After a maximum of nine years of service, Kim J. Askew has been succeeded by retired Judge Lora Livingston as the Texas state delegate in the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates. Askew, a partner in DLA Piper in Dallas, is a longtime member of the House, having previously served as the delegate for the ABA Section of Litigation and the Dallas Bar Association. She continues ABA service as the delegate for the American Law Institute.
“I have long supported the State Bar of Texas and worked on behalf of Texas lawyers,” Askew said in an email to the Texas Bar Journal. “Serving as the ABA Texas delegate was a continuation of my service to Texas lawyers. Plus, I enjoy being at the heart of debates on some of the major issues facing lawyers and courts.”
Livingston was elected to Travis Country’s 261st District Court in 1999, becoming the first African American woman to preside over that court. She assumed the mantle of Texas’ delegate following the ABA’s 2023 Annual Meeting August 8 in Denver. She is eligible to serve up to three, three-year terms as delegate.
State delegates are elected by eligible ABA members in that state. Once elected, they become members of the ABA’s House of Delegates, the legislative and policy arm of the ABA. Delegates serve on the nominating committee that selects ABA officers and the board of governors, votes on ABA policy, and works with various state and local bars. For more information about the ABA, go to americanbar.org.
Photo: Kim J. Askew (center) stands with State Bar of Texas President Cindy Tisdale (left), and incoming ABA Texas Delegate Judge Lora Livingston (right), at the ABA Annual Meeting August 8 in Denver, Colorado. Courtesy of Kim J. Askew.