Holiday giving is in full swing across Texas law firms, with many stepping up to ensure kids across the state have gifts waiting for them.
In Houston, the Holland & Knight office “adopted” a whopping 141 children through the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation’s drive. Boutique law firm Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing set a firm record by adopting 56 children among 35 volunteers.
Holland & Knight also participated in the Houston Bar Association’s AIDS Outreach Committee’s Adopt-a-Family Holiday Program, raising more than $3,000 across its Houston, Dallas, Boston and Orlando offices for 15 people. The firm also sponsored the committee’s Thanksgiving meal for Omega House, a home hospice that provides end-of-life care for people with AIDS.
The firm’s Austin office collected about 20 toys and crafts for children through the Hispanic National Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. The office also recently donated books and stuffed animals to a pre-kindergarten class at a Title I school in the city and collected food for the Central Texas Food Bank.
In Dallas, the Holland & Knight office also adopted about 100 children and seniors through the Salvation Army of North Texas Angel Tree Program.
Also in Dallas, Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support shared with us that one law firm has been especially committed year after year to its holiday drive.
Stinson’s Dallas office adopts about 60 children each year, which totals nearly $1,500 in toys and gifts, Genesis Chief Development Officer Amy Norton said. Stinson has been meaningfully partnering with Genesis on the holiday and Back-to-School Backpack Drive each summer for the past five years (about $3,000 annually) since a former firm attorney served on the charity’s board, Norton said.
“Beyond this, [Stinson is] standing beside Genesis declaring that abuse is never OK, allowing us to provide hope and healing to our clients and their children,” Norton said.
The holiday drive is probably the attorneys’ favorite initiative of the season, Stinson Dallas office managing partner Paul Lackey said. The office kicks off the drive with a luncheon, and for a “very festive, happy couple of hours” staffers line up by a Christmas tree to read the kids’ wish lists and adopt a child, Lackey said.
“It wouldn’t feel like Christmas without the angel tree,” Lackey said.
For Lackey, the reason the firm shows up so consistently is simple, and he offered a call to others who are similarly privileged to help.
“Frankly, we are all too well-off at the holidays to not help,” Lackey said.
New Courthouse Kiosk Expands Statewide Push to Close Justice Gap
Texas Legal Services Center and the Texas Access to Justice Foundation on Wednesday unveiled the first legal kiosk to be installed in a Travis County facility, marking a significant expansion of a statewide effort to reduce barriers to civil legal aid, organizers said.
The kiosk, located in room 118 of the Travis County Courthouse, is the 45th to be activated in Texas since the program launched after the Covid-19 pandemic. The kiosks are available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. The initiative places technology-enabled stations in public spaces to help parties access legal forms, court information, printing services and real-time chats with attorneys.
Texas Legal Services Center Executive Director Karen Miller said that the kiosks were initially deployed when Texans were required to attend court proceedings virtually but lacked devices or internet access.
“We started our kiosk program at the very tail end of the pandemic to help vulnerable Texans gain reliable access to the internet, computers, printers and legal resources back when courthouses were closed,” Miller said.
Travis County Justice of the Peace Tanisa Jeffers, whose court is hosting the kiosk, told attendees of the unveiling event that the initiative aligns with her goal of making the courthouse more accessible to the community.
“We should all care about access to justice,” Jeffers said. “Most of us will have a legal problem at some point in our lives, and those at the margins of our society are the most severely affected. Being able to stand up to injustice is the cornerstone of our legal system.”
Jeffers noted national research showing that 45 percent of adults have experienced a legal issue within the past three years, but most never seek help from an attorney due to costs. This often leads to worse legal outcomes, stress and poor health.
Austin City Council Member Ryan Alter, a former staff attorney in the courthouse, recalled witnessing the impact preparation can have on the outcome of a case.
“I got to see firsthand the difference between someone who showed up prepared and someone who didn’t,” Alter said. “When someone knows the rules and has the right forms, they are in a better position to defend themselves and advocate for their rights.”
Texas Access to Justice Foundation Executive Director Better Balli Torres described the kiosk program as an example of addressing unmet needs in the legal system.
“Access to justice should never depend on your income, where you live or if you have access to technology,” Torres said. “This is more than installing technology, it’s about removing barriers like not having a reliable device, not having internet access and not having dependable free legal help.”
Civil legal aid is often a decisive factor in whether families stay housed, resolve disputes or avoid deeper crises, Torres added.
Miller closed the event with a personal reflection, recalling her early career working in the same courthouse.
“When I was a brand-new reference attorney in Travis County back in 2001, my desk was actually sitting right here. We’ve come full circle, and I’m excited we’re bringing these resources back to this room and this community.”
Dallas Bar Association Honorees
The Dallas Bar Association held its Annual Awards & Court Staff Luncheon last month. The following is a list of the awards and recipients.
- Morris Harrell Professionalism Award: Kevin B. Wiggins
- Kim J. Askew Distinguished Service Award: David Kent
- Lawyer’s Lawyer Award: Alan Feld
- Karen McCloud Outstanding Minority Attorney Award: Fawaz Bham
- Al Ellis Outstanding Community Service Award: Judge Audrey Moorehead
- Home Project Judge Merrill Hartman Support Award: Winston & Strawn
- Jo Anna Moreland Outstanding Committee Chair Award: Tanya Scarbrough, Alexandra Wahl, Kristina Williams
- Cathy Maher Outstanding Section Award: Child Welfare & Juvenile Justice Section
