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News Release
September 10, 2026
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid awarded $1.8 million from
Texas Access to Justice Foundation for legal aid for flood survivors
Historic funding will support once-in-a-generation effort to expand civil legal services across rural Texas
(AUSTIN, TX)
– Texas Access to Justice Foundation,
the largest
state-based funding source for civil legal aid,
announced that it has received $26.7 million in initial funding from the
Supreme Court of Texas to launch the Rural Justice Initiative, a historic
multiyear effort that will transform how Texans in rural communities access
civil legal services. The initiative will establish a network of 170 rural
legal outposts that will create a sustained legal aid presence in
communities across the state.
The initiative is a coordinated effort between seven legal aid
organizations, which will form a Rural Justice Coalition that includes Texas
RioGrande Legal Aid; Lone Star Legal Aid; Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas;
Disability Rights Texas; Family Legal Services of the South Plains; Texas
Advocacy Project and Texas Legal Services Center. The coalition advances the
Foundation's vision that all Texans should have equal access to justice.
The Rural Justice Initiative will address a persistent justice
gap in rural Texas, where access to civil legal services can be limited by
geography, connectivity and the availability of services. Currently, legal
aid organizations staff offices in just 42 of Texas’ 254 counties. Nearly
half of Texas counties have fewer than one attorney per 1,000 residents,
while many of the state’s 190 rural counties are considered legal deserts.
Geographic isolation and limited broadband access also create additional
barriers for Texans seeking legal assistance.
“A strong justice system must be accessible to all Texans, including those
who don’t live near metropolitan areas,” Texas
Supreme Court Justice Brett Busby said. “This investment will help begin the
process of bringing legal assistance closer to rural communities and create
more opportunities for Texans to access civil legal aid without having to
travel far from home. By expanding access in rural communities, we can help
ensure that geography is not a barrier to justice in Texas.”
Using a hybrid legal services model, civil legal aid will reach
rural Texas communities through in-person, virtual and technology-supported
services. The coalition will establish rural legal outposts in trusted
community spaces, deploy traveling attorneys and coordinate service routes
to extend its reach across rural communities. Through community outreach,
the organizations will connect eligible individuals and families with a full
range of civil legal services.
“This is a generational investment in rural communities and an
opportunity to fundamentally change how Texas families access civil legal
services,” Betty Balli Tores, executive director of the Texas Access to
Justice Foundation, said. “We are grateful to the Supreme Court of Texas for
recognizing the importance of this work and making a transformative
investment in access to justice for rural Texans. Over the next five years,
our goal is to establish a trusted, consistent presence in rural communities
and reach close to 38,000 additional Texans with civil legal services.”
Eligible individuals and families across rural Texas will have
access to a full range of civil legal services, with additional support
tailored to certain populations, including veterans, people with
disabilities and survivors of domestic violence. Throughout the initiative,
additional services will be tailored to address the unique legal needs and
barriers facing these populations in rural communities.
# # #
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 Schmitt
512-320-0099, ext. 104
kschmitt@teajf.org
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