This week’s edition of P.S. includes an upcoming inaugural convention in Houston aimed at supporting and empowering Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, a series of awards recently received by the Dallas Bar Association and the 411 on the PUC’s newest board member, who happens to be a lawyer.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article pulled information from an old Dallas Bar Association press release regarding awards it received at the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting. It has been updated to reflect the information on this year’s awards. We regret the error.
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— On July 27, the City of Houston Mayor’s AAPI Advisory Board will host its inaugural AAPI National Convention Houston with the intent of unifying the voices of Asian American and Pacific Islander groups in Houston, the state of Texas and beyond. Formed last year, the AAPI Advisory Board was established to help forge stronger connections between the city of Houston and its diverse communities. Lawyers on the advisory board include Sumitomo Corporation of Americas corporate counsel Cindy Dinh, CommonSpirit Health system director and corporate counsel Emily Lee and personal injury lawyer Nomi Husain of Husain Law, who is also the chair of AAPI’s board.
The convention will take place at the Marriott Marquis Houston and programming will run from 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. There will also be a gala that evening that runs from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Attendees of the convention will get to listen to panel discussions and keynote addresses and will also have access to networking opportunities and the NAACP Job Fair and Community Market.
The convention still welcomes sponsors. Those who have pledged sponsorships so far include Husain Law. To learn more about the convention, sponsorship opportunities and how to register, visit here.
— At the State Bar of Texas’ recent annual meeting, the Dallas Bar Association and DBA affiliates received a number of awards, including the Award of Merit for outstanding services to its community and its 11,000-plus member base. DBA’s pro bono affiliate, the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, also received a Star of Achievement award for its virtual legal clinics, which DVAP launched during the Covid-19 pandemic so that volunteer attorneys could continue offering pro bono legal services while social distancing. DVAP continues to offer virtual pro bono services even as in-person clinics have returned. DBA’s member publication, Headnotes, received an award for Best Series of Articles in the general series category for articles covering the bar association’s 150th anniversary, which the DBA celebrated in 2023. Finally, the Texas Access to Justice Commission honored the DBA and DVAP with its Deborah G. Hankinson Access to Justice Award, which honors local bar associations that expand access to justice through their activities and financial support. The award is named after former Texas Supreme Court Justice Deborah Hankinson, a dedicated advocate of justice for the poor. Hankinson currently sits as chair of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, the funding arm of the Texas Access to Justice Commission. TAJF and TAJC are separate organizations created by The Supreme Court of Texas that work in tandem to improve access to civil legal services for low-income Texans.
— Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced that he appointed Austin lawyer Courtney Hjaltman to the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Her term will expire Sept. 1, 2025. She previously served as the chief executive and public counsel for the Office of Public Utility Counsel, which was another Abbott-appointed role. At OPUC, Hjaltman led the agency’s representation of residential and small commercial customers in proceedings before the PUCT, State Office of Administrative Hearings, state courts and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Earlier in her career, Hjaltman served as chief of staff for the Texas House of Representatives. More recently, she served roles in roles for the governor’s office as deputy legislative director and budget and policy advisor. She obtained her legal degree from South Texas College of Law.
Hjaltman’s arrival increases the number of lawyers on PUC’s board to two. The other lawyer is Lori Cobos, a Texas Tech University-trained lawyer whose previous legal gigs have included associate corporate counsel of ERCOT and director of government and regulatory affairs for Talen Energy.