AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Access to Justice Foundation has announced that Tim S. Kelly of Austin and Denise Scofield of Houston have been appointed to serve on its board of directors. The State Bar of Texas appointed the two new members to three-year terms. The Foundation provides grant funding for civil legal aid in Texas.

“We are pleased to have Tim Kelly and Denise Scofield join us as we work to ensure access to justice for all Texans,” Richard L. Tate, chair of the board of directors of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, said. “Their combined experience is invaluable to the board as we work with legal aid organizations throughout the state to provide legal assistance in civil matters.”

Tim Kelly is president of Auto Financial Group, a founding partner of FI-Mobile and has over 20 years’ experience delivering services to financial institutions. Previously, Kelly served as CEO of Teres Solutions. After the acquisition of Teres by CRIF S.p.A, he was promoted to president of CRIF Lending Solutions where he led the company through multiple acquisitions and integration.

Kelly also served as vice president of business development for Harland Financial Solution’s UltraData-Enterprise system. During his 10-year tenure with the company, he spearheaded key sales initiatives and contributed significantly to profitability and growth. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas State University and resides in Austin, Texas.

Denise Scofield is a partner with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in Houston. She defends industrial clients—including chemical, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and transportation companies—in environmental, commercial, and toxic tort disputes. With an emphasis on the defense of clients involved in catastrophic incidents, Scofield also proactively counsels clients on crisis management. Morgan Lewis has a deep commitment to pro bono representation of those less fortunate, and Scofield leads her office’s pro bono program.

Scofield is a past president of the Houston Bar Association and past chair of the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program. She recently completed her term as a director of the State Bar of Texas, and she currently serves as chair-elect of the Houston Bar Foundation. She earned her J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and B.A. from Vanderbilt University.

The Supreme Court of Texas created the Texas Access to Justice Foundation in 1984 to provide funding for the civil legal needs of poor and low-income Texans. The Foundation annually awards grants to more than 30 nonprofit legal aid organizations throughout the state that help struggling Texans in matters involving foreclosures, employment, domestic violence and family law issues.

The Texas Access to Justice Foundation is the largest state-based funding source for civil legal aid in Texas and has awarded more than $480 million since its inception. The Foundation board of directors consists of 13 attorney and public members, seven of whom are appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas and six by the State Bar of Texas.

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The Texas Access to Justice Foundation (www.teajf.org), created by the Supreme Court of Texas in 1984, is the leading state-based funding source for the provision of civil legal aid in Texas. The organization is committed to the vision that all Texans will have equal access to justice, regardless of their income. The Foundation administers a variety of funding sources, which are earmarked to assist nonprofit organizations in providing legal aid to more than  100,000 Texas families each year.