Supreme Court of Texas Clears Way for Assistance from Out-of-state Lawyers
The Supreme Court of Texas entered an order to allow any attorney not licensed to practice in Texas, but licensed and in good standing in any other jurisdiction of the United States, to provide legal assistance to individuals and entities affected by Hurricane Harvey.  This should help in the effort to recruit volunteer attorneys to address the need for legal services by the mounting number of flood victims.  Lawyers may volunteer through programs supported by the State Bar of Texas and the Houston Bar Association.  The Louisiana State Bar Association is currently monitoring the need for any mobilization of volunteers in that state and encourages Louisiana attorneys to support efforts in Texas.  For a summary of information on national mobilization of legal relief efforts, visit the ABA Hurricane Harvey Relief resource page.  

American Bar Endowment Opportunity Grants
The American Bar Endowment is making Opportunity Grants available to support smaller, innovative programs and projects by 501(c)(3) entities that address issues of immediate and critical interest to the public and members of the legal profession. For information on these grants, applications, and submission deadlines, go to http://www.abendowment.org/about/opportunity.asp. One of last year’s grantees was the Georgia Bar Foundation which received  a grant to support the analysis of the development and launch of a Senior Attorney Pro Bono Pilot Program to address the unmet legal needs of vulnerable older adults in Georgia. The goal of the program is increase pro bono activity and access to justice in civil cases, while also providing opportunities for experienced and late career lawyers who wish to continue actively practicing law to provide greater community service. 

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