Reed Smith Names Alan York New Global DEI Chair
Brooks Igo Brooks Igo

Reed Smith Names Alan York New Global DEI Chair

In an interview with The Texas Lawbook, York discusses his new responsibilities as global DEI chair, immediate and long-term goals, why diversity, inclusion and equity is important at a law firm and to him personally, and his take on the aftermath of the SFFA v. Harvard U.S. Supreme Court decision.

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P.S. — A Golf Classic, A Virtual Lottery, A Cavernous Case
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P.S. — A Golf Classic, A Virtual Lottery, A Cavernous Case

This week’s edition of P.S. features an upcoming golf classic that will support the operations of a nonprofit fighting homelessness, a cluster of Holland & Knight lawyers moving up the ranks of the National Hispanic Bar Association, a Dallas lawyer who has joined Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas’ board, a successful virtual fundraiser benefiting legal aid and the dates in October that Dallas-area clients to receive pro bono legal advice by phone. Plus: Kentucky cave trivia involving a legal battle and “One-Eyed Joe.”

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P.S.S. — 30 Charities to Donate to on North Texas Giving Day
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P.S.S. — 30 Charities to Donate to on North Texas Giving Day

Last week, we gave you 21 charities to consider donating to on North Texas Giving Day. Now that the nation’s largest community giving day is here, we have expanded that list to include a handful of additional nonprofits, including some founded by Texas business lawyers and Lawbook staff picks. This updated version of P.S. has your donation inspo.

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Perkins Coie, MoFo Lawyer Up in DEI Lawsuits

Within the last week, lawyers from Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann, Jenner & Block and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher appeared on the dockets of federal lawsuits filed against Perkins Coie and Morrison Foerster alleging discriminatory practices related to their diversity fellowships. Both firms operate in Texas and one of the lawsuits is in Dallas. Natalie Posgate has the latest.

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Gibbs & Bruns Associate Re-launches Debate Classes for Houston Prisoners
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Gibbs & Bruns Associate Re-launches Debate Classes for Houston Prisoners

On Thursday, Caitlin Halpern will host a pizza party to commemorate the re-launch of a program that teaches public speaking and critical thinking through debate to incarcerated people in Harris County. Natalie Posgate collected details on the event, the program and the organization behind it that marries Halpern’s passions for debate and criminal justice reform.

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P.S. — Lawbook Foundation, LANWT and NTX Giving Day Updates 
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P.S. — Lawbook Foundation, LANWT and NTX Giving Day Updates 

This week’s edition of P.S. puts on your radar some key dates for community giving and The Lawbook and ACC’s pro bono and diversity awards nomination deadlines, a new series Natalie Posgate is launching this fall and a Dallas lawyer who has joined a nonprofit board.

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A Conversation on Mental Health with TLAP’s Leader
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A Conversation on Mental Health with TLAP’s Leader

Suicide is top of mind as the first week of September — Suicide Prevention Month — comes to a close. The Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program helps with suicide prevention and a wide range of other mental health or substance abuse issues that lawyers, law students, judges and any other members of the Texas legal community struggle with. It’s free, it’s confidential and it’s simple.

The Lawbook recently spoke to TLAP’s director, Michelle Fontenot, who elaborated on the range of services TLAP offers and shared her thoughts on the pandemic’s effect on lawyers’ mental health, the billable hour, best ways for the legal community to support TLAP and what firms and corporate legal departments could be doing better to support the wellness of their employees.

A preview: “You put on a suit and go to work for 12 hours a day, go home, sleep, put on a suit again, and don’t get your emotional needs met.”

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P.S. — A Corporate LGBTQ+ Conference, A Maui Fund, A Life Saved
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P.S. — A Corporate LGBTQ+ Conference, A Maui Fund, A Life Saved

This edition of P.S. details September dates for the DBA’s phone legal clinics, an upcoming conference that aims to inform on the LGBTQ+ climate and help corporations build more inclusive workplaces, ways Texas lawyers can support the ABA’s disaster relief efforts in Maui and a back-to-school fundraiser that is close to the hearts of lawyers at Norton Rose Fulbright. Plus: the son of a well-known Dallas lawyer’s life-saving tale.

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