In this edition of P.S., we report on the Dallas Bar Association’s impressive $1.4 million fundraising campaign to support the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program. Coming up, you can watch your favorite lawyer-led musical bands while donating to charity at the Feb. 26 Law Rocks Dallas. And a pro bono legal intake clinic hosted by lawyers from Baker Botts and Toyota North America returned to New Friends New Life.
Dallas Bar’s Equal Access to Justice Campaign Raises Nearly $1.4M
The Dallas Bar Association announced its Equal Access to Justice campaign raised nearly $1.4 million to support the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program.
DBA made the announcement during the Feb. 7 Inaugural Dinner and Dance celebrating 2026 organization president Jonathan R. Childers, a partner at Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann.
The campaign was co-chaired by Katie Anderson, a partner at Carrington Coleman, and Lisa Havens, chief legal officer at Baylor Scott & White Health.
Topping the list of major donors were Aldous Law and Margaret and Jaime Spellings, who each gave $50,000.
Rounding out the campaign leadership were: vice chair Sue Monaco (Tenet Healthcare), honorary chair Ashley Duffie (Celanese) and committee members Stephanie Almeter (McCathern), James Stafford (Clark Hill), Ashley Wright (Winston & Strawn), Andy Jones (Sawicki Law Firm), Krista Hanvey (Gibson Dunn), Dan Kelly (Vistra Corp.), Sarah Rogers (Munsch Hardt) and Amber Gregg (Progressive).
Law Rocks Dallas
Lawyers from seven law firms will trade briefs for guitars at the Law Rocks Dallas fundraising event on Feb. 26 at Trees in Deep Ellum.
The battle-of-the-bands competition featuring groups made up of attorneys returns to Dallas for its third year. Last year, Law Rocks Dallas raised about $82,000 for local nonprofit organizations.
Law Rocks has hosted the charity events in cities across the country since 2009. Law Rocks Houston is scheduled for March 26.
Bands are judged on both fundraising success – through donations, ticket sales, and sponsorships – and their performance scores from a panel of judges. You can track each band’s fundraising totals and purchase tickets on the Law Rocks website here.
The lawyer bands headlining this year’s Dallas event are:
- Ignorantia Legis (Carrington Coleman) for The Jensen Project
- Just South of Nowhere (Baker Botts) for Genesis Women’s Shelter and Support
- No Recourse (Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann) for Cannenta Foundation
- Ring the Bell Nunnally (Bell Nunnally) for Head Start of Greater Dallas
- Suburban Crime Spree (Akin and Addus HomeCare) for Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Advisory Board
- T.R.O. (Winstead and Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Willet & Stoffer) for Rocking for A Model Patient
- Vinyl Siren (Scheef & Stone) for The Concilio
In addition, the Law Rocks organization awards a Music Matters grant to one local organization that supports music education for underserved youth. This year’s recipient is Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.
At last year’s event, Just South of Nowhere won the overall competition, while No Recourse won the Judge’s Choice Award.
Baker Botts and Toyota Link Up for Legal Clinic at New Friends New Life
A pro bono legal intake clinic featuring lawyers from Baker Botts and Toyota North America returned to Dallas’ New Friends New Life last month.
The lawyers assisted 16 women with an array of legal issues, including housing, child custody and divorce on Jan. 30 during the charity’s Fashion Friday event featuring a donation closet. The legal teams also made a significant clothes donation to the Fashion Friday closet.
The New Friends New Life organization works to restore and empower formerly trafficked and sexually exploited victims and their children by providing access to education, job training and mental health support.
The Texas Lawbook featured the first legal intake handled jointly by Baker Botts and Toyota lawyers when it took place last year.
Joint Pro Bono Efforts with In-house Counsel
The Texas Lawbook plans to run a monthly column on 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.