P.S. — A Legal Line, A New DRC Board Member, A CLE-Accredited Criminal Justice Talk
This edition of P.S. features a Barnes & Thornburg lawyer who joined an esteemed board of key business leaders in Dallas; an upcoming CLE that includes a conversation with a corporate lawyer turned criminal justice reformer who founded three nonprofits, achieved clemency for seven pro bono clients, did a TED Talk and wrote a memoir about her experience growing up with her mother behind bars; and upcoming dates in April when those in need of free legal services can receive pro bono legal advice by phone.
Other firms and corporate legal departments featured this week include Carrington Coleman, Southwest Airlines, Locke Lord, Haynes Boone, Jones Day, Match Group and Winstead.
Cruel & Unusual Punishment: The Tale of 2 Prisoner Rights Pro Bono Wins
Within the same week, two separate teams of associates from Haynes Boone prevailed in two pro bono cases that protect the Eighth Amendment rights of an extremely sleep-deprived inmate whose health has suffered and an intellectually disabled inmate on death row. The Lawbook spoke to one lawyer on each team to learn more about the cases, how their firm got them and what the outcomes mean on a micro and macro level.
P.S. — An Award with Donated Winnings, A Pro Bono Award, A Pledge to Diversify Renewable Energy
This week’s P.S. column features a Houston in-house lawyer who has joined the board of a national renewable energy-focused nonprofit, a nomination period that has opened for in-house lawyers dedicated to pro bono work benefiting legal aid organizations and an award recently received by Vinson & Elkins’ head of pro bono.
Other legal departments mentioned in this edition include CenterPoint, Chevron, Pattern Energy, ExxonMobil and Toyota North America.
Three Houston Corporate Counsel Recognized for Diversity and Inclusion Successes
The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook announced Friday that in-house lawyers at Ascend Performance Material, Shell USA and Spire Resources are finalists for the 2024 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion.
P.S. — A Veteran’s Gala; April DVAP Clinic Dates; Leadership Changes at The Center, ABA
This week’s edition of P.S. features a woman lawyer’s rise in the ranks of the ABA’s litigation section, details on the Texas Access to Justice Commission’s upcoming annual gala benefiting low-income veterans (including how many dollars away it is from hitting its fundraising goal), an impending leadership change at UT Law’s Center for Women in Law and the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program’s April legal clinic dates.
P.S. — People’s Law School, Fat Checks from Washington, Relief for Ranchers
This week’s edition of P.S. features a disaster relief fund offering financial aid to ranchers affected by the Panhandle wildfires, Congressional funding news for civil legal aid in Texas, an upcoming legal knowledge education event for the public at a Central Texas law school and the Texas Bar Foundation’s recipient choice for its annual public service and legal ethics-oriented award.
P.S. — Birdies, Aces and Honey Baked Hams
This week’s edition of P.S. features information on the Houston Bar Foundation’s new chair, an Easter-themed food giveaway sponsored by Witherite Law Group, a tennis clinic and exhibition match that hosted underserved youth in Austin and sponsorship opportunities for the Dallas Bar Association’s upcoming annual golf tournament.
P.S. — A Wildfire Call to Action, A 6-Figure Grant for Pro Se Litigants, A Theater’s 40th Birthday
This edition of P.S. features disaster legal aid efforts underway for the Panhandle wildfire, an upcoming gala celebrating the 40th birthday of one of Dallas’ most established performance art nonprofits, news of two significant grants secured by the Houston Bar Foundation and Texas Young Lawyers Association, and March legal clinic dates hosted by the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program.
Three Courts, Two Eviction Actions and One 11-Hour Move: How Four V&E Associates Kept a Pro Bono Client Off the Streets
It took six months, 177 pro bono hours, $167,000 of their firm’s resources, a U-Haul and an 11-hour move for a team of four Vinson & Elkins associates to secure a favorable resolution for their 74-year-old client who was facing eviction, but they never gave up. The V&E team recently spoke with The Lawbook about what made this case unusual from typical landlord-tenant disputes, why this pro bono matter was important to them and how the many twists and turns of the case mirrored some of their billable commercial litigation work.
“It took me days to figure out what the law on this was,” said Josh Jilovec, one of the lawyers on the case. “To expect a tenant to prepare a legitimate case in defense … it’s just a tall task.”
P.S. — Women’s Advocacy Honorees Revealed, A Discussion on Homelessness
This week’s edition of P.S. features March dates for the Dallas Bar Association’s phone legal clinic, an event in San Antonio featuring prominent policymakers aimed at educating the public on homelessness and the revelation of LegalAid of NorthWest Texas’ honorees for its 2024 Women’s Advocacy Awards.