Paralegal Division Announces Recipient of 2005 Exceptional Pro Bono Award

For more information, contact: 
Ellen Lockwood, CLAS/RP, Chair

(210) 832-3382  

Martha Jones

Martha Jones, CLA, Austin, winner of this year's Paralegal Division Exceptional Pro Bono Award, is certainly one of the most deserving paralegal volunteers that the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas has ever had. 

In 1994, Jones was awarded the "Outstanding Volunteer” award from Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas (VLS) in Austin.

In addition to her work with VLS, Jones has a history of volunteer service with the SBOT Paralegal Division.  Jones was Chair of the Continuing Education Committee 1995-1997, the Legal Assistant University Speaker Committee in 2000, and chaired the 2001 Annual Meeting.  Jones served on the Board of Directors during 2000-2002, received the Continuing Education Committee Special Award in 1997, and received the Chair of the Year Award in 2000. 

Jones has been giving back to the legal community for many years.  In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Jones was personally involved in organizing and launching a clinic to handle family law pro bono cases.  She then volunteered her time there on a monthly basis. 

Jones says the VLS Pro Se Divorce Clinic for people with children captured her heart.  During her years with the clinic, she has helped over 100 people get divorced — people who otherwise might not have been able to get their lives back on track.  She says that she receives much satisfaction in helping people who feel trapped in a system they don't understand, and she adds that her volunteer work helps her to be more compassionate with her clients.

Jones is a mother figure with a special way of making the pro se litigants feel respected and worthy.  She has a terrific sense of humor which she brings to the clinic.  She  keeps everyone upbeat and smiling despite the many problems that the clinic clients are experiencing. 

Jones brings a wealth of experience and information to the clinic she serves.  She regularly goes above and beyond what is required or expected of her: giving her telephone number to a pro se litigant with special needs, personally checking on service, personally calling out-of-county process servers to arrange service, updating forms to keep current of legislative changes, and simply holding someone's hand or giving them a hug because they are overwhelmed by the process.  In addition, if not for Jones, many paralegals would never have desired to volunteer for VLS. 

Jones's long and respected volunteer career with the Paralegal Division and the VLS Clinic deserves the respect and recognition associated with winning this award.  Her professionalism and loving attention paid to the clinic participants have benefited our legal community and has made an enormous difference in the lives of all of those she has helped. 

Jones is a TBLS Board Certified Legal Assistant in Family Law and works in Austin, TX, as a paralegal for the law firm of Ausley Algert Robertson & Flores, LLP.