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News Release
“We faced many obstacles for funding in the last
session, but thanks to the bipartisan support we
received in the Legislature, many struggling Texans
have received assistance with basic civil legal
services; help that is essential to the integrity of
the rule of law,” Justice Hecht said. “Hard economic
times increase the need for legal services and
decrease financial support, and we are grateful for
the tremendous work and support of Sen. Hinojosa and
Rep. Hunter as we continue to provide access to
justice to Texans in need.”
The Texas Access to Justice Commission and
Foundation launched the Legislative Hero Award
program in 2010 to recognize legislators who,
through their efforts, have significantly advanced
access to justice in Texas by assisting with the
appropriation of funds and/or other substantive
activities related to the provision of legal aid in
the state. “I believe in the fundamental right to legal representation. This right is the basis of our justice system—everyone should have access to the judicial system for protection and relief,” Sen. Hinojosa said. “A person’s economic status should never interfere with their ability to seek justice and participate in the court system. I’ve seen what civil legal aid can do for low-income Texans when I first started as a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Nueces. I am honored to receive this award and remain an advocate for legal aid services.” “I am honored to receive this award that reflects the importance of ensuring that our court system is available to all,” Rep. Hunter said.
Sen. Hinojosa was first elected to the Texas House
of Representatives in 1981 and later was elected as
senator for District 20 in 2002. Sen. Hinojosa
successfully secured more than $84 million in
construction funds for the University of Texas-Pan
American and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He
has secured millions in funding to support the
growth of Brooks, Hidalgo, Jim Wells and Nueces
counties.
Sen. Hinojosa was born and raised in Mission, TX. He
was a member of the Marine Corps and served in
Vietnam. He worked as a staff attorney for the Legal
Aid Society of Nueces County and later as an
assistant attorney general for the Texas Attorney
General’s office. Hinojosa opened his private legal
practice in McAllen where he continues to represent
clients in both civil and criminal cases.
Rep. Hunter is currently serving his sixth term in
the Texas House of Representatives. Hunter is known
as a key player in the successful effort to pass
tort reform. He was also instrumental in passing
legislation that made Texas A&M University-Corpus
Christi a four-year university and fought for
funding to build the university.
Rep. Hunter has received numerous accolades for his
legislative work, including: “Newsmaker of the
Year,” by the
Corpus Christi Caller-Times, James Madison Award
presented by the Freedom of Information Foundation
of Texas for his work on the “Free Flow of
Information Act,” Texas Civil Justice League’s Jobs
for Texas Award, Texans for Lawsuit Reform’s Civil
Justice Leadership Award, Combined Law Enforcement
Associations of Texas’ “Best of the House”
Legislative honors, and the Central Texas Citizens
Against Lawsuit Abuse Champion award. He was named
by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and the
Dallas Morning News as a rising star in the Texas Legislature.
Rep. Hunter has been a resident of Corpus Christi
for more than 30 years. He is the senior partner of
Hunter and Handel, P.C. in Corpus Christi.
Legal aid organizations funded by the Texas Access
to Justice Foundation help more than 100,000
low-income Texas families each year with their civil
legal needs. However, due to a lack of resources,
only about 20 to 25 percent of the civil legal needs
of low-income and poor Texans are being met.
Currently, only one legal aid lawyer is available to
provide assistance for every 11,152 Texans who
qualify.
# # #
The
Texas Access to Justice Commission
was created in 2001 by the Supreme Court of 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 more than 100,000 Texans each year.
Contact: Kimberly Schmitt
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