Houston Volunteer Lawyers

HVL is looking for volunteer attorneys to pilot a limited scope pro se assistance program called TaxHelp. If you can read instructions, fill out forms and mentor a pro se client through the forms process, we would like to talk to you! (No tax experience necessary!) Please reach out to maricarmen.dollar@hvlp.org to find out more. #VolunteerAttorneys #HouProBono

On May 13, MLP Staff Attorney Susan Soto and AccessHealth Lead Community Health Worker Carol Luna traveled to Charlotte, NC to attend a Community Justice Worker convening hosted by Frontline Justice, a national organization with a mission to mobilize, support, and equip trusted community advocates to become frontline legal helpers. The national movement to train community members to provide essential civil legal support to underserved populations, bridging gaps in access to justice, is a natural complement to our medical-legal partnership (MLP). The MLP helps to resolve AccessHealth patients' health-harming legal needs by increasing access to justice and continuously works to expand services to reach more members of the Fort Bend and Waller County communities. The MLP team looks forward to the possibility of adding Community Justice Workers to the team in the future. Pictured: MLP staff attorney Susan Soto meeting Texas Access to Justice Commission chairperson, Commissioner Harriet Miers. Pictured: Susan Soto and Lead Community Health Worker Carol Luna working together on an interactive learning activity during the convening.

Congratulations and thank you to Dave Louie!

Thank you to the Texas Bar Foundation for supporting the growth of HVL’s Workers’ Rights Program with a generous $10,000 grant. The Workers’ Rights Project began in late 2025 as a collaboration between Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL) and Tahirih Justice Center Houston (Tahirih) and is partially funded by TxILC. Thanks to the TX Bar Foundation, HVL plans to incorporate this program into our full menu of services offered to all eligible applicants seeking legal assistance. Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $30 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.

Family law cases can be intimidating and time consuming for pro bono attorneys, but they comprise one of the highest civil legal needs in the Greater Houston area. ScribeHELP introduces a layer of support to low-income pro se litigants in a flexible format that makes it an ideal volunteer opportunity for busy attorneys. Read about the ScribeHELP program headed by Senior Staff Attorney Elliott Tucker at https://lnkd.in/eGdsuFMq

There are still open slots for our May LegalLine clinics! Sign up to volunteer today: https://lnkd.in/gfF8XYpG A few hours of your time can make a huge difference for low-income Texans seeking legal advice. For many of our applicants, these phone calls are the only way to receive assistance with unresolved legal issues.

To increase access to justice in meaningful ways, community and collaboration are essential. HVL works with community partners to meet Texans in need – in ways that make resources and assistance more accessible. We are proud to work with The Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library. Our joint initiative LAWPods has been honored with the 2026 Excellence in Community Engagement Award from the American Association of Law Libraries. This recognition is a huge accomplishment for the team (Andre Davison, Elliott Tucker, Cory E. Williams) and goes to show that working together amplifies impact and accelerates change throughout our communities.  

Many low-income families don’t prioritize estate planning due to common misconceptions around Wills and other final wishes. Estate planning documents are vital not only for preserving generational properties but also for guiding families through other stressful times of uncertainty. Are you looking for a relatively straightforward entry-point into pro bono? For these cases, HVL mentors provide all necessary document templates and are available for guidance as needed during the duration of each case. Explore opportunities: https://lnkd.in/gNP26Kym

‼️📢We have an URGENT case that needs a pro bono attorney ASAP! Please consider helping this family, or sharing with your network. Let's get this case placed. Help this Spanish single mother apply for guardianship of her severely disabled adult child who is fully reliant on parents for daily activities. The child is in need of medical care that cannot be performed until the mother obtains guardianship. https://lnkd.in/evGSFTc8