The Texas Access to Justice Foundation will distribute more than $63 million over the next two years to 30 nonprofit organizations across Texas to provide civil legal aid to disadvantaged residents.
The foundation recently announced its grant recipients, noting that each year more than 100,000 disadvantaged Texas families receive legal aid as a result of the program.
Public interest and pro bono lawyers, with the help of the foundation grants, provide civil legal representation to low-income Texans in matters such as obtaining benefits for veterans and addressing foreclosures.
“Access to a lawyer can be a lifesaver to disadvantaged families facing challenging times,” Justice Eva Guzman, Texas Supreme Court liaison for access to justice issues, said in a statement. “Legal aid plays a crucial role in ensuring that vulnerable Texans are able to access the court system.”
The grants are funded through a $17.56 million biennium appropriation by the 84th Texas Legislature for basic civil legal services.
More than 5.6 million Texans qualify for civil legal aid. To be eligible, an individual must earn no more than $14,713 a year. For a family of four, the annual household income cannot exceed $30,313.
Texas Access to Justice Foundation grantees (2015-2017) by city, program, and amount awarded:
Austin – Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse – $769,097
Austin – American Gateways – $628,635
Austin – Disability Rights Texas – $3,406,212
Austin – Equal Justice Center – $568,745
Austin – Oficina Legal del Pueblo Unido, Inc. – $2,253,692
Austin – Texas Advocacy Project – $71,650
Austin – Texas Legal Services Center – $6,106,553
Austin – Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas – $615,849
Conroe – Montgomery County Women’s Center – $90,610
Dallas – Catholic Charities of Dallas – $651,860
Dallas – Dallas Bar Association Community Service Fund – $565,340
Dallas – Legal Hospice of Texas – $412,729
El Paso – Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services – $709,209
Fort Worth – Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas – $6,088,740
Fort Worth – Texas A&M Research Foundation – $95,000
Harlingen – Pro Bar-ABA Fund for Justice and Education – $628,006
Houston – Beacon Law (formerly Cathedral Justice Project) – $419,479
Houston – Boat People SOS, Inc. – $267,612
Houston – Catholic Charities, Cabrini Center for Immigration Legal Assistance – $695,525
Houston – Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy (Thurgood Marshall School of Law) – $283,016
Houston – Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program – $1,455,898
Houston – Lone Star Legal Aid – $14,987,982
Houston – South Texas College of Law – $246,378
Houston – University of Houston Law Foundation – $282,602
Lubbock – Legal Aid Society of Lubbock – $649,137
San Antonio – Family Violence Prevention Services, Inc. – $406,935
San Antonio – Refugee & Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services – $399,859
San Antonio – St. Mary’s School of Law, Center for Legal and Social Justice – $278,799
Sugar Land – Fort Bend Lawyers Care – $183,635
Weslaco – Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc. – $19,135,928
The foundation has awarded more than $480 million since its inception in 1984. For more information on the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, visit www.teajf.org.