While donations and volunteerism are vital elements in ensuring access to civil justice for all Texans, creating awareness among public officials, the media and potential supporters is also crucial. By informing others about the importance of civil legal services for the poor, you will become an active participant in giving hope to people who have nowhere else to turn.

Contact your legislator
Call, write or e-mail your state and U.S. senators and representatives letting them know that civil Legal Aid is a priority to you as a voter!

To contact your state senator or representative, visit the Texas Legislature online.
To contact your U.S. representative, visit the United States House of Representatives online.
To contact your U.S. senator, visit the United States Senate online.

To view a sample letter to a public official, click here.

Contact your local newspaper
Write or e-mail the editor of your local newspaper to inform him or her of the importance of Legal Aid in Texas. Or write a guest editorial!

For a list of Texas daily and weekly newspapers, click here.

To view a sample letter to a newspaper editor, click here.

Spread the word
Share the importance of access to justice and the work of the Commission with friends, family, coworkers, colleagues and others. Encourage them to show their support of Legal Aid in the ways listed above! Remember, in order to qualify for Legal Aid, an individual must not earn more than $12,250 annually and a family of four must not earn more than $25,000 annually. Texans in this income range cannot afford to hire an attorney if their basic civil rights are violated. Legal Aid needs everyone's support to ensure that low-income Texans are afforded access to the civil justice system.

If you have been helped by Legal Aid, or if you have helped Legal Aid in some way (such as volunteering), please send your story to Laura Figueroa.  Real life stories like yours demonstrate the importance of Legal Aid and the community's involvement in access to justice. Please indicate in the body of the email whether we have your permission to use your story in publicity materials.