In this edition of P.S., Jackson Walker has established the Jackson Walker Endowed Scholarship Fund in Memory of Emma Hackney at SMU Dedman School of Law, honoring a former associate in its banking and finance practice who was killed in a car wreck last year. The scholarship “represents the very best of who Emma was: a warm, kind and thoughtful person who put others ahead of herself,” said Justin Shipley, a finance partner in the Dallas office where Hackney worked.
The San Antonio Legal Services Association held its annual luncheon this week, bringing together attorneys, judges, business leaders and community advocates committed to expanding access to civil legal services for low-income Texans in San Antonio and surrounding counties. Find out who was recognized at the premier fundraising event.
The Haynes Boone offices in Houston and The Woodlands raised a record $185,000 through a year-long campaign benefiting the United Way of Greater Houston. The effort is part of a broader campaign among law firms, with Haynes Boone ranking as the top contributing law firm.
Jackson Walker Endows Scholarship in Memory of Young Associate
Jackson Walker has established the Jackson Walker Endowed Scholarship Fund in Memory of Emma Hackney at SMU Dedman School of Law, honoring a former associate in its banking and finance practice who was killed in a car wreck last year.
Hackney, 29, died on Nov. 30 in Dallas after a suspected drunk driver traveling at a high speed caused a multi-vehicle crash, according to police.
A 2023 Dedman Law graduate, Hackney served as an associate in the Hunter Legal Center for Victims of Crimes Against Women Clinic, was a Dean’s Scholarship recipient, and worked as a legal intern with the SMU COVID-19 Legal Helpline Project, according to the law school. She was also active in public service, volunteering with the Alzheimer’s Association and Dallas Scottish Rite for Children, where she worked prior to law school.
Jackson Walker has contributed $125,000 to endow the scholarship, according to the law school. The scholarship will be awarded to current or incoming Dedman Law students “who demonstrate strong citizenship through involvement in student organizations, volunteer work, clinic participation, mentorship, and similar efforts,” according to the law school.
Establishing the scholarship “is one of the most meaningful ways we can honor who she was and keep her memory alive,” managing partner Wade Cooper said.
This fund also gives her colleagues “an opportunity to honor her memory by transforming our shared sense of loss into something lasting and purposeful,” said Justin Shipley, a finance partner in the Dallas office where Hackney worked.
The scholarship “represents the very best of who Emma was: a warm, kind and thoughtful person who put others ahead of herself,” Shipley said. “Her legacy is not just in the work she accomplished or the clients she served, but in the lives she touched and the people she helped succeed. This scholarship fund ensures that legacy endures for generations to come.”
Information about contributing to the scholarship fund is available here.
Haynes Boone Campaign Raises Record $185K for United Way of Greater Houston
Haynes Boone’s Houston and The Woodlands offices raised a record $185,000 through a year-long campaign benefiting the United Way of Greater Houston.
The effort is part of a broader campaign among law firms, with Haynes Boone ranking as the top contributor.
King & Spalding placed second with a $130,000 contribution, followed by Baker Botts at $112,000, said United Way of Greater Houston President and CEO Amanda McMillian.
“Through the law initiative’s support, we are able to help our neighbors not just land on their feet but stay there,” McMillian said.
The campaign, which runs from March to March, culminates in a French wine dinner hosted at a firm partner’s home, partner Jesse Gelsomini said.
Haynes Boone has long campaigned for the United Way of Greater Houston. The effort was initiated by senior counsel Lynne Liberato before Gelsomini joined the firm in 2001, he said. Last year, the firm raised about $183,000, Gelsomini said.
“I’m a true believer. I’ve seen the good that the United Way does in the community,” said Gelsomini, who also serves on the nonprofit’s board of trustees.
SALSA Honors Leaders Advancing Access to Justice at Annual Justice Luncheon
The San Antonio Legal Services Association awarded Casey Lee, an attorney at Lovorn Law Firm, with its Allan K. DuBois Volunteer of the Year Award and June Moynihan, executive director of the San Antonio Bar Association, with its President’s Award during its signature annual Justice Luncheon on April 8.
The annual luncheon, held this year at the Mays Family Center at the Witte Museum, is SALSA’s premier fundraising event, bringing together attorneys, judges, business leaders and community advocates committed to expanding access to civil legal services for low-income Texans in San Antonio and surrounding counties.
SALSA also bestowed its Lee Cusenbary Impact Award to Morgan’s Multi-Assistance Center, which provides support to individuals with special needs. The center also regularly hosts SALSA legal clinics.
Texas Supreme Court Justice Brett Busby served as the Keynote Speaker.
USAA was the 2026 Title Sponsor. Other sponsors included the San Antonio Bar Foundation, Dykema, Spurs Sports & Entertainment, Valero, Chamberlain Hrdlicka, Norton Rose Fulbright, Frost, Jackson Walker, Jefferson Bank, Association of Corporate Counsel San Antonio, Fennemore and Holland & Knight.
SALSA mobilizes and supports volunteer attorneys to address critical civil legal needs, including housing and homelessness, estate and disability planning, and legal services for veterans. In 2024, the organization served 1,621 clients and logged more than 3,000 volunteer attorney hours, assisting hundreds of individuals and families throughout the region.