Posted 1:54 am Thursday, October 28, 2010
Texas Highlights Pro Bono Work This Week
By DAYNA WORCHEL
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Auda Hamilton, who lives in Smith County, never thought she would need the services of Lone Star Legal Aid. But after the 73-year-old's husband died of cancer, and she had a brain tumor removed, her doctor told her she needed to retire from her high pressure job, where she said she had worked for more than 20 years.
Speaking on a video posted on the Texas Access to Justice Commission website, Mrs. Hamilton talked about how she worked part time and began to collect Social Security Disability because of her health issues.
After her credit card companies raised her interest rates to more than 30 percent and lowered her balances, Mrs. Hamilton knew she had no other option but to seek legal help, and learned about the services offered by Lone Star Legal Aid. The organization is one of three statewide in Texas to offer free attorney's services to low income Texans, and covers the eastern third of the state.
"I felt like a criminal and a failure for filing for bankruptcy," Mrs. Hamilton said. But after talking to Dana Bias, the private attorney involvement coordinator with Lone Star, she was referred to an attorney in East Texas who took her case free of charge. Mrs. Hamilton said she felt very relieved after it was all over.
"I got a second chance at the age of 73," she said.
Stories such as Mrs. Hamilton's are the reason that the commission, along with the Texas Access to Justice Foundation and Texas legal aid service providers are joining a national effort this week to highlight the increasing need for such services through Texas Pro Bono Week activities.
Throughout the week, there have been free legal aid clinics and other events in the state, which have been held in conjunction with National Pro Bono week activities. This is the second year for the American Bar Association to sponsor the event.
At the Smith County Law Library on Wednesday morning, a group of attorneys chatted over bagels and coffee during a specially held "meet and greet" event about the services they provide to Texans in need.
Ms. Bias said that for every person accepted as a client for Lone Star's services, at least one is turned away.
"Without the private Bar willing to donate their services, there are so many people left out -- the legal system is difficult to access for a lay person," she said. Ms. Bias is based in the Lone Star office in Nacogdoches, but her office covers all of East Texas.
The organization offers free legal help in such areas as bankruptcy, divorce, child custody, adoption, wills, and landlord - tenant issues. They do not represent defendants in criminal cases.
To qualify for legal aid, an individual must not earn more than $13,537 per year, and a family of four must not earn more than $27,562 per year.
"You see so much pain out there -- there is just a world of hurt," Ms. Bias said about the people who need legal help and cannot afford it.
The breakfast event was held to thank volunteer attorneys in Smith County and to encourage other attorneys to donate their services. "There are a lot of very generous attorneys in East Texas," she said.
Currently in Texas, there are approximately 5.7 million people who qualify for legal aid, and over 4.2 million Texans who live in poverty, according to statistics received from the Commission.
Elma Garcia, executive director of the Texas Access to Justice Commission, said the problem of lack of access to legal services for people who need them is at a critical point.
"The problem is tremendous with the economic situation now -- there is a huge gap between those that need services and the resources that are available to provide that help," she said.
The State Bar of Texas conducted a survey of 2009 pro bono services which were provided by Texas attorneys. Some 51.9 percent of active in-state attorneys provided 57.5 hours of pro bono or indirect legal services to the poor in 2009, according to their numbers.
Ms. Garcia said she encourages more attorneys to volunteer their services.
Attorneys interested in volunteering for Lone Star Legal Aid should go to www.lonestarlegal.org., and click on "volunteer."
