Volunteer

The mission/purpose of Jane’s Due Process is to ensure legal representation for pregnant minors in Texas.

Legal representation may be needed by pregnant minors in a variety of circumstances:

1. For the minor who seeks to continue a pregnancy and experiences parental pressure to terminate, resulting in the need for a protective order and/or emancipation; and
2. For the minor who seeks to terminate a pregnancy but is unable, due to special circumstances, to notify a parent, the Texas legislature provided for waiver of parental notification by judicial bypass; and
3. For the minor who seeks access to educational opportunities and faces denial of access due to pregnancy, JDP screens for Title IX violations.

Jane’s Due Process provides counseling and referrals to pregnant teens, especially those
seeking legal exceptions to parental notification prior to terminating their pregnancies. Texas law recognizes that parental notification may not be in the best interest of every pregnant minor, and provides a judicial bypass exception in certain cases including incest, neglect, sexual abuse, sexual assault, and other special circumstances. JDP identifies those minors who, because of their unique circumstances, are likely to prevail on the merits in bypass procedures. JDP refers these cases to a network of attorneys who provide representation without cost to the minors themselves. Created in 2001, JDP is recognized in parental involvement states as a pioneer in delivering legal services to pregnant teens. The core of the JDP program is its toll-free, legal hotline, lawyer referral program, and web site.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

• We need volunteer attorneys to represent our clients in court statewide.
• We need law students or attorneys in Austin to screen hotline calls for legal referrals.
• We need help updating our donor base.

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Hotline:1-866-www-jane or 1-866-999-5263 View Site Map