All right, all right, all right. In this week’s P.S. column, St. Mary’s School of Law and the San Antonio Bar Association announce their annual People’s Law School event. Dallas lawyers fundraised to the tune of $82,000 for local charities through a battle of the bands style concert. The Austin office of Latham & Watkins sponsored a youth tennis clinic for Boys & Girls Club and sponsored the WTA tournament that drew a local celebrity. And The Texas Lawbook needs your help identifying scholarships for low-income students who need assistance.
Latham Partners Boys & Girls Club
Before professional women’s tennis competitor Katie Volynets took to the ATX Open court last month, she joined a group of more than 100 Austin-area kids and teens in a youth tennis clinic co-hosted by Latham & Watkins.
The law firm was again the championship sponsor for the WTA tour-level tournament that, in its third year, drew celebrity fan Matthew McConaughey and saw tennis star Jessica Pegula clinch the singles title.
Latham & Watkins and the ATX Open, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of the Austin Area and the United States Tennis Association National Junior Tennis and Learning networks, held a tennis clinic on Feb. 21 for middle and high school students.
The Kids Day Clinic for youth and their families at the Boys & Girls Club of the Austin Area Headquarters featured lessons with Hologic WTA Tour players and festivities including face painting and balloon art.
The event “captures the essence of community, commitment, resilience, and collaboration, serving as an inspiration to all,” said Samer Zabaneh, Austin Office Managing Partner. Zabaneh is a former board chairman of the Austin-area Boys & Girls Club.
“As the proud, championship sponsor of the ATX Open, we at Latham are honored to support the emerging talents who represent the future of our community,” Zabaneh said.
People’s Law School in San Antonio
St. Mary’s University School of Law and the San Antonio Bar Foundation are bringing free legal education to the general public in its longstanding People’s Law School on March 22.
The 31st annual event will include sessions about wills and powers of attorney, financial crimes, landlord and tenant rights and obligations, auto accidents and injury lawsuits, guardianships and trusts, immigration law updates and divorce, protective orders and Child Protective Services cases.
The event is held on the St. Mary’s campus and registration is not required. The presenters are St. Mary’s Law professors and private practice attorneys.
“The People’s Law School is a way to provide meaningful, timely information to area residents while also empowering attendees with practical legal knowledge,” St. Mary’s Clinical Professor of Law Gregory Zlotnick said.
Residents of the university’s neighboring communities have come to expect and rely on the annual event, said Stephanie Medellin, the law school’s director of pro bono programs.
“Some students have indicated that’s the reason they came to St. Mary’s, because of it being so service and community oriented,” Medellin said.
More information about the event can be found on the law school’s website.
Law Rocks Dallas
Just South of Nowhere, a band led in part by Baker Botts partner Doug Kubehl, was the overall winner of Law Rocks Dallas, a battle-of-the-bands style fundraiser for local charities.
The Baker Botts band, raising money for Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support, raised the most by the end of the Thursday night concert, Law Rocks organizers said.
In total, the event raised $82,000, an increase of nearly 75 percent from the $47,000 raised last year, the first year Law Rocks came to Dallas.
“The event is fantastic. It gives a vehicle for the legal community to get together in a completely new way to shed some awareness and fundraise for a bunch of great causes,” Kubehl told The Texas Lawbook.
He and his fellow band members were proud to support Genesis and were honored to take home the top prize.
“That award speaks to the true teamwork involved in this event, as it is judged on a combination of fundraising, ticket sales, and band performance — basically a recognition of the large number of people that got behind the cause to support Genesis and the band,” Kubehl said.
No Recourse, a band of Lynn, Pinker, Hurst & Schwegmann attorneys, clinched the Judge’s Choice Award. They raised money for the Cannenta Foundation, which provides mental health care.
The panel of judges was made up of singer-songwriter Frankie Leonie; four-time Grammy award-winning studio engineer, record mixer, and music producer Tre Nagella; 97.1 The Eagle Host Krystina Ray; and New Country 96.3 Host Michelle Rodriguez.
Other bands that competed included Lovers&Lunatics of BakerHostetler for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, Ring the Bell Nunnally of Bell Nunnally for Head Start of Greater Dallas, Suburban Crime Spree of Akin and Addus HomeCare for Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Advisory Board, and T.R.O. of Winstead and Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Wray, Willet & Stoffer for All Things Made New.
Law Rocks is going to Houston’s White Oak Music Hall on April 10. Tickets can be purchased and donations may be made at the Law Rocks website.
We Seek Scholarships
The Texas Lawbook is seeking help identifying financial aid and scholarship opportunities for low-income students offered by law firms, legal organizations and corporate legal departments. As a public service, The Lawbook seeks to offer an open source of information for students who have an interest in law and government but who need financial assistance. Please contact Mark Curriden at mark.curriden@texaslawbook.net.