The Texas Access to Justice Foundation (TAJF), the largest state-based funding source for civil legal aid, has received $26.7 million in initial funding from the Supreme Court of Texas to launch the Rural Justice Initiative, a historic multiyear effort that will transform how Texans in rural communities access civil legal services. The initiative will establish a network of 170 rural legal outposts that will create a sustained legal aid presence in communities across the state, according to a press release.
The Rural Justice Initiative is a coordinated effort between seven legal aid organizations, which will form a Rural Justice Coalition that includes Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Lone Star Legal Aid, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, Disability Rights Texas, Family Legal Services of the South Plains, Texas Advocacy Project, and the Texas Legal Services Center. The coalition advances the TAJF’s vision that all Texans should have equal access to justice.
“A strong justice system must be accessible to all Texans, including those who don’t live near metropolitan areas,” Supreme Court of Texas Justice and TAJF Liaison Brett Busby said in a press release. “This investment will help begin the process of bringing legal assistance closer to rural communities and create more opportunities for Texans to access civil legal aid without having to travel far from home. By expanding access in rural communities, we can help ensure that geography is not a barrier to justice in Texas.”
The initiative will address a persistent justice gap in rural Texas, where access to civil legal services can be limited by geography, connectivity, and the availability of services. Currently, legal aid organizations staff offices in just 42 of Texas’ 254 counties. Nearly half of Texas counties have fewer than one attorney per 1,000 residents, while many of the state’s 190 rural counties are considered legal deserts. Geographic isolation and limited broadband access also create additional barriers for Texans seeking legal assistance. Using a hybrid legal services model, civil legal aid will reach rural Texas communities through in-person, virtual, and technology-supported services. Through community outreach, the organizations will connect eligible individuals and families with a full range of civil legal services.
“This is a generational investment in rural communities and an opportunity to fundamentally change how Texas families access civil legal services,” TAJF Executive Director Betty Balli Tores said in a press release. “We are grateful to the Supreme Court of Texas for recognizing the importance of this work and making a transformative investment in access to justice for rural Texans. Over the next five years, our goal is to establish a trusted, consistent presence in rural communities and reach close to 38,000 additional Texans with civil legal services.”
For more information about the initiative or the TAJF, go to teajf.org.