© 2014 The Texas Lawbook.
By Natalie Posgate – AUSTIN (June 27) – Managing shareholder Bob Black of the mid-sized Texas litigation firm, MehaffyWeber, was inducted Friday into the Texas Legal Legends during the State Bar of Texas’ annual meeting.
Black, a former State Bar president, joins a select group extraordinary lawyers who have also been named Texas Legal Legends, including Joe Jamail, Harry Reasoner, Judge Carolyn Dineen King and Broadus Spivey.
Photo courtesy of ttu.edu
Texas Legal Legends is a project created by the State Bar’s Litigation Section and recognizes successful attorneys around the state who are committed to preserving the rule of law and who have spent their professional careers serving others, as well as “taking on challenges much bigger than themselves.”
During Black’s 2011-2012 State Bar presidency, he launched an initiative called Oyez, Oyez, Oh yay!, a program that teaches students about the rule of law and the role of the judiciary in our democracy. In 2012, the program was selected as the recipient of the 2012 NABE/LexisNexis Community & Educational Outreach Award.
In October 2012, Black was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court’s Board of Disciplinary Appeals.
Before becoming an arbitrator and mediator, Black tried more than 50 jury trials and successfully argued cases before the Supreme Court of Texas and U.S. District Court for the Fifth Court of Appeals. Since taking on ADR, Black has mediated more than 3,800 disputes and has arbitrated many more.
Currently, he serves as an appeals panelist for the Deepwater Horizon incident.
Black’s induction ceremony attracted a remarkable crowd of respected attorneys around the state, including State Bar Litigation Section past immediate chair Christy