This week’s edition of P.S. features a Toyota lawyer’s recognition for her commitment to justice and to helping the underrepresented, a Texas Appleseed pilot program that works to help domestic violence victims break free from coerced debt brought by their abusers, December dates for Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program’s pro bono legal clinics, and a winter coat donation occurring this weekend for low-income students in the Fort Worth Independent School District sponsored by a major Dallas personal injury firm.
The Latest
— Texas Appleseed’s previously reported 21st Annual Good Apple Dinner raised more than $550,000, which will help the nonprofit continue supporting children, families and communities through transformative policy solutions. Several individual lawyers and law firms were recognized at the dinner for working toward social, economic and racial justice through their leadership and dedication to pro bono and community service, including Melanie Gray, Mark Wawro, Akin, DLA Piper and Hogan Lovells.
At the dinner, Texas Appleseed also highlighted its new pilot program that will connect survivors of domestic violence with pro bono attorneys who can help them obtain identity theft relief from coerced debts incurred by an abuser in the victim’s name — typically done through threat, force or fraud. In a six-minute video played at the gala, Texas Appleseed’s Fair Financial Services Project team discussed their legislative advocacy that successfully expanded the definition of identity theft to include coerced debt — a law change expected to open the door to legal remedies for domestic violence survivors trying to rebuild their financial lives.
The pilot will roll out in Dallas and Tarrant counties to create a model that can be replicated throughout the state. The new program follows a 2022 survey of domestic violence survivors who were clients of legal aid clinics in Texas and Louisiana. That survey found that 51 percent of the survivors had coerced debt incurred by their abuser.
The new program is funded by JPMorgan Chase & Co., the Texas Women’s Foundation, the HLH Family Foundation, the Texas Bar Foundation and Verizon.
Texas Appleseed plans to begin recruiting pro bono attorneys in early 2024 to help with the program. More information will be available in January for attorneys who are interested in participating, as well as instructions for victims of coerced debt on how to obtain pro bono representation.
— The Squire Patton Boggs Foundation recently honored Toyota Motor North America’s Meyling “Mey” Ly Ortiz with the 2023 Distinguished Fellow Award. The award goes to recipients who demonstrate a commitment to justice and to addressing the needs of the underrepresented. Ortiz is a 2005 alumna of the Foundation’s 2005 fellowship class and currently serves as Toyota’s managing counsel for labor & employment in the company’s Plano headquarters. Outside of her work at Toyota, Ortiz is co-founder and president of The Podium, a nonprofit that seeks to embolden, advance and support Asian-American women lawyers through authentic connections as well as amplify their voices and opportunities in the legal profession. Ortiz also mentors lawyers and provides professional insight on her blog, themeybe.com. Ortiz has been described in a previous Texas Lawbook profile as a “pro bono ball of fire.”
Also receiving the award was 2007 fellowship alumna Meaghan Fitzgerald, who currently serves as head of the election department at OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions of Human Rights in Warsaw, Poland.
— This Saturday, Witherite Law Group (also known as 1-800TruckWreck) is partnering with Fort Worth Independent School District for the “Coats for Kids” giveaway to provide winter coats to students in need in the district. The coat giveaway will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the gymnasium of Sunrise-McMillian Elementary School (3409 Stalcup Rd., Fort Worth). This year’s partnership between the Witherite firm and the school district entailed a $10,000 donation to Fort Worth ISD’s Family Action Center. The firm has provided coats for Fort Worth ISD students during the holidays for many years, and to date the donations have totaled more than $60,000 and more than 1,800 coats.
At this weekend’s event, more than 300 coats will be given to youth and young adults aged Pre-K to 12th grade. Local vendors will also be present, as well as bounce houses, holiday music, food and photos with Santa.
— Throughout the month of December, the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program will host six in-person and virtual legal clinics for Dallas-area residents in need of pro bono legal advice. DVAP is a pro bono partnership between the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. Those who wish to apply for free legal assistance at the virtual clinics can do so here. All virtual clinics will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Virtual Clinics
Dec. 1: DVAP and Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
Dec. 7: DVAP, DLA Piper and Haynes Boone
Dec. 14: DVAP, St. Mary’s School of Law and Stinson
In-person Clinics
Veterans clinic: Dec. 1 at 1:30 p.m. at the VA Medical Center (4500 Lancaster Rd., Dallas). Sponsored by DVAP, Hunton Andrews Kurth and Goldman Sachs
West Dallas Clinic: Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center (2828 Fish Trap Rd., Dallas)
South Dallas Clinic: Dec. 12 at 5 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (2922 Martin Luther King Blvd., Dallas)
— Every Wednesday in December, DVAP will also host its monthly LegalLine E-clinics, which provide 15 minutes of free legal advice over the phone. The LegalLine will run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. each week. Registration each week closes at noon every Tuesday. The recipient will receive a call from an unknown number and the volunteer attorney will remain anonymous. To participate, complete the online form here.