IOLTA Staff and Board Area

At a luncheon held December 18 with representatives of the Foundation, Commission and State Bar of Texas, the Supreme Court of Texas announced that it has signed an order amending the IOLTA rules to require attorneys to place their IOLTA accounts at banks that are paying rates comparable to other similarly situated accounts.

We are grateful to many in Texas who were part of the team that made it happen, particularly our Supreme Court liaison, Justice Harriet O'Neill. I am particularly indebted to the national IOLTA community. You are willing to share your knowledge and best practices to ensure that justice is a reality for poor people throughout this country. There are key people, Linda Rexer (Michigan) and Jane Curran (Florida), who helped in the drafting (and drafting and drafting) of the language. Of course, there is Bob, Tracy and others who have come before us.

Finally, the Foundation board deserves an enormous amount of credit for its work and understanding of the importance of recommending the amendment to the rules. Dick Tate has spent countless time on this endeavor and has been a part of this effort since day one.

Betty Balli Torres, Executive Director
Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation
P.O. Box 12886
Austin, Texas 78711-2886
(512) 320-0099, ext 105
Fax (512) 469-0112
bbtorres@teajf.org
www.teajf.org