Committees

Through the work of the volunteers who serve on these committees and task forces, the Commission reduces barriers to the justice system for low-income Texans and increases resources and funding for legal services providers in Texas.

Support Services for Legal Services Providers

Technology Committee explores and recommends technological solutions aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of legal services delivery.
Legal Training Committee creates training opportunities specifically for legal aid lawyers, designed to improve the quality of legal representation for indigent clients.

Policy

Court Award Strategies Committee (a joint committee with the Texas Access to Justice Foundation) establishes an education campaign designed to educate legal professionals about cy pres funds and how it can be used to support legal services to the poor in Texas.
Legislative Committee monitors and proposes and/or supports legislation to further the availability of and access to legal services to the poor.
Special Projects Committee develops and implements measures to increase access to justice by helping to remove barriers to the legal system.

Education/ Recognition

Communications Committee (a joint committee with the Texas Access to Justice Foundation) identifies and creates initiatives to increase the awareness of the need for legal services to the poor in Texas.
Awards Committee identifies and recognizes the exceptional pro bono efforts of members of, and related to, the legal profession.

Specialty Groups

Corporate Counsel Committee encourages policies where in-house counsel can become more active in access to justice issues and activities, including providing pro bono legal services as a department and participating in resource development.
Law School Advisory Committee (comprised of the deans from each Texas law school) examines the law schools’ role in addressing access to justice for the poor by supporting the development of programs that will expand the delivery of legal services in Texas through law students, faculty and staff.

Task Forces

Supreme Court Task Force to Expand Legal Services Delivery addresses the statewide initiative to expand delivery of legal services to the underserved areas of the state through the involvement of State Bar Sections and professional attorney associations.
The Supreme Court Protective Order Task Force drafted an easily readable and utilitarian domestic violence protective order kit and implemented a plan to make the protective order kit readily available.