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State Bar Awards Grants to Legal Service Providers
Albuquerque, N.M.— The State Bar of New Mexico, through the New Mexico Bar Foundation, awarded nearly $200,000 in grants to 14 entities which provide legal services to low-income New Mexicans.
Pursuant to a Supreme Court Rule 24-106 NMRA, the State Bar of New Mexico collects a registration fee of $250 from non-admitted attorneys intending to appear in civil actions before New Mexico courts. The State Bar holds these fees in the State Bar Pro Hac Vice Fund. In 2009, approximately $145,000 in Pro Hac Vic fees were collected. This was combined with approximately $55,000 collected from New Mexico attorneys donating to the State Bar Foundation so that a total of nearly $200,000 was available to fund projects of the 14 entities named below.
Agency Name |
Description of Project Funded |
Amount Awarded |
ACLU |
Legal Services in Immigrant Habeas Corpus cases in which detainees are illegally held for indefinite periods, response to potentially life threatening matters of detainees and advocacy for the improvement of conditions in the Otero facility. |
$18,238 |
Advocacy Inc. |
Provision of legal services in court-ordered guardianships for grandparents, relatives and friends choosing to care for children whose parents are unwilling/unable to care for them. |
$20,000 |
Catholic Charities |
Legal services for immigrants and training/mentoring of staff at office in Gallup, Las Cruces and Santa Fe. |
$20,000 |
DNA People's Legal Services |
Legal services for low-income people via a medical-legal partnership in the Indian Health Services Hospitals of Northwestern New Mexico. |
$10,000 |
DV Resource Center/Resources Inc. |
Provision of direct legal representation to low-income victims of domestic violence. |
$19,250 |
Enlace Communitario |
Civil legal assistance for Spanish-speaking victims of domestic violence. |
$20,000 |
Law Access New Mexico |
Law Student Helpline Intern Program to increase the provision of statewide helpline services in the areas of landlord/tenant, employment and consumer law. |
$10,000 |
Legal FACS |
Forms clinics for self-represented litigants in family law matters and help in navigating the legal system. |
$12,000 |
Native American Disability Law Center |
Training to students, parents and educators on the legal rights of disabled children to aid in obtain special education supports and services. |
$13,000 |
New Mexico Center on Law & Poverty |
Systemic advocacy to better protect the rights or low-income home buyers utilizing real estate contracts in New Mexico. |
$15,000 |
New Mexico Environmental Law Center |
Legal assistance to low income communities throughout New Mexico facing environmental issues. |
$10,000 |
New Mexico Legal Aid |
Printing costs for English and Spanish flyers and brochures to heighten awareness of the online community legal education resource Law Help New Mexico and the printing of substantive brochures for non-internet users. |
$10,000 |
Pegasus Legal Services for Children |
Provision of legal representation to youth who experience significant barriers to healthy growth and development such as homelessness, domestic violence, lack of access to education, healthcare and public benefits. |
$15,000 |
Senior Citizen's Law Office |
Dissemination of information related to the Health Care Rights Project via printed materials and education kiosks at senior centers. |
$7,500 |
TOTAL |
|
$199,988 |
The State Bar of New Mexico was organized in 1886 and is composed of more than 8500 members. Its purposes are to aid the courts in administering justice and preserving the rule of law, and to foster a high standard of integrity and competence within the legal profession.