News Release
Texas Access to Justice Foundation 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.
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/
-30- 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 Schmitt512-320-0099, ext. 104 kschmitt@teajf.org
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