Posted inNews

Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters Committee announces Indigent Defense Award Winners

By Will Korn on

The State Bar of Texas Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters Committee announced that Austin-based Capital Area Private Defender Service (CAPDS) Post-Conviction Division is the 2026 recipient of the Jeff Blackburn Award. The Bexar County Public Defender’s Office, based in San Antonio, is the 2026 recipient of the Warren Burnett Award.

The recipients will be formally recognized during the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting on June 11-12 at the Marriott Marquis in Houston.

The CAPDS Post-Conviction Division was recognized for its work in providing post-conviction representation in Travis County and statewide assistance to attorneys defending non-death-penalty murder cases. Through its Forensic Project, the CAPDS Wrongful Conviction Project, and the CAPDS Mitigation Advancement Program, the CAPDS Post-Conviction Division has shaped the indigent defense practice for years to come, according to a press release.

The Bexar County Public Defender’s Office was honored for its work representing indigent Texans. Through its courtroom excellence, multidisciplinary defense model, and dedication to systemic improvement, the Bexar County Public Defender’s Office exemplifies the purpose of this award. Its attorneys, investigators, caseworkers, and support staff collectively strengthen constitutional protections and meaningfully improve the quality of representation provided to indigent Texans, according to a press release.

Posted inNewsPro Bono

Legal Services to the Poor in Civil Matters Committee announces Pro Bono Excellence Award Winners

By Will Korn on

The State Bar of Texas Legal Services to the Poor in Civil Matters Committee announced its 2026 Pro Bono Excellence Award winners.

Judge Gloria E. Lopez, of Houston, received the Judge Merrill Hartman Pro Bono Judge Award; Penny Robe, of Richardson, received the Frank J. Scurlock Award; Garth Corbett, of Austin, received the J. Chrys Dougherty Award; and the Dallas office of O’Melveny & Myers received the W. Frank Newton Award.

The recipients will be formally recognized during the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting on June 11-12 at the Marriott Marquis in Houston.


Judge Merrill Hartman Pro Bono Judge Award—Judge Gloria E. Lopez

The Judge Merrill Hartman Pro Bono Judge Award honors a sitting or retired judge who has provided exemplary pro bono service, including outreach to attorneys to increase the quantity and quality of pro bono representation; modifications to court processes to increase access to justice; advocacy on behalf of access to justice; service as a volunteer judge for pro bono clinics; or other pro bono proceedings. Judge Lopez has devoted her career to advancing service within the legal profession through judicial leadership, legal education, attorney training, and bar involvement, earning recognition as the 2025 Judge of the Year by the State Bar of Texas Hispanic Lawyers Section for her commitment to the profession and access to justice. As a council member of the Hispanic Lawyers Section, she helped lead fundraising efforts for the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, contributing to the most successful “LAWtería” event in the organization’s history in 2025.  She also volunteers extensively with the American Bar Association’s Children’s Immigration Law Academy and the State Bar of Texas Family Law Essentials Seminar, supporting pro bono representation and fairer outcomes for underserved communities.

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Posted inMentoringNewsTexas Bar FoundationTexas Young Lawyers Association

TYLA program will aid aspiring first-generation lawyers with grant from Texas Bar Foundation

By Rebecca Johnson on

The Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) has received a $43,440 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation to create the Texas Future Lawyers Alliance (TFLA). The group will comprise 20 undergraduate aspiring lawyers attending Texas colleges and universities who will receive a year of legal training, legal networking, career guidance, and law school admissions support.

“As it stands today, financial and institutional barriers leave so many talented aspiring lawyers behind before they even have a chance to step into a law school classroom,” said TYLA President-elect Armin Salek, the project’s architect. Salek will take office as TYLA president in June and will lead the implementation of the project during his tenure.

“Many of these aspiring lawyers come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and rural backgrounds,” he said. “These communities also represent the individuals who are the most likely to be impacted by the access to justice gap. TYLA can fight to ensure that the legal profession is equipped with the lived experiences to represent and serve all communities by investing earlier in the pathway to the legal profession.”

For more details, see the press release.

Posted inNewsState Bar

Alistair B. Dawson posthumously named a 2026 Texas Legal Legend

By Will Korn on

Late Houston attorney Alistair B. Dawson was posthumously named a recipient of the 2026 Texas Legal Legend award during a ceremony held at South Texas College of Law Houston on April 23.

The award, presented by the State Bar of Texas Litigation Section, recognizes Texas lawyers who have demonstrated exceptional professional skill and a lifelong commitment to serving others. The award memorializes the stories of legendary lawyers who have practiced in Texas.

Dawson, who died in August 2025, was a longtime partner in and trial lawyer with Beck Redden in Houston. He tried numerous cases throughout his career, ranging from “bet-the-company” commercial litigation to complex intellectual property and energy disputes. His career was defined by a rigorous work ethic and unimpeachable integrity, earning him recognition as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), among others, according to a press release.

