June 1, 2023
Media contact:
ECPR Texas
Celeste Tamez or Carla Pineda
956-650-2309 | 214-606-7489
Texas Access to Justice Commission renews statewide legal clinic initiative for Texas veterans
AUSTIN, Texas––Texas veterans can visit free, in-person legal clinics during June in several locations throughout the state. The clinics are the first phase of a renewed initiative by the Texas Access to Justice Commission, in cooperation with legal service providers and local bar associations, to provide civil legal assistance to veterans throughout the state.
Volunteer attorneys will offer advice and counsel on legal issues including family law, wills and probate, consumer law, tax law, property issues and disability benefits for veterans. With more than 1.5 million veterans residing throughout the state, Texas is home to the nation’s largest veteran population.
“It is my dream and my calling to help take care of our troops, including serving their legal needs,” retired U.S. Army Major Gen. Alfred A. Valenzuela, co-chair of the Texas Access to Justice Commission veterans committee, said. “I salute the Texas attorneys who are contributing to the well-being of our veterans by volunteering to offer pro bono advice and counsel to those in need.”
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person legal clinics were held in a number of Texas cities, giving veterans the opportunity to meet one-on-one with volunteer attorneys.
“Post-COVID, we are renewing our efforts to provide free civil legal services to all Texas veterans who qualify for this assistance,” Terry Tottenham, co-chair of the Texas Access to Justice Commission veterans committee and former president of the State Bar of Texas, said. “The need is now more apparent than ever. Texas lawyers answered the call when we initiated Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans in 2010, and they are doing so again.”
The legal clinics are open to all U.S. veterans, as well as spouses of deceased veterans, and no appointment is necessary. All veterans can receive one-on-one legal advice from volunteer attorneys at the clinic. Veterans who need additional legal representation in civil matters and qualify financially can apply for pro bono legal services at the clinics.
Legal clinics are scheduled for the following dates and locations listed below. For more information, contact DeLaine Ward, executive director of the Austin Bar Association, at 512-472-0279.
Texas Access to Justice Commission
The Texas Access to Justice Commission was created in 2001 by the Supreme Court of Texas to develop and implement policy initiatives designed to expand access to and enhance the quality of justice in civil legal matters for low-income Texans. The Commission has created several initiatives to increase resources and awareness of legal aid. For more information, please visit www.TexasATJ.org.
