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News Release
On the Passing of Harold Kleinman, Founding Chair
AUSTIN, Texas –
The following statement was issued today by
Hon. Deborah Hankinson, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Texas Access
to Justice Foundation:
“We join family and friends as they
mourn the passing of Harold Kleinman, the founding chair of the Texas Access
to Justice Foundation. Mr.
Kleinman was a legendary lawyer at Thompson & Knight in Dallas, a leader in
many legal and civil organizations, and a faith-filled public servant.
Respected by his peers in his profession, he was chosen by the Supreme Court
of Texas to lead the newly formed Texas (Equal) Access to Justice Foundation
in January 1985 and served as our visionary Chairman until June 1991.
Mr. Kleinman was critical in creating the Foundation and setting it
on a path to its success to help the many disadvantaged Texans who cannot
afford legal services. He led by example and established the highest
standards of fairness, objectivity, compassion, resourcefulness and
competence in his pioneering role.
He also ushered the Foundation through it’s conversion from a
voluntary program to the current comprehensive structure that remains today.
The Foundation honored Mr. Kleinman by creating an award bearing his name in
1995 that is bestowed on those exhibiting his outstanding character,
commitment and dedication to legal services for the poor.
Mr. Kleinman was a trusted mentor and role model to me, personally
and professionally. I am so very
honored, as Chair of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, to follow in
his footsteps and to continue his work serving those in need of civil legal
help.
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The
Texas Access to
Justice Foundation,
created by the Supreme Court of Texas in 1984, is the largest 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 Schmitt512-320-0099, ext. 104 kschmitt@teajf.org
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