Contact: Laura Figueroa 
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NEW COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED TO THE TEXAS ACCESS TO JUSTICE COMMISSION
Commissioners Appointed by State Bar of Texas and Supreme Court of Texas.

AUSTIN, Texas - The Supreme Court of Texas and the State Bar of Texas have appointed four new commissioners to the Texas Access to Justice Commission. The Court created the Commission in 2001 to expand civil legal aid services for low-income Texans.

The appointments are as follows:

State Bar of Texas Appointments
Guy N. Harrison, Longview
Guy Harrison, a Longview attorney, is a past president of the State Bar of Texas. He also previously served a one-year term on the Commission.

Dr. C. Douglas Caldwell, Houston
Dr. C. Douglas Caldwell is the vice president and chief operating officer of Technology For All-Houston, a nonprofit initiative focused on bringing technology to underserved communities.

Supreme Court of Texas Appointments
Judge Migdalia Lopez, Brownsville
Migdalia Lopez is judge of the 197th District Court in Brownsville. She is a former legal aid attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid.

Paul Furrh, Jr., Nacogdoches
Paul Furrh is the chief executive officer of Lone Star Legal Aid, which is headquartered in Nacogdoches. The organization is the primary provider of legal aid in the Houston area and in East Texas, serving 72 counties.

The Texas Access to Justice Commission has implemented several innovative initiatives to increase access to justice for indigent Texans. The Commission created the Texas Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program to assist legal aid attorneys with law school loan debt. In 2003, the Commission launched www.TexasLawHelp.org to provide free legal information online in matters affecting low-income Texans. Currently, the Commission is collaborating with the Supreme Court of Texas on the Supreme Court Protective Order Task Force. The task force will develop an easy-to-use domestic violence protective order kit, including an application and order, so that victims can file for protective orders on their own.

The Texas Access to Justice Commission, chaired by James B. Sales of Fulbright & Jaworski in Houston, consists of 15 commissioners, each serving a three-year term. The Supreme Court of Texas appoints eight commissioners; the State Bar of Texas appoints the remaining seven. The Commission also has three ex-officio members, appointed by the Texas governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the house.

Each new commissioner’s term expires in May, 2007.

The Supreme Court of Texas created the Texas Access to Justice Commission (www.TexasATJ.org) to increase services for people who need legal help but may not be able to afford it or find it. The Commission’s goals include reducing barriers to the justice system and increasing resources and funding for Legal Aid. The Commission is headquartered in Austin.

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