2014-11-03T06:17:20-08:00 2013-12-31 Blazek & Vetterling 2900 Weslayan Suite 200 Houston TX 770275132 990 2013-01-01 760090652 Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program Inc HOUS 7132280735 1111 Bagby FLB 300 Houston TX 77002 Neil Kelly Chairman 2014-11-03 true Jody Blazek P00072674 7134395739 X 2013 2015-11-30 17:44:51Z X Alissa Rubin Gomez 712 Main St 27th Flr Houston TX 77002 2199833 false false X www.makejusticehappen.org X 1983 TX Houston Volunteer Lawyers is a non-profit service of the Houston Bar Association. We provide free legal aid to low-income residents of Harris County by connecting them with volunteer lawyers who agree to handle their matters for free. 18 18 40 2000 0 2117025 2192477 7214 13 142 0 2117038 2199833 0 0 1650974 1799056 0 21438 508821 559074 2159795 2358130 -42757 -158297 1072846 900172 230648 216271 842198 683901 The mission of Houston Volunteer Lawyers is to provide free legal services to low-income people in Harris County and to promote volunteerism among lawyers. false false 2008312 7214 Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL) provides free legal aid to low-income Houstonians facing civil legal problems (e.g., family law, probate, landlord/tenant) through legal advice clinics that target and serve different populations (e.g., the general public, U.S. Veterans, the Chinese and Vietnamese communities, persons with HIV/AIDS). HVL has a screening process for extended representation services through which applicants are connected with a pro bono lawyer in private practice for the life of their legal problem. Houston Volunteer Lawyers is also an IRS-sponsored Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic and, in 2012, Houston Volunteer Lawyers launched the first medical-legal partnership in the Houston area with the world-renowned Texas Children's Hospital. In 2013, Houston Volunteer Lawyers provided in-person, one-on-one legal advice to over 4,000 applicants at no charge. 1,270 of their matters were referred to pro bono lawyers for long-term representation which represents a placement rate of 98 percent. Over 1,900 of the persons helped in 2013 were United States veterans or spouses of deceased veterans. In addition, Houston Volunteer Lawyers assisted over 7,100 pro se litigants at the Harris County Family Courthouse in 2013. In 2013, 1,778 volunteer attorneys logged over 20,000 hours on pro bono cases through Houston Volunteer Lawyers. 319 of those attorneys had never volunteered with Houston Volunteer Lawyers before. At a rate of $200 per hour, the time donated by Houston Volunteer Lawyers volunteers represents a benefit to low-income persons seeking legal assistance over $4,000,000. 2008312 true true false false false false false false false false true false false false true false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 6 0 true 40 true false false false false false false false false 0 false false false false false false false false false false X 18 18 false false true false false true false true true false false true true true true false false true false false X Alissa Rubin Gomez 7132280735 1111 Bagby FLB 300 Houston TX 77002 Warren Harris Chair 12-13 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Warren Harris Past Chair 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 John Strasburger Chr Elect 12-13 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 John Strasburger Chair 13-14 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Neil Kelly Treasurer 12-13 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Neil Kelly Chr Elect 13-14 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Laura Gibson Treasurer 13-14 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Gary Alfred Secretary 12-13 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Carter Crow Secretary 13-14 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Michael A Baden Director 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Honorable Jane Bland Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Jamila M Brinson Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Lauren H Brogdon Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 James C Hatchitt Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 William 'Bill' K Kroger Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Meredith Die Levine Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Robert L Levy Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Karen Lukin Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Lan Nguyen Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Honorable Frank Rynd Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Susan B Sanchez Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Norma Levine Trusch Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Alissa Rubin Gomez Executive Dir. 40.00 0.00 X 102853 0 15131 102853 15131 1 false false false 0 565954 1626523 2192477 Court-awarded fees 541100 6100 6100 Family law seminar 900099 1114 1114 7214 142 142 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2199833 7214 142 0 0 0 0 117984 105006 11798 1180 0 1270899 1131100 127090 12709 44394 39511 4439 444 262767 233861 26278 2628 103012 91681 10301 1030 0 0 32130 32130 0 0 0 107003 23738 83138 127 0 39417 38091 1205 121 0 0 257758 229405 25776 2577 7401 7122 254 25 0 23084 22212 792 80 0 0 28408 25283 2841 284 6886 6128 689 69 Uncollectible amounts 31114 31114 Equipment rental 15604 13888 1560 156 Professional Development 6734 6695 36 3 Other expenses 3535 3477 53 5 0 2358130 2008312 328380 21438 77 222 159325 144586 843024 632144 0 0 0 0 0 2373 59569 148599 84948 68047 63651 0 0 0 0 0 1072846 900172 170179 116867 48838 60469 50566 230648 216271 X 159916 240700 682282 443201 842198 683901 1072846 900172 -158297 X true X true X true true true X 2085394 2397026 2159764 2117025 2192477 10951686 0 0 2085394 2397026 2159764 2117025 2192477 10951686 0 10951686 480 28 13 142 663 0 0 10952349 7588 0.99990 0.99480 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 40759 15315 25444 107840 69633 38207 63651 IOLTA Trust Account payable 50566 50566 6787115 4587282 4587282 2199833 2199833 6945412 4587282 4587282 2358130 2358130 Form 990, Part VI, Line 4: Description of Significant Changes to Organizational Documents In 2013, HVL adopted changes to its bylaws and articles of incorporation. The bylaws and articles were amended to clarify the constitution of the Board of Directors by defining the number of Board members eligible to serve on the board; and to provide that the Board of Directors of the Houston Bar Association has the exclusive right to terminate the Executive Director. Form 990, Part VI, Line 11b: Form 990 Review Process The 990 is presented to the Executive Committee for review and discussion and then it is presented to the full board prior to filing. Form 990, Part VI, Line 12c: Explanation of Monitoring and Enforcement of Conflicts The organization's officers, directors, trustees and key employees are required to annually disclose any interests that could give rise to conflicts. The board of directors then reviews the information disclosed to determine if a conflict of interest exists. Form 990, Part VI, Line 15a: Compensation Review & Approval Process - CEO, Top Management The Personnel Committee of the Board of Directors -- which are independent from the organization's Executive Director -- recommends compensation for the Executive Director, and the entire Board then votes on the recommendation. Form 990, Part VI, Line 19: Other Organization Documents Publicly Available The documents are available for review in the office of the organization.