AUSTIN, Texas  The Texas Access to Justice Commission hosted the Champions of Justice Gala for Veterans benefiting the Texas Access to Justice Foundation on Tuesday, May 4, at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin.  The Texas Access to Justice Foundation is a primary funding source for legal aid programs throughout the state. Proceeds from the event, which will be used to fund civil legal services for Texas veterans, totaled nearly $270,000.

“We owe access to justice to those in the armed services who are defending our country and to the families of those who did not return,” Harry M. Reasoner, Texas Access to Justice Commission chair, said. “Veterans who return from tours of duty can face legal issues – such as marital problems, difficulties in getting medical or disability benefits, wrongful foreclosures or unscrupulous people who have taken advantage of their absence.  We should make sure they have the services they need for the service they provided to our country.”

The gala featured a U.S. Marine Corps Color Guard presentation, a display of all military flags provided by the State Bar of Texas Military Law Section, and keynote speaker renowned trial lawyer Joseph D. Jamail, a veteran of World War II.   The evening also honored two outstanding individuals who have made a lasting contribution to access to justice in Texas.  Texas Supreme Court Justice Harriet O’Neill and attorney Charles W. Matthews were presented the Emily C. Jones Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Access to Justice Commission. 

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace B. Jefferson presented the Emily C. Jones Lifetime Achievement Award to Justice Harriet O’Neill for her steadfast commitment to improving access to justice across the state.  Since becoming a member of the Texas Access to Justice Commission in 2003, Justice O’Neill’s active participation in the initiatives and activities of the Commission, passion for ensuring the court system is available to meet the basic civil legal needs of low-income Texans, and leadership in demonstrating that justice can make a difference in people lives, have inspired many others to become involved in access to justice issues.

Irving attorney Charles W. Matthews, recently retired general counsel of Exxon Mobil Corporation, was appointed to the Texas Access to Justice Commission in 2004 as the first representative of the corporate community.  Matthews was honored for his work in significantly raising awareness of access to justice for low-income Texans among corporate counsel in Texas.  He enlisted the involvement of more than 40 of Texas’ largest corporations and worked diligently to increase pro bono efforts and funding partnerships for legal services within this network.

The Emily C. Jones Lifetime Achievement Award, created in 2009, is named in honor of the former executive director of the Texas Access to Justice Commission who dedicated her career to advancing the cause of access to justice.    

In addition, Austin attorney J. Hampton Skelton of Skelton & Woody received the Cy Pres--Impact on Justice Award from the Texas Access to Justice Foundation (TAJF).  Skelton was instrumental in designating cy pres funds to the TAJF and five of its grantees to support civil legal services to persons with disabilities.  The Cy Pres--Impact on Justice Award recognizes the significant impact lawyers can have in increasing funding for legal aid for poor and low-income Texans.  Cy pres awards are residual funds from a class action or other proceeding that cannot be distributed to class members or the intended beneficiaries for a variety of reasons.

The Champions of Justice Gala for Veterans coincides with the efforts of incoming State Bar of Texas President Terry Tottenham, of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. in Austin, focused on assisting veterans.  Tottenham’s “Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans” initiative, modeled on a successful program of the Houston Bar Association, will develop a network of lawyers to assist veterans with civil legal issues who otherwise could not afford counsel.

The Texas Access to Justice Commission 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 and awareness of legal aid. For more information, please visit www.TexasATJ.org.

The Texas Access to Justice Foundation (www.teajf.org), created by the Supreme Court of Texas in 1984, is the primary 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 approximately 100,000 Texas families each year.