID-19 Legal Help

COVID-19 has caused unemployment, likely evictions, likely utility cutoffs, increased domestic violence, increased child and elder abuse, and increased consumer fraud especially scams targeting the elderly. MALS  can help.

Get Help Now

Get Help

MALS turns potential tragedies into justice for those most vulnerable in our communities.

Get Help Now

Volunteer

MALS offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for attorneys, paralegals law students, and others.

Volunteer

Donate

MALS never charges for its services. Your donation means we get to help more families.

Donate

News

As need for legal aid grows, vulnerable are least able to afford it

The longer the COVID-19 outbreak lasts, the brighter the spotlight it shines on long-standing inequalities in our society and the fragility of our social safety nets. As the days wear on, those who are most vulnerable in our community are experiencing the economic brunt of the crisis.
Read More

901 Legal Connect offers free and low-cost legal services in the Mid-South

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Free and low-cost legal services are now available to thousands in the Mid-South. The online portal 901 Legal Connect went live Thursday, and its goal is to streamline legal service for those who can’t afford a private attorney. “This is the culmination of
Read More

Eviction filings increase amid COVD-19 pandemic

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Another round of rent is about to be due since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Calls to Memphis Area Legal Services have increased, as a halt on eviction hearings is extended. There have been more than 65,000 unemployment claims in the Greater Memphis Area
Read More

Client Stories

Samantha – Order of Protection

After a long, contested Order of Protection hearing, where the proof showed that the respondent had made threats to injure our client and to kidnap her and her small children to El Salvador, an order of protection was granted and the respondent was ordered to pay $600 dollars in MALS attorney’s fees.

Genevieve’s Daughter – Special Needs Requirements

Genevieve, a mother of a child with disabilities, was having difficulty in obtaining necessary nursing services for her daughter at a charter school.  We filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights and obtained a ruling that both the school system and the charter school had that responsibility.  The result is that this child can get an education without risking her health.

Thomas – Tax Issues

In a Tax Court case, Thomas claimed his daughter and granddaughter on his tax return. His daughter was out of work but attending college. He was audited and after being unable to provide the proof needed, he received a notice of deficiency, and owed the IRS approximately $7,000. After review and analysis of the documents he had provided to the IRS, we determined that he needed to submit additional proof. MALS was able to help eliminated the debt in its entirety.
Read More Stories