By Michelle Alden
One need only look around at all the new construction underway in downtown, uptown and beyond to know that Dallas has one of the most vibrant business climates in the country. Along with that entrepreneurial energy comes a highly developed and sophisticated legal market. Dallas is awash in large and national law firms because of the high demand for legal services by corporate law departments.
In many ways, business clients and business lawyers in Dallas are blessed. But what about the people in Dallas who struggle to make ends meet? While the city touts a thriving business environment, a staggering 25 percent of our population lives near the poverty level and qualifies for free legal assistance. What can lawyers do to help?
Fortunately, Dallas is blessed with one of the best pro bono legal aid programs in the country—the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program. A nationally recognized program, DVAP provides a safety net for individuals and families in desperate need of legal services they cannot afford.
DVAP is a joint program of the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. When low-income clients need help on a family law case, a housing or consumer matter, or an estate planning or probate case (just to name a few of the issues DVAP handles), DVAP is where to send them. The program is awash in clients who need help from those who have law licenses and the wherewithal to make a difference in others’ lives.
Unfortunately, DVAP always needs more pro bono volunteers to handle the load. Although thousands of needy clients get help each year, there are still many who go without legal advice and representation because there are simply not enough lawyers stepping up to help. DVAP is always searching for more volunteers to provide advice at clinics, interview clients and accept cases of varying complexity.
“As lawyers, we are privileged to have the education to help others seeking justice,” says Cheryl Camin Murray, co-chair of the 2018 Equal Access to Justice Campaign benefitting DVAP. “Those less fortunate do not have the resources to hire someone to advocate for their legal rights. Imagine being in their shoes. Without the support of DVAP, these people would be mired in dire situations.”
Campaign co-chair Sakina Rasheed Foster agrees: “As lawyers, it is our duty to help those in need gain access to the legal help they need—and that is exactly the mission of the Equal Access to Justice Campaign. I am honored to serve alongside Jonathan Childers and Cheryl Camin Murray to help this community as well. The legal departments of Vistra Energy and AT&T are excellent examples of companies where pro bono is a priority.
Dan Kelly, vice president and associate general counsel of Vistra Energy and a co-vice chair for the 2018 Equal Access to Justice Campaign said, “The legal department at Vistra Energy, which includes our subsidiaries TXU Energy and Luminant, places significant emphasis on pro bono work and community service. We have participated for a number of years in the Equal Access for Justice Campaign, which benefits DVAP. We are so grateful for the support many of our outside law firms have provided to the campaign this year and in years past and appreciate having such good community partners.
“The need for pro bono legal services is so great and every dollar helps serve the legal needs for those less fortunate in our community,” said Kelly, who also served as a pro bono attorney and firm coordinator for DVAP when he worked at Vinson & Elkins.
Likewise, David R., McAtee, II, senior executive vice president and general counsel for AT&T, and who was honorary chair for the 2016 Equal Access to Justice Campaign, is no stranger to community service. McAtee has been a pro bono attorney for DVAP, starting during his time as an attorney at Haynes and Boone.
“Both Dan and David have made a huge impact on DVAP through their support of pro bono programs at their companies” says Rob Crain, president of the Dallas Bar Association. “Their contributions are significant. When David and Dan support a worthy cause, lawyers pay attention!”
Attorneys from Vistra Energy and AT&T are longtime supporters of DVAP, representing pro bono clients and providing advice and counsel at legal clinics. These companies also have committed financially to the Equal Access to Justice Campaign. In doing so, they demonstrate that pro bono legal representation is important to them and that it should be important to the entire legal community.
In the interest of furthering the cause of equal access to justice, an endowment supporting DVAP has been recently formed. The endowment will help DVAP rise to meet the challenges of providing assistance to low-income people in Dallas County into the future.
For more on the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program and the Equal Access to Justice Campaign, contact Michelle Alden at aldenm@lanwt.org.