Three legendary trial lawyers – Jim Coleman, Jim Cowles and Marshall Simmons – reigned over the Dallas legal market from the 1960s through the 1980s. One of the legends, Simmons, died Thursday. He recruited and mentored some of the most prominent litigators in North Texas today. And he is famous for representing the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in copyright infringement lawsuits against the movie distributors of Debbie Does Dallas. Simmons, 82, died Thursday. This article has all the details.

Recently, Jim Harrington, the founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project, received the prestigious Harold F. Kleinman Award from the Texas Access to Justice Foundation for his commitment to public service. The timing of the award is appropriate as Harrington prepares to turn over the reins of the TCRP so he can return to his roots of community organizing.