Opinion: Texas veterans deserve fair access to legal help

On Veterans Day, we honor the brave men and women in uniform for the sacrifices they've made and continue to make for our safety and freedom. Sadly, once back home, many of our veterans have a difficult time making ends meet. Many suffer from challenges such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can create difficulties finding and keeping a job. Another challenge veterans face is accessing the legal help they need.

Texas has the second-highest population of veterans in the country, and a distressing number of Texas veterans are poor or homeless. More than 5.5 million Texans, including a significant number of our veterans, qualify for legal aid. Legal issues account for three of the top 10 unmet needs of homeless veterans, according to the annual survey of homeless and formerly homeless veterans by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

So, how do Texas veterans facing legal issues get help? Legal aid programs, local bar associations, law schools and pro bono lawyers provide civil legal aid. They have all assisted veterans who are wrongly denied critical medical care, disability and other benefits, or who need help with family matters arising from deployment.

The Texas Access to Justice Foundation (TAJF), created in 1984 to provide funding for civil legal aid in Texas, is committed to the vision that all Texans will have equal access to justice, regardless of income. The foundation recently awarded more than $6 million in two-year grants to 13 Texas legal aid providers to provide civil legal services to low-income veterans. In 2018, TAJF grantees helped nearly 9,000 veterans obtain access to the justice system.

The Texas Access to Justice Foundation has also established the Joe Jamail Endowment for Veteran Legal Services, a fund ensuring that Texas veterans have access to legal help. Since its inception in 2017, the endowment has raised more than $878,000. These funds will go a long way to secure free legal services for our veterans.

Next week has been designated Texas Veterans Legal Aid Week. Clinics and workshops will be held throughout the state to provide assistance for qualified veterans who need help with critical civil legal issues. To find a clinic in your area, visit texaslawhelp.org/tvlaw-2019.

Our veterans deserve more than just our applause or gratitude; they deserve our help and our commitment to ensuring that they have access to the resources they need to fully reintegrate into civilian life.

As veterans ourselves, we're proud of the work of our advocates in serving the legal needs of veterans and their continued effort in ensuring access to justice for all. Legal aid services can help qualified veterans achieve economic security, avoid homelessness and promote stability within their family relationships. The debt owed to our veterans is one that we could never fully repay. Together, we should serve those who first served us.

Hecht is chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas and a U.S. Navy veteran. Flores is president of the Texas Young Lawyers Association and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

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