Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas

North Texas Giving Day is fast approaching and you can show your support by giving to our matching fund, which leverages NTGD donations through a dollar-for-dollar match. Last year, we were one of the more than 3,240 nonprofits that participated in the annual event. Hear what one of our donors has to say about our work and her commitment to access to justice by scanning the QR code below or visiting https://bit.ly/2024NTGD. While there, you can also learn more about Legal Aid and help support our matching fund campaign. Thanks!

Tonight for 6 to 8 pm, our attorneys will be at the Harris Youth Center in Dallas to talk about youth rights.

Can a landlord bully a tenant into changing a negative review? One did—here’s what the law says (Photo courtesy Zuko.io Images) Read more at: https://lnkd.in/gcSQEj6U

A tale of two Lubbocks: As the city grows, communities behind the interstate have been left behind. While Lubbock adds grocery stores to nearly every corner west of I-27, residents on the east side have one supermarket to get fresh food in the area. While crews actively work on repairing streets in the city, East Lubbock roads remain unpaved in some areas. There isn’t an emergency room in sight for the vulnerable neighborhoods. Citing discriminatory zoning practices, north and east side residents eventually resorted to filing a federal civil rights complaint last summer against the city asking the federal government to intervene. https://lnkd.in/gptyHa6q

Can I Break A Lease If There Are Bugs In My Apartment? The answer is a qualified yes, says LANWT Attorney Farwah Raza, so it’s important to understand the rights and responsibilities of both the tenant and the landlord. https://lnkd.in/gGFMqiKd

Thanks to those who submitted proposals to us. The RFP is now closed. Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas invites qualified, independent public accountants to submit proposals for the annual financial statement audit, benefit plan audit, and tax preparation services. Response deadline is Friday, August 16, 2024, 5 pm CST. See details at https://lnkd.in/gkmt-sJK

Our CRP Attorneys, Wendi Hammond and Michael Bates, attended the hearing on behalf of their clients, Joppa Freedman’s Town Association. “TCEQ is deferring more than 90 percent of the total assessed penalty of $35,000 because Texas Star Ready Mix claims it is financially unable to pay the total penalty," says Bates. "Considering the amount of inaccurate information that Texas Star has already provided to both TCEQ and the public, JFTA has no reason to trust the company’s claim,” says Bates. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gHRKkqRr

Celebrating Achievements, Part 2 Two LANWT staff were recently honored for their service to their communities and the legal profession: Sylvia Chavez, Equal Justice Volunteer Coordinator, and Fort Worth Managing Attorney Monique Lopez-Hinkley. Monique’s recognition was previously featured. Sylvia’s impressive accomplishments are highlighted below. Plainview, home to the smallest of LANWT’s branch offices, has a declining population of less than 35,000 and a 22% poverty rate far exceeding statewide average. There are only some 40 active lawyers in that office's vast 10-county service area. While the 5 largest Texas counties average more than 10,000 lawyers with a 5% pro bono participation rate, fully 50% of the lawyers in Sylvia’s service area are volunteers. In recognition of her hard work and dedication, Sylvia was nominated for and recently received the 2024 State Bar of Texas Pro Bono Coordinator Award. “Sylvia is relentless with outreach and in building relationships to garner support for civil legal aid and pro bono service,” says Bill Marple, LANWT’s Director of Pro Bono & Bar Relations. “Sylvia has done an exceptional job as the private attorney coordinator in the rural counties,” says Plainview Managing Attorney Cynthia Davidson. “Because she believes in personal relationships with the attorneys, she makes a point to visit or call them regularly. She networks at the local bar meetings and is always seeking new outreach activities to inform our client population of our services.” Sylvia also gives back to her community, volunteering her time by serving on two nonprofit boards. Thank you, Sylvia, and congratulations on the well-deserved recognition of your dedication to pro bono services. (Video: Sylvia with past SBOT President Cindy Tisdale; with Texas Access to Justice Foundation Executive Director Betty Balli Torres and TX Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht; and with TX Supreme Court Justice Brett Busby.)

All LANWT offices will be closed on Independence Day, Thursday, July 4. We wish you a safe and happy 4th.

Nationwide, Legal Aid Attorneys Move To Addiction Epidemic Frontlines. LANWT's “Path Beyond Opioids” project helped Susan, a daycare teacher who has been in recovery for years, reinstate her driver's license and settle a housing dispute. "Without them, I really would have been put in a bind," she says. https://lnkd.in/ewxq5K8d