P.S. – Texas Lawyers Expand Access to Courtrooms and Playgrounds
In this week’s edition of P.S., we spotlight legal initiatives to expand access to justice, as well as one firm’s community service work expanding kids’ access to playgrounds.
Q&A: South Texas College of Law Dean Rey Valencia on SCOTX’s Tentative Move Away from ABA Oversight and Other Changes Facing Law School Leaders
In June, before officially taking over as president and dean of South Texas College of Law, Reynaldo “Rey” Anaya Valencia joined seven other Texas law school leaders in urging the Texas Supreme Court to continue the American Bar Association’s role as the accrediting body. The son of former migrant farm workers, Valencia, a Harvard Law graduate, is the school’s first Hispanic and person of color president and dean.
Mikal Watts: ‘No Jury in America Will Hold Camp Mystic Responsible’
Prominent Texas plaintiff’s trial lawyer Mikal Watts, who has successfully sued some of the biggest companies in the world, is taking on his first defense client: Camp Mystic and its owners. Watts said Monday that he is officially representing pro bono the Eastland family and the Christian girls summer camp in any potential litigation resulting from the July flooding tragedy that caused more than 115 deaths, including 27 children at Camp Mystic in Kerr County.
“I’ve spent three months conducting a thorough investigation, and I believe that facts matter,” Watts told The Texas Lawbook in an exclusive interview Monday.
P.S. — HBA’s Days of Service Mobilizes Houston Legal Community to Support 14,000 Residents, Early Giving Underway in El Paso, and More
In this week’s edition of P.S., the Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas is reviving its in-person Builders of Justice Progressive Dinner and Awards Program in McKinney, honoring local advocates for expanding access to justice. In Houston, the Bar Association’s Days of Service engaged about 300 lawyers and benefitted more than 14,000 people through community service projects. Meanwhile, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid is encouraging early donations for El Paso Giving Day to support its wide-ranging civil legal work across 68 counties, and the Association of Corporate Counsel San Antonio makes a donation to the San Antonio Legal Services Association. Rounding out this issue, Bracewell hosted 25 Aldine ISD students for a law career panel in partnership with Momentum Education.
Toyota’s Derek Lipscombe Named Texas Lawbook Foundation Co-Chair
The Texas Lawbook Foundation has named Derek Lipscombe, managing counsel at Toyota North America, as the new co-chair of the nonprofit’s board of directors. Lipscombe, a former newspaper reporter who is past president of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter, has served on The Lawbook Foundation board since it was founded in 2023. The Lawbook Foundation’s sole mission is to provide support for The Texas Lawbook’s news coverage of pro bono, public service and diversity in the Texas legal community.
Once a Patient in Need, this Houston Lawyer Helps Medical Services Charity Heal Others
Houston attorney Allan Kirk, a mergers and acquisitions partner at Kirkland & Ellis, drew on his own childhood experience with clubfoot and his faith-driven desire to help others when he helped Christ Clinic — a faith-based healthcare provider for low-income and uninsured patients — secure a pro bono legal team from his firm. Kirkland aided the clinic’s joint venture with Innovative Wellness, expanding access to care in the Houston area.
P.S. — October is Pro Bono Month for this Houston Organization, Plus Dallas Hispanic Bar Association Celebrates 20th, and Lambda Legal Honors Trailblazing Judge
October brings a flurry of pro bono and legal community celebrations across Texas. Houston Volunteer Lawyers is marking the entire month as Pro Bono Month, spotlighting volunteers and hosting CLE opportunities. The Dallas Hispanic Bar Association celebrated its 20th Anniversary Noche de Luz Gala during Hispanic Heritage Month, honoring civil rights pioneer Sylvia Mendez as keynote speaker and presenting awards to leaders in the legal community. Looking ahead, Lambda Legal will host its Landmark Dinner on Oct. 11 in Dallas, where it will present Judge Tonya Parker with the Liberty Award for her civil rights work and feature speakers including decorated Navy pilot Commander Emily “Hawking” Shilling and Texas lawmakers Jessica González and Nathan Johnson.
P.S. — Wills for Officers, AZA Partner Goes to U.N., Eviction Advocacy Comes to Houston
In this edition of P.S., we highlight the Texas legal community’s impact at home and abroad. In Dallas, nearly 100 volunteers came together for the Wills for Heroes Clinic, helping police officers prepare more than 80 wills. Meanwhile, the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center — a nonprofit organization fighting unlawful evictions — is expanding its reach to Houston. On the global stage, AZA Houston Partner Shahmeer Halepota addressed the United Nations, offering insight on Pakistan’s water crisis.