This week’s edition of P.S. features the fundraising outcome of the JL Turner Legal Association Foundation’s annual awards gala, an Arlington nonprofit that received federal funding to help prevent youth homelessness, select quotes from partners at Baker Botts and Hunton Andrews Kurth and LyondellBasell’s general counsel on why supporting this year’s Houston Bar Association Harvest Celebration was important to their organizations, this year’s recipients of the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program’s pro bono awards, and the University of Houston Law Center’s newest legal clinic hire.
Three Senior In-House Lawyers on How to Gain (and Lose) their Business
During a panel discussion last Friday at the Texas Minority Counsel Program’s 31st annual conference in Houston, the three high-ranking in-house lawyers at Goldman Sachs, Energy Transfer and Republic National Distributing went into detail on what they look for in outside counsel, and also offered a plethora of ways law firms could immediately land in the doghouse — if not lose their business immediately.
P.S. — TMCP Fights DEI Vampires; Haynes Boone Did Not Ghost on 2023 Pro Bono Work
In this special Halloween edition of P.S., Natalie Posgate highlights details from the Texas Minority Council Program awards, the recipients of A&M Law’s 2023 Alumni Legacy Awards, NAMWOLF’s 2023 law firm MVP, November legal clinic dates in Dallas (the first one falling on Día de los Muertos), a Texas Access to Justice Foundation luncheon that honored a group of individuals for their efforts during the Texas Legislature’s 88th session, and how Haynes Boone celebrated the end of the ABA’s National Celebration of Pro Bono last week.
Three Diverse Managing Partners Talk Shop, Share Wisdom at TMCP
Three diverse managing partners — Quinn Emanuel’s Chris Porter, Reed Smith’s Omar Alaniz and Thompson Coburn’s Nicole Williams — swapped stories, described their leadership styles, shared their approach to DEI in the office and gave career development advice to young diverse attorneys at last week’s Texas Minority Council Program’s 31st Annual Conference in Houston. Natalie Posgate was in the room and has the highlights.
Susman Godfrey in Letter: Ed Blum May ‘Misunderstand’ its DEI Programs
Three days before Winston & Strawn became the target of legal activist Ed Blum’s third lawsuit, another firm operating in Texas — Susman Godfrey — responded to a demand letter defending its DEI programs to Blum. “We believe both programs fully comply with all relevant laws,” the letter says.
Ed Blum Sues Winston Challenging DEI Fellowship
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Houston federal court, alleges one of Winston’s diversity fellowship programs “has been racially discriminating against future lawyers for years” because the only law students considered for the DEI-oriented fellowship are those who “belong to a group that is ‘diverse,’ ‘disadvantaged’ or ‘historically underrepresented’ — Winston’s shorthand for not a straight white male.” Winston is the third law firm to be sued by conservative legal activist Edward Blum and his organization, American Alliance for Equal Rights.
TMCP Panel: Diversity Fatigue Rampant on Both Sides of the Corporate Aisle
White lawyers, a word of caution: Your colleagues of color are sick of having to constantly educate you on racial issues and the nuances of diversity, equity and inclusion. Lawyers of color: We know you are exhausted, but there are still benefits — both institutional and personal — in continuing to play the game.
These were the two main takeaways during a panel discussion of law firm partners Thursday afternoon at the Texas Minority Counsel Program’s 31st annual conference in Houston.
Four Texas GCs: ‘The Why for [DEI] is Especially Important’
Four Texas-based general counsel — Justin Johnson of Jacobs, Monica Karuturi of CenterPoint Energy, Aparna Dave of the Texas Dow Employees Credit Union and Clay Allen of the Houston Rockets — kicked off the 31st Annual Texas Minority Counsel Program conference discussing the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion to them personally and how it comes into strategic play at their organizations. The four GCs also talked about their preferences and dislikes about law firm business development efforts. Texas Lawbook pro bono, public service and diversity reporter Natalie Posgate is at the event and filed this report.
P.S. — Noche de Luz Honorees, Walls of Honor, A Six-Figure Grant
This week’s edition of P.S. features opportunities to support the ABA’s public service, policy and education initiatives, the unveiling of three displays at the University of Houston Law Center honoring notable Hispanic and African American alums and faculty, a group of lawyers recognized by the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association’s annual gala, Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas’ honoring of volunteer lawyers in the Austin area and a six-figure grant gifted from one Dallas-area nonprofit to another.
Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Norton Rose Fulbright COO Stacey Martinez
In a Q&A with The Lawbook, Martinez discussed her Hispanic heritage, her career path from litigation associate to COO, how Norton Rose Fulbright has benefited from having women of color in high-ranking leadership positions, the difference between sponsorship and mentorship and her firm’s overall philosophy on diversity, equity and inclusion.