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Access To Justice Commission Update

Texas Lawyers Raise Funds for Access to Justice
By:  Hannah Silk Kapasi

Recently, Texas lawyers received their State Bar of Texas membership dues statement. You may have noticed that the option to contribute to the Access to Justice (ATJ) campaign looked different than it has on past dues statements. The 2010-2011 Membership Statement already included a $150 Access to Justice contribution. You may have chosen to donate $150 for access to justice by simply paying the dues as reflected on your statement. And you may have donated an amount other than the $150 by turning to side 2 of the statement and filling in the appropriate amount. If so, the Texas Access to Justice Commission thanks you wholeheartedly for your contribution to increasing access to basic civil legal services for the poor throughout Texas.

If you did not receive you dues statement, your employer may be part of a new initiative to eliminate individual paper statements for firms that make one firm wide dues payment. If you have not had the opportunity to contribute, it’s not too late to make a donation on your own! You can make a contribution to the Access to Justice campaign in one of two ways:

• Go to “MyBarPage” at www.texasbar.com and enter your bar number and PIN or password.
• Make your check payable to “Clerk, Supreme Court of Texas and mail to the State Bar of Texas, P.O. Box 12487, Austin, Texas 78711. Include your State Bar number and a notation that the check is for the Voluntary Access to Justice contribution

Annually, the small city TYLA affiliate and the large city TYLA affiliate with the greatest rate of participation in the ATJ campaign are recognized with the Deborah G. Hankinson Access to Justice Award, to be presented at the Bar Leaders Conference in July. In addition to demonstrating your commitment, your ATJ contribution will boost your affiliate’s chances of recognition for their commitment to access to justice in Texas.

Make your contribution today! And tell everyone you know to do the same.