P.S. — $5M Committed to Proposed El Paso Law School

In this week’s P.S. Column, the Paul L. Foster Family Foundation pledged a $5 million matching grant to help establish a new law school at the University of Texas at El Paso, while the Texas Access to Justice Foundation announced the appointment of Keller Postman partner Zina Bash to its board. The Houston Bar Foundation is preparing for its 76th Annual Harvest Party, and the Dallas Women Lawyers Association received national recognition for its documentary on pioneering female attorneys. In South and West Texas, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid doubled its El Paso Giving Day contributions and is partnering with Koch’s Flint Hills Resources Corpus Christi Refineries to host a driver’s license restoration clinic in Corpus Christi.

October 24, 2025 Krista Torralva

Legal Aid Work Celebrated at Luncheon with SCOTX

Real world stories related by legal services lawyers highlighted the impact of Texas Access to Justice Foundation funding at this year’s event. Justice Brett Busby presented awards to Greenberg Traurig and the Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs.

October 23, 2025 Janet Elliott

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. 

October 17, 2025 Krista Torralva

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. 

October 16, 2025 Krista Torralva

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.

October 13, 2025 Mark Curriden

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. 

October 10, 2025 Krista Torralva

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.

October 8, 2025 Mark Curriden

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. 

October 7, 2025 Krista Torralva

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.

October 3, 2025 Krista Torralva

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. 

September 19, 2025 Krista Torralva

Sarah T. Hughes Scholarship Returns With New Focus on Hardship, Drops ‘Diversity’

The Dallas Bar Foundation has resumed its long-running Sarah T. Hughes Scholarship after pausing it earlier this year but has removed “diversity” from its title and eliminated explicit references to race and minority status from the scholarship’s description and application. Formerly titled the Sarah T. Hughes Diversity Scholarship, the stated purpose was to support minority law students and promote diversity in the North Texas legal community. The revised version now focuses on applicants who have demonstrated resilience and overcome hardship, emphasizing broader examples of underrepresentation such as being first-generation college students or balancing school with work or military service. 

September 18, 2025 Krista Torralva

SALSA Names New Executive Director

The San Antonio Legal Services Association announced it has hired nonprofit executive and fundraising strategist James Martinez to lead the organization as executive director. After experiencing a funding shortfall earlier this year, SALSA touted Martinez’s more than two decades of experience fundraising and leading nonprofit organizations.

September 17, 2025 Krista Torralva