FREE LEGAL SUPPORT COMING TO EL PASO THIS YEAR FROM TEXAS FAIR DEFENSE PROJECT WITH SUPPORT FROM THE TEXAS BAR FOUNDATION
The Texas Fair Defense Project received funding from the Texas Bar Foundation to support no-cost legal services in the El Paso area in 2025.
Funds will support two legal clinics where individuals may access driver’s license restoration and criminal record-clearing services. Individuals whose driver’s licenses are suspended due to debt from outstanding fines, fees, and traffic tickets, and individuals who have a criminal record that may be eligible for expunction or nondisclosure, are encouraged to attend. One clinic will be held virtually over Zoom and another will be held in-person. Residents of El Paso County who fall within 200% of the federal poverty guidelines are eligible to attend the clinics and receive assistance from Texas Fair Defense Project staff and pro bono volunteers.
Prior to the clinics, Texas Fair Defense Project will also facilitate Know Your Rights presentations where attendees may learn about what cases are eligible for record-clearing in Texas, what the driver’s license reinstatement process looks like, and what rights they are entitled to under the law.
“We’ve known for a while that there is a huge need for these services in El Paso and the surrounding areas,” said Yvonne London, Interim Co-Executive Director at Texas Fair Defense Project. “There aren’t many organizations providing these services there in a substantial way, and we’re excited that the Texas Bar Foundation is helping us make this project a reality so we can reach more people who really need this type of legal help.”
Texas Fair Defense Project will release more information about dates, eligibility, and registration starting in the summer of 2025.
Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $29 million in grants to law-related programs. Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation is the nation's largest charitably-funded bar foundation.
