Today, in observance of Sept. 11, 2001, Bank of America lawyers are hosting its global Wills for Heroes event. In Dallas, lawyers from Bradley and Haynes Boone are volunteering alongside the Bank of America attorneys at the Dallas Police Department headquarters to draft wills and estate planning documents for members of the DPD and Dallas Fire-Rescue.
In this edition of P.S., the Texas Access to Justice Foundation announced the Rural Justice Initiative, a multiyear effort between seven legal aid organizations that will launch a network of 170 legal aid offices in rural Texas.
Legal Aid of Northwest Texas has announced the honorees of its upcoming 14th Annual Builders of Justice Awards Progressive Dinner, supporting civil legal services for low-income persons and families.
And the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber presented its Chairman Award to Burke Bogdanowicz attorney Jaime Ramón.
Texas Supreme Court Makes ‘Generational Investment’ in Rural Legal Aid
The Texas Access to Justice Foundation announced this week that the Supreme Court of Texas has provided the organization with $26.7 million to fund the launch of a network of 170 offices in rural Texas that legal aid leaders say will “transform how” low-income people in those communities “access civil legal services.”
The Rural Justice Initiative is a historic, multiyear, coordinated effort between seven legal aid organizations — Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Lone Star Legal Aid, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, Disability Rights Texas, Family Legal Services of the South Plains, Texas Advocacy Project and Texas Legal Services Center — that “advances the foundation’s vision that all Texans should have equal access to justice.”
In its announcement, TAJF said the program will help veterans, people with disabilities, survivors of domestic violence and others by “addressing a persistent justice gap in rural Texas, where access to civil legal services can be limited by geography, connectivity and the availability of services.”
Legal aid organizations staff offices in just 42 of Texas’ 254 counties. Nearly half of Texas counties have fewer than one attorney per 1,000 residents, while many of the state’s 190 rural counties are considered legal deserts, according to the statement.
“A strong justice system must be accessible to all Texans, including those who don’t live near metropolitan areas,” Texas Supreme Court Justice Brett Busby said. “This investment will help begin the process of bringing legal assistance closer to rural communities and create more opportunities for Texans to access civil legal aid without having to travel far from home. By expanding access in rural communities, we can help ensure that geography is not a barrier to justice in Texas.”
The initiative will employ a combination of in-person, virtual and technology-supported services to reach those in need of legal services in rural Texas.
“This is a generational investment in rural communities and an opportunity to fundamentally change how Texas families access civil legal services,” Betty Balli Tores, executive director of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, said. “We are grateful to the Supreme Court of Texas for recognizing the importance of this work and making a transformative investment in access to justice for rural Texans. Over the next five years, our goal is to establish a trusted, consistent presence in rural communities and reach close to 38,000 additional Texans with civil legal services.”
To learn more about the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, visit www.teajf.org.
Legal Aid of Northwest Texas to Honor Five North Texas Leaders
Legal Aid of Northwest Texas will honor five North Texas leaders at its 14th Annual Builders of Justice Awards Progressive Dinner on Oct. 11 in Downtown McKinney.
This year’s Builders of Justice honorees are:
Civic Leadership Award: June Jenkins, Collin County NAACP president
Legal Advocate: Natalie Gregg, OWLawyers partner
Business Leadership: Brandon Tomes, Tomes Auto Group president
Kathy Kennedy Lifetime Commitment to Justice: Christy Albano, Albano Law
Champion of Justice: Ray Chow, Snellings Law
The event supports Legal Aid of Northwest Texas’ free legal assistance to low-income families with civil law needs. The organization’s McKinney office received applications from about 2,000 individuals and families last year seeking help with matters including wrongful evictions, foreclosures, domestic violence protection and veterans’ benefits.
More information about the event, including how to sponsor and purchase tickets, may be found here.
Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber Honors Attorney Jaime Ramón
Burke Bogdanowicz attorney Jaime Ramón was the recipient of this year’s Chairman Award, presented by the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber.
Ramón, who also serves as an arbitrator and mediator, was honored during the chamber’s annual Quality and Excellence Awards event for a career that has spanned private practice, public service and civic leadership.
The chamber noted that he has advised Fortune 500 companies and served in senior federal government roles, including as general counsel of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and as head of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs within the U.S. Department of Labor.
Ramón has also spent decades serving the North Texas community, holding leadership roles with organizations including Parkland Hospital, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
Mark Curriden contributed to this report.