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Krista Torralva

Krista Torralva covers pro bono, public service, and diversity matters in the Texas legal market.

Krista Torralva

Krista Torralva covers pro bono, public service, and diversity for the Texas Lawbook Foundation and The Texas Lawbook. Previously, she covered courts for The Dallas Morning News. Krista has spent the bulk of her decade-plus-long career covering criminal courts in Texas and Florida. Her reporting includes the high profile federal terrorism trial against the Pulse nightclub shooter’s widow in Orlando, which ended in a rare acquittal. Her civil courts coverage has included the long-winding Texas voter ID lawsuit, legal battles over local Covid-19 mandates and school board disputes. Krista's work has been recognized by the State Bar of Texas' Gavel Awards, the Texas Association Press Managing Editors, the National Headliner Awards program and various local chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists.

The daughter of a Naval officer, Krista grew up traveling every few years but calls Corpus Christi home and talks about the Texas Gulf Coast every chance she gets. She lives in Dallas’ North Oak Cliff with her husband, Fares Sabawi.

Krista graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Before Bar Admission, UT Law Grads and Incoming Kirkland Associates Head to Fifth Circuit for Pro Bono Oral Argument

They haven’t taken the bar exam yet, but on Thursday, two newly minted University of Texas School of Law graduates and incoming Kirkland & Ellis associates will argue before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The rare opportunity is the result of a collaboration spearheaded by Kirkland 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.

Krista Torralva

P.S. — From Corporate Counsel to Clemency Crusader: Brittany K. Barnett’s Journey to Criminal Justice Reform

Last week, I had the honor of interviewing Brittany K. Barnett at the Texas General Counsel Forum Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter breakfast about her impressive legal career. Barnett’s start was in accounting. From there, she went to work as a corporate finance attorney and in-house M&A counsel. By night, she dedicated herself to pro bono efforts, working on President Barack Obama’s historic Clemency Project 2014. Barnett ultimately left her job and founded The Buried Alive Project, a powerful initiative to represent individuals sentenced to life without parole for nonviolent drug offenses. Her work has led to clemency for nearly two dozen clients across three presidential administrations. She’s also the author of a best-selling memoir, A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom, and she is working on a second book. I was so inspired by her story that I wanted to share our interview with a wider audience in this week's P.S. Column. 

Krista Torralva

Q&A With Trial Lawyer Kim Bueno 

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.

Krista Torralva

American Airlines, Supplier.io Settle Lawsuit Over Supplier Diversity Practices

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. 

Krista Torralva

Shell US Lawyers Adam MacLuckie and Huyen Luong Have a ‘Need to be an Ally’

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. 

Krista Torralva

P.S. — Lawyers and Volunteers Deliver ‘Small Bit of Miracle Working’ at Pasadena Legal Clinic

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.  

Krista Torralva

Sarah T. Hughes Diversity Scholarship on Pause, Bar None Fundraiser Canceled

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.

Krista Torralva

Judge Signals Final Ruling in Favor of Conservative Group in Southwest Airlines Student Travel Program Suit

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.

Krista Torralva

Anti-DEI Group Accuses Southwest Airlines of Trying to Dodge Liability in Federal Lawsuit

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.

Krista Torralva

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