Pro Bono Spring Break Region Project Details Exhibit A Region
AbileneLANWT
Schools Attending
Texas Tech and Texas Wesleyan
Main Project Coordinator
Shelby Jean jeans@lanwt.org Director of Pro Bono/Bar Relations/Communications 817.339.5330 (direct)
Supervising Faculty/Staff
School Contacts
Ashley Whithers (Tech) ashley.withers@ttu.edu (806) 742-3990, ext. 232 Rosalind Jeffers (Wesleyan) rjeffers@law.txwes.edu (817) 212-4020 I suggest contacting Rosalind to interview as she is Asst. Dean of Student Affairs & practiced before TWU)
Same
Exhibit A
Project Topics/Info
1) Pro Se groups – Students will assist pro se litigants, including reviewing pleadings. Students with a 3L bar card will assist with prove-ups at the uncontested docket. 2) Senior group – Students will conduct community education and outreach to senior centers. 3) Rural group – Students will do outreach and conduct clinics in the rural portions of LANWT’s Abilene service area. These areas often are not served with direct visits from legal aid.
Other events
March 10th- Students will have a meet and greet with each other and LANWT attnys in second floor seating area of hotel, MCM Elegante, 4250 Ridgemont Drive, Abilene, 79606 at 4:00pm. March 11th- I believe the plan is to have the students watch LANWT attorney, John Kennedy's, trial on Monday March 11th from 5:30 to 7:00pm: Tech Alumni will host a reception for their students at the house of an alumnus and I believe the Dean will attend
Pro Bono Spring Break Region Project Details Exhibit A Region
Schools Attending
Main Project Coordinator
Supervising Faculty/Staff
Meg Clifford (UT) cliffordmm@gmail.com Corpus ChristiTRLA
Tracy Figueroa Baylor, St. Mary's tfigueroa@trla.org and UT 361-888-0282
Jessica Sprague (St. Mary's, Sun to Wed) jsprague@stmarytx.edu
School Contacts
Project Topics/Info
Stephen Rispoli (Baylor) Stephen_Rispoli@baylor.edu (254) 710-3331 Amanda Rivas (St. Mary's) arivas@stmarytx.edu (210) 431-5712
Tina Fernandez (UT) tfernandez@law.utexas.edu Adriane Meneses (St. Mary's, Wed to (512) 232-6170 Fri) Elena Yujuico (Tina's asst) ameneses@stmarytx.edu eyujuico@law.utexas.edu or Meg Clifford
1) Elder Law group – Students will deliver presentations on wills and pre-need documents at senior and community centers. Students will also interview applicants and to prepare simple wills and pre-need documents for eligible individuals.
Other events
March 11th- Students will start out at the TRLA office located int the Corpus Christi courthouse, 901 Leopard, Suite 105, Corpus Christi, Texas 78401, at 8 a.m.; Staff will break them up into two groups at that point March 13th- St. Mary's Alumni will be hosting a reception for their students
Pro Bono Spring Break Region Project Details Exhibit A Region
Schools Attending
Main Project Coordinator
Supervising Faculty/Staff
Stephen Rispoli (Baylor) Stephen_Rispoli@baylor.edu (254) 710-3331 Baylor, SMU, Dana Bias South Texas East TexasCollege of Law, & dbias@lonestarlegal.org LSLA 800-354-1889 ext1522 Thurgood Marshall
Rebecca Greenan (SMU) rgreenan@smu.edu (214) 768-2567 I suggest contacing Rebecca to interview as she is the Director of Public Service Program and practiced family law before; she is also very involved with DVAP and on the LANWT Board.
School Contacts
Stephen Rispoli (Baylor) Stephen_Rispoli@baylor.edu (254) 710-3331 Rebecca Greenan (SMU) rgreenan@smu.edu (214) 768-2567 Gladys Radetti (STCL) gradetti@stcl.edu Andreaus Boise-Fontenot (Thurgood Marshall) anboise@tmslaw.tsu.edu (713) 313-1014
Project Topics/Info
1) The Montgomery County Court’s Self-Help Center: will be assisting pro se litigants with pleadings and assist the reference attorney at the uncontested docket. Sarah Williams is the project site coordinator, sarah.williams@mctx.org. 2) Montgomery County Women’s Center: outreach and education to victims of domestic violence. Sarah Loeffler is the project site coordinator, (936) 441-4044 and her email is SarahL@mcwctx.org. 3) Polk County Judical Center: working with LoneStar Legal Aid to build upon a brand new pro se project. The address is 101 W. Mill St, Ste. 157, Livingston, TX 77351. LSLA Attorneys Dana Bias & Sonia Lopez are project site coordinators.
