News Release
Contact:
Maggie Martin
Director, Marketing and Communications
O: 346-471-3428
maggiem@hba.org
CenterPoint Energy
Media.Relations@centerpointenergy.com
Houston Bar Foundation Receives $500,000 Grant from CenterPoint Energy
Grant will change the lives of thousands of Houstonians in need of legal assistance
(HOUSTON – FEBRUARY 27) – The Houston Bar Foundation announced it has received a watershed grant of $500,000 from CenterPoint Energy. The grant will be used to provide pro se litigant assistance to thousands of Houstonians.
The Houston Bar Foundation is the charitable arm of the Houston Bar Association and dedicated to local access to justice impact in Houston. The Houston Bar Association is proud and grateful for CenterPoint Energy’s trust in the Houston Bar Foundation to provide these critical services in Harris County, where the number of pro se litigants far surpasses any other Texas county.
“CenterPoint Energy takes its responsibility to be a good corporate citizen seriously,” said Monica Karuturi, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of CenterPoint Energy. “We recognize the significant need to support self-represented litigants and are honored to provide this grant, which will help give people hope that justice will always be served.”
The Houston Bar Foundation will partner with Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the service arm of the Houston Bar Association, to work with other local community stakeholders on two initial implementation phases. The Houston Bar Foundation has selected Houston Volunteer Lawyers to lead the beginning implementation of this grant because it is one of the largest providers of pro bono legal services in Texas. Prior to the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, Houston Volunteer Lawyers provided direct and coordinated assistance to pro se litigants at the Harris County Courthouse and the Harris County Law Library.
In the first phase, it is anticipated that the Houston Bar Foundation will grant funds to Houston Volunteer Lawyers to investigate the best models of providing support to pro se litigants. This initial period is crucial to ensuring that Houston Volunteer Lawyers and the Houston Bar Foundation consider all innovative solutions in order to maximize impact in the use of these funds.
The second phase contemplates funding to Houston Volunteer Lawyers to implement the recommendations outlined in phase one. It is anticipated that Houston Volunteer Lawyers’ services will begin at the Harris County Civil Courthouse no later than early 2025.
Houston Volunteer Lawyers’ Executive Director Jessica Howton Stool said:
“There is a severe justice gap in our community between the needs of low-income Houstonians and the resources currently available to meet those needs. Given that Houston Volunteer Lawyers and other local organizations are unable to take every case that qualifies for pro bono assistance and recognizing that, for some, access to quality legal advice and information is sufficient to support them as they navigate the civil legal system, the availability of pro se legal assistance is crucial toward helping to address the justice gap in Houston.
“Houston Volunteer Lawyers is excited for the opportunity to partner with the Houston Bar Foundation and other community stakeholders to transform CenterPoint Energy’s incredible generosity into meaningful impact for those navigating the civil legal system on their own by finding ways to effectively provide necessary legal information and advice.”
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The Houston Bar Association is a nonprofit professional organization for attorneys that provides education and service programs for the legal profession and the community. With over 10,000 members, the HBA is one of the largest metropolitan bar associations in the nation.
The Houston Bar Foundation was established in 1982 as the charitable arm of the Houston Bar Association. Since that time, the Foundation has supported programs that help provide legal representation to the indigent, promote community understanding of our legal system and foster the administration of justice. Through the generosity of its contributors, and significantly its Fellows, Life Fellows and Sustaining Life Fellows, the Foundation has been able to make a difference in the greater Houston community.
Founded in 1981 by the Houston Bar Association, Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL) provides free, civil legal services to low-income residents of Harris County by linking qualified applicants with attorneys who volunteer their time on a pro bono basis. HVL is an equal opportunity agency, providing services to clients without regard to race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, national origin or religion.
About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas. As of December 31, 2023, the company owned approximately $39 billion in assets. With approximately 9,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.
