In this edition of P.S., we report on law firms and corporate counsel who recently teamed up to staff clinics helping families in Houston and San Antonio prepare essential legal documents.
And we spotlight Texas A&M Law Professor Luz Herrera, who received two prestigious honors recognizing her contributions to the Latino community.
Dykema, Honeywell Lawyers Help San Antonio Families with Guardianships
Attorneys from Dykema and Honeywell Technologies recently volunteered with the San Antonio Legal Services Association to help eight families prepare documents to initiate the guardianship process for loved ones.
Lawyers participated in the clinic, both in person and virtually, at the Multi-Assistance Center at Morgan’s Wonderland.
“When families have a fair chance to protect the people they love, our whole community is stronger,” said Miranda McCardle, SALSA’s communications and outreach manager.
SALSA’s next 1102 Clinic is Oct. 14. Attorneys interested in volunteering can sign up through SALSA’s website here.
V&E, LyondellBasell Team Up for Estate Planning Clinic
Attorneys from Vinson & Elkins and LyondellBasell recently partnered with Houston Volunteer Lawyers for a weekend estate planning clinic.
The lawyers helped 15 clients prepare essential estate planning documents, including wills and powers of attorney.
“Estate planning clinics are an incredibly impactful way to work pro bono into practice and have a great time doing it,” the nonprofit HVL wrote in a LinkedIn post.
The Texas Lawbook wants to hear about your pro bono initiatives handled jointly by corporate in-house counsel and their outside lawyers. These can be individual cases, such as asylum or veterans’ benefits matters or broader efforts to provide legal services to those who cannot afford them. For those story ideas, please email us at krista.torralva@texaslawbook.net.
Texas A&M Law Professor Luz Herrera Receives Pair of Honors
Texas A&M University School of Law professor Luz Herrera received two honors in September recognizing her contributions to the Latino community: the Mexican government’s Ohtli Award and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Medallion of Excellence for a Distinguished Alumna.
Herrera accepted the Ohtli Award Sept. 10 at the Hispanic National Bar Association’s annual convention and the Medallion of Excellence at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 49th annual awards gala on Sept. 17.
“I am deeply honored and humbled by these awards,” Herrera said in a news release from the school. “It is encouraging to see my service and scholarship acknowledged by institutions that understand the needs of the Latino community in the U.S.”
The Ohtli Award is the Mexican government’s highest recognition for people living outside Mexico and honors work that has aided and improved the lives of Mexican nationals and people of Mexican descent abroad. The CHCI honor recognizes an alumna of its leadership programs for professional accomplishments and contributions to the Latino Community.
Herrera’s teaching and scholarship focus on access to justice, experiential education and community economic development. In 2005, she founded Community Lawyers Inc., a nonprofit that expands affordable legal services and supports lawyers serving clients with low and moderate incomes, according to the school’s news release.