DALLAS – April 23, 2004 – Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas honored the people who have helped make justice accessible for thousands of disadvantaged Texans with the presentation of its 9th Annual Equal Justice Awards, April 29, 2004. Ceremonies were held at the Pavilion at the Belo Mansion, 2101 Ross Avenue in Dallas, with Darrell Jordan, a partner in the law firm of Godwin Gruber, serving as master of ceremonies.

Award recipients included:

• The Hon. Jerry Buchmeyer, senior judge of the U.S. District Court, received the organization’s first lifetime achievement award for his distinguished and consistent support of Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas’ mission of access to “justice for all.”
• Kenneth D. Fuller, name partner in the family law firm Koons, Fuller, Vanden Eykel & Robertson received the Merrill L. Hartman Award for exceptional service by a pro bono attorney.
• Beverly Godbey of the firm Gardere Wynne Sewell received the 2004 Rainmaker for Justice Award.
• Individual Equal Justice Awards were presented to the Hon. Royce West, senator, Texas State Senate; the Hon. Jeffrey V. Coen, Judge, 254th District Court; and the Hon. Randy Catterton, judge, 231st District Court for their exceptional leadership in supporting equal access to justice. Additional awards were presented to Hector Flores of the League of United Latin American Citizens; Trisha Graham, executive director, Tarrant County Bar Association; and Michael F. Linz of the Law Firm of Michael F. Linz for their service in promoting Equal Justice Under Law for all North Texans.
• Microsoft Corp. received the 2004 Corporate Partnership Award for their in-kind support of the provision of legal aid to the poor with donations valued at more than $335,000 over the past three years. Todd Cione, General Manager of Microsoft’s Small and Mid-market Solutions and Partners (SMS&P) Group, accepted the award on behalf of Microsoft.
• "Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas is pleased to be able to recognize this group of outstanding honorees,” said the Hon. Cheryl Williams, Chair of Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas' Board of Directors. “Their tremendous contributions have truly made ‘equal access to justice’ possible."

About Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, an affiliate of the United Way, is a non-profit law firm dedicated to providing free civil legal aid for low-income residents in 114 counties in north and west Texas. For over 50 years, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas has delivered urgently needed civil legal services for the poor and disenfranchised, with the goal of creating one of the most successful, reputable and largest legal aid programs in the nation, comprehensive and accessible by all that are indigent or deprived of justice.