© 2013 The Texas Lawbook.
By Tim Mountz and Erle Nye
Contributing Writers to The Texas Lawbook
(October 13) – We hear the refrain repeatedly: the legal profession has a diversity problem, and the progress we’ve made to date simply isn’t enough.
The statistics bear out this concern. The Dallas Diversity Task Force reports that minority attorneys constitute less than 12 percent of the professionals at Dallas’ largest law firms, while minority attorneys make up over 16 percent of the State Bar’s membership. Meanwhile, minorities account for more than 55 percent of Texas’ population.
Fortunately, in just two weeks, Dallas-area law firms and companies will have a chance to make a meaningful impact on the Dallas community’s legal diversity pipeline, and to help create a cycle of success in our community.
On Thursday, October 24, the Dallas Bar Foundation hosts its 3rd annual “An Evening With…” dinner benefiting the Foundation’s Sarah T. Hughes Diversity Scholarships. This year’s event will feature former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley as the keynote speaker.
We are proud to have legal luminaries Michael Boone and Harriet Miers also serving as honorary co-chairs for this important event. Their leadership and participation speaks to the significance of the legal diversity issue for our community.
This challenge is not a new one for Dallas. In 1981, the Dallas Bar Foundation established a Diversity Scholarship Program to attract exceptional minority law school students to Dallas, in hopes of beginning to address the diversity pipeline deficit.
One year later, the Dallas Bar Foundation changed the name of the program to the Sarah T. Hughes Diversity Scholarship, in recognition of Judge Hughes’ outstanding community contributions and her personal support of the Foundation. The proposed name change was met with enthusiastic approval and unanimous consent.
Judge Hughes often recited the formula she applied in her own life: “Pick out your goal, and then use determination and courage to reach it.” Through the Hughes scholarships, the Dallas Bar Foundation annually helps minority students achieve their goal of joining the legal profession.
To date, the Foundation has awarded over $1.8 million in Hughes scholarships to 51 individuals. Currently, there are five Hughes Scholars at the SMU Dedman School of Law.
Many of these students are the first in their families to graduate from college. Many also might have otherwise been deterred from attending law school by the substantial cost.
The Sarah T. Hughes Diversity Scholarships provide full law school tuition and make it possible for Hughes Scholars to pursue their dream.
The scholarships also benefit the community. Upon graduation, scholarship recipients are expected to practice law and serve the community in Dallas. Over the 30-plus years of the program, Hughes Scholars have distinguished themselves in many ways, and they have become law school valedictorians, elected as judges, served in leadership positions in our bar associations, volunteered to serve area non-profits, and mentored other members of the community.
Bill Bradley has a reputation as a thoughtful, bipartisan leader who brought people together to solve complex problems. We look forward to his insightful remarks and hope to see our many friends and colleagues from the Dallas legal industry and business community at the upcoming reception and dinner.
“An Evening with Bill Bradley” takes place at the Belo Pavilion at 2101 Ross Avenue in Dallas on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013, with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by a dinner and keynote address at 7:15 p.m.
Table sponsorships and individual tickets for “An Evening with Bill Bradley” are on sale now, and may be purchased by contacting Elizabeth Philipp at 214-220-7487. Table sponsorships range from $3,000 for a table of ten, to $5,000 for a preferred table of ten with access to a VIP reception with Bradley. Individual tickets are also available for $300 apiece. The event is business attire.
Interested students may download the scholarship application at http://www.dallasbarfoundation.org/sarah_hughes.asp. The application deadline is Feb. 15, 2014.
Tim Mountz is a partner with Baker Botts L.L.P. and is co-chair of the firm’s Securities Litigation Practice Group. He is a trustee and chair of the Dallas Bar Foundation and also serves as chair-elect of the Texas Bar Foundation.
Erle Nye is chairman emeritus of TXU Corporation and chairman of the board of the Baylor Health Care System Foundation. Now the president of EN Consulting, Nye enjoyed a long and successful career with TXU, including stints as its chairman and chief executive officer. He is an honorary co-chair of the 2013 “An Evening With…” dinner, along with Michael Boone and Harriet Miers, and is a past trustee of the Dallas Bar Foundation.
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