Veterans across Texas can receive free legal help as part of Texas Veterans Legal Aid Week from November 10 to 16.

Texas Veterans Legal Aid Week is a statewide effort in honor of Veterans Day and coordinated by the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, or TAJF. Legal aid providers, local bars, law school, and pro bono attorneys will provide services to qualifying veterans at clinics across the state.

“We thank the Texas Legislature for providing funding for veteran legal services, as well as the Texas Access to Justice Commission and State Bar of Texas who help raise funds through an annual gala,” said Betty Balli Torres, executive director of TAJF, in a news release.

Legal aid organizations and pro bono lawyers are able to provide legal representation to veterans with civil legal problems, including denial of critical medical care, problems receiving benefits, legal issues related to disabilities, family law matters arising from deployment, and other issues that may occur due to a veteran’s absence from home during military service.

Additionally, this year TAJF’s Remembering Our Heroes campaign will be featured as part of a presentation during the football game between Baylor and Oklahoma on November 16 in Waco. The Baylor Law Veterans Clinic will also be recognized during the game. The campaign, started in 2017, benefits the Joe Jamail Endowment for Veteran Legal Services, an endowment fund created to ensure the justice system is fairly and equitably accessible to Texas veterans and named in honor of the late Houston lawyer and U.S. veteran.

Additional events have been scheduled prior to and after the week. For a list of events, go to texaslawhelp.org/tvlaw-2019.

For veterans who are unable to attend a Texas Veterans Legal Aid Week event, the Texas Legal Services Center will host live online chats from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from November 11 to 15 to assist with legal questions. Assistance is also provided at 800-622-2520, option 2.

TAJF provided $6.7 million in two-year grants this year to 13 nonprofit organizations that provide free legal services. In 2018, TAJF grantees helped nearly 9,000 veterans obtain access to the justice system.

For more information about TAJF, go to tajf.org.