Hall gets second term with TAJC

WESLACO — Long-time local resident David Hall was appointed on Wednesday to a second term on the Texas Access to Justice Commission by the Texas Supreme Court.

Hall, 68, has spent the last 30 years working with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, a non-profit group that provides free legal services to residents who lack sufficient funds. The Weslaco legal aid office is at 300 S. Texas Blvd. Hall has held the position of executive director there since 1975.

“Here at legal aid we have 150 lawyers scattered through out 68 counties including an office in Nashville, Tennessee for migrant workers,” Hall said. “We also do a lot of work on behalf of Mid-Valley; we raise funds for legal services.”

The 68-year-old grew up in Baytown, and received his undergraduate degree in law from the University of Texas at Austin. He made his way down to Weslaco after graduating in 1969. Hall has working experience in different types of law including farm labor, civil rights, criminal defense and education.

“I have contributed to United Farm Workers of America, the Cesar Chavez union and the American Civil Liberties Union,” Hall said. “I did that for several years, so it was only a natural progression to move over.”

The Texas Access to Justice Commission was created in 2001 to help individuals with low-income have access to justice. Hall explained on Tuesday that his experience over the years is just what the group is looking for.

“That is why I am there I run a legal services program, the commission is mostly made up of large firm lawyers,” he said. “It’s a support organization. If lawyers don’t provide services to poor people they are frozen out of the system.”
The commission is one large organization made up of small committees specializing in different issues.

“Generally there are committees for example one committee focuses on trying to find the cheapest technology,” Hall added. “Another includes Legislative issues effecting providers, each of us in the committees knows what it is to deliver services to the poor.”

Hall is not the only lawyer in his family.

“My wife also practices, mostly in Texas along with some Mexico courts her focus is seeking the return of children who have been kidnapped,” he said. 

About 5.3 million people in Texas qualify for legal aid, according to the commission’s web site. Between 20-25 percent of the civil legal needs of low-income and poor Texans are being met because of a lack of resources.

“Some people are appointed by the Supreme Court while others are appointed by the State Bar; we are all resources,” Hall said. “The organized bar is to promote that facet of the profession. Those of us who practice law are delighted to see the bar take that kind of a row and support.”