FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      
August 31, 2007

Contact: Laura Figueroa
 512.320.0099 x. 104
 lfigueroa@teajf.org

TEXAS LAWYERS DONATE $516,000 FOR LEGAL AID

Texas Access to Justice Commission honors legal associations with highest percentage of contributing members

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas attorneys have made it clear that they are committed to ensuring low-income Texans have access to civil legal aid – lawyers throughout the state contributed more than $516,000 to legal aid via the voluntary contribution option on the State Bar of Texas dues statement.

Legal aid is the provision of free legal advice or representation to individuals who cannot afford an attorney. Legal aid organizations assist approximately 100,000 Texans yearly with civil legal matters, such as landlord-tenant issues, public benefits and family law. To qualify for legal aid, an individual cannot earn more than $12,763 per year.

Each year, attorneys have the option of making a voluntary donation to legal aid when they pay their State Bar of Texas dues. The Texas Access to Justice Commission gives the Deborah G. Hankinson Access to Justice Award to local bar associations and Texas Young Lawyers Association affiliates in the cities with the highest percentage of members who contribute. The Hankinson Awards are named for former Supreme Court of Texas Justice Deborah Hankinson, a staunch advocate of access to justice for the poor.
 
The 2007 award winners are:
Austin Bar Association (large city bar association)
Kerr County Bar Association (small city bar association)
Austin Young Lawyers Association (large city young lawyers association)
Corpus Christi Young Lawyers Association (small city young lawyers association)

The funds will be given to the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, the Texas Bar Foundation and ProBar to fund legal aid organizations.

The Texas Access to Justice Commission (www.TexasATJ.org) was created in 2001 by the Supreme Court of Texas to develop and implement policy initiatives designed to expand access to and enhance the quality of justice in civil legal matters for low-income Texans. The Commission has created several initiatives to increase resources for and awareness of legal aid, including the domestic violence Protective Order Kit, the Texas Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program, and www.TexasLawHelp.org, an online resource for free legal information.