Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
In this week’s P.S. Column, we cover the House Appropriations Committee’s vote to cut Legal Services Corporation funding by 46 percent, a move that could leave millions without access to legal aid. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Legal Services Association makes a plea for donations to support core operations.
Just a few days before joining Kirkland & Ellis as litigation associates, and while awaiting the results of their bar exams, Gabrielle Olubanke Howells and Lizeth Badillo Garcia notched their first court win — a precedent-setting decision from a panel of judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The rare opportunity to argue a pro bono case before a federal appeals court before bar admission was the result of a collaboration spearheaded by Kirkland & Ellis Partner Zack Ewing, who was inspired by the graduates to emulate a program afforded to him while a student at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
In this week’s column, renowned appellate attorney Mike Hatchell of Haynes Boone is set to receive the Chief Justice Jack Pope Professionalism Award for his decadeslong contributions to appellate law in Texas. The Houston Bar Association also announced its new Days of Service initiative. And the Texas Indigent Defense Commission approved more than $1.7 million in grants to bolster mental health defense services and public defender capacity across rural counties.
In this week’s edition of P.S., we highlight the Houston Lawyers Association and its members who earned several national honors at the National Bar Association Convention. Meanwhile, the Dallas Bar Foundation awarded a $20,000 grant to the SMU Dedman School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic, bolstered by a $40,000 matching gift from the Stanton Foundation. Finally, an auction of memorabilia from retired U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn raised over $8,000 for the Dallas Women Lawyers Association Foundation, supporting grants for female legal professionals and women in need across North Texas.
After a 15-year legal battle, Robert Velevis and Yvette Ostolaza led a Sidley Austin team to a landmark pro bono victory in a class action lawsuit against the state of Texas for unlawfully confining people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in nursing homes. A federal judge issued a sweeping 475-page opinion finding that Texas caused “irreparable injury” by failing to offer community-based living alternatives. Sidley Austin represented the plaintiffs alongside the Center for Public Representation and Disability Rights Texas.
A Law Unto Themselves: How Women Lawyers of Dallas Transformed Law and Community — Together is a film produced by Chelsea Hilliard and Kandace Walter, presidents of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association and the J.L. Turner Legal Association, respectively. The documentary chronicles the history of women attorneys in Dallas, highlighting how their pioneering efforts laid the groundwork for many of the city’s legal organizations and continue to shape the profession today. Since its premiere, the film has earned both state and national honors and is currently under consideration at film festivals across the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Christine E. Reinhard, co-founder of San Antonio-based labor and employment law firm Schmoyer Reinhard, was honored with the ACC San Antonio Lee Cusenbary Ethical Life and Leadership Award in the private lawyer category. Launching her firm during the Great Recession, Reinhard prioritized integrity, transparency and client service – values rooted in her upbringing and reinforced by her law partner, Shannon Schmoyer. Today, their firm is believed to be the largest women-owned law firm in San Antonio and a leader in ethical legal practice.
In this edition of P.S., our thoughts remain with the victims and survivors of the Hill Country floods. It’s clear that the legal community feels the same — attorneys across the region are stepping up with meaningful efforts to help. We highlight some of those initiatives here. You’ll also find news about a new group of advisory board members for Texas Christian University’s AddRan College of Liberal Arts, which now includes a handful of lawyers. Plus, Haynes Boone attorneys team up with Communities in Schools of Central Texas to inspire the next generation of legal professionals.
Vincent R. Johnson was an aspiring lawyer when the Watergate scandal was unfolding. Disciplinary proceedings were brought against more than 20 lawyers for misconduct including obstruction of justice and violation of campaign laws, and “it was embarrassing to be a lawyer at that point in time,” Johnson said. But there was no doubt in Johnson’s mind that he wanted to be an attorney. As the ethics professor retires from St. Mary’s University School of Law this year, the Association of Corporate Counsel San Antonio chapter has honored him with its prestigious Lee Cusenbary Ethical Life and Leadership Award. Pictured: Johnson with Lauren Valkenaar at the St. Mary's Alumni Luncheon in June.
After the devastating flood struck the Texas Hill Country over the 4th of July, Dykema associate Matt Maupin and his wife, Katie, returned to their hometown of Kerrville to aid in recovery efforts. Despite the physical and emotional toll, Maupin described the experience as the most fulfilling work of his life.
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