Houston Bar Association & Houston Volunteer Lawyers Help the Community

June marked the end of the Houston Bar Association's calendar of activities. Looking back, it's clear to see that the HBA was quite active indeed, providing valuable service to HBA members, the profession, and the public. 

Houston Volunteer Lawyers provided in-person, one-on-one legal advice to more than 6,100 applicants at no expense to those served. Nearly 1,200 cases were referred to pro bono attorneys for long-term representation. Over 2,300 of those helped were U.S. veterans or spouses of deceased veterans.

HVL also assisted 6,561 pro se litigants with family law matters at the courthouse information both on the 17th floor of the Civil Courthouse, and expanded the pro se clinic to the Harris County Law Library where attorneys now meet with self-represented litigants five days a week from 9:00 am - 12:00 noon on a first come-first served basis. 

More than 700 LegalLine volunteers answered 5,386 calls from residents of Harris County, and the Houston Lawyer Referral service made over 26,000 referrals to attorneys and other agencies. 

These are just a few of HBA's achievements over the last twelve months. Additional successes of the previous year are detailed in the May/June 2017 issue of the Houston Lawyer magazine. See page six for President Neil Kelly's message where he reflects on the HBA's service to its members, its initiatives in educating the public about the law, and its efforts to help the residents of Harris County. 

HVL Self Help Divorce Clinic, August 18

August is Self-Help Resource Month at the Harris County Law Library. As a service to the community and the residents of Harris County, the Houston Volunteer Lawyers are hosting a Self Help Divorce Clinic on August 18th at 1019 Congress Avenue. Details are provided below.

Are you filing for divorce? Are you representing yourself because you cannot afford an attorney? Do you and your spouse agree to the divorce? The Houston Volunteer Lawyers can help. Sign up for the HVL Self Help Divorce Clinic, and meet with a volunteer attorney, one-on-one, to prepare what you need to complete your own divorce.

WHEN:         August 18, 2017 9:00 a.m.

WHERE:       HARRIS COUNTY LAW LIBRARY (1019 Congress Avenue)

To sign up, complete this questionnaire.

If your case qualifies, a Houston Volunteer Lawyers staff member will call you to confirm that you qualify and to schedule your clinic appointment.

Houston Bar Association Veterans Legal Initiative Clinic – Tomball August 5, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Veterans who need legal advice or legal assistance can visit a free legal clinic on Saturday, August 5, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., at the Tomball VA Outpatient Clinic, 1200 W. Main Street, Tomball, TX 77375. The clinic is a public service of the Houston Bar Foundation’s Veterans Legal Initiative and will be held in conjunction with a free Veterans Benefits Fair sponsored by the Texas Veterans Commission, the Veterans Land Board and the Department of Veterans Affairs.⠀
⠀
No appointment is necessary. Any veteran, or spouse of a deceased veteran, can receive advice and counsel from a volunteer attorney in any area of law, including family, wills and probate, consumer, real estate and tax law, as well as disability and veterans benefits. Veterans who need ongoing legal representation and who qualify for legal aid may be assigned a pro bono attorney to handle their case.⠀
⠀
For more information on the August 5th clinic and other services for veterans, contact the Veterans Legal Initiative at 713-759-1133 or visit HBA VLI online 

Equal Protection and Transgender Rights

Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/7369441@N08/8594644828

Throughout the month of May, we have highlighted civil rights law resources from the Law Library's print collection. Titles currently on display include Transgender Persons and the Law, Section 1983 Litigation in a Nutshell, Americans With Disabilities Practice and Compliance Manual, and Sexual Orientation and the Law. We have also been celebrating the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. This cornerstone of landmark civil rights legislation has been a source of inspiration for equal justice advocates for nearly 150 years.

The 14th Amendment has been invoked in a great number of historic cases including the trial of Susan B. Anthony (1873), Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Loving v. Virginia (1967), Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), and as recently as yesterday, Whitaker v. Kenosha Unified School District, a case in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals with important implications for transgender rights.

In Whitaker, a three-judge panel cited the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, arguing that anti-discrimination laws apply to transgender students. They upheld the lower court's injunction, stating that sex discrimination based on gender identity is unconstitutional. This decision, the first ruling of its kind by a court at the federal level, will protect the individual student at the heart of the case and could extend to transgender students as a class. By invoking federal civil rights laws, this ruling has the potential to ensure equality for all transgender people and prohibit discrimination in education, housing, and employment.