News and stories about our work to protect and advance the civil legal rights of low-income Texans.
Six Texas Counties have received a Presidential Disaster Declaration as of Friday, October 5, 2019, resulting from Tropical Storm Imelda. According to the National Weather Service, Imelda was one of the wettest cyclones in U.S. history, leaving over 800 homes damaged. The counties now eligible for FEMA and SBA assistance are Chambers, Harris, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, and Orange. What can […]
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month first began in 1981 by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence as a Day of Unity to connect battered women’s advocates across the country. Domestic violence affects millions, both women and men, of every race, religion, culture and status. It’s not just punches and black eyes — it’s yelling, humiliation, stalking, manipulation, coercion, threats and […]
Join Lone Star Legal Aid and CHILDREN AT RISK for an educational bus tour presentation on human trafficking in Houston Tuesday, October 22, 2019, generously sponsored by Locke Lord, LLP. Attorneys will get a first-hand look at both where major trafficking incidents were identified, where this crime may be presently occurring, and will learn to identify the red flags and […]
HOUSTON, TX — The State Bar of Texas and Lone Star Legal Aid remind residents that free legal resources are available to low-income individuals affected by severe storms and flooding spawned by Tropical Storm Imelda. Lone Star Legal Aid operates a toll-free disaster legal hotline — 866-659-0666 — that can help with issues such as replacing lost documents, answering insurance […]
Lone Star Legal Aid recognizes September as National Preparedness Month. The campaign promotes family and community disaster and emergency planning now and throughout the year. This year’s theme is “Prepared, Not scared.” Homeowners, families, and communities can use this opportunity to find ways or help others understand more about preparing for disasters and reducing risks to health and the environment. […]
Houston, TX – Tuesday, August 6, 2019, is National Night Out! NNO is an annual community-building campaign that enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement. There are many events going on nationwide to support the cause and you can find Lone Star Legal Aid participating in the event that will be hosted at the University of Houston Downtown (UHD) […]
Port Arthur, TX – Community group and LSLA client, Port Arthur Community Action Network (PA-CAN), previously announced plans to sue Valero Energy Corporation and its subsidiary, Premcor Refining Group, Inc. (collectively, “Valero”) in federal court for hundreds of violations of the Clean Air Act, totaling over 1.8 million pounds of unauthorized air pollution released by Valero’s Port Arthur refinery since […]
The Federal Trade Commission partners with local, state, and federal agencies every July to promote awareness into the consumer issues faced by service-members. Service-members, like all consumers, are potential targets for fraudsters. Some scams are more likely to target military families because they may relocate frequently. The FTC strives to eliminate such scams through enforcement and education. This year, Lone […]
Houston, Texas – Lone Star Legal Aid is one of nine organizations that serve post 9/11 veterans, service members, and their families chosen by the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) for its spring grants. BWF’s key focus areas are education and employment, quality of life, and rehabilitation and recovery. BWF was particularly interested in how post-disaster challenges tie in with veteran […]
Houston, TX – For more than 14 years, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has been planning the North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP), a massive expansion of Interstate 45 that will completely reshape freeway transit around downtown Houston, with major changes to I-45, I-69, I-10 and Hwy 288 over the next decade. The proposed expansion of I-45 north of downtown […]
Houston, TX – Houston’s Own Lawyers Entertaining for Charity, Night Court‘s Law of the Jungle II, tells the tale of George as he tries to win at the mysterious game that sends him from the Law Library to the heart of the jungle. While trying to beat the game, George learns ethics in politics, election law, and a few civics […]
June is National Homeownership Month, a time to celebrate, promote, and reflect on the American Dream – owning your own home. Homeownership provides social and financial stability, builds communities, and helps improve the national economy. While most Americans dream of owning a home, obstacles such as student loans, credit card debt, poor credit, interest rates, and the ever-fluctuating job market […]
HOUSTON, TX – Lone Star Legal Aid’s Crime Victims Unit attorney Zelda Howell and social worker Ashleigh Cormier hosted the Justice for Crime Survivors presentation on Thursday, May 23, 2019 at the downtown Houston Police Department (HPD). The presentation covered specific methods to approach and handle cases dealing with survivors of crime. After victimization, the individual will face many challenges. […]
Port Arthur, TX – Alleging over 1.8 million pounds of unauthorized air pollution were released over the past 5 years by Valero’s Port Arthur Refinery, the community group and Lone Star Legal Aid client, Port Arthur Community Action Network (PA-CAN), announced at a press conference today that it intends to sue Valero Energy Corporation and its parent company, Premcor Refining […]
Fayette County, TX – Lone Star Legal Aid is fighting to save the home of Ms. Sharelle Wright from effectively being foreclosed upon by the same non-profit that helped build it for her. Ms. Wright is a single mother with 6 children whose previous home was badly damaged during Hurricane Harvey when a tree smashed the roof and rained destroyed […]
For Immediate Release Huntsville, TX – The State Bar of Texas Family Law Section’s Pro Bono Committee has selected Huntsville as one of the locations this year for its “Family Law Essentials” seminar on May 17, 2019. The event will take place at the City of Huntsville Municipal Court, 717 FM 2821 W., Suite 200 in Huntsville, Texas. The Family […]
Houston, TX – With funding from Texas Access to Justice Foundation, Houston Endowment, and the Jacob & Terese Hershey Foundation, Lone Star Legal Aid’s Equitable Development Initiative is making headlines with its advocacy. The Equitable Development Initiative’s goal is to provide legal assistance to foster community revitalization in low-income neighborhoods by fighting systemic discrimination and degradation and by helping residents […]
Houston, TX – Lone Star Legal Aid’s environmental justice team attended Air Alliance Houston’s 2nd Annual State of the Air Gala on Thursday, April 4, 2019 at the historical Buffalo Soldiers National Museum. Air Alliance Houston believes everyone has a right to breathe clean air. Through applied research, education, and advocacy, they work to deliver clean air for a healthier […]
Harris County, TX – On Sunday, March 17, 2019, at approximately 10am, a storage tank caught fire at the Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) Deer Park facility, located at 1943 Independence Parkway. Industry neighbors and multiple local agencies actively fought the fire to prevent it from spreading and to extinguish it as quickly as possible. As of early Wednesday morning, March […]
Houston, TX – Lone Star Legal Aid has been given a $5,000 Cy Pres award resulting from a federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) class action Karni Law Firm, P.C. brought against Cavalry Portfolio Services, LLC and its lawyers Rausch, Sturm, Israel, Enerson, & Hornik for misrepresentations made during the course of collecting judgment debt. The original dunning letters […]