News Release

Texas Access to Justice Foundation 
October 26, 2015

APro Bono Week Celebrated at Texas Access to Justice Foundation Luncheon
Legislative Heroes, Supporters, and Prime Partner Banks Honored by Access to Justice Community

 

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Access to Justice Foundation (TAJF) kicked off Texas Pro Bono Week today by hosting a luncheon with the Supreme Court of Texas at the AT&T Conference Center in Austin. TAJF, the Texas Access to Justice Commission, the State Bar of Texas and Texas legal aid service providers are joining a national effort to highlight the need to expand access to justice through pro bono civil legal services.

During the luncheon, Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman welcomed attendees, and Richard L. Tate, chairman of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, gave remarks before the first airing of a TAJF video showcasing how legal aid helped one veteran family during a difficult time.

According to the University of North Texas Survey Research Center, Texas lawyers provide 2.24 million to 2.56 million hours—or the equivalent of $500 million—of free legal or indirect services to the poor. Even so, there is a large unmet need. It is estimated that there is only one legal aid lawyer for every 11,000 Texans who qualify for legal aid.

Legislative Hero Awards

The Texas Access to Justice Commission and Foundation launched the Legislative Hero Award program in 2010 to recognize legislators who, through their efforts, have significantly advanced access to justice in Texas by assisting with the appropriation of funds and/or other substantive activities related to the provision of legal aid in the state. Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht recognized Reps. Todd Hunter, Morgan Meyer and Kenneth Sheets with this prestigious award at today’s luncheon.

Rep. Hunter is serving his seventh term in the Texas House of Representatives. Hunter is chairman of the Calendars Committee and serves as a member of the Redistricting, Corrections, General Investigating and Ethics, and Human Services committees. He is currently the senior partner of Hunter and Handel, P.C. in Corpus Christi.

Hunter has received many awards for his efforts in the Legislature, such as the Texas Civil Justice League’s Jobs for Texas Award A longtime supporter of access to justice, Hunter realizes the important role legal aid plays in providing access to our court system.

Rep. Meyer is a member of the Committee on Energy Resources and the Insurance committee. Meyer is active in the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program and Lawyers Serving Warriors Program.. Rep. Meyer co-authored HB 1079 during the 84th Legislative Session that helped expand the Chief Justice Pope Act, which increases funding for basic civil legal services.

Rep. Sheets was first elected in 2010 and serves on the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee, Insurance Committee, and Local Consent and Calendars Committee. During his tenure, Sheets has won many awards including the Champion for Free Enterprise designation by the Texas Association for Business.

Sheets is also a decorated veteran, having served in the United States Marine Corps and in Operation Iraqi Freedom from September 2007 to May 2008. While on duty, Sheets earned a Navy/Marine Corps Medal and the Iraqi Campaign Medal. Rep. Sheets was a co-sponsor of HB 1079 during the 84th Legislative Session that helped expand the Chief Justice Pope Act, which increases funding for basic civil legal services.

A complete list of Texas events for Pro Bono Week can be found by visiting:

http://www.probono.net/celebrateprobono/event-map/

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The Texas Access to Justice Foundation (www.teajf.org), created by the Supreme Court of Texas in 1984, is the leading state-based funding source for the provision of civil legal aid in Texas. The organization is committed to the vision that all Texans will have equal access to justice, regardless of their income. The Foundation administers a variety of funding sources, which are earmarked to assist nonprofit organizations in providing legal aid to more than  100,000 Texas families each year.

 

Contact: Kimberly Schmitt
512-320-0099, ext. 104
kschmitt@teajf.org

 

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