In
Florida, money to support legal aid doesn’t grow on palm
trees, and neither do Texas’ vast farms reap a special bumper
crop of equal justice resources. Yet in both states, legal
services funding recently has started sprouting from an equally
unlikely source: customized license plates. Those wishing to
make a rear-bumper statement can now voice support for equal
access to justice on their specialized plates while making a
donation to each state’s cash-strapped legal aid programs. In
the Lone Star State, the Texas Young Lawyers Association
designed a plate emblazoned with the statement “And Justice
For All.” Every plate sold sends $22 to the Texas Equal Access
to Justice Foundation (TEAJF), which distributes the funds
statewide. “Something that generates $24,000 a year and
requires no effort is an incredible thing for legal aid,”
points out Betty Torres, TEAJF’s executive director. Not to be
outdone, the Florida Bar Foundation hopes its colorful plate
showcasing children swinging on the scales of justice
accompanied by the message, “Kids Deserve Justice,” will
raise $1 million a year for groups that represent children.
In
Florida, money to support legal aid doesn’t grow on palm
trees, and neither do Texas’ vast farms reap a special bumper
crop of equal justice resources. Yet in both states, legal
services funding recently has started sprouting from an equally
unlikely source: customized license plates. Those wishing to
make a rear-bumper statement can now voice support for equal
access to justice on their specialized plates while making a
donation to each state’s cash-strapped legal aid programs. In
the Lone Star State, the Texas Young Lawyers Association
designed a plate emblazoned with the statement “And Justice
For All.” Every plate sold sends $22 to the Texas Equal Access
to Justice Foundation (TEAJF), which distributes the funds
statewide. “Something that generates $24,000 a year and
requires no effort is an incredible thing for legal aid,”
points out Betty Torres, TEAJF’s executive director. Not to be
outdone, the Florida Bar Foundation hopes its colorful plate
showcasing children swinging on the scales of justice
accompanied by the message, “Kids Deserve Justice,” will
raise $1 million a year for groups that represent children.