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News Release
Texas Access to Justice Foundation Program boosts funding for legal aid in Texas
AUSTIN, Texas –– Texas
Access to Justice Foundation, the largest
state-based funding source for civil legal aid, announced today
Capitol Credit Union is the newest financial institution to join the Foundation’s Prime
Partner program, an ongoing initiative that makes legal assistance more
accessible for thousands of Texans. Funding from this program helps TAJF
provide legal aid services to more than 100,000 Texans across the state each
year.
Prime Partner banks and credit unions voluntarily pay higher interest rates
for Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA), a method of raising money
for civil legal aid and to support improvements to the justice system. Prime
Partner financial institutions pay 75% of the Federal Funds Target Rate on
IOLTA accounts, which is well above the eligibility requirements for banks
participating in the IOLTA program.
“Every day, Texans face evictions, domestic violence situations and
other economic hardships that require legal assistance to navigate, and
unfortunately, many of our neighbors do not have funds to hire a lawyer”
Deborah Hankinson, chair of the board of directors for the Texas Access to
Justice Foundation, said. “With the help of Prime Partners, low-income
Texans will continue to receive access to basic and essential civil legal
services. We are honored to welcome Capitol Credit Union, a long-standing
institution in Central Texas, to the Prime Partner program.”
Approximately five million Texans qualify for legal aid, the second-highest
number in the nation. Legal aid organizations help Texas families each year,
but due to a lack of resources, many continue to suffer or unsuccessfully
attempt to represent themselves in the complex court system.
“Capitol Credit Union is proud to partner with the Texas Access to
Justice Foundation by joining the Texas IOLTA Prime Partner program,” said
Emiley Reed, director of retail sales and operations for Capitol Credit
Union. “This partnership
will make a direct
impact on improving the lives of Texans in need
of legal help.”
### Texas Access to Justice Foundation The Texas Access to Justice Foundation, created by the Supreme Court of Texas in 1984, is the primary 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 approximately 100,000 Texas families each year. For more information, please visit: www.teajf.org
Contact: Kimberly Schmitt512-320-0099, ext. 104 kschmitt@teajf.org
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