New Mexico Legal Aid - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Andrew LaMantia

These guys should be more well known and WAY better funded than they are. They deserve to be well taught, trained, and loved. These guys helped me quite well, though I never followed through. They're very helpful as long as you keep on it, and they have a LOT of cases on their hands. Be patient.

Anthony Nichogi

I am terminally disabled with the family. I don't run the streets I don't drink I don't even take pain medication for my condition. I am currently majoring in sociology, studying a minor in criminology at CNM. I am in my fourth semester with a 3.8 GPA and am a Phi Theta Kappa Honour Society member. My academic performance clearly indicates that my ability to observe social deviants and criminal deviance are quite astute. Here's the deal:
Our former attorney at legal tried to get us to destroy evidence during a mutual lease termination because the former landlord was taking our rent and not repairing the house. Then when we try to abate the rent with legal means, he evicted us. When he did, I acquired representation from legal aid. During the negotiation process for settlement, our former landlord refused to settle. When we refused and stated that the environment our attorney was creating was hostile and that they were working on behalf of the defendant in City, they removed us from being represented by them and then banned us from ever being represented again. The case was against Eric Kilmer and we found out that the deed to the house has been forged. During the mutual lease rescission agreement it was stated that he was to return my deposit but try to trick us and instead he assaulted me. And his girlfriend hit me with her mustang. APD says they did an investigation but when they bought the investigation they transferred all of the officers that were responsible. Eric Kilmer is former bounty Hunter and current business owner here in Albuquerque New Mexico that has ties to law enforcement and the justice system and has had them through a case out with a restraining order where he pulled a gun on us and violated the restraining order three times. The judge that viewed the case ruled in his favor when there was clear evidence that he was a danger not only to my family but to the public. This guy has over 50 cases against him with the city most of them violent and for refusing to comply with law enforcement. I have kept all the records, made multiple reports to the local DA's office, the mayor, and in City Hall meetings. This experience is much more intricate and show us the disparities with the criminal justice system and how the city tries to cover up criminal activity and statistics by not reporting or throwing the cases out altogether against their own.

Irene Teal

There's no good parking here on a hot summer day when you have no air conditioning and a dog in your vehicle. There are great places to park but I guess you have to be royalty or someone who works here that doesn't have to sit in their vehicle waiting for someone that they took there to come out sitting in the sun. There really wasn't anyone but 2 vehicles parked in this shade of 8 parking spots. It's downtown so it's probably best to not even go here because if you park in the wrong spot, they'll boot your car or in my case, get in your face and rudely yell at you not to park there. I can see if it was a fire lane or something but some people need to learn respect and some manners and have a little patience with people sometimes and work on their people skills because it was uncalled for a man to be yelling at a woman's face! Grow a heart man.

Gary Steve Dunlap (Wonder)

First time ever that I had occasion to seek legal opinion from Legal Aid. It took two calls to get the information I needed. But the attorney I spoke to was friendly and knowledgeable about landlord/Tennant relations. Highly recommend if your not able to retain a private attorney. You have to qualify to be able to use Legal Aid.

Lisa Magdaleno

I asked for assistance with a bankruptcy. I explained my unique situation from the beginning. I was even hesitant at first because I have been separated for 10 years, but have never divorced due to being low income and because of benefits for my children. I explained everything to the attorney. She took all my information, tax forms credit reports, paystubs etc.. She told me to expect paperwork and I would need to sign everything. Well a month went by, I did not hear anything. Then, I sent an email asking the attorney Karina Rocha what the status was. She asked me to call her . I did and she went on to say she was not taking my case. She said I needed to get a divorce ( although I had already explained my situation), and that my case was too complex for her to accept.
What I cannot afford to take care of me and my children. I have no money left over for a divorce. I am drowning in debt and a sole provider with 2 teens with learning disabilities. I was honest about everything from the beginning. They just left me hanging. If I would not have called to check the status, who knows when they would have called me. I have been crying all day because she led me to believe they were going to do it. Why did they take all my personal information? I was honest and they just blew me off our of the blue. Shame on you for misleading poor people. You gave me false hope. Now I feel beyond hopeless now. Thanks a lot.

Becca Poe

Update in response to the comment by the agency below: I received an email on 9/22 stating my case was closed, so there appears to be some miscommunication amongst office staff. It appears from my mail notification service that I will be receiving a letter today (9/27).

I reached out to them 5 months ago, talked with multiple employees throughout this time, and not once felt as if they really cared about me or my issue. There would be long gaps in communication and then demands for documents, most of which I had supplied already to the previous people who had been assigned to my case. The one document that they stated that they needed was actually the very thing that was at the root of the issue I need resolved. Because I didn't supply the document to NM Legal Aid (the one that I never received), they closed my case. It was a comedy of errors, except it wasn't funny. I suppose it is a case of learned helplessness, but I have given up on receiving any assistance with my case, which might well have grave consequences on my financial future. Unfortunately, I imagine it happens a lot with the NM Legal Aid, and such is the state of our legal system. This issue would have been resolved already if I were rich. If it is the goal of this agency to remedy that fact, they are not succeeding. In fact, I am of the opinion that they just add to the layer of frustration, injustice, and trauma for those who cannot afford representation.

Antoinette

The Attorney Ashley and also Miguel have been such a great help in assisting me with my mine and my mother's needs in Santa Fe. Without them helping me while she is hospitalized I am not sure what I would do! Ashley has responded so quickly and is getting things done very quickly for me!! She understands our needs fully, has never judge or made me feel any type of way negatively has continued to do things urgently for. Helping me get things done legally has truly assisted me and they have made it so easy!! It really gives peace of mind in a bad situation. They have been been amazing and I couldn't thank them enough!!! Thank you!!!

Anne RAy

I just got off the phone with an intake lady, after waiting over a month. I have mold, mice, pigeons, sinking bathtub, and so on. They took three weeks to not do a make ready. Fast forward three years of my reasonably requesting repairs, and all maintenance has done was repeatedly threaten myself and my caseworker, even in front of the property's upper management. The willfully ambivalent intake lady, who frankly sounded hungover, said I should "Just move". I'm disabled and moving is a lot. I'm also estranged from my kids and would like stability so they can find me, and after the meth lab I lived under before this, I'm tired of playing roulette with housing who does nothing but jeopardize me further. And if I "just move" this will happen to the next tenant. Do better nmla. I have an acr app if you'd like to hear your ambivalent hungover intake lady yourself.