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About

A South Texas firm, built on trust.

Chema Garza founded the firm to serve the Rio Grande Valley with bilingual, full-service representation.

Our story

Built for South Texas, from South Texas

The Law Office of J.M. Chema Garza opened its doors in Rio Grande City with one mission: serve the people of South Texas with the same level of care and preparation that the largest firms reserve for their largest clients.

Chema Garza grew up in the Valley. He went to law school knowing exactly which community he wanted to serve and has practiced here ever since.

Our practice spans four areas: personal injury, criminal defense, family law, and immigration. We chose those areas because they are the ones South Texas families need most.

Every client gets personal attention from the attorney, in English or Spanish, regardless of the size of the case.

If you need a lawyer, call us. We answer the phone, we listen, and we tell you the truth about your options.

Our mission

Defend Valley families with discipline, clarity, and presence.

Every case, regardless of area, gets the same structure: an honest first call, a written strategy, a single accountable attorney, and an open 24/7 WhatsApp line for questions. We do not sell outcomes we cannot deliver, and we do not take cases we cannot handle well. When we accept a matter, we work it as if the family involved were our own.

What guides us

Our Principles

Four commitments shape how we intake, plan, and resolve every case at the firm.

See all principles

What sets us apart

Why clients choose us

Read the full list
I grew up in this valley. When a client describes their case in Spanish, they are not translating their life for me; they are telling me their story. That is the difference we are trying to build here: a serious firm that feels local, because it is.

J.M. Chema Garza, founding attorney

In the community

Part of the Valley, not just another Valley firm

  • Bilingual "Know Your Rights" workshops

    The attorney leads recurring community workshops on traffic stops, CBP encounters at interior checkpoints, and family immigration planning, in Spanish, at churches and community centers across Starr County.

  • Support for student programs

    We sponsor scholarships and sit on mentorship panels at UTRGV and Valley high schools. We believe the next generation of bilingual South Texas lawyers should be trained here, not lost to another city.

  • Case-by-case pro bono work

    The firm accepts a limited number of pro bono matters each year in child-protection cases, domestic-violence cases, and DACA petitions, with an emphasis on Starr County families who would not otherwise have access to bilingual representation.

J.M. Chema Garza

Meet the Attorney

J.M. Chema Garza

Founder, Attorney at Law

A native of the Rio Grande Valley, J.M. Chema Garza built the firm to give Valley families serious, bilingual representation without the screeners or handoffs that come with a bigger shop.

Every client works directly with the attorney, in English or Spanish, from intake through final disposition across personal injury, criminal defense, family law, and immigration.

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Talk with the attorney

Ready for a direct conversation about your case?

Call, message the 24/7 WhatsApp line, or send a note from the contact page. The attorney responds personally. Initial consultations are confidential and bilingual.

Send a Message WhatsApp (956) 500-1371 Call the Office (956) 317-1167

Direct consultation

Ready to talk about your case?

Call the firm or schedule a consultation. We speak Spanish and English. Initial consultations are confidential.

Send a Message Call (956) 317-1167