FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2003

Contact: Laura Figueroa
512.320.0099, ext. 14
 

Poor Texans Have New Legal Tool in TexasLawHelp.org 

Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation and Texas Access to Justice Commission launch Web site to address need for legal services
 
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Access to Justice Commission and the Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation have launched www.TexasLawHelp.org, a Web site designed to help more Texans have access to the civil justice system. Powered by Probono.net, TexasLawHelp.org is an easy-to-navigate Web portal that empowers indigent Texans by providing FREE information about critical civil legal issues facing low-income individuals and families.

Visitors to TexasLawHelp.org can learn about their legal rights and responsibilities, find local Legal Aid offices and obtain information about Texas courts with a few simple clicks of the mouse. The site is easily accessible on any computer that has Internet access, such as those at libraries and community centers.

TexasLawHelp.org, funded by the Legal Services Corporation, was developed to increase the number of poor Texans receiving information and help with their legal problems. Currently, more than three million Texans live below the poverty line. Due to limited resources, civil Legal Aid organizations only meet about 25 percent of the legal needs of indigent residents of Texas. TexasLawHelp.org will serve as a tool that provides poor and low-income Texans with information they need to meaningfully address their legal issues.

State Representative Pete Gallego, speaking at the May 1 launch, said, “Equal justice under the law is a very important concept. If people do not have access to legal information, then there is no equality. I represent a rural district; some of the residents would have to travel more than 100 miles to get to a Legal Aid office. TexasLawHelp.org makes it possible for them to get information to which they may not otherwise have access.”

TexasLawHelp.org currently provides legal information in areas such as:

§  Consumer Issues

§  Employment

§  Family Law

§  Health

§  Housing

§  Public Benefits

Phase II of the TexasLawHelp.org project includes translating the entire site into Spanish by the end of 2003.

Supreme Court of Texas Justice Michael H. Schneider praised the Commission and the Foundation for their initiative in developing programs to address the legal problems of low-income Texas residents. Justice Schneider said, “I commend the Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation and the Texas Access to Justice Commission for advocating the importance of equality under the law for all. Their efforts to equip Texans with such a valuable resource, TexasLawHelp.org, demonstrates their commitment to meet the needs of the low-income individuals and families in our state that need legal help.”

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TexasLawHelp.org is part of a national effort to utilize technology to provide free civil legal information to poor and low-income populations. In 2001, the first LawHelp.org site was launched to serve the needs of the public in New York City. LawHelp.org Web sites have been or will be launched in 28 regions, including California, Florida, Guam, Michigan and Oregon.