Other events
March 11th- Students already have their week's assignment and will go to their desginated project site at 9:00am
Exhibit B
2013 Pro Bono Spring Break Project Breakdown Abilene • • • • •
Viewed several court proceedings, including a voir dire process- which most students had never seen. Spoke with a County Judge about court process and pro se litigants Traveled to more rural locations to do outreach at rec centers and senior centers on topics such as landlord-tenant law and probate. Sat in or conducted client interviews for cases 3Ls prepared clients and conducted uncontested divorce prove ups in court Participated in LANWT staffing meeting and were able to give their input on taking certain cases
Corpus Christi • • • •
Traveled to senior centers and conducted client intakes for will draw ups Entered client intake information into TRLA database and wrote wills for clients. Went over wills with clients to ensure correct information and made any corrections needed Conducted will execution ceremonies for clients
East Texas Montgomery County Self Help Center • Helped pro se litigants seeking divorces • Provided legal guidance on how to proceed with their divorce matter Montgomery County Women’s Center •
Assisted victims of domestic abuse with future-planning documents such as Power-of-Attorney and Declaration-of-Guardianship
•
Conducted a presentation for clients on Texas Probate Law and the importance of future-planning documents
Polk County Judicial Center Self-Help Center • • • •
Helped clients in the newly instituted self-help center Reviewed Petitions, Drafted final divorce decrees and conducted prove ups in court Presented to a small group on final divorce decrees Received mentoring from the County Judge and viewed court proceedings
Exhibit C Gage Fender March 30, 2013 Location: East Texas Being of Service to Others My experience with the Texas Access to Justice Commission’s Pro Bono Spring Break was both educational and moving. I was assigned to the Montgomery County Women’s Center, and worked under Equal Justice Works Fellow Sarah Loeffler. My team and I assisted about eight clients with futureplanning documents such as Power-of-Attorney and Declaration-of-Guardianship. We first selfadministered a crash course in the meaning and requirements of these documents before meeting with the women to help explain the documents purpose and importance. After our explanations, the women told us what their desires would be should catastrophic events take place in the future; we carefully noted their wishes, and drafted the documents accordingly. We concluded this project by presenting the completed forms to the women for signing. I say my experience with Pro Bono Spring Break was educational because, well, I knew nothing practical about Power-of-Attorney or Declaration-of-Guardianship before undertaking the project at the Women’s Shelter. I have long believed that the best way to truly master complex theories of law is through practical application, and my time at the Women’s Shelter reinforced this belief. But, more importantly, I say my experience was moving because I was able to get outside myself for a brief moment and be of service to others. The clients of the Montgomery County Women’s Center have all gone through traumatic experiences and are now in the process of rebuilding their lives. In interviewing them in preparation for drafting the future-planning documents, I was able to hear their stories and come to some kind of appreciation of what they have been through and survived. So much of law school is ego-centric and fueled by individualistic competiveness: three years of curve-graded exams, interviews, internships, all under the ever present need to hustle and out-compete. In such an environment, it’s easy to forget that there is a world outside the library window that’s bigger than where I’ll be at graduation. Being of service to others reminds me of this, and by assisting the women of the Center I returned to some basic concepts of human decency and compassion that I had momentarily pushed to the background. In addition to assisting in future-planning, my team members and I gave a brief presentation on Texas Probate Law and the importance of the above mentioned future-planning documents. This was an unique experience for me, because it gave me a new appreciation for the skills I’ve been acquiring through law school. Again, instead of absorbing knowledge for some purely ends based reason, such as passing a test or impressing a firm partner, I learned about these areas of the law to potentially help others. I found this to be eminently satisfying. Whatever the women ultimately took away from the presentation, and I do hope they learned something practical and implementable, I felt as though I was using my lawyerly abilities for a good purpose. This inspired in me the ambition to incorporate this type of service work into my life in the coming years.
