P.S. — Nearly $1.4M Raised for Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program
In this edition of P.S., we report on the Dallas Bar Association’s impressive $1.4 million fundraising campaign to support the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program. Coming up, you can watch your favorite lawyer-led musical bands while donating to charity at the Feb. 26 Law Rocks Dallas. And a pro bono legal intake clinic hosted by lawyers from Baker Botts and Toyota North America returned to New Friends New Life.
Fifth Circuit Gives Trump Admin Win on Immigration Detention Policy
A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Friday sided with the Trump administration’s interpretation of immigration law, allowing the government to detain noncitizens without the opportunity to seek bond while they contest deportation.
Writing for the majority, U.S. Circuit Judge Edith H. Jones concluded that a provision of Section 1225 of the Immigration and Nationality Act authorizes the government to deny bond to noncitizens who have been living in the U.S. — often for decades and frequently without criminal records — as they fight removal proceedings. For nearly 30 years, prior administrations had treated such individuals as subject to Section 1226, which permits release on bond.
Fifth Circuit Gives Trump Admin Win on Immigration Detention Policy
A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Friday sided with the Trump administration’s interpretation of immigration law, allowing the government to detain noncitizens without the opportunity to seek bond while they contest deportation. The opinion comes as federal district courts across the country confront a surge of lawsuits challenging the Administration’s approach.
P.S. — ‘This is Our American Dream,’ DFW Corp. Counsel Award Winners Share Inspiring Acceptance Remarks
Last week, The Texas Lawbook had the honor of co-hosting the 2025 DFW Corporate Counsel Awards with the Association of Corporate Counsel DFW Chapter. The words shared by the four honorees in the Diversity and Inclusion and Pro Bono and Public Service categories are still resonating with us and are well worth sharing with readers in this column. We have also included links to The Lawbook’s previously published profiles of the honorees. The acceptance remarks below have been edited for length and clarity.
In this edition of P.S., we also report that Dallas-based Attorneys Serving the Community held a record-breaking fundraising event for Shared Housing Center and a Paul Hastings Texas partner has joined the advisory board of the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law.
Texas Federal Courts are Largely Rejecting Administration’s New Interpretation of Immigration Detention Law
By the time Enzzo Enmanuel de Jesus Lopez-Arevelo walked into a Miami immigration courtroom Aug. 8, 2025, his life in the U.S. had already taken several dramatic turns, as detailed by a federal district court case in Texas.
P.S. — Texas Native Named Dean of Yale Law School
In this edition of P.S., we report that San Antonio native Cristina M. Rodríguez is set to make history as the first Latina to lead Yale Law School when she assumes the deanship on Feb. 1. Also, the San Antonio Legal Services Association has announced that Texas Supreme Court Justice Brett Busby will serve as the keynote speaker at its premier fundraising event in April. And retired U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn, a trailblazer and mentor to many, will be honored with the Charles O. Galvin Award for Extraordinary Service as part of SMU Dedman School of Law’s 2026 Distinguished Alumni Awards.
Legal Aid Feels ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’ After Latest Funding Loss
A 3.6 percent funding cut approved by the U.S. Senate for the Legal Services Corporation — the federal nonprofit that funds legal aid organizations nationwide — will result in an estimated $1.9 million loss for Texas, marking yet another setback for legal aid providers after a year of repeated funding reductions, advocates said.
Daughter of Immigrants, 7-Eleven Corporate Counsel Nayelly Dominguez Builds Pathways, Not Just Programs
There were no lawyers in Nayelly Dominguez’s family to help chart a path for her.
Now a corporate lawyer at 7-Eleven, the daughter of Mexican immigrants has built what one nominator calls a “national profile as a champion” for greater representation of Hispanic and Latina lawyers across in-house departments, law firms, bar associations and government roles.
For her influence, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook are recognizing Dominguez as one of two award recipients for Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion. A ceremony will be held Jan. 29 at the George W. Bush Institute.
For Jacobs Deputy GC Sarah Wariner, the Best Legal Advice Comes from Diverse Voices
As senior vice president and deputy general counsel of Jacobs, a Fortune 250 company, Sarah Wariner looks for only the best legal counsel.
It just so happens, she said, that the strongest teams are also the most diverse.
“The best counsel, in my opinion, is the counsel that can come up with creative perspectives and view things from all angles and deliver the best solution,” Wariner said. “And I think you get that by having diverse minds, and that means diverse backgrounds.”
P.S. — The Lawbook’s Plan for Pro Bono, Public Service and Diversity Coverage in 2026
Never before has the role of Texas lawyers been more important when it comes to meeting the legal needs of those in poverty, those who are disenfranchised or disadvantaged, those who are military veterans or single parents and children facing abusive environments. Never has the issue of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession been more important or more newsworthy.
For three years now, The Texas Lawbook has covered the work of Texas lawyers — from law firm partners and associates to in-house counsel — who stepped forward on their own time and at their own expense to help others.