Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas

Celebrating Achievements, Part 1 Two LANWT staff were recently honored for dedicated service to their communities and to the legal profession: Sylvia Chavez, Plainview Equal Justice Volunteer Coordinator, and Fort Worth Managing Attorney Monique Lopez-Hinkley. Monique’s recognition is featured today; Sylvia’s recognition will be posted later this week. Monique was selected to be among those recognized for their “impactful contributions to ensure a bright future for [Fort Worth] and its people” by Fort Worth Inc. Monique was among the 400 people on the 2024 list of “400 of Fort Worth’s Most Influential People,” which annually celebrates outstanding individuals who have made a significant difference in Fort Worth and the surrounding areas. Monique has an impressive record of providing direct legal representation to low-income clients in Texas while also serving as managing attorney for one of LANWT's largest branch offices. To date, Monique has personally helped more than 5,000 low-income women and their families who faced legal challenges too daunting for them to handle themselves. In recent years, Monique was presented with the Tarrant County Bar Association’s Law Day Professionalism Award and the State Bar of Texas’ Chrys Dougherty Legal Services Award in recognition of more than 25 years helping others through legal aid service. Said one Tarrant County judge: “Monique lives by the Lawyer’s Creed. She has patterned her practice by the Lawyer’s Creed. Thank you, Monique, for being a great lawyer and for practicing before me and making my life better because of you.” Congratulations. Monique, for the well-deserved recognition. (Video: Monique in the Fort Worth office; with husband, Chris; and with LANWT CEO Maria Thomas-Jones)

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas celebrates today's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that prioritizes the safety and protection of domestic violence survivors across the nation. “The Supreme Court’s common-sense decision today will keep guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers. The Rahimi ruling provides a reasonable and solid constitutional basis for upholding the ban on weapons to those who are found to be a threat to survivors of domestic and family violence.” https://lnkd.in/gFW34GuP

Legal Aid Offices Closed Wednesday, June 19. Our offices are closed tomorrow as we honor Juneteenth Day. Special shout out to Fort Worth’s Opal Lee, known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth, who worked tirelessly for years to draw attention to the importance of Juneteenth and to make it a national holiday. Read more about this amazing advocate by visiting https://lnkd.in/eiekdwx9

Thanks to everyone who attended our 24th Annual Women’s Advocacy Awards, which raised more than $77,000 to help us provide civil legal services to women and children in need. More than 140 attendees were on hand to recognize this year’s honorees: Rachel Morgan—Business Leader Award recipient; Debra and Leon Carter—Champion of Justice Award recipients; Frazier Revitalization, Inc. —Nonprofit Leadership Award recipient; Nina Melanie Orendain and Miguel Baeza—Louise Raggio Women’s Legal Advocate Award recipients; Lindsey Goldstein Provost and Nicole Muñoz Huschka–Advocate on the Rise Award recipients. The annual WAA event not only benefits clients, but also give us the opportunity to publicly honor those whose leadership and commitment make a difference in the lives of others. Congratulations to the honorees and special thanks to those who donated silent auction items, our generous sponsors, and our three hard-working co-chairs: Sidney Smith McClung, Mark Rodgers, and Lindsey Barker. Photo: (L-R) Evening emcee Michael K. Hurst and LANWT CEO Maria Thomas-Jones with the 2024 WAA award recipients.

After several counties in LANWT’s service area were included in the recent FEMA disaster declaration, Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) are opening in various locations. The newest of these opened in Collin and Dallas Counties. FEMA DRCs operate 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day and provides one-on-one help to people from all counties included in the declaration who were affected by the severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that began in April. For a full list of DRCs and the affected counties, visit our website at https://lnkd.in/gZ858bm5 If you have questions or are unable to travel to a DRC site, call our Disaster Assistance Hotline at 817-339-5391.

Are you a Denton County resident impacted by recent storms? Our Disaster Legal Services Unit staff will be onsite at Butterfield Elementary, 291 Indian Ln, Sanger, Saturday, 1-7 pm, and Sunday, 1-6 pm, to offer information on Legal Aid services and take applications for post-disaster help. You can also call our Disaster Assistance Line at 817-339-5391.

The Women’s Advocacy Awards reception not only benefits clients, but also give us the opportunity to publicly honor those whose leadership and commitment make a difference in the lives of others, including Nicole Muñoz Huschka with Figari + Davenport, LLP. Help us celebrate all of our 2024 honorees. Visit https://rebrand.ly/2024WAA for more information or to order tickets.

Our Disaster Legal Services Unit staff are onsite today and tomorrow, 8 am to 8 pm, at the Dallas Multi-Agency Resource Center, Truett Elementary, 1810 Inadale Ave. Staff are offering City of Dallas residents information on available legal services and to take applications for help from those affected by recent storms. Our DLSU project is supported by the Legal Services Corporation.

Join us at our annual WAA event, which not only benefits clients but also gives us the opportunity to publicly honor those whose leadership and commitment make a difference in the lives of others, including Frazier Revitalization. Help us celebrate all of our 2024 honorees. Visit https://rebrand.ly/2024WAA for more information or to order tickets.

Were you or someone you know affected by tornados and other severe weather in North Texas over the Memorial Day weekend? We provide assistance with a variety of civil legal matters arising from natural disasters such as insurance claim issues, replacing food bought with SNAP benefits, title clearing, landlord/tenant issues, and replacing lost documents. Please contact our Disaster Assistance Line at 817-339-5391 or visit our website at legalaidtx.org to fill out an online application. (Photo: Dallas Morning News, Tom Fox, Staff Photographer)