AUSTIN, TX – Texas veterans are invited to participate in
Texas Veterans Legal Aid Week (TVLAW),
a statewide effort in honor of Veterans Day coordinated by the Texas Access
to Justice Foundation (TAJF). Throughout the week of Nov. 11-17, legal aid
programs, local bar associations, law schools and pro bono private lawyers
will provide free civil legal services to qualified Texas veterans in
locations throughout the state.
Texas has the second-highest population of veterans in the nation.
Obtaining access to free legal services can be critical for veterans to get
the benefits and support they need for themselves and their families.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, legal issues account
for four of the top 10 unmet needs of veterans who are homeless.
The Texas Access to Justice Foundation provided $1.87 million in grants
last year to 14 nonprofit organizations that provided free legal services to
more than 8,800 veterans throughout the year. 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
-
Other issues that
may arise due to a veteran’s absence from home during military service
In 2017, TAJF announced the
Remembering Our Heroes campaign to
benefit the Joe Jamail Endowment for Veteran Legal Services, an endowment
fund created by Houston lawyer Richard Mithoff to ensure that the justice
system is fairly and equitably accessible to Texas veterans.
Remembering Our Heroes allows individuals to donate to the endowment
in honor of a specific person, living or deceased, who has served or is
currently serving in the U.S. military. This year,
Remembering Our Heroes will be featured before the start of TVLAW at
halftime of the University of Texas vs. Texas Tech football game in Lubbock
on Nov. 10.
Additional events are scheduled a few days before and after Texas Veterans
Legal Aid Week. For a complete list of events, visit
https://texaslawhelp.org/tvlaw-2018
NOTE: For veterans unable
to attend a TVLAW event, Texas Legal Services Center (TLSC) will host a live
online ‘chat’ Nov. 12-16, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. to assist Texas veterans with legal
questions. Assistance is also provided at 1-800-622-2520, option 2. For more
information, visit:
www.texaslawhelp.org.
# # #
The Texas
Access to Justice Foundation, created by the Supreme Court of Texas in
1984, is the largest 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 150,000
Texas families each year. For more information, please visit: www.teajf.org.
Contact: Kimberly Schmitt
512-320-0099, ext. 104
kschmitt@teajf.org
