Puerto Rico Legal Services, Inc. (“SLPR”) is a private nonprofit corporation that provides free legal advice and representation on civil cases to individuals and groups who meet eligibility criteria’s. Founded in 1966, Puerto Rico Legal Services provides access to justice to a large portion of the Puerto Rican population: nearly half of the citizens who cannot afford the services of a private attorney.
Puerto Rico Legal Services, Inc., provides legal representation in family cases (divorce, alimony), juveniles, special education, housing, income maintenance, labor cases, bankruptcy, veterans, civil rights, community and environmental cases, and consumer rights among others. According to the federal census, nearly 50% of Puerto Rican society is economically eligible qualifies, for our services, because they live at or below federal poverty levels. Therefore, PRLS has a potential clientele of about 1.8 million residents of Puerto Rico.
During the past 50 years PRLS has demonstrated its commitment to low income population with dedication and effort, providing representation in courts and administrative agencies in approximately 2.8 million legal issues on behalf of an equal number of clients. Furthermore, the program has offered countless conferences, community education, publications, legal training to lawyers and community leaders, other educational services, legal advice and community counseling to Puerto Rican society. In addition, our lawyers have litigated cases; have set important legal precedents in the Country; as the case in which the Supreme Court endorsed mutual consent as grounds for divorce, the case of special education of Rosa Lydia Vélez and others. This effort has earned Legal Services of Puerto Rico recognition, respect and appreciation from the legal community and the people in general.