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News Release
Texas Access to Justice Foundation Access to Justice Community Honors Legislative Heroes
AUSTIN, Texas –
The Texas Access to Justice Foundation (TAJF) today kicked off Celebrate Pro
Bono Week by hosting a luncheon with the Supreme Court of Texas and honoring
three members of the Texas legislature for their commitment to access to
justice.
TAJF, the Texas Access to Justice Commission, the State Bar of Texas and
Texas legal aid service providers have joined a national effort to highlight
the need to expand access to justice through pro bono civil legal services.
It is estimated that there is only one legal aid lawyer for every 9,800
low-income Texans who qualify for free legal services. As a result, for
every one Texan helped by a legal aid organization, another qualified
individual is left to handle their legal problems on their own. The
University of North Texas Survey Research Center estimates that Texas
lawyers donate more than 2 million hours of pro bono work every year to help
alleviate this justice gap.
At the luncheon, attendees were addressed by JoAnn Merica, Past President of
the Austin Bar Association and a pro bono lawyer at the Austin Bar’s Free
Legal Clinic for Veterans, one of the many programs funded by the Texas
Access to Justice Foundation to serve Texas veterans. Prime
Partner Banks, banks that pay higher interest rates on accounts ensuring
more funding for legal aid, and the Construction Law Section of the State
Bar of Texas were recognized for their support. Attendees also paid tribute
to Ann Bower, a lawyer and businesswoman from Austin, who donated more than
$1.5 million to the cause of access to justice after her death.
Legislative Hero Awards
Additionally, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht recognized
Senator Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo), Representative Jessica Farrar
(D-Houston) and Representative Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) with Legislative
Hero Awards. The Texas Access to Justice Commission and Foundation launched
the Legislative Hero Award program in 2010 to recognize legislators who 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.
“Many Texans cannot afford to hire an attorney to help them with their legal
needs,” Sen. Judith Zaffirini said. “These are Texans who are trying to
escape domestic violence, avoid homelessness and secure the benefits they
earned by fighting for our country. We
must ensure that 'justice for all' includes them too."
Sen. Judith Zaffirini
has been instrumental in making access to justice available to more people,
particularly to those who can least afford it. Through her leadership in the
Senate, she helped ensure passage of Senate Bill 512 which authorized the
creation of forms to allow low-income Texans who cannot afford a lawyer to
address their probate needs, including simple will forms, small estate
affidavit forms and muniment of title forms. She also worked to pass Senate
Bill 478, which authorized the creation of forms to resolve housing disputes
in landlord-tenant matters.
Rep. Jessica Farrar has worked on several measures to increase access to the
often-costly probate process. During the 84th Legislative
Session, along with Sen. Huffman, she helped create a transfer-on-death
deed, which allows a property owner to pass real property to a designated
beneficiary without a will or probate. Farrar also passed a measure to
improve disclosures related to payable-on-death accounts to increase
awareness and use of this type of account. Additionally, HB 705 by Farrar
created a mechanism for a decedent's heirs to get bank account balance
information from a bank, a necessary task when using a small estate
affidavit.
"The legal system can be a confusing and costly experience for Texas who do
not often use it," Rep. Farrar said. "The legislation passed last session
streamlines the otherwise costly and extensive probate process for
low-income families and others to afford them an opportunity to plan their
estates or provide access to inherited property in an effort to prevent a
'cloudy title,' which limits the ability to sell or otherwise transfer
property and to qualify for homestead tax exemptions."
As Vice Chair of the House Judiciary Committee,
Rep. Hughes consistently supported legislation to address funding shortfalls
affecting legal aid programs and the Texans they serve. In the last
legislative session, as a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on
the Courts, Rep. Hughes’ vote of support was key to the Supreme Court
receiving a $10 million appropriation for legal aid for survivors of sexual
assault (LASSA).
“Ensuring that survivors of sexual assault have
access to the legal resources they need is critical to their safety, health
and well-being,” added Hughes. “Legal aid provides a vital lifeline to
Texans in need.”
A complete list of Texas events for Pro Bono Week can be found by visiting:
http://www.probono.net/celebrateprobono/event-map/
Contact: Kimberly Schmitt512-320-0099, ext. 104 kschmitt@teajf.org
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