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Finding a Lawyer in Houston: Injury, Energy, Maritime and Immigration
Houston's economy shapes the kinds of legal problems people bring to lawyers here. Plants, pipelines and construction sites mean workplace injuries. The ship channel and offshore work raise maritime questions that most lawyers never see. Oil and gas leases end up in family estates, and Houston has several federal immigration courts of its own.
That variety is why the most important step is matching your problem to a lawyer who handles it regularly. This guide explains how to do that in Houston, how to check a Texas license, and where to find free or reduced-fee help. It is general information, not legal advice.
As you read, you can browse law firms in Houston on Directory For USA and note which ones list the practice area you need.
Match the lawyer to your Houston problem
Car wrecks, work injuries and personal injury
Injury lawyers advertise heavily, so it pays to look past the ads. Ask how many cases like yours the lawyer has taken to trial or settled, and who will handle your file day to day.
Most injury lawyers work on contingency, meaning they are paid a percentage of any recovery. Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, a contingent fee agreement must be in writing and must state how the fee will be calculated. Before you sign, ask whether case expenses come out before or after the lawyer's percentage, and what happens to those expenses if there is no recovery.
If your injury happened at work, ask whether your employer carries workers' compensation insurance. That question can change which kind of claim you have, and the Texas Board of Legal Specialization certifies lawyers separately in both Personal Injury Trial Law and Workers' Compensation Law.
Offshore, ship channel and maritime work
Injuries on vessels, barges, docks or offshore platforms can fall under federal maritime law instead of, or in addition to, ordinary Texas injury law. The rules, deadlines and court options can be very different. If your matter involves work on the water, ask directly how much maritime work the lawyer does, rather than assuming any injury lawyer will know the area.
Oil, gas and mineral rights
Many Houston families inherit mineral interests or receive lease offers for land elsewhere in Texas. Questions about royalties, lease terms, title and surface use belong with a lawyer who practices energy or real estate law. The Texas Board of Legal Specialization offers a board certification in Oil, Gas and Mineral Law, which covers ownership, production, land titles and surface use.
Immigration
Houston has more than one immigration court run by the U.S. Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), including locations on Jefferson Street downtown, at Greenspoint Park and on South Gessner Road. Always check which court is named on your hearing notice. Because immigration is federal law, an immigration attorney may be licensed in a state other than Texas; either way, confirm the license with that state's bar. Texas board certification is also available in Immigration and Nationality Law.
If you are in immigration court proceedings and cannot afford a lawyer, EOIR publishes a list of pro bono legal service providers organized by court location. EOIR does not endorse the providers, so still ask questions before you share documents.
Verify a Texas lawyer in two minutes
Use the State Bar of Texas Find a Lawyer directory to confirm that an attorney is licensed. Attorney profiles list practice areas and any foreign language assistance the lawyer offers, and the State Bar says that any public disciplinary history appears on the attorney's profile along with recent public judgments.
To see whether a lawyer is board certified, check the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Certification is voluntary and individual: it belongs to the attorney, not the firm, and certified attorneys must apply for recertification every five years. Many good lawyers are not certified, but for a serious injury, an energy dispute or a complex immigration case, it is a helpful signal.
Get a referral through the Houston Lawyer Referral Service
If you would rather have someone point you to the right type of lawyer, the Houston Lawyer Referral Service is a nonprofit referral program sponsored by the Houston Bar Association and nine other local bar associations. It is certified by the State Bar of Texas and serves Harris, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston and Montgomery counties.
Referrals are free. According to the service, its attorneys provide an initial 30-minute office consultation for a reduced fee of $20, and after that they charge their customary fees. It also has bilingual staff and attorneys and a Spanish-language section on its website, which matters in a city where many clients prefer to discuss legal problems in Spanish.
Free and low-cost help in Harris County
- Lone Star Legal Aid is headquartered in Houston at 1415 Fannin Street, and its Houston office serves Harris County residents who qualify for free civil legal help. You can apply online at any time, by phone, or in person during office hours.
- Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the pro bono arm of the Houston Bar Association, connects income-qualified Harris County residents with volunteer attorneys for civil matters.
- The Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library at 1019 Congress Street serves people representing themselves. Librarians can help you find forms and legal information but cannot give legal advice; the library partners with Houston Volunteer Lawyers for that.
Where Houston cases are heard
Harris County's civil and family district courts are based in the Harris County Civil Courthouse at 201 Caroline Street downtown, where the Harris County District Clerk's main office is also located. Some courtrooms have moved temporarily in recent years, so check the court and address on your paperwork. Federal cases, which can include maritime claims, go to the federal court in Houston, and immigration cases go to one of the EOIR courts above. Ask any lawyer you interview how often they appear in the court that will hear your case.
A quick Houston hiring checklist
- Write one sentence describing your problem and note any deadline or court date.
- Shortlist two or three lawyers who handle that exact kind of matter.
- Check each one with the State Bar of Texas, and with the Texas Board of Legal Specialization if certification matters to you.
- Ask about fees in your first call, and get any contingent fee agreement in writing.
- If language matters, ask whether the attorney personally speaks Spanish, Vietnamese or another language, or whether staff will interpret.
- Bring your documents to the consultation. Our first meeting with a lawyer checklist shows what to gather.
Find Houston law firms
Ready to compare? Browse Houston law firms on Directory For USA, read what clients say about responsiveness and billing, and check each lawyer's Texas license before you call. You can also explore other local businesses in Houston.