1. HOME
2.  » NEWS
3.  » eNews Archive
4.  » 2013 eNews Archive
5.  » May 2013
6.  » Texas Access To Justice Commission Update

Texas Access To Justice Commission Update

Individuals wishing to show their strong support may join the Champion of Justice Society. Membership is on an annual basis and benefits include a Champion of Justice Society reception at the State Bar Annual Meeting; Champion of Justice Society crest displayed next to your name on the State Bar website’s “Find a Lawyer” page; and listing in the Texas Bar Journal and the Commission’s newsletter, website, and Facebook page.

Champion of Justice Society Giving Levels:

Sustaining Member ($1,000 per year x 5 years)      

Gold Member  ($1,000 +)

Silver Member ($500 - $999)

Bronze Member ($250 - $499)

Your gift can help low-income Texans achieve a brighter future. Thank you!

ABA Days

This year’s ABA Days in Washington DC took place April 16–18, 2013. The Texas team included Harry Reasoner, Jim Sales, Harriet Miers, Justice Gina Benavides, Lisa Tatum, Roland Johnson, Judge Lora Livingston, Dick Tate, Eduardo Rodriguez, Michelle Hunter, Trish McAllister, and Betty Balli Torres. These advocates for access to justice split into three teams and met with 37 of the 38 Texas Congressional members including Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn.

Vice President Joe Biden; U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr.; senior administration officials; chief justices of several states, including Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson of Texas; and leaders of the legal profession from across the country gathered at the White House for a program entitled "A White House Forum on Increasing Access to Justice." It was the second such event that the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) has co-hosted with the White House. Holder discussed various equal access initiatives at the Justice Department, including the Access to Justice Initiative, a new office he launched three years ago "to help spearhead national efforts to ensure that basic legal services are available, affordable and accessible for everyone in this country—regardless of status or income."

President Obama’s 2014 budget includes $430 million in LSC funding. This includes $35.7 million for Texas, an increase of $9.1 million. Texas’s Access to Justice team asked each member of the Texas Congressional delegation to support the President’s budget for LSC funding.

Contribute to the ATJ Fund

May begins the time to renew your State Bar of Texas annual dues. It is also a wonderful time to remember those who are unable to access the legal services they may desperately need. Lawyers can include a suggested $150 contribution for access to justice with their annual dues statement or can contribute online at any time through MyBarPage. Organizations and non-lawyer individuals can support legal services to the poor by making a contribution at the Access to Justice Foundation’s website.