In this edition of P.S., Texas legal aid organizations ramp up efforts to support communities affected by recent disasters. Texas RioGrande Legal Aid is calling on volunteer lawyers to assist flood survivors across Central Texas, while Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas launches its new mobile unit, the “Legal Aid Express,” to deliver on-the-ground disaster support to its region. SMU’s First Amendment Clinic received a $3 million endowment from the Stanton Foundation, with an additional $2 million challenge grant to expand its pro bono advocacy. Meanwhile, 17 University of Texas School of Law graduates received public interest fellowships, enabling them to serve underrepresented communities across the country. Finally, Sidley Austin’s Texas offices contributed to local hunger relief efforts as part of the firm’s “Summer of Service” campaign.
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid Seeks Volunteers for Flood Response
The non-profit Texas RioGrande Legal Aid is urging lawyers to volunteer for pro bono work related to the catastrophic July flooding in Central Texas as legal needs are becoming more apparent.
This week, TRLA announced that it has mobilized more than 1,000 legal professionals to help flood survivors with a range of needs including with FEMA applications and appeals, housing and landlord issues, public benefits problems, probate matters and replacing documents such as IDs, birth certificates and social security cards.
TRLA, which covers 68 counties across Southwest and Central Texas, has staffed every disaster recovery center within its service area, including in Kerrville, Burnet, Georgetown, Hunt and Leander.
Lawyers can submit an application to become a TRLA volunteer at the link here. The organization provides additional volunteer resources at this link.
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas Unveils “Legal Aid Express” to Serve Disaster-Affected Communities
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas is taking its services on the road — literally.
The nonprofit recently debuted its mobile office named “Legal Aid Express.” The office is designed to bring legal assistance to communities impacted by disasters across the 114 counties LANWT serves.
Funded by the Legal Services Corporation, the vehicle is fully equipped with two private office suites, printers and laptops. It is also wheelchair accessible.
“The Legal Aid Express ensures we can more rapidly respond to a disaster area,” LANWT CEO Maria Thomas-Jones said in a LinkedIn post. “This mobile vehicle is an invaluable tool for our staff to better serve people where they are.”
Stanton Foundation Gives $3M to SMU Law’s First Amendment Clinic, Plus $2M Challenge
SMU’s First Amendment Clinic announced that it recently received a $3 million endowment from the Stanton Foundation to support its mission of protecting free speech, a free press, and other core First Amendment rights. The Foundation also pledged to match every dollar given to clinic operations by Dec. 1, up to $2 million.
The gift goes toward the goal of the clinic’s mission to provide pro bono legal representation as well as equipping law students with valuable, hands-on litigation experience. Since the Foundation’s initial grant five years ago, the clinic has trained more than 90 law students on work including taking depositions, drafting and filing complex pleadings, and advocating for clients in the Texas Legislature.
“The Stanton Foundation’s generous support has made it possible for our students to represent those whose First Amendment rights have been violated and those whose speech has been silenced,” Tom Leatherbury, Director of the First Amendment Clinic, SMU Dedman School of Law, said in the school’s announcement. “This gift ensures that our students’ vital work will continue to be part of the fabric of SMU.”
The clinic focuses on representing clients in cases involving violations of their first amendment rights and retaliation for exercising those rights. It also provides counseling and legal defense for clients who have been sued for defamation and handles matters related to open records and transparency laws.
The Stanton Foundation was founded by the late Dr. Frank Stanton, a former broadcast executive who served as president of CBS.
Seventeen UT Law Grads Awarded Public Interest Fellowships
Sixteen UT Law graduates of 2025 and one from the class of 2024 have been awarded public interest fellowships to kickstart their careers, the law school recently announced.
The fellowships, which last one to two years, provide full-time placements at nonprofit organizations and public defender offices, allowing graduates to serve underrepresented communities in Texas and across the country. Salaries for the roles are fully funded by the law school or external sponsors.
Twelve of the fellowships were awarded through Texas Law’s postgraduate program and five came from national, external organizations. This year, the law school raised its guaranteed fellowship salary to $75,000 — the highest reported among U.S. law schools, according to the law school.
“It’s rewarding to see so many graduates excited to do this important work,” Nicole Simmons, director of the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law, said in the school’s announcement.
The fellowships and awardees are:
G. Rollie White Trust Fellowship in Public Interest Law – funds an outstanding graduating student to work with a public interest legal organization.
- Sophie Hess, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid in Austin
Manne Family Fellowships – Lawyers Neal Manne and Nancy McGregor established three fellowship awards for graduates pursuing careers in civil rights, civil justice, or reproductive rights.
- Alana Park, Texas Civil Rights Project in Austin
- Allen Sellers, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid in Victoria
- Leslie Villacorta, Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project
Mike A. Myers Fellowship in Public Interest Law – Myers established a fellowship for a graduate working at a nonprofit serving victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.
- Kiara Staton, Texas Advocacy Project
Public Service Endowment Fellowship – Alums Julia Penny Clark and William C. Bryson funded this newly awarded fellowship.
- Layton Sussman, Lone Star Justice Alliance in Austin
Texas Law Postgraduate Public Interest fellowships – Dean Bobby Chesney established this in 2023 to support fellowships with public interest legal organizations and select international organizations.
- Katherine Bartos, REDRESS Trust in London
- Katherine Daffin, Children’s Law Center of California in Los Angeles
- Mackenzie Rhine, Wikimedia Foundation
- Tionna Ryan, Intercultural Development Research Association
- Meg Solley, Austin Region Justice for Our Neighbors
- Maiya Werba, National Center for Youth Law in Washington D.C
External Fellowships:
Manne Family Foundation
- Gwynn Marotta, Texas Civil Rights Project in Austin
Samuels Family Legal Fellowship
- Carolina Rivera Nelson, American Civil Liberties Union of Texas
Skadden Fellowship
- Alice Min, Legal Aid Society of New York’s Brooklyn office
Equal Justice Works
- Nina Colombotos, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
- Apurva Gunturu, American Gateways
Sidley’s Summer of Service
As part of Sidley Austin’s “Summer of Service” initiative, Dallas and Houston lawyers volunteered with their local food banks.
Firmwide, Sidley launched the initiative to demonstrate a commitment to community service through various activities including packing backpacks with school supplies, cleaning community center spaces and more.
In Dallas, Sidley lawyers teamed up with the North Texas Food Bank to pack about 12,960 pounds of food, which equates to about 10,800 meals. Houston office attorneys likewise worked with the Houston Food Bank to sort, sanitize and pack food and other essentials.
