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Feature TYLA Project

Texas Lawyers Partnering for Pro Bono 

Next month, as we recognize Pro Bono (National Pro Bono Week is Oct. 24-30) across the state, TYLA is introducing Partnering for Pro Bono—a web-based sustainable program that partners in-house counsel with law firm lawyers in an effort to increase the provision of pro bono legal services in Texas. Through a series of questions, our program matches a law firm lawyer with an in-house lawyer and then presents available pro bono cases through TexasLawyersHelp.org. Available cases will include family law, probate, consumer, landlord-tenant, immigration, labor and employment, veterans, public benefits, and civil rights. Partnering for Pro Bono will also coordinate with clinics around the state, starting with the State Bar’s Texas Lawyers for Texas Veteran’s clinics. And, because the cases will be provided through recognized legal services providers, malpractice coverage is provided by the State Bar.

Statistics reveal that there is an immediate need for this project. Texas has the second largest poverty population in the country—over 5 million Texans live below federal poverty guidelines. Texas ranks 43rd for providing legal services to the poor (per capita spending per poor person), and the economy the last few years has not helped. There is a misconception that deferred and out of work young lawyers are increasing the numbers of legal aid lawyers. And although some are, the fact remains that less than twenty five percent of civil legal needs of low income Texans are currently being met. There is one Texas attorney for every 519 Texas citizens. By contrast, there is only one Texas legal-aid attorney for every 11,512 poor Texans. We simply cannot keep up with the need.

Further contributing to the need are those who cannot qualify for legal aid but cannot afford legal services either. For example, a single person working minimum wage for forty hours a week, fifty-two weeks a year, earns about $15,000. Unfortunately, that person makes too much money to qualify for legal aid. Our legal aid lawyers are doing all they can do—in 2007 legal aid groups in Texas closed 107,760 cases for 249,922 individuals. Clearly, we can do a better job helping our legal aid lawyers meet the growing legal needs of our fellow Texas citizens. But, we have to be willing to give our time.

Pro bono matters are available through legal aid offices across the state and through the TexasLawyersHelp.org website. Legal aid offices, such as Legal Aid of Northwest Texas, Lone Star Legal Aid, and Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, also provide training, clinics, and mentors. They have also found creative ways to enable volunteers to spend as little or as much time as they want. In short, our Texas legal aid lawyers are not only working tirelessly to meet the needs of our poor but are also working overtime to ensure volunteers are not overwhelmed.

For more information about resources available to support attorneys handling pro bono cases, please contact Texas Lawyers Care (TLC). TLC is the legal services and pro bono support department of the State Bar that provides critical support, assistance, and materials to both legal services programs and attorney volunteers.

Partnering for Pro Bono meets the needs of both law firm and in-house counsel. While law firms struggle with thinner resources and young lawyers feel more pressure to bill, in-house counsel often experience logistical roadblocks or lack resources and time to dedicate to a pro bono case. By bringing together lawyers and combining their resources, TYLA hopes to increase the number of pro bono cases handled on a yearly basis. TYLA invites you to join our effort at www.tyla.org.