A short and sweet public service column highlights the work one Dallas firm is doing to benefit a local children’s shelter and three Houston women lawyers who were recently honored for their commitment to their communities and advancing women. Happy Thanksgiving from The Texas Lawbook.
Baker Botts Brings Houston Folklorist’s Extensive Archive to Smithsonian
Last week, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History announced that it has accepted a massive blues and folklore archive gifted by Baker Botts client Susannah Nix, the daughter of the late prominent folklorist Robert “Mack” McCormick. Nix and her lawyers spoke with Natalie Posgate about the donation and the legal work that went into it.
P.S. — Holiday Giving Begins
Holiday giving is already ubiquitous across the Texas legal community. A few ways lawyers are giving back are through turkey meal deliveries, food drives and suit donations. All in this week’s P.S. column.
P.S. — Happy Veterans Day from The Texas Lawbook
On this Veterans Day, The Texas Lawbook thanks veterans for their service and lists a cluster of upcoming events benefiting veterans as well as law firm initiatives and individual lawyers who have helped those who served.
Jonny Havens: An Entrepreneurial Lawyer, Iraq War Veteran & Pro Bono Advocate
Service has always been a part of Jonny Havens’ life, whether it was serving two deployments in Iraq or helping veterans adjust to civilian life. The Houston-based personal injury lawyer, who just launched a new law firm, spoke with Natalie Posgate about his service as a Ranger qualified infantry officer, why he became a lawyer and why he continues to serve veterans through nonprofits and pro bono work.
Robert Uhl: Helping Veterans One Benefits Application at a Time
Since he began his legal career in 2018, Sidley associate Robert Uhl has spent hundreds of pro bono hours helping veterans obtain combat-related benefits. Sometimes, the road is tough, but it’s not stopping him. The Texas Lawbook spoke with Uhl to learn why this work is important to him and why he continues to do it.
P.S. — An Anti-Bullying Grant, Awards Season Frenzy, A Thank-you Note
In this week’s P.S. column, we highlight a slew of attorneys and law firms awarded for their pro bono efforts, some recent nonprofit board appointments, an upcoming CLE featuring pro bono veterans in the industry (with ethics credit), and a significant grant awarded to a San Antonio-based project that supports children and their families impacted by bullying.
At HPE, Pro Bono is ‘A Bedrock Principle’
For the 250-member legal team at Hewlett Packard Enterprises, pro bono is in their DNA. The corporate lawyers worked with Baker McKenzie and Texas Appleseed to update a legal handbook for homeless teenagers, helped veterans draft wills, worked with victims of domestic violence, assisted immigrant youth in obtaining DACA status and launched a Texas Virtual Legal Clinic for Youth. Citing HPE’s extraordinary successes, the Texas General Counsel Forum is honoring the Houston technology company with the 2022 Magna Stella Award for Outstanding Pro Bono.
How Mary Kay Maintains its Roots in DEI
Sixty percent of the people in Mary Kay’s legal department are persons of color. Eighty percent are women. Forty percent speak more than one language. Nearly six decades after the Addison-based company was founded, the cosmetic giant remains a model of diversity and inclusion. The Texas General Counsel Forum is honoring Mary Kay GC Julia Simon and senior managing counsel Naisha Covarrubias with the Magna Stella Award for Outstanding Diversity.
Dallas Minority Bar Orgs Launch New Job Board
Finding diverse job candidates in Dallas just got easier for firms. Six minority bar organizations have launched the Dallas Legal Equity and Diversity job board, a diversity and inclusion-focused job site. Natalie Posgate reports on how it came together and how employers and diverse attorney candidates can begin connecting on the platform.