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News Release
Texas Access to Justice Commission & Foundation
Texas Corporate Counsel
Community Raises $48,000
for Civil Legal Services
AUSTIN, Texas—
The Texas Access to Justice Commission, in
conjunction with the Texas General Counsel Forum, raised $48,583 for civil
legal services during the 2nd annual Charity Golf Classic held
Nov. 14 in San Antonio. This
year’s event almost doubled the amount raised during last year’s inaugural
tournament. The proceeds will
be donated to the Texas Access to Justice Foundation.
Legal aid organizations funded by the Texas
Access to Justice Foundation help more than 100,000 low-income Texas
families each year with their civil legal needs. Many need help with
critical civil legal issues impacting their very existence such as
spouses
and children of domestic abuse; elderly wrongly denied life-sustaining
prescriptions; veterans wrongly denied critical medical care, disability and
other benefits; and families whose homes were wrongly foreclosed upon.
However, due to a lack of resources, only about 20 to 25 percent of the
civil legal needs of low-income and poor Texans are being met.
The Commission also presented AT&T with the
annual Magna Stella Pro Bono Award during the Texas General Counsel Forum
event. The Magna Stella Pro
Bono Award recognizes corporate legal departments that promote pro bono
legal services within their organization and within the corporate structure
at large.
With attorney participation in more than 38 different programs across the
nation, 13 of which are in Texas, AT&T’s legal department stands as a strong
champion in reducing barriers for Texans who need access to justice.
In 2007, under the leadership of Wayne Watts, Senior Executive Vice
President and General Counsel, what started as a spark to help those less
fortunate has become a long lasting flame.
Every year, AT&T holds a kick-off event in each of its five regions that
features the wide range of pro bono opportunities available and encourages
attorney involvement. Attorneys can assist with everything from providing
legal advice on a legal hotline to handling asylum and immigration cases to
collaborating with local law firms to handle cases. Not only does AT&T give
of their time, they also financially support legal services providers by
sponsoring events such as the Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas Women’s Advocacy
Award, the Human Rights Initiative’s 5K Run, the Champions of Justice Gala
Benefiting Veterans, and the Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas
annual fundraiser. They also fund Public Interest Internships at the SMU –
Dedman School of Law and provide Excellence in Pro Bono Scholarships at
three Texas law schools. # # #
The
Texas Access to Justice Commission
was created in 2001 by the Supreme Court of
Contact: Kimberly Schmitt
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