As part of its "Texas Trailblazer" series, North Texas public television station KERA-TV will feature two veteran Texas attorneys, Harold Barefoot Sanders and Louise Raggio, and journalist Vivian Castleberry. All three Texans were chosen for their active role in and impact on civil rights and women’s rights not only in Texas, but also the country. Harold … Continue Reading
As Houston lawyer Phyllis R. Frye (pictured) describes it, she’s “had more than [her] 15 minutes of fame, enjoyed it, and handled it well.” Still, she says she is honored and surprised that Texas A&M University has named the Phyllis Frye Advocacy Award after her. Its first recipient is Dr. James Rosenheim, who will be … Continue Reading
TexasBarCLE, the State Bar’s professional development program, is lucky to have hundreds of volunteer speakers and authors who help back up its slogan, "Education by the Bar, for the Bar." Staff members of TexasBarCLE recently honored four volunteers who they felt made outstanding contributions during 2008. J. Cary Barton of San Antonio, Chad Baruch of Plano, Rhonda … Continue Reading
For Random Profiles, we randomly pick one of our 80,000-plus attorneys, call them, and do a Q&A. We’ve found that every Texas lawyer has an interesting story. Will yours be next? Family: Married to Michelle Charanza for 18 years who is my law partner. She attended the University of Houston Law School and I went to South Texas … Continue Reading
Richard and Carolyn Pena, left, and Indian tour guide A delegation of U.S. lawyers returned from India last month with a simple but important lesson: lawyers everywhere share a common bond, and that’s a passion to protect and defend the Rule of Law, sometimes during very difficult circumstances. The US-India Law Forum was led by … Continue Reading
In 2004, a little-known, yet landmark, legal case was celebrated. Fifty years before, Pete Hernandez v. State of Texas set legal precedent when it was ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court that Mexican Americans and all other racial groups were protected under the 14th Amendment. Before the case, Mexican Americans were considered white, and therefore, were … Continue Reading
The State Bar Poverty Law Section honored five attorneys at its annual conference, which concludes today. The section awarded its Noble Award for Lifetime Achievements in Poverty to Texas Legal Services Center attorney Randall D. Chapman, which was presented by Texas Access to Justice Commission Chair Jim Sales. Sales lauded Chapman for his work in the Texas Legislature and … Continue Reading
For Random Profiles, we randomly pick one of our 80,000-plus attorneys, call them, and do a Q&A. We’ve found that every Texas lawyer has an interesting story. Will yours be next? Best thing about being a lawyer: Being able to use intelligence, creativity, and compassion to help people solve problems. Latest pursuit: Attempting to train the puppy … Continue Reading
Here are the official winners of the 2008-2009 State Bar YouTube Contest, "Ideals That Unite Us," in which State Bar President Harper Estes invited all Texans to contemplate the ideals that unite us as citizens of this country. In the Over 18 category, the winner is Gabriel Evans‘ video, "Memories Unite Us:" In the Under 18 … Continue Reading
Linda Addison, a partner in the Houston and New York offices of Fulbright & Jaworksi L.L.P., is one of five recipients of the 2009 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award. This ABA award was established in 1991 to honor outstanding women lawyers who have achieved professional excellence and paved the way to success for others. Addison’s … Continue Reading
We asked State Bar President (and resident bibliophile) Harper Estes to name some of his favorite books. His selections, as of the time of writing: Novel: Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. This book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1972 and should be read by anyone who loves either the American West or great … Continue Reading
Legal technologist Richard Susskind created a huge buzz among attendees of last week’s ABA Techshow with his keynote speech about the future of the legal profession. Susskind’s latest book, "The End of Lawyers? Rethinking the Nature of Legal Services," foretells radical changes to business of law, including a commoditization of nearly every aspect of legal … Continue Reading
Meet Roxanne Wilson – attorney, morning show deejay, Jazzercise instructor, author, and community volunteer. The 30-year old Austin hot-shot has a story and message to share with young professionals everywhere. Upon graduating from the University of Michigan Law School, Wilson moved to Austin to practice at Winstead PC. One of Wilson’s many volunteer activities was involvement in … Continue Reading
State Bar Immediate Past President Gib Walton was awarded the 2009 Karen H. Susman Jurisprudence Award by the Anti-Defamation League on March 31. Founded in 1913, the ADL is the country’s premier human relations and civil rights organization. Walton’s leadership is indicative of this mission, ensuring that minorities have a voice and hold leadership positions that really … Continue Reading
Last time the State Bar caught up with Austin attorney John Ramsey, he was fresh out of law school and had just started practicing with Nunis & Associates. He was also just named Funniest Person in Austin. That was back in 2005. Since then, he’s performed throughout the country, most notably in Aspen for HBO’s … Continue Reading
