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News Release
Texas Access to Justice Foundation
The National Banks of Central Texas Join Prime Partner Program The Texas Access to
Justice Foundation receives a large portion of its funding from IOLTA
accounts—a method to fund legal aid by collecting interest on client trust
accounts—and uses this money for grants to legal aid providers in the state
that help more than 100,000 Texas families each year. Prime Partner
financial institutions pay one percent on IOLTA accounts, which is above and
beyond the eligibility requirements for banks participating in the IOLTA
program. “By making the choice to
pay higher interest rates on IOLTA accounts, The National and our other
Prime Partners help ensure that low-income Texans will have access to basic
civil legal services,” Richard L. Tate, chair of the board of directors for
the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, said. “During these difficult
economic times, many Texans are facing serious challenges, such as
foreclosures or domestic violence situations, and simply do not have the
funds to hire an attorney.” The National Banks of
Central Texas have branches in Copperas Cove, Gatesville, Hewitt, Kempner,
Killeen, Lampasas, and Waco. “The National is committed to serving and helping our local community,” David Barnard, CEO and chairman of the board of The National, said. “We are proud to become a Prime Partner and hope that the additional funds generated will make a significant difference in the lives of low-income Texans in need of civil legal services.” More than 5.7 million
Texans qualify for legal aid and the increasing civil legal needs of the
poor continue to outpace the funding available for civil legal services.
Legal aid offices assist in matters dealing with family, housing, employment
and consumer law, and those recovering from the effects of natural
disasters. Lone Star Legal Aid,
Disability Rights Texas, and a veteran’s legal clinic at Baylor Law School
are among the legal aid programs in Central Texas that receive funding from
the Texas Access to Justice Foundation. The Texas Access to
Justice Foundation has seen more than a 75 percent decline in IOLTA revenue
since 2007 due to the impact of low interest rates. Prime Partners help to
mitigate the decline in revenue available to fund legal aid. # # # 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
Contact: Kimberly Schmitt
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