© 2014 The Texas Lawbook.
By Mark Curriden, JD
Senior Writer for The Texas Lawbook
(February 21) – Ray and Nancy Ann Hunter Hunt announced Friday they were donating $5 million to the SMU Dedman School of Law to create a new advocacy clinic to help women who have been abused and targeted for crimes because of their gender.
With former First Lady and SMU Trustee Laura Bush seated on the front row, the Hunts officially unveiled their gift founding the Judge Elmo B. Hunter Legal Center for Victims of Crimes against Women. Judge Hunter was Mrs. Hunt’s father and a prominent state and federal judge in Missouri.
Mrs. Hunt said the clinic “is going to change the face of Dallas” by “highlighting all the terrible things that happen around the world but especially in Dallas” regarding women being abused and victimized.
“We are honored to name this legal center after my father, whose main interest as a judge was the well-being of individuals through fair treatment and protection under the law,” said Mrs. Hunt. “As a result of this program, participating law students will enter the legal profession with a deeper understanding of the victims of exploitation, trafficking and abuse and what they need for their lives to be restored.
“Their suffering may be hidden from our sight and may be uncomfortable to acknowledge publicly,” she said. “But through the availability of free legal services, we hope they will feel empowered to come forward and obtain help.”
Advocacy groups estimate that more than 1.3 million women are victims of domestic violence each year. Officials estimate that there are more than 300,000 individuals – most of them children – that are trapped in the sex trafficking industry.
Ray Hunt, the founder of Hunt Oil, said Judge Hunter “was without a doubt the most outstanding man I have ever met.”
Julie Forrester, the law school’s interim dean, said that the Hunter Legal Center will allow Dedman Law students, working under the supervision of law faculty, to “provide legal assistance with matters such as protective orders, visitation or custody agreements, and credit and housing issues so that these clients of the center can put the past behind them and move ahead with a brighter future.”
Using a holistic approach, students will gain experience with the myriad needs and complexity of issues that victims encounter and will see the human faces behind related legal issues.
Forrester said the Hunter Center “will help fill a critical gap by providing legal services for those who are striving to escape the bonds of abuse and exploitation, whether occurring in the home or on the streets.”
The Hunter Legal Center will also develop new partnerships with community organizations like Genesis Women’s Shelter, which aids victims of domestic violence, and New Friends New Life, which helps victims of sex trafficking start new lives, she said.
“These organizations can help ensure that we are reaching those with the greatest need and that we understand the legal issues associated with those needs,” Forrester added.
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