I am very happy that I was able to be part of the Pro Bono Spring Break program. The experience gave me an appreciation for the nobility of public-interest work, as well as personal insight into the lives of people who have experienced real misfortune. As I’ve already mentioned, I would like to continue to use my newfound skills by being of service to others. I would highly recommend the Pro Bono program to other law students looking to expand their horizons and add meaning to their law school endeavors.
Exhibit D
STATE BAR of TEXAS LAW STUDENT PRO BONO COLLEGE Requirements for Admission into the Pro Bono College: 1. Be a student enrolled in a Texas law school and be in good academic standing; 2. Complete at least 50 hours of pro bono work per year (September 1 – August 31); and 3. Complete an application documenting all hours performed. Pro Bono Work Defined: 1. The services must be law-related and be provided free of any charge to: a. A person who qualifies as indigent under the federal poverty income guidelines; b. Charitable, public interest organizations with respect to matters or projects designed predominantly to address the needs of poor persons; or c. The State Bar or any other body or organization in furtherance of the rights of indigent persons. 2. With the exception of travel time, any time spent working on the pro bono projects counts, including training sessions and research for the project. 3. Pro bono work does not qualify if it: a. Resulted in monetary compensation to the student above and beyond reimbursement for expenses incurred in the delivery of pro bono services; b. Was performed as part of a course or other activity for which the student received any academic credit; or c. Was performed in connection with fundraising activities. Benefits of Pro Bono College Membership: Bronze Membership: (1st year of Membership) 1. Certificate signed by the State Bar President and Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court; 2. Recognition in the program for the New Lawyer Induction Ceremony; and 3. Pro Bono College pin. Silver Membership: (2nd year of Membership) 1. The Bronze perks plus 1 year of access to TexasBarCLE Online Library after graduation. Gold Membership: (3rd year of Membership) 1. Silver perks plus a reduced registration fee to the Guide to Basics of Law Practice up to 50 students with the most pro bono hours accrued; or 2. Silver perks plus one-time free tuition to the Poverty Law Conference.
Exhibit E
Exhibit F From: To: Subject: Date:
Trish McAllister Trish McAllister Texas Access to Justice Campaign Friday, May 17, 2013 11:01:28 AM
From: Texas Access to Justice Commission [mailto:atjmail@texasbar.com] Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2013 8:11 AM To: Trish McAllister Subject: Texas Access to Justice Campaign
May 8, 2013
On behalf of the almost 6 million Texans who qualify for Legal Aid, we urge you to become a Champion of Justice by contributing to the Access to Justice Campaign. Providing access to justice to everyone is a fundamental principle on which our country was founded. Your $150 Access to Justice donation will help make a life-changing difference to our fellow citizens across Texas. The attached video highlights how your gift provides critical support to Texas' most vulnerable residents. This support may include assistance to the elderly, veterans, victims of domestic abuse, at-risk families facing issues such as home foreclosure or victims of natural disasters. Your voluntary tax-deductible donation will be used to support legal services provided to the poor through local programs funded by the Texas Access to Justice Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation. Individuals wishing to show their strong support of access to justice may contribute at a higher level to become a member of the Champion of Justice Society. Individuals may contribute at the Sustaining ($1,000 per year for 5 years), Gold ($1,000+), Silver ($500-$999), and Bronze ($250 - $499) levels. Membership benefits include: Invitation to the Champion of Justice Society reception as well as recognition at the State Bar of Texas annual meeting, The Champion of Justice Society crest displayed next to your name on the State Bar website “Find a Lawyer” page, Listing in the Texas Bar Journal and the Commission’s Update newsletter, website, and Facebook page. Follow the link to make your donation and become a Champion of Justice today. Thank you! Texas Access to Justice Commission | Texas Law Center | 1414 Colorado St. , 4th Floor | Austin, TX 78701
<< Send this email to a friend! >> Please go here to opt-out from receiving this mailing from Texas Access to Justice Commission.
2013 Access to Justice (ATJ) Campaign Key Elements I). An online giving page at www.TexasATJ.org/donate
II). Giving Page at www.TexasBar.com. Once attorneys log in with their bar card number, they are able to contribute to the campaign.
