Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
The Dallas-based airline has agreed to pay one cent in damages and a confidential amount in attorney fees and court costs to resolve a lawsuit brought by political conservative Edward Blum’s American Alliance for Equal Rights over its now-terminated flight program for low-income Hispanic students.
A curious housekeeper who noticed Kim Bueno lugging weeks’ worth of outfits into her hotel room initiated a conversation with the trial attorney. The housekeeper asked Bueno about her trial. The former King & Spalding partner, who on Monday joined Kirkland & Ellis, explained that she defended a drug manufacturer against a lawsuit alleging its product was harmful. The housekeeper drilled in on three questions that prompted Bueno to rework her opening statement and to incorporate a standing ritual into her trial preparation.
American Airlines and Qurium Solutions, doing business as Supplier.io, have settled a federal lawsuit brought by Edward Blum’s American Alliance for Equal Rights, which alleged that their supplier diversity practices unlawfully prioritized race and ethnicity. While both companies denied any wrongdoing, they agreed to revise their policies to clarify that race and ethnicity will not factor into supplier eligibility or contracting decisions.
Adam MacLuckie and Huyen Luong led the Shell US Legal DEI Council during a pivotal time, fostering open dialogue and community through their “Let’s Talk About It” campaign as the company returned to in-person work post-pandemic and amid a nationwide reckoning with racism. Drawing from their personal backgrounds – Luong’s journey from post-war Vietnam and MacLuckie’s lifelong path to allyship – they built inclusive, two-way engagement that increased participation and trust. Their efforts earned them the 2025 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Diversity and Inclusion.
In this issue of P.S., we highlight an example of pro bono collaboration as volunteers from Baker Botts, Koch and The Beacon provided wide-ranging legal assistance at a Pasadena driver’s license restoration clinic. We also report on the bestowment of The Center for American and International Law’s highest award to legal trailblazer Harriet Miers for her decades of leadership and advocacy for justice. Also, the Texas Bar Foundation renewed its support for youth-focused nonprofit One Heart Project, helping continue programming for youth who are on probation. Plus, the Texas Access to Justice Commission is now accepting nominations for its 2025 Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Award and The Texas Lawbook is seeking stories about your pro bono cases or public service projects involving veterans.
The Sarah T. Hughes Diversity Scholarship, which has supported law students in Dallas for more than four decades, has been put on hold, prompting the cancellation of the Bar None fundraising event. This suspension comes amid uncertainty brought on by the Trump Administration’s various executive orders impacting diversity initiatives across the country.
A federal judge in Dallas alerted lawyers in an opinion and order Wednesday of his intention to enter final judgment in favor of Edward Blum’s American Alliance for Equal Rights, awarding them one cent in nominal damages and legal fees in a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines. The case challenged a now-shuttered program that provided free flights to low-income Hispanic students, which the group claimed was discriminatory. The judge opined that Southwest’s “unconditional surrender” justified ending the case without ruling on the merits.
Southwest Airlines is seeking a court judgment that would allow it to pay nominal damages and attorneys’ fees without an admission of liability in a federal civil rights lawsuit over a now-defunct program that offered free flights to low-income Hispanic students. Prominent conservative Edward Blum’s American Alliance for Equal Rights, which sued the airline on behalf of white and Asian students, argued in a court filing Tuesday that Southwest’s request is improper and aimed at avoiding legal accountability. The group urged the judge to reject Southwest’s bid and instead grant its own motion for summary judgment to resolve the case on its merits.
In the first quarter of 2024, Baker Hughes launched a global legal and compliance diversity, inclusion and belonging counsel with the mission of infusing those values into the legal department through internal and external engagement. Led by Ivett Hughes in Houston, a regional team of lawyers and staff partnered with Houston Volunteer Lawyers to represent four clients — roughly one pro bono case per five lawyers. They blew past their goal by 500 percent. The Houston Association of Corporate Counsel and The Texas Lawbook have selected Hughes and Baker Hughes as its 2025 Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service award recipient.
The Dallas Hispanic Law Foundation celebrated its annual Amanecer luncheon, awarding scholarships, internships, and bar study grants to 14 Hispanic law students amid new fundraising challenges resulting from President Trump’s scrutiny of diversity initiatives. Foundation President Andrés Correa expressed deep gratitude to sponsors for their continued support despite donor hesitations. In related legal community news, the San Antonio Legal Services Association recently honored Haynes Boone lawyers for pro bono work supporting a child in a bankruptcy case; former U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton joined the Texas Council on Family Violence board; and the Houston Bar Association named award winners ahead of its annual dinner, marking leadership transitions and community service achievements.
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