Carrollton-based juvenile attorney Andy C. Olivo characterizes his law career as having come “full circle.” As a boy, Olivo got an early taste of courthouses in El Paso, where he witnessed litigation that decided the fate of his ailing mother, no longer able to care for him. He was moved to an El Paso orphanage … Continue Reading
Tyler attorney and mediator Blake Bailey is finishing his fifth decade as a lawyer, and during this time, he has grown a profound passion for assisting others in need. He does this routinely through his practice at home, but a February trip to Poland to aid fleeing Ukrainian refugees displaced by the Russia-Ukraine violence elevated … Continue Reading
Frank Stevenson, of counsel to Locke Lord in Dallas, was honored with the 2023 Fellows Justinian Award by the Dallas Bar Foundation, or DBF. The award recognizes a lawyer who excels in the practice of law and who has shown a commitment to volunteer and professional service. Stevenson will receive the award during the DBF’s … Continue Reading
In cooperation with legal service providers and local bar associations, the Texas Access to Justice Commission, or TAJC, has renewed its statewide legal clinic initiative to provide civil legal assistance to veterans. Texas veterans can visit free, in-person legal clinics during June in several locations throughout the state. Volunteer attorneys will offer one-on-one advice and … Continue Reading
Starting on June 5, Austin attorneys will be able to receive attorney parking cards for the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility, the Austin Bar Association announced Wednesday. “We have been studying the parking situation for the past several months and believe we have the space to allow for attorney parking,” District Judge Amy … Continue Reading
St. Mary’s University School of Law’s pro bono efforts were bolstered by aid from the Texas Bar Foundation. A $15,000 grant will support six law students who work in unpaid positions with legal service providers for low-income clients and government agencies. “Without the fellowship, I would not have been able to complete my summer placement,” … Continue Reading
Volunteer attorneys will be available to answer legal questions on Wednesdays in June through the Dallas Bar Association’s LegalLine E-Clinic. The clinics, which run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., are free of cost. A volunteer attorney will call a participant for up to 15 minutes of legal advice. No attorney-client relationship will be established. … Continue Reading
The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, an initiative of the Dallas Bar Association, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, and local lawyers, is hosting free virtual and in-person legal clinics for eligible Dallas County residents throughout June.… Continue Reading
The Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center, or DEAC, announced it has hired Bill Holston as its new chief operating officer. He will transition into his new role in August of this year. The DEAC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm that provides free legal representation to tenants facing eviction in Dallas County. Since 2012, Holston has … Continue Reading
The Texas Access to Justice Commission, or TAJC, honored Texas Access to Justice Foundation, or TAJF, Executive Director Betty Balli Torres with the Emily C. Jones Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to improving Texans’ access to justice during the Champions of Justice Gala on April 25 in Austin. This award, named after the TAJC’s … Continue Reading
Diana Gomez was sworn in as the 2023-2024 president of the Houston Bar Association, or HBA, during the HBA’s annual dinner on May 11. She is the sixth woman and the first Latina to hold this office in the HBA’s 153-year history, according to a press release. Gomez succeeds Past President Christopher V. Popov, of … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Legal Services to the Poor in Civil Matters Committee announced its 2023 Pro Bono Excellence award winners. Hillary Holmes, of Houston, received the Frank J. Scurlock Award; Monique Lopez-Hinkley, of Fort Worth, received the J. Chrys Dougherty Award; Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, or DVAP, of Dallas, received the Pro Bono … Continue Reading
Michelle Moore, of Burnet, was awarded the Warren Burnett Award. Named for the late legendary Texas Attorney Warren Burnett, the Warren Burnett Award recognizes extraordinary contributions to improving the quality of criminal legal representation to indigent Texans. The award honors either an individual or organization for their work in the courtroom, legislature, or in the … Continue Reading
The Texas Bar Foundation, or TBF, has awarded a $34,485 grant to Dallas-based Advocates for Community Transformation, or ACT, to increase its casework capacity in Fort Worth, according to a press release. This grant, the largest ACT has received from the TBF according to a press release, will help ACT hire a community advocate, essential … Continue Reading
The Supreme Court of Texas has debuted new forms that allow individuals representing themselves to create a will. The forms are the result of a change in state law passed by the 84th Texas Legislature and signed by the governor. They assist a person who is single, married, widowed, or divorced and those with or without … Continue Reading
The Texas Bar Journal will be following the journey of newly licensed attorney Chris Spendlove through the first year of his career. This initiative intends to show future Texas lawyers what to expect when approaching the first year of their legal career. Throughout the year, Spendlove will update the State Bar on the highs and … Continue Reading
Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, or VLS, has received a $20,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation, one of the nation’s largest charitably funded bar foundations, to continue its work of providing pro bono legal services to low-income survivors of domestic violence. With this grant, VLS will assist those affected by domestic violence, aiming … Continue Reading
The Austin Bar Association was awarded a $15,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation to start a podcast dedicated to highlighting the value of diversity in leadership positions in the Austin legal community, according to a press release. The podcast, titled Council of Firsts, is another step toward making the Austin Bar Association a more … Continue Reading
Texas lawyers have elected Steve Benesh of Austin as the next president-elect of the State Bar of Texas. Benesh received 52.41%—12,081—of the 23,051 votes cast during the monthlong voting period that ended May 2. His opponent, Jerry Alexander of Dallas, received 47.59%, or 10,970 votes. Benesh will be sworn in as president-elect on June 22, … Continue Reading
The American Bar Association Hispanic Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities will host the third annual Cinco de Música, a nationwide celebration to raise awareness of and support for the ABA Hispanic Commission, at 5:30 p.m. May 4. Chaired by Texas Access to Justice Foundation Executive Director Betty Balli Torres, this free virtual event … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors on Friday voted to select Kennon Wooten as chair-elect. Wooten, a partner in Scott Douglass & McConnico in Austin, will take office in June and will serve as board chair until June 2024. Wooten was elected in 2021 to serve as a director on the State Bar … Continue Reading
Houston Volunteer Lawyers, or HVL, the pro bono arm of the Houston Bar Association, recently announced Jessica Howton Stool as its new executive director. She began her new role on April 17, succeeding former HVL Executive Director Anne Chandler. “Jessica brings a wealth of pro bono experience to this role,” said HVL Chair David E. … Continue Reading
The Texas Access to Justice Commission, along with its co-sponsor, the State Bar of Texas, raised $485,000 to help provide civil legal services to low-income Texas veterans during the Champions of Justice Gala Benefiting Veterans on April 25 at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin. Proceeds from the gala will be distributed by … Continue Reading
The Texas Legal Services Center, or TLSC, a nonprofit organization funded by the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, launched on April 24 the Virtual Court Access Project, a statewide pilot project aiming to improve low-income Texans’ ability to receive free legal services through deploying accessible, virtual court kiosks to communities. The kiosks act as virtual … Continue Reading
The Texas Bar Journal will be following the journey of newly licensed attorney Chris Spendlove through the first year of his career. This initiative intends to show future Texas lawyers what to expect when approaching the first year of their legal career. Throughout the year, Spendlove will update the State Bar on the highs and … Continue Reading