III). Campaign Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/TxAccesstoJustice
IV. Champion of Justice Society:
Individuals wishing to show their strong support of access to justice may contribute at a higher level to become a member of the Cham pion of Justice Society at the Sustaining ($1,000 per year for 5 years), Gold ($1,000+), Silver ($500-$999), and Bronze ($250 - $499) levels. Membership benefits include: •
Invitation to the Cham pion of Justice Society reception as well as recognition at the State Bar of Texas annual meeting on Thursday, June 20 at 5pm at the Dallas Anatole,
•
The Cham pion of Justice Society crest displayed next to your name on the State Bar website “Find a Lawyer” page,
•
Listing in the Texas Bar Journal and the Commission’s Update newsletter, website, and Facebook page.
C HAMPION OF J USTICE S OCIETY
Exhibit G
Individuals who wish to show their strong support of access to justice may contribute annually at a higher level to become a member of the Champion of Justice Society. Membership benefits include: invitation to Champion of Justice Society annual reception, recognition at State Bar of Texas annual meetings, Champion of Justice Society crest displayed on the "Find a Lawyer" page; listing in a Texas Bar Journal issue, and listing in the Commission newsletter, website and Facebook page. Membership levels are as follows: Sustaining Member ($5,000 -- $1,000 x 5 years) Gold Member ($1,000 +) Silver Member ($500 - $999) Bronze Member ($250 - $499)
Please join us For the first annual
Access to Justice Reception Honoring Champion of Justice Society Members Thursday, June 20, 2013 5:00 p.m. Hilton Anatole Ming Room (Mezzanine Level) 2201 North Stemmons Freeway Dallas, TX 75207 Please RSVP by Friday, June 14, 2013 to georgia.nolan@texasbar.com or (800) 204-2222, ext. 1892 Business attire
Exhibit 1
2013 POVERTY LAW CONFERENCE AGENDA April 3-5 • Austin, TX • DoubleTree Hotel Austin
WEDNESDAY, April Phoenix North
Phoenix South
Phoenix Central
Austin Room
REGISTRATION {Box Lunches Available in Pre-function Area}
10:00 11:00 12:00
1: Representing Clients with Federal Housing Program Legal Issues: A Quick Overview for the New Housing Advocate S: Fred Fuchs
2: Guardianships 101 (.25 hr ethics) S: Julie Balovich & Emily Rickers
3: Medicaid Estate Recovery in Texas S: Norma Baker & Bruce Bower
4: Immigration Basics: What Do I Need To Understand About Immigration If I Am Not An Immigration Attorney -- And Why Should It Matter?! (.25 hr ethics) S: Linda Brandmiller
12:15 - 1:15
5: Recent Changes to the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure S: Nelson Mock & Aaron Johnson
6: Using Family Violence Advocates as Expert Witnesses S: Tracy Grinstead-Everly
7: Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplemental Security Income, and Returning to Work S: John Coburn
8: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): Issues and Updates S: Sr. Veronica Schueler,FSE
9: Meet TexFile: Introduction to the State's New Electronic Filing System S: Casey Kennedy
10: To Be or Not to Be Married: Federal Benefits, Tax & Consumer Issues Raised by Common Law Marriage S: Sapna Aiyer, Jeff Larsen, Patty Rangel & Christina Gindratt
Break in Pre-function Area
1:30 - 2:30
2:45 - 3:45
4:00
13: Developing or Refreshing a Pro Bono Program for Volunteer Attorneys 14: Drugs, Diapers, and Danger: Drug Use in the Private Bar and Its Effect on Custody S: Steve Elliot, Jane Fritz, Hon. Nathan Hecht, S: Barbara Stalder & Janet Heppard Michelle Reed, Hon. Phylis Speedlin & Shauna Wright Housing & Consumer TF Family TF Public Benefits & Health TF
11: Current Developments in Elder Financial Exploitation S: Bruce Bower, Judy Doran, Sandra Huhn, Letha Sparks; Commissioner John Specia & JoAnn Woodruff
12: Representing Children in Immigration Court S: Dalia Castillo-Granados & Michelle Garza
15: Heads or Tails - The Choice Between Veterans Pension & Medicaid for Long Term Care S: Janet Totter
