ATJ Update

A Closer Look – TYLA Member and Champion of Justice Society Member Carlos Zaffirini, Jr.

The 2016 Justice for All Campaign is in full swing.  What’s the Justice for All Campaign? It’s a statewide campaign that raises funds for legal aid organizations in your community and around the state that work tirelessly to preserve the rule of law and fairness in our justice system.

If you work in a law firm, your firm may have participated in the Justice for All Law Firm Competition.

Or maybe you have a Facebook or Twitter account and saw the flurry of excitement in April about Justice for All Jeans Day when Justice Willett (a well-known tweeter) and the rest of his colleagues donned their denim duds in support of access to justice in Texas.

On your annual dues statement, you are given the opportunity to make an Access to Justice Contribution to help low-income Texans remedy their civil legal needs.   You are also invited to join the Champion of Justice Society by making a contribution of $250 or more.

Carlos Zaffirini, a TYLA member and President and Chief Executive Officer of Adelanto Health Care Ventures, was compelled to show his strong support of access to justice and became a Guardian level member of the Champion of Justice Society in 2013, committing $1,000 per year for 5 years. We interviewed Carlos to learn more about his work, what he likes to do for fun, and why he chooses to support access to justice. 

How did Adelanto Health Care Ventures come about?

Oddly it was the subject of my seminar paper in law school, and I got a B-.  I wrote my seminar paper on something that is now called the local provider participation fund. When I finished law school, I had decided I really believed in it.  Now, 13 years later, here we are. I’ve had a lot of fun building the concept and taking it nationally.

What’s been one of the most rewarding aspects of your work with Adelanto Health Care Ventures?

We work with safety net providers to find ways to help finance the delivery of indigent and charitable services to the community. One example that always jumps out in my mind is working with St. Joseph’s in Houston to make sure they were able to survive a very difficult environment through the 2008 economic crisis.   Helping them navigate the economic challenges and at the same time maintain access and delivery of care was one of the most challenging and rewarding projects I have worked on.

What made you decide to go to law school?

My parents and watching what they did in South Texas in helping individuals get access to care or access to the court room.  I decided early on that the best way I could serve was to get my law degree and give back to the community the same way my parents have.

Why did you choose to contribute to the Champion of Justice Society?

I’ve recently gotten to know [the people within] your organization and about how you help the disadvantaged gain access to the court system. I got involved because it became apparent to me that the organization was having such a major impact on people from South Texas. This lined up well with my focus of giving back and investing in organization that are working to break the cycle of poverty in South Texas and make sure that South Texans have fair access to the court system.

Why do you think you’re so public service oriented?

My family is from south Texas. We often saw the difficulties families had escaping the cycle of poverty.  It’s always been my family’s drive to address poverty through education.  Those things have come together for me in the last 10 years. I think that being exposed to their work has really helped me try to find ways not only to enhance access to education but also finding ways to reform the justice system.

What do you do when you’re not working?

I am a total sports junkie; Spurs junkie.  I really enjoy reading blogs about UT law school, I’m also reading Robert Caro’s Master of the Senate, again. Last time I read it, I was in law school, and I thought it’d be interesting to come back after several years and re-read it.

I’m also a total Games of Thrones junkie; my favorite character is Tyrion.

Today, there are 5.8 million Texans who qualify for civil legal aid yet legal aid programs can meet less than 10 percent of the need.  A donation of $150 goes a long way, more goes even farther, and a Champion of Justice Society membership goes on almost forever.

Make your impact by contributing today online (www.donate.texasatj.org). Please call or email if you have questions: 512-427-1892 or cgalloway@texasatj.org.  Visit www.texasatj.org to learn more.