Memphis Area Legal Services, Inc.

Very unprofessional and unpleasant to deal with from the start. Man who answered the telephone had a holier than thou attitude. Seemed like he was trying to talk me out of using them. He kept asking questions unrelated to my issue. I just left a message for someone to get back to me as soon as possible because I had a court date coming up. They contacted me after the court date. I needed representation in court. Weeks later, I received a letter from an attorney about an issue un related to my court date. They seemed extremely lazy and did not want to help anyone. Why are they there and using tax payer dollars if they aren't going to help you? They are ineffective.

I think it is deceiving to advertise you help with criminal matters when you absolutely do not provide any assistance in any criminal area of law

ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIC!!! ​If you are thinking about standing in line for their free clinic on Saturday, held at the Benjamin Hooks Library. Honestly, why bother? Total lack of empathy and basic decency. They make vulnerable people wait outside locked doors in the brutal 90-degree Memphis heat and humidity while they sit comfortably inside. ​Yesterday, the conditions outside were a straight-up health hazard. People in line were getting dizzy, one person was disoriented, another partially collapsed on the sidewalk, and I was physically vomiting from heat exhaustion after getting home. We were all out there talking, trying to survive the heat, and one person literally told me, My problem is nothing compared to yours." Meanwhile, the staff and lawyers were safely inside enjoying the air conditioning and sipping their coffee and glazed donuts completely indifferent to the medical emergencies happening right outside the glass. ​To make it worse, once you finally get through the door, the actual legal help is a joke. I told the lawyer that my husband is abandoning me and moving to another country—a serious legal issue—and they completely choked. The only "advice" they could offer was rattling off a generic script about how a Tennessee divorce takes 60 days. What a joke! I could have looked that basic trivia up on Google in two seconds. It felt like the lawyer was just using my crisis as a checklist item to add to her resume and pad her hours, rather than actually trying to help a human being. They hide behind an automated, polite "yes ma'am" script because they don't have the skills or the empathy to handle real, complex problems. It is sickening to watch an organization supposedly meant to serve the community treat human beings like cattle and offer zero actual help. Zero Southern hospitality. Save your energy and avoid this circus.

Bad lawyers, some are working against me

Absolute trash. This “service” couldn’t even begin to care about people. Typical Memphis.