16: Nuts & Bolts of Cleaning Up Criminal History S: Justin Thompson & Leslie Schweinle
Immigration TF
Labor & Employment TF
Veterans Issues
Poverty Law Section Meeting
5:30
THURSDAY, April 4 Phoenix North
Phoenix South
Phoenix Central
7:45
REGISTRATION {Continental Breakfast Available in Pre-Function Area}
8:30 - 9:30
17: Creative Lawyering for Systemic Change {Phoenix Central} S: Wayne Krause Yang & Rudy Sanchez
Austin Room
BREAKOUTS:
Phoenix Central
Phoenix North
Phoenix South
Austin Room
DeWitt South
9:45 - 10:45
18: Housing and Consumer
19: Family
20: Public Benefits and Health
21: Immigration
22: Labor and Employment
Break in Pre-Function Area
11:00 12:00
23: Walking Debt: The Impact of Debt Buyers and Zombie Debt on Low-Income Consumers S: Paula Pierce, Matt Probus & Eric Roberson
24: How Your Practice Affects Your Clients' Public Benefits S: Renee Trevino & Priscilla Noriega
25: Insecure Communities: Addressing the Abuses That Arise Out of the Cooperation Between Law Enforcement and Federal Immigration Authorities S: Amelia Fischer
THURSDAY, April 4 (continued) Phoenix North
Phoenix South
Phoenix Central
Austin Room
26: Expanding the Toolbox: How Poverty Lawyers Can Use Human Rights Laws in Their Practice {Lunch in Phoenix Central} S: Nelson Mock
12:15 - 1:30
27: Strategies for Addressing Affidavit on Indigency Issues S:Lee DiFillipo, Linda Gregory & Mary Christine Reed
1:45 - 2:45
29: International Parental Abduction: How to Handle a Case under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction S: Pamela Brown, Javier Saenz & Carlos Salinas
28: Advanced Topics in Fighting the School to Prison Pipeline S: Deborah Fowler, Brian McGiverin & Celina Moreno Break in Pre-Function Area
3:00 - 4:00
30: Update in Defending Forcible Detainer Lawsuits -- Focus on Case Law Developments S: Fred Fuchs
31: Best Practices for Protective Orders S: Jeana Lungwitz, Tracy Grinstead-Everly & Kevin Dietz
32: Advocating for Appropriate Psychotropic Medication for Foster Youth S: Ian Spechler
33: Everything You Wanted to Know about Mexican Family Law S:Mariano Nunez Arreola, Pamela Brown & Maria Jose Vallejo
4:15 - 5:15
34: The Ins and Outs of working with Community Organizers S: Robert Doggett
35: Helping the Kinship Care Client: Authorization Agreements, Guardianships, SAPCRs, and Other Options for Caretaker Relatives of Minor Children S: Julie Balovich & Amanda Chisholm
36: How Fence-line Communities Can Fight Back: An Introduction to Environmental Law and a Case Study in Corpus Christi S: Kelly Haragan, Amy Johnson & Enrique Valdivia
37: Using the Media as an Advocacy Tool (.5 hr ethics) S: Cynthia Martinez
Reception in Dover’s
5:30
FRIDAY, April 5 Phoenix North
Phoenix South
Breakfast Available in Pre-Function Area
8:00
8:30 - 9:30
38: What Every Poverty Lawyer Needs to Know About Special Education S: Constance Wannamaker
9:45 - 10:45
41: Working with Deaf Clients S: Joe Berra, Heather Bise-Hughes, Amber Farrelly & Abby Frank
11:00 12:00
44: Updates on the Homeowners Fight Against HOAs S:David Kahne, Thai-Anh Nguyen & Elizabeth Lockett
12:15 - 1:15
Phoenix Central
39: Does Domestic Violence + CPS = Neglectful Supervision for the Non-Violent Parent? S: Donna Bloom & Maricarmen Garza 42: Stay Safe, Get Support: Resources and Options to Help Survivors of Family Violence Pursue Child Support Safety S: Krista del Gallo, Joel Rogers & Ruth Thornton Break in Pre-Function Area 45: How to Have the Last Word S: Delia Parker Mims
40: Help! Lawyers Wanted: The Obscure World of Military Discharge Upgrades S: Eric Marfin 43: Medicaid-Funded Services for Individuals with Disabilities S: Peggy Fuller, Sean Jackson & Maureen O’Connell
46: Healthcare Reform - What Does it Mean to Texas? S: Keegan Warren-Clem & Trelisha Brown
47: Practicing Law and Wellness – This is All About You! ( 1 hr ethics) S: Cameron Vann
Austin Room