This week’s edition of P.S. edition features a new graduate program at St. Mary’s School of Law for special education advocacy, a holiday toy gift drive by Gray Reed, a Target shopping spree sponsored by Witherite Law Firm that benefited a local nonprofit bridging the gap between teens and law enforcement and an event honoring the major donors of the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program’s Equal Access to Justice Campaign.
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— Thursday evening, Witherite Law Group and affiliate 1-800-TruckWreck sponsored Journey to Dream’s annual “Shop with a Cop” holiday event. Journey to Dream is a Denton County-based nonprofit that provides transitional living, in-school programming and other support services to youth navigating the challenging teen years, ranging from everyday challenges like peer pressure, family conflict and stress to traumas including homelessness, trafficking and abuse. The organization provides teens safe spaces to sort through issues and learn healthy coping skills.
Witherite Law and 1-800-TruckWreck donated $15,000 to the “Shop with a Cop” event, which raised holiday cheer while trying to foster positive relationships between teens and law enforcement. The teens spent part of today riding along with a police officer in their squad car to Target, where they browsed and purchased whatever they wanted. The day concluded with dinner at Next Steps Center, where they received additional gifts from various vendors. Witherite’s donation provided the 150 participating teenagers a $100 gift card to use during the Target shopping spree. At the dinner, the law firm also gave the teens hoodies and water bottles. The participating teens were selected from various schools in Denton County.
The Witherite firm has also committed $28,775 to support Journey to Dream’s operations throughout 2024. The additional funds will cover fees for extracurricular school activities (color guard, choir trips, track and field uniforms and equipment, etc.) letterman jackets for the seniors, prom, yearbooks and caps and gowns for 16 class of 2024 graduates. The firm will also sponsor a graduation party, driver’s education class, snacks during the holiday break and lunch/dinner and a movie or games events.
— Gray Reed’s Dallas office recently concluded a three-week holiday gift drive that benefited 28 “adopted” children at The Women’s Center of Tarrant County, the Fort Worth area’s nonprofit center that supports those facing mental health issues and victims of sexual abuse, violence and poverty. Separately, Gray Reed Dallas donated an assortment of toys to Family Gateway’s “store” as part of the organization’s Hope for the Holidays event, which allows parents experiencing homelessness to shop for their children free of charge. The firm’s donation is expected to reach dozens of kids in need. Approximately 40 lawyers and staff participated in both efforts this year, either donating gifts or money or adopting a child and fulfilling their holiday wish list. Gray Reed has connections to both organizations; partner Jill Bindler serves on Family Gateways board and partner Toni Meier’s sister works at The Women’s Center of Tarrant County.
ID (left to right): Drake Rayshell, Lana Kepley, Nancy Ward, Melissa Fowlkes, Madison Longust, Monica Moreno, Trudy Strange, Kathy Calvert, Laura DeBerg.
— On Dec. 6, the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program hosted a reception for major donors of its Equal Access to Justice Campaign at luxury jeweler Bachendorf’s in Preston Hollow. The campaign will conclude at the end of January, shortly after the Dallas Bar Association’s Inaugural Dinner & Dance gala honoring Sheppard Mullin partner Bill Mateja, the DBA’s 2024 president. Funds raised for the campaign benefit DVAP’s operations to provide pro bono civil legal aid to low-income families in the Dallas area. Last year, the campaign raised $1.2 million and this year it seeks to raise $1.4 million. Bachendorf’s has hosted this reception for more than 20 years and donates some proceeds from the event to the campaign.
Major donors to this year’s campaign include:
- Chairman’s Council ($25,500): Akin, Aldous Walker, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, John H. Martin, Morrison Foerster and the Sidley Austin Foundation
- Gold ($20,000): Capital One, Margaret & Jaime Spellings and an anonymous donor
- Diamond ($15,000): Haynes and Boone Foundation, Jackson Lewis Foundation, Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann, McKool Smith, Nexstar Charitable Foundation, Vinson & Elkins and Sheppard, Mullen, Richter & Hampton
The honorary chair of this year’s EAJ campaign is AT&T general counsel David McAtee. Co-chairs are Thompson Coe partner Sarah Rogers and Nexstar Media Group general counsel Rachel Morgan. Vice co-chairs are deputy administrator Lauren E. Black of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, Haynes Boone partner Tim Newman and Southwest Airlines managing counsel of corporate transactions Jason Shyung.
Other EAJ campaign committee members include BakerHostetler counsel Ewa Champagne, JAMS arbitrator and mediator Gary Fowler, Epstein Becker & Green partner Eddie Loya, Sawicki Law partner Andy Jones, Javier Perez Law managing attorney Javier Perez, Dallas Assistant City Attorney Drew Spaniol, Kershaw Anderson King member Jennifer King, McKesson senior counsel Koi Lomas and Vistra Corp. deputy general counsel Dan Kelly. Toyota managing counsel Julie Ungerman served as raffle ambassador.
— St. Mary’s School of Law recently announced that it has launched a new master of jurisprudence degree concentration in special education advocacy. The first of its kind in the U.S., the degree program will equip nonlawyers with the tools to understand the legal landscape of special education advocacy to help serve this growing need. It is the first and only program to receive acquiescence from the American Bar Association. To obtain the degree, students must complete 30 credit hours, which can be done in as little as two semesters with full-time enrollment.
The new degree concentration comes as the need for special education advocacy grows. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 14.7 percent of students aged between 3 and 21 qualified for special education services during the 2021-2022 school year in the U.S. Percentages varied by state; from 11.7 percent in Texas to 20.5 percent in New York. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said employment of special education teachers and advocates is expected to grow by 3 percent between 2020 and 2030.
“Rooted in our rich Marianist traditions, this innovative initiative at St. Mary’s exemplifies our commitment to fostering relevant discourse in social advocacy and embracing the powerful intersection of servant leadership with professional agency,” Assistant Dean for Graduate Law Programs Shannon Sevier said in a statement. “St. Mary’s recognizes the critical need for grassroots advocates in our schools and champions the training of professionals in special education advocacy to shape policymaking. In a world where inclusivity and equitable education are paramount, this concentration not only fills a void but also propels our graduates to become catalysts for positive change.”