EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE - TexasBarCLE · Ft. Bliss Office of the Staff Judge Advocate-Certificate...
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EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE CARLOS EDUARDO CÁRDENAS, El Paso Attorney at Law State Bar of Texas 35 th ANNUAL ADVANCED CIVIL TRIAL COURSE 2012 San Antonio – July 25-27 Dallas – August 22-24 Houston – October 17-19 CHAPTER 27
Transcript of EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE - TexasBarCLE · Ft. Bliss Office of the Staff Judge Advocate-Certificate...
EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE
CARLOS EDUARDO CÁRDENAS, El Paso Attorney at Law
State Bar of Texas 35th ANNUAL
ADVANCED CIVIL TRIAL COURSE 2012 San Antonio – July 25-27
Dallas – August 22-24 Houston – October 17-19
CHAPTER 27
CARLOS EDUARDO CÁRDENAS
Attorney & Counselor At Law
The Law Firm of Law Offices of
Carlos Eduardo Cárdenas, P.C. Joseph (Sib) Abraham, Jr.
1104 Nueces Of Counsel,
Austin, Texas 78701 717 E. San Antonio Street
(512) 478-7463 El Paso, Texas 79902
(915) 544-7860
EDUCATION
Georgetown University, B.S. in Business Administration 1977
The University of Texas , J.D. 1980
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS & CERTIFICATIONS
College of the State Bar of Texas 1985-1990
Board Certification in Administrative Law- 1989-1999
Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Martindale-Hubbell, Peer Review Rated AV 2005- Present
Founding Life Fellow- El Paso Bar Foundation 2008
American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) 2009-Present
Pro Bono College- State Bar of Texas 2009
Recognized by the Texas Bar Journal as “Access to Justice January, 2010
Pro Bono Champion”
Ft. Bliss Office of the Staff Judge Advocate-Certificate of Appreciation 2010
El Paso Lawyers for Patriots
Life Fellow- Texas Bar Foundation 2010
State Bar of Texas-Certificate of Appreciation 2011
Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans
Black El Paso Democrats-Certificate of Appreciation 2011
Community Service-Equal Access to Justice
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & ACTIVITIES
District IX Committee on Admissions-Texas Board of Law Examiners 1990-1991
Board of Directors – El Paso Bar Association 2002-2011
President 2009-2010
El Paso Bar Association Fee Dispute Committee 2006-2010
State Bar of Texas Hispanic Issues Council 2007-2011
State Bar of Texas Local Bar Services Committee 2007-2012
Chair 2011-2012
Council of the Litigation Section-State Bar of Texas 2008-Present
Speaker, State Bar of Texas Webinar-Legislative Update on Litigation June, 2009
Speaker, Panel Discussion-State Bar of Texas- Bar Leaders Conference- July, 2010
Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans
Speaker, Panel Discussion-State Bar of Texas-Bar Leaders Conference- July, 2010
Pro Bono Fundraising
Co-Course Director- State Bar of Texas-Litigation Update Institute 2011, 2012
Speaker, State Bar of Texas Advanced Civil Trial Course 2011, 2012
Commissioner, Texas Access to Justice Commission 2011-Present
Board of Directors-Texas Civil Rights Project 2011-Present
Revised July 5, 2012
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACCESS TO JUSTICE COMMISSION ........................................................................................................................ 1 THE FACE OF POVERTY ........................................................................................................................................... 2 HOW IS POVERTY DEFINED? .................................................................................................................................. 3 JUSTICE GAP ................................................................................................................................................................ 3 LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAMS ................................................................................................................................. 4 PRO BONO HELP IS NEEDED .................................................................................................................................... 4 CASES TURNED DOWN .............................................................................................................................................. 5 GAPS IN CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES ............................................................................................................................ 5 LEGAL AID PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE .......................................................................................... 6 PROVIDING LEGAL SERVICES TO THE POOR ...................................................................................................... 6 STATE BAR OF TEXAS ............................................................................................................................................... 7 AREAS IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE ........................................................................................................................... 7 HOW TO HELP ON YOUR OWN ................................................................................................................................ 8 SBOT LEGAL SERVICES SUPPORT DIVISION ....................................................................................................... 8
CARLOS EDUARDO CÁRDENAS
EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE
Attorney at LawEl Paso, Texas
State Bar of Texas 35th Annual ADVANCED CIVIL TRIAL COURSEADVANCED CIVIL TRIAL COURSE
July 27, 2012 – San AntonioAugust 24, 2012 – Dallas
October 19, 2012 – Houston
orneys
ivate
att
mak ing a d i f f e r en ce
pri
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The Face of Poverty
Did you know:y
• In Texas, more than 6 million people qualify for legal aid.
The Face of Poverty
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How is Poverty defined?
Legal Aid eligibilityg g y125% of Federal poverty level
$13,963 per year for a single person
$28,813 per year for a family of fourA f il f f i l th $2 401 th
A minimum wage worker earns $15,080 per year.
A family of four survives on less than $2,401 per month
• Law offices, neighborhoods,
Justice Gap
and churches
• Court houses — pro se litigants
• Natural disastersNatural disasters
• Current economic downturn
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Programs funded by the
Legal Services Programs
g yLegal Services Corporation (LSC)
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas
Lone Star Legal Aid
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
Pro Bono Help is Needed
There is one Texas attorney in private practice for every 392 Texansfor every 392 Texans
There is only Texas legal aid attorney for every 11,152 poor Texans
:
:
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Cases turned down
Met Need
Almost one‐half of all otherwise eligible cases are rejected by Legal Aid for lack of resources
Unmet Need
Need for civil legal services amongst poor Texans
Gaps in Civil Legal Services
Inadequate Resources—available resources do not meet the demand for servicesdo not meet the demand for servicesLack of money to hire an attorneyLack of funding for legal services
Funding RestrictionsType of legal services
providedpClient eligibilityResource limit
Geographic limitationsRural vs. Urban
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Legal aid programs throughout the state
To contact the legal aid provider in your area, visit: provider in your area, visit:
www.TexasLawHelp.org
Providing Legal Services to the Poor
• Legal Services Programs
• Private Attorneys –
Pro BonoPro Bono
• Self Help
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State Bar of Texas
• Aspirational standard– 50 hours a year
• What constitutes pro bono?
– Pro bono policy
– FAQs
• Report your Pro Bono Hours
– Online: www.texasbar.com/mybarpage
Areas in Need of Assistance
Types of Legal Aid CasesF il & D ti Vi lFamily & Domestic Violence
Immigration
Housing Law
Probate, Torts, & Incorporation
Social Security, Food Stamps, y pother gov't benefitsConsumer Protection
Education & Juvenile Rights
Health Care
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How to help on your own
Time CommitmentTime Commitment
2 – 50 hours
Type of work
Legal RepresentationLegal Representation
Advice and Counsel
Document Review
Mentoring
SBOT Legal Services Support Division
Support Provided for Pro Bono Attorneys, Legal Aid and ATJ infrastructure
• Malpractice insurance
• TexasBarCLE scholarships
• Mentor/Mentee MCLE credit
• Pro Bono CollegePro Bono College
• Sign Up Fund
• Referral Directory
• Emeritus Attorney Program
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Hannah Silk Kapasi512.427.1859 or 800.203.2222, Ext. 1859
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