HM 82 — ENCOURAGE PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES

HOUSEA MEMORIAL 82REQUESTING 53RDTHE LEGISLATURE - STATE BAR OF NEW MEXICO, THE NEW MEXICO -LEGAL SECONDAID SESSIONVOLUNTEER ,ATTORNEY 2018PROGRAM INTRODUCEDAND BYTHE SherylSOUTHWEST WilliamsWOMEN'S StapletonLAW andCENTER DeborahTO A.FORM A WORKING GROUP TO STUDY HOW TO ENCOURAGE MORE LICENSED ATTORNEYS IN NEW MEXICO TO INCREASE PRO BONO SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES.

Armstrong 6 8 10WHEREAS, Aeach MEMORIALyear, REQUESTINGlegal THEservice STATEproviders BARare OFunable NEWto MEXICO,provide THElegal NEWassistance MEXICOfor LEGALmany AIDlow-income VOLUNTEERindividuals ATTORNEYbecause PROGRAMof ANDa THElack SOUTHWESTof WOMEN'Sfunding LAWand CENTERa TOlack FORMof Apersonnel WORKINGto GROUPprovide TOthe STUDYservices; HOW TO ENCOURAGE MORE LICENSED ATTORNEYS IN NEW MEXICO TO INCREASE PRO BONO SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES.

eand t 17 w l WHEREAS, eachthe year,New legalMexico servicesupreme providerscourt's arecommission unableon access to njustice dhas 18reported providethat legalless assistancethan fortwenty manypercent low-income individuals = = 19 a l because of athe lacklegal ofneeds funding and a lack of personnellow-income toNew provideMexicans iare abeing emet; r 20 the services;

and a t m m 21 WHEREAS, the Newconsequences Mexicoof supremenot court'sresolving commissioncivil onlegal dproblems rsuch eas 22 access to justicehousing; has reported that less than twenty percent of c e s k 23 the legal needs of low-income New Mexicans are being met;

and e a n b 24 u [ WHEREAS, the consequences of not resolving civil legal problems such as access to housing;

.209849.2 food assistance;

and WHEREAS, consumer scams and unfair labor practices that prey on needy, vulnerable populations also take a toll on low-low-income 6 income families;

and WHEREAS, a low-income family that does not have access HM 82 to legal assistance when such assistance is needed can suffer Page 1 devastating effects, including draining the family's budget, driving the family deeper into poverty and even causing the family to become homeless;

and 12 WHEREAS, there are more than five thousand five hundred licensed attorneys in New Mexico who could provide some pro bono services for low-income families;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that a pro bono e e 17 working group composed of attorneys in private practice, e e n d 18 governmental practice and nonprofit practice be requested to = = l ] 19 form;

and a l r i 20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the pro bono working group be t e a t requested to establish a plan, collect data and analyze m m 21 e d information for making recommendations on how to encourage more r e 22 c e r c 23 licensed attorneys in New Mexico to increase pro bono services e a n b 24 for low-income families;

and u [ BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the executive director of the .209849.2 - 2 - southwest women's law center be requested to serve as the chair of the pro bono working group and to convene the working group;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the pro bono working group be requested to work with the state bar of New Mexico to publish 6 and disseminate its findings and recommendations to the licensed members of the New Mexico state bar;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the pro bono working group HM 82 Page 2 be requested to present its findings and recommendations to the appropriate interim legislative committee before December 31, 2018;

and 12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor;

and representatives of the New Mexico legal aid volunteer attorney program, the New Mexico Black lawyers e e 17 association, the New Mexico Hispanic bar association, the New e e n d 18 Mexico lesbian and gay lawyers association, the New Mexico = = l ] 19 women's bar association, the Indian law section of the state a l r i 20 bar of New Mexico and the bar associations in each of the t e a t thirty-three counties in New Mexico.

mHM m82 21Page e d - 3 -25 r e 22 c e r c 23 e a n b 24 u [ .209849.2