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Posted inNewsState BarTexas Young Lawyers Association

Sarah Clower Keathley of Corsicana elected State Bar of Texas president-elect

By Rebecca Johnson on

Texas attorneys elected Sarah Clower Keathley of Corsicana to be president-elect of the State Bar of Texas. Keathley received 52.59%—8,014—of the 15,239 votes cast during the monthlong voting period that ended April 30. Her opponent, Ray Thomas, of McAllen, received 47.41%, or 7,225 votes. Keathley will be sworn in as president-elect during a State Bar of Texas Board of Directors meeting on June 11, 2026, and will serve as president of the State Bar of Texas from June 2027 to June 2028. 

In the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) election, Claire Harbert of Waco was elected president-elect and will serve as TYLA president from June 2027 to June 2028. Harbert received 61.27% of the 3,191 votes cast, while her opponent, David R. “Dave” Hagan, of Longview, received 38.73%.

For more information on Keathley and Harbert, and the results of all of the State Bar and TYLA district director elections, see the press release. 

Posted inNews

Dallas Bar Association hosts e-clinics in May

By Eric Quitugua on

Volunteer attorneys will be available to answer legal questions on Wednesdays in May through the Dallas Bar Association’s LegalLine E-Clinic. The clinics are free of cost to participants.

A volunteer attorney will call a participant for up to 15 minutes of legal advice. No attorney-client relationship will be established. Individuals may receive referrals to local, legal, or social service agencies.

Calls from the clinic will remain anonymous. Participants should expect a call from an unknown number labeled “No Caller ID” or something similar. To participate, an online form is available at https://shorturl.at/borO4. Registration for e-clinics closes at noon on the Tuesday prior.

Clinics are scheduled for May 6, May 13, May 20, and May 27, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information, go to dallasbar.org/?pg=LawyerReferralService.

Posted inNews

Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program hosts free legal clinics in May

By Eric Quitugua on

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 May.

All virtual clinics run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.:

  • DVAP and JPMorgan Chase—Thursday, May 7
  • DVAP and DLA Piper—Thursday, May 14
  • DVAP and Haynes and Boone—Thursday, May 21
  • DVAP and Stinson—Thursday, May 28

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Posted inNewsState Bar

San Antonio attorney Steve Chiscano selected chair-elect of State Bar of Texas Board of Directors

By Will Korn on

The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors on Friday voted to select Steve Chiscano as chair-elect. Chiscano, a shareholder in Chiscano Hossa & Calve in San Antonio, will take office in June and serve as chair until June 2027.

Chiscano was elected in 2024 to serve as a director on the State Bar Board of Directors representing District 10, Place 1 (Bexar County).

Read the news release here.

Posted inNewsTexas Bar Foundation

Texas Bar Foundation awards $7,400 grant to Alliance For Children

By Will Korn on

The Texas Bar Foundation (TBF) awarded Alliance For Children, a children’s advocacy center serving Tarrant County, a grant of $7,400 to support its court education/accompaniment and emergency needs programs.

These programs provide essential support services for child abuse victims and their protective families as they prepare for what is likely the most challenging time of their lives. Alliance For Children’s family advocates coordinate these programs with a deep awareness of the fear and apprehension a child may experience when facing an abuser in court. The goal of these programs is to ensure that children and their protective caregivers feel supported, prepared, and empowered for what lies ahead, according to a press release

“Walking into a court room can be overwhelming for anyone. Yet, for the children and families served by Alliance For Children, it can mean reliving trauma and violence. We are grateful to the Texas Bar Foundation for their support of children and caregivers in tangible ways to reduce anxiety during the criminal court process,” Alliance For Children CEO Julie Evans said in a press release.

For more information about Alliance for Children or its work, go to allianceforchildren.org. For more information about the TBF, go to txbf.org.

Posted inNewsState Bar

State Bar board to meet in Boerne April 24

By Rebecca Johnson on
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The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors will meet at 8 a.m. on April 24 at the Bevy Hotel in Boerne. The meeting is open to the public and will be broadcast live on the State Bar of Texas YouTube channel. 

The agenda can be viewed here. Among the agenda items, the board will vote to elect the new chair of the Board of Directors for 2026-27, consider and discuss acceptance and acknowledgement of acceptance of contributions to the State Bar of Texas Building Fund, and consider and discuss approval of the State Bar of Texas 2026-27 proposed budget to the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Those who wish to address the board in person during the meeting should fill out a speaker card at the beginning of the meeting and submit it to a staff member onsite. To sign up to speak remotely during the meeting, email boardofdirectors@texasbar.com or call 512-427-1400 or 800-204-2222 (toll free) before 5 p.m. CDT on Thursday, April 23. Please provide the agenda item number you wish to speak on. 

Written comments regarding agenda items must be received by 5 p.m. CDT on Monday, April 20, for timely distribution to the board before the meeting. Please submit written comments by email to boardofdirectors@texasbar.com and indicate the agenda item you are referring to. 

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