Contact: Laura Figueroa
512.320.0099 x. 14
lfigueroa@txiolta.org

TEXAS LAWYERS DONATE $639,000 TO LEGAL AID
Texas Access to Justice Commission to honor associations with highest percentage of participating attorneys

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas attorneys have made it clear that they are committed to ensuring low-income Texans have access to civil legal services –  lawyers throughout the state have donated a total of $639,000 for the provision of legal aid to the poor.

In 2003, the Texas Access to Justice Commission began awarding the Deborah G. Hankinson Access to Justice Awards to the local bar associations and Texas Young Lawyers Association affiliates in the cities with the highest percentage of attorneys donating to legal aid. 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 2004 award winners by category are as follows:

• Austin Bar Association – Large City Bar Association ($71,603)
• Kerr County Bar Association – Small City Bar Association ($1,740)
• Jefferson County Young Lawyers Association – Small City Texas Young Lawyers Association affiliate ($1,792)
• Houston Young Lawyers Association – Large City Texas Young Lawyers Association affiliate ($29,059)

The voluntary donations will be distributed as follows: Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation ($469,000); Texas Bar Foundation ($120,000); and Pro Bar ($50,000).

The voluntary contributions supplement the new Access to Justice Fee for Texas attorneys. The fee, mandated by the 78th Texas Legislature, calls for non-exempt attorneys to pay a $65 fee along with their State Bar of Texas occupation tax. Half of the funds will be allocated for civil legal aid, and will be administered by the Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation. The remainder is earmarked for criminal indigent defense.

The Access to Justice Fee has generated approximately $1.3 million for legal aid. Coupled with the voluntary contributions, Texas lawyers in 2004 have collectively given $1.7 million at the statewide level to ensure access to the civil justice system for poor Texans. These funds supplement attorney contributions to local legal aid offices.

The mission of the Texas Access to Justice Commission (www.TexasAJT.org) is 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 Supreme Court of Texas created the Texas Access to Justice Commission to identify and assess the legal needs of low-income Texans and to coordinate services for people who need legal help but may not be able to afford it or find it.

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