On August 6, 2024, the Supreme Court of Texas announced Preliminary Approval of Rules Governing Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals and Licensed Court-Access Assistants.
HISTORY:
In October of 2022, a letter was sent by Justice Brett Busby of the Supreme Court of Texas, outlining the need to improve access to civil justice for low-income Texans. The letter emphasized the importance of examining and modifying existing rules to allow qualified non-attorney paraprofessionals to provide limited legal services and enable non-attorneys to have economic interests in legal service entities, thereby addressing the significant civil justice gap. For a detailed review, you can read the full letter here.
In December of 2023, the TAJC Access to Legal Services Working Group submitted a comprehensive report to the Supreme Court with recommendations aimed at enhancing access to legal services for low-income Texans. The report outlines various strategies and modifications to existing regulations to bridge the civil justice gap. You can find the full report here.
MEETINGS, AGENDAS, AND MEETING MATERIALS:
Explore the comprehensive timeline of the TAJC Access to Legal Services Working Group meetings held from January 2023 to December 2023 in the below PDF. Clicking on the links will take you to agendas, recordings, and meeting materials for each meeting.
