Dallas South News Wire (Dallas Bar Association)
The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP), a joint alliance of the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, will celebrate the 2nd annual National Pro Bono Week during the week of October 25-29.
The Celebration is a coordinated national effort to meet the ever-growing needs of this country’s most vulnerable citizens by encouraging and supporting local efforts to expand the delivery of pro bono legal services, and by showcasing the great difference that pro bono lawyers make to the nation, its system of justice, its communities and, most of all, to the clients they serve.
The week-long celebration will include daily pro bono activities and Continuing Legal Education classes on topics such as housing/landlord/tenant legal issues, family law and two DVAP free legal clinics. The events are hosted by numerous community organizations, including Advocacy, Inc. of North Texas; Catholic Charities of Dallas, Inc.; Dallas Association of Young Lawyers; Housing Crisis Center (HCC); the Senior Source and Texas C-Bar.
On Thursday, October 28, DVAP will host the Pro Bono Awards Reception, which will honor judges, attorneys, court reporters and legal staff who provide free legal services to indigent residents of Dallas County. An awards reception to salute these selfless volunteers will be held at the Pavilion at the Belo Mansion, the headquarters of the Dallas Bar Association, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
In a 12-month period, DVAP donated almost 19,000 hours of free legal aid to the less fortunate of Dallas, and an additional 40,000 hours were donated through numerous other pro bono organizations. Among the many accolades that will be presented on October 28, awards will be given for “Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year” and “Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year.” (A complete list of award recipients will be available after the event.)
Volunteers are encouraged to bring their families to the celebration.
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