New Mexico Legal Aid
From left: UNM School of Law extern Cameron Powers, Rep. Meredith Dixon, and NMLA Executive Director Sonya Bellafant, along with Hazel, NMLA's therapy dog. Hazel is on hand to comfort clients and children during stressful and often traumatic moments.
On Tuesday, September 8, my team and I visited the Albuquerque office of New Mexico Legal Aid (NMLA), where we met with Executive Director Sonya Bellafant.
NMLA helps keep thousands of New Mexicans on steady ground. It offers free legal help with civil cases, the kind of cases that don't involve criminal charges. It serves New Mexicans with low incomes, as well as seniors and survivors of domestic violence, no matter their income. Its lawyers help with three main kinds of cases: housing and evictions; family law and domestic violence; and debt collection, payday loans, and fraud. NMLA also helps people facing financial hardship apply for public benefits.
During our conversation, I was moved by how Sonya spoke about a "ripple effect." Providing one service can help clients in other ways that we might not realize or be able to measure.
Housing is a good example. When NMLA stops an unfair eviction, a parent can keep their job and their kids can stay in their school. The family is also less likely to need shelter or other public help later on. Losing a home, even for a short time, can negatively impact a child's life for years to come. Experts call events like this adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs. These are stressful or traumatic events in childhood that can affect a person's health and well-being into adulthood. Preventing ACEs is a priority of mine in my child welfare work on the Legislative Finance Committee.
Some of those benefits can be measured. According to research from the Legal Services Corporation, every dollar spent on civil legal aid in the U.S. brings back about seven dollars in economic benefits.
“In 2025, NMLA handled a total of 4,954 cases. Of those, approximately 1,900 cases were in Bernalillo County helping 11,170 people, including 4,533 children,” NMLA Executive Director Sonya Bellafant said.
At the same time, more New Mexicans are turning to NMLA for help, and demand for its services keeps growing. NMLA is funded by the state, federal grants, and private donors.
One of my biggest takeaways was that civil legal aid stops problems before they grow. It makes sure people who are struggling to make ends meet get the full protection of the law. That helps parents keep working and kids keep learning. As demand grows, the state may need to look at better ways to fund this work over the long term. As Vice Chair of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, I plan to explore those options.
I'm grateful to Sonya and her team for the life-changing work they do for our most vulnerable neighbors.
For more information, visit NMLA's website at newmexicolegalaid.org or call the statewide helpline at 1-833-545-4357.