Deborah G. Hankinson Award

The Deborah G. Hankinson Award honors local bar associations and young lawyer affiliates that demonstrate a

commitment to access to justice in their communities and to raising financial support for legal service providers on a

local and statewide basis. There will be only one award recipient for each division. In 2013, the Texas Access to

Justice Commission began using an application process to determine local bar associations and young lawyer

affiliates award recipients.

Each bar association has an opportunity to receive this award based on its division. The divisions are:

Division I: local and district bar associations with a membership of 500 or less

Division II: local and district bar associations with a membership of 501 to 1,999

Division III: local and district bar associations with a membership of 2,000+

Each young lawyer affiliate also has an opportunity to receive this award. There is one division for the young lawyer

affiliate.

Award Criteria (Criteria and application can also be found online www.texasatj.org/awards)

Financial Support for Access to Justice (50%)

���� Rate of voluntary ATJ contributions made at the suggested $150 level or more through State Bar dues

statement (15 points). This information will be determined by the State Bar Membership Department.

���� Local bar fundraising and donation efforts; examples include: bike ride, gala, golf tournament, pro bono

prom, etc., with proceeds benefitting local legal aid organizations (15 points)

���� Number of first time donors (15 points)

���� Largest donation contributed (5 points)

Access to Justice – Initiatives and Awareness (50%)

���� Specific efforts to increase access to legal aid services. Examples include hosting free legal advice clinic;

creating a local lawyer referral service or reduced fee panel on the local lawyer referral service; efforts to

increase pro bono participation; etc. (25 points)

���� Specific efforts to increase awareness of access to justice issues on a local or statewide basis. Examples

include inviting speakers to give presentations on access to justice, limited scope representation or other

related topics; developing and providing presentations on topics related to access to justice and pro bono

work; visiting local legislators to educate them about the importance of legal services to the poor;

encouraging attorneys to bank at a Prime Partner Bank; etc. (25 points)

NOTE: To streamline award applications, you may have the access to justice portion of the State Bar of Texas

Award of Merit application or the TYLA Awards of Achievement sent to the Texas Access to Justice Commission

to be considered in your application for the Deborah G. Hankinson Award. You will need to check a box on the

enclosed Deborah G. Hankinson Award Application to release this information to us.

Deborah G. Hankinson Award Nomination

The award honors local bar associations and young lawyer affiliates that demonstrate a commitment to access

to justice in their communities and to raising financial support for legal service providers on a local and

statewide basis. There will be only one recipient for each award category. Each category is worth 50 points

for a total 100 point judging scale. Deadline for submission is April 4, 2014, at NOON.

Nominee information

Name of Bar Association

Name of Bar President

Address City Zip Code

Phone Number(s)

Email

Bar Association/Young Lawyer Affiliate Division

The State Bar of Texas Award of Merit and the Texas Young Lawyers Association Awards of Achievement

have an access to justice component. If you applied for either award and would like the access to justice

information to be considered for the Hankinson Award, check here: ���� Yes ���� No

A. Financial Support for Access to Justice

1) Please provide the following:

a. Number of first time donors: __________________ (15 points)

b. Largest donation amount contributed: _________ (5 points)

c. Rate of voluntary ATJ contribution made at the suggested $150 level or more through State Bar

dues statement: (Information will be provided by the State Bar Membership Dept.) (15 points)

PRO BONO SERVICE AWARD The Supreme Court Task Force to Expand Legal Services Delivery will offer a $1,000 prize to the three State Bar sections or bar organizations with the best pro bono projects. The Pro Bono Service Award was established to encourage State Bar of Texas sections bar organizations to create self-sustaining pro bono projects that motivate lawyers from specialized practice areas to provide pro bono legal assistance directly to poor Texans.

As identified by the State Bar, large, medium and small sized sections and bar organizations will compete against other similarly sized groups to develop and implement pro bono projects that promote legal assistance to underserved populations and encourage private attorneys to provide pro bono legal assistance directly to poor Texans. Only one section or organization will be selected for each similarly sized group. The winning recipient must not have received this award for the same program within the last three years.

Large = 2,000+ members; Medium = 501-1,999 members; Small = up to 500 members

Nomination Process: The Pro Bono Service Award is open to all State Bar of Texas sections and bar organizations. Anyone may nominate a State Bar section or bar organization by submitting a Nomination Form to the Texas Access to Justice Commission.

Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. on April 11, 2014. Completed forms may be submitted by fax (512) 427-4160, email atjmail@texasbar.com or mail PO Box 12487 Austin, Texas 78711-2487. Nominations will be reviewed by the Texas Access to Justice Commission’s Awards Committee.

The application must contain the following information:

1. Nomination form; and

2. Summary

This one page summary should clearly identify the services and accomplishments of the nominee in the areas of pro bono and legal service activities which benefit poor Texans.

Nomination Criteria: The selection committee will review submitted materials and determine the award recipients based on one or more of the following characteristics:

• Demonstrated dedication to the development and delivery of legal services to the poor through a pro bono program

• Contributed significant work toward developing innovative approaches to the delivery of volunteer legal service

• Participated in an activity that resulted in satisfying previously unmet needs or in extending services to underserved segments of the population

Possible pro bono projects include:

• Providing direct legal services to poor Texans in underserved communities • Frequently staffing legal clinics for a local legal services provider in multiple cities • Coordinating with the courts to develop a mechanism for resolving pro bono cases • Implementing training seminars with the goal of recruiting and retaining pro bono

attorneys to provide direct legal assistance in rural areas • Collaborating with other sections to offer specialized training to legal services providers or

to teach poor Texans about their legal rights • Creating a manual that will benefit pro se litigants in a specific practice area • Establishing a self-sustaining mentoring program encouraging attorneys to do pro bono

NOMINATION

DEADLINE:

5:00 pm

April 11, 2014

Please return completed form to the Texas Access to Justice Commission.

P.O. Box 12487, Austin, Texas 78711-2487 | Fax: 512-427-4160 | Email: atjmail@texasbar.com

www.texasatj.org/awards

NOTE: If more space is needed for any question on this page, please supplement with attachments and

label appropriately.

2) Please describe the bar association/young affiliates fundraising and donation efforts. Examples include

bike rides, gala, golf tournament, pro bono prom, etc. (15 points)

B. Initiative and Awareness

1) Please list specific efforts to increase access to legal aid services. Examples include hosting free legal advice

clinics, creating local lawyer referral service/reduced fee panels, efforts to increase pro bono participation.

(25 points)

2) Please list specific efforts to increase awareness of access to justice issues on a local or statewide basis.

Examples include inviting speakers to give presentations on access to justice, limited scope representation

or other related topics, developing and providing presentations on topics related to access to justice and

pro bono work, visiting legislators to educate them about the importance of legal services to the poor,

encouraging attorneys to bank at a Prime Partner Bank, etc. (25 points)

Questions? Contact Texas Access to Justice Commission at 800-204-2222 ext. 1855.

JAMES B. SALES BOOTS ON THE GROUND AWARD 2014 Official Nomination Form

Overview & Criteria Nominations are currently being accepted for the Texas Access to Justice Commission James B. Sales Boots on the Ground Award. The award is given to a legal services program attorney or a pro bono attorney who is an exemplary advocate and who gives selflessly of his/her time and talent to provide legal help to those who have no voice. Nominations must be received no later than 5 p.m., Friday, April 11, 2014. Submit the original nomination form, a description of the nominee’s achievements, and any additional supporting materials via email to: atjmail@texasbar.com.

This award will be presented at the 2014 Champions of Justice Gala Benefiting Veterans in May.

Nominator Information

Name of Nominator: _____________ Phone: Email: __ ______

Nominee Information

Name: _______ State Bar Card #: Address: _______ City: _______ State: Zip Code: Phone: Fax: Email: _______ Name of legal services organization where nominee is either currently employed or ceased to work within the last two years: _______

Length of Service: ____

Please describe nominee’s achievements in the delivery of legal services to the poor on a separate sheet(s) of paper.

1. NOMINATION FORM:

_____________________________________________________________________ Section/Bar Organization Chair of Section/Bar Organization _____________________________________________________________________ Primary person(s) coordinating pro bono effort on behalf of section/bar organization _____________________________________________________________________ Pro Bono Project Name _____________________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________________ Telephone

_____________________________________________________________________ Email

_____________________________________________________________________ Person nominating section/bar organization for award

2. SUMMARY

Attach a one page summary explaining why the nominated section/bar organization should be

selected to receive the Pro Bono Service Award. This summary must address the questions

listed below.

a. Describe the pro bono project’s goal and explain how it directly benefits poor Texans.

b. When and where did this pro bono project occur? If applicable, please list all dates and

locations.

c. How many members are registered in your section/bar organization?

d. How many section/bar organization members volunteered on the nominated pro bono

project?

e. How did the section/bar organization publicize the project to its membership?

f. How did the section/bar organization publicize the project to the targeted community?

g. How does the section/bar organization plan to sustain this project in future years?

h. If awarded, how will the section/bar organization reinvest the $1,000 award into the pro

bono project?

Send completed form by fax (512) 427-4160 or email atjmail@texasbar.com.

Nominations will be accepted until April 11, 2014. www.texasatj.org/awards