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News Release
Texas Access to Justice Foundation Funds will support 15 nonprofits that provide civil legal services for
AUSTIN, Texas – The
Texas Access to Justice Foundation
(TAJF) has announced grants, totaling more than $3.5 million, to 15
nonprofit organizations that will help fund legal aid services for Texas
veterans. With these grants, public interest and pro bono lawyers will be
able to provide legal representation to veterans with civil legal problems
such as denial of benefits or disability, family law matters arising from
deployment, and other issues that may arise due to a veteran’s absence from
home during military service. Last year, TAJF grantees
helped approximately 7,000 veterans obtain access to the justice
system. “Too often, servicemen and women return from duty to
find benefits delayed, families struggling, jobs scarce, homes in
foreclosure, and debt collectors at the door,” Texas Supreme Court Chief
Justice Nathan L. Hecht said. “We thank the Legislature for providing the
resources to ensure that when basic legal problems pressure veterans, legal
aid will be available for help.” The 84th Texas Legislature provided $3
million in funding for basic civil legal services for veterans and their
families over the next two years.
Also, the
Texas Access to Justice Commission—through
its Champions of Justice Gala—raised more than $400,000 in 2014 from law
firms and corporate sponsors. “With Texas having the second-highest population of
veterans, it is essential that we provide legal services for those who have
sacrificed so much for our country,” Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman,
the Court’s access to justice liaison, said. “Local legal aid programs for
veterans are gateways to the justice system for many veterans and their
families.” The local organizations receiving grant awards for civil legal services to veterans and their families for 2015-17 are:
Austin Bar Foundation $127,800 “We thank the Supreme Court of Texas for making this
request for funding that will help serve the legal needs of those who have
served our country,” Richard L. Tate, chair of the board of directors of the
Texas Access to Justice Foundation, said. TAJF has awarded more than $480 million since its
inception in 1984. The organization collects and administers several funds,
including Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA), Basic Civil Legal
Services (filing fees, fees assessed to out-of-state attorneys practicing in
Texas, and other public funding), crime victims’ funds and private
donations. Today, there are more than 5.8 million Texans who
qualify for civil legal aid. Due to a lack of resources, less than 20
percent of the civil legal needs of low-income and poor Texans are being
met. To be eligible for civil legal aid, an individual must earn no more
than $14,713 a year. For a family of four, the annual household income
cannot exceed $30,313.
-30- The Texas Access to
Justice Foundation (www.teajf.org), created by the Supreme Court of
Texas in 1984, is the leading state-based funding source for the provision
of civil legal aid in Texas. The organization is committed to the vision
that all Texans will have equal access to justice, regardless of their
income. The Foundation administers a variety of funding sources, which are
earmarked to assist nonprofit organizations in providing legal aid to
more than 100,000 Texas families each year.
Contact: Kimberly Schmitt512-320-0099, ext. 104 kschmitt@teajf.org
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