QUESTION: An article about the polygamy situation in West Texas said 350 lawyers are descending on San Angelo to do pro bono work. Is this for publicity? I can't imagine this many lawyers donating their time and expenses out of the kindness of their hearts.

ANSWER: Perhaps this will put a chill on all the lawyer jokes for a while. I doubt it's for the publicity since it would be nearly impossible to stand out among 350 other lawyers.

Texas attorneys, myself included,take their obligation to provide pro bono services seriously. Attorneys understand that children and indigent litigants are entitled to representation, and they understand it is the duty of bar members to provide that representation at no cost or at a substantially reduced fee. The State Bar of Texas urges each attorney to provide at least 50 pro bono hours per year or to donate to an organization that provides legal services to poor people. In 2006, according to the state bar, Texas attorneys performed 1.77 million hours of free legal services to poor people (not counting legal aid attorneys) and 1.28 million hours at reduced fees. They donated $1.69 million to legal services organizations.

The Family Code requires that a trained attorney be appointed for each child removed from his or her home because of abuse or neglect. Parents who are facing termination of parental rights because of abuse or neglect are entitled to an appointed attorney if they are indigent. Attorneys for children and parents must be familiar with child abuse laws and procedures, so training is necessary for attorneys who do not usually handle such matters. Attorneys for children, especially, need to understand the standards promulgated by the American Bar Association and Texas laws regarding representation of children.

In response to the need for attorneys in San Angelo, the state bar is providing free online training for volunteer attorneys. In a cooperative effort, the state bar, its family law section and the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Commission on Children, Youth and Families have identified volunteer lawyers and given their names to the San Angelo court, in addition to providing other services to the court.

At this point, attorneys volunteering to represent children or indigent parents are paying their own travel and housing expenses and taking time to educate themselves in child welfare law, in addition to providing free legal services and taking time off from their practices to participate. While they do so, overhead expenses for offices back home remain the same. To offset volunteer attorneys' travel expenses in representing San Angelo court participants, the state bar and two agencies have established a fund to which anyone can donate. Texas Access to Justice Foundation donations can be sent to P.O. Box 12886, Austin, TX 78711-2886, and Texas Bar Foundation donations can be sent to 504 Lavaca St., Suite 1005, Austin, TX 78701.

Many other organizations, such as local bar associations, the Court Improvement Project and Texas Lawyers for Children, are providing training and networking services also.

Q: How are fire ant mounds formed?

A: In spring and fall, usually following a rain, worker ants form new outlet tunnels and breeder males fly out in swarms. Females follow, fly into the swarm and mate.

The males die and the fertile females find a spot to form another mound. They tunnel down and become the queen ants, each laying about a dozen eggs to start. Those hatch in a week, and the new ants start tunneling and building the new mound by trucking dirt to the surface. A queen lays from 800 to 5,000 eggs per day.

Unlike regular ants, fire ants make many tunnels with outlets near the surface, and their main tunnels reach far down into the ground.

Q: Walking downtown I often notice drivers at intersections not yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks during the "Walk" cycle. Can the city install signs to remind drivers to yield to pedestrians?

A: Just like knowing what a flashing red/flashing yellow intersection requires, drivers should know they must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks at intersections with signals or signs, as it is state law. According to Rolin McPhee, public works engineering manager, "Yield to Pedestrian" signs are intended only for spots such as mid-block crosswalks, with no signals. The cost of signs is not warranted where drivers should know the law.

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