The Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas have concluded their annual “Equal Access to Justice Campaign,” which funds the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP) to provide free legal assistance to over 4,000 low-income families with civil legal needs each year. This year the lawyers of Dallas raised an outstanding amount of $1,113,237 for pro bono legal services to the poor.
The Co-Chairs of the 2016-2017 Campaign were David Kent, of Sedgwick, LLP, and Karen McCloud, of Karen D. McCloud, P.C., and Honorary Chair David R. McAttee II, Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel of AT&T Inc.
Campaign proceeds will be used to continue to expand DVAP’s work in the community. With over 600,000 people meeting legal aid’s financial guidelines for assistance, there is more work to be done in keeping access to the courts open in Dallas. DVAP will focus its efforts on recruiting more volunteer attorneys to represent clients in more complex cases and contested family law cases.
Donors of $10,000 and up were:
PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL ($30,000)—Connatser Family Law;Crain Lewis Brogdon, LLP; Perkins Coie LLP
CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL ($25,000)—AT&T; Anonymous;Lisa Blue & Chris Hamilton; E. Leon & Debra Carter; Hon. Deborah G. Hankinson; Payne Mitchell Law Group
DIAMOND SPONSORS ($15,000)—Jerry & Sherri Alexander
PLATINUM SPONSORS ($10,000)—Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld; Anonymous; Dallas Association of Young Lawyers; DBA Corporate Counsel Section; Deans & Lyons LLP; Exxon Mobil Corporation; Gary & Donna Fowler; Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP; The Hartnett Law Firm; Haynes and Boone Foundation; Jackson Walker L.L.P.; Jones Day; KASTL LAW, PC; KoonsFuller, PC; Locke Lord LLP; Mike McKool; Norton Rose Fulbright, LLP; Sidley Austin; Margaret & Jaime Spellings; Thompson & Knight Foundation;Vinson & Elkins
The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP) is a joint program of the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. DVAP conducts neighborhood legal clinics each month at seven community locations, and provides specialty legal clinics for veterans and the elderly. DVAP recruits and trains volunteer attorneys, and provides staff support to the volunteers.
For more information on the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program or the Equal Access to Justice Campaign, contact Alicia Hernandez, Dallas Bar Association Executive Director, at ahernandez@dallasbar.org or (214) 220-7499.
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The Dallas Bar Association is a professional, voluntary organization of more than 11,000 Dallas-area attorneys. Find out more at www.dallasbar.org. To find out more about the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, log on to www.dallasvolunteerattorneyprogram.org.