The Dallas Bar Association’s annual Equal Access to Justice Campaign is hitting crunch time in its efforts to raise $1.25 million for legal aid for the poor and disadvantaged. More than 50 lawyers, law firms and corporate legal departments have already donated between $5,000 and $25,500. The State Bar of Texas has awarded its annual Minority Counsel honors. The personal injury law firm J.D. Silva & Associates is giving away 500 new winter coats. 

The Dallas Bar Association’s Equal Access to Justice Campaign is about one-third of the way to its $1.4 million goal. Texas Appleseed raised $544,000 at its annual Good Apple Dinner last week, including a $1,000 donation from The Texas Lawbook. A Dallas plaintiff’s law firm is the first in the legal industry to announce it is sponsoring a Thanksgiving food giveaway. And a Squire Patton Boggs senior partner in Dallas will be honored next week for a career of professionalism.

In this week’s P.S. column, we highlight upcoming events such as Texas Appleseed’s annual Good Apple Dinner and the Institute for Energy Law’s Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award reception. The Center for Women in Law at the University of Texas School of Law has a new executive director. Haynes Boone gives the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program $25,500. And the Texas Chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates honor Fort Worth trial lawyer Steve Laird with its first-ever Ethics and Civility Award.

Plus, The Texas Lawbook seeks your contributions or efforts in helping those in need for the holidays.

The Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook are now accepting nominations for the 2024 DFW Corporate Counsel Awards, including nominations for Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service and Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion. In the news this week, the American Bar Association honors former LyondellBasell GC Craig Glidden, and the Federal Bar Association recognizes Dallas lawyer Martha Hardwick Hofmeister for outstanding leadership. On Thursday, the Dallas Bar Foundation presented retired NDTX Bankruptcy Judge Harlin Hale with the Justinian Award.

Plus, The Lawbook thanks Sempra Energy Chief Risk Management and Compliance Officer Carolyn Aiman and Shell USA Head of Legal Travis Torrence for donations to the Texas Lawbook Foundation to support our coverage of pro bono, public service and diversity in the legal profession.

Two years ago, The Texas Lawbook created the full-time pro bono, public service and diversity writer position with a carrot-and-stick approach: Highlight the successes of Texas lawyers in these three critical areas to hopefully encourage others to do the same and to provide data and analysis about where lawyers and firms are falling short. To be sure, the sticks are being sharpened to address failures. But today, we have three successes to highlight.

The Texas Lawbook and the Association of Corporate Counsel’s San Antonio Chapter have agreed to a new media content partnership similar to partnerships The Lawbook has with ACC chapters in DFW and Houston. And as part of the partnership, ACC San Antonio has announced that it is honoring St. Mary’s University School of Law professor Vincent R. Johnson and San Antonio labor and employment lawyer Christine Reinhard with the 2024 Lee Cusenbary Ethical Life and Leadership Award. This week’s P.S. column also highlights the new leadership of the Houston Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, led by chapter president and Pattern Energy Senior Counsel Lauren Haller.

Lawyers flooded social media this week with announcements that they — and hundreds of their best friends — were named Texas Super Lawyers. But we identified some amazingly good things lawyers did this week for the legal profession and the community.

For example, Legal Aid of Northwest Texas benefited from the annual North Texas Giving Day. Texas Access to Justice Foundation and the State Bar of Texas’s Hispanic Issues Section announced it is hosting its fifth annual virtual game night to raise funds next week. The nonpartisan citizens advocacy group Texas Watch honored Fort Worth trial lawyer Steve Laird with its Champion of Justice Award. And Sheppard Mullin kicked off the Dallas Bar Association’s Equal Access to Justice Campaign, which is being co-chaired by Oncor GC Matt Henry, with a five-figure donation.

Retired Exxon Mobil GC Jack Balagia gets a new position. The American Bar Association recognizes retired Texas Criminal Court of Appeals Judge Elsa Alcala. And the Association of Corporate Counsel’s San Antonio Chapter seeks nominations for its prestigious Lee Cusenbary Ethical Life & Leadership Award.

Also, a reminder: Please send us any information about scholarship programs set up by law firms, lawyers or legal organizations for students from low-income and disadvantaged families and communities.

Seven recent Texas high school graduates with an interest in a future practicing law learned this week that they are receiving a huge boost toward achieving their dreams. Vinson & Elkins announced that four students from Houston, two from Dallas and one from Austin are recipients of the firm’s annual V&E Scholars Program, which provides tuition funding and summer internships.

An abundance of potentially great legal talent is left on the sidelines because young people lack mentors, role models and the financial ability to position themselves for success. Over the next three months, The Texas Lawbook plans to highlight law firms, corporate legal departments and organizations who step up to improve diversity in the pipeline.

Also in this edition of P.S., The Lawbook recognizes several law firms that support the South Asian Bar Association of Dallas and its fundraising for a charity that helps South Asian victims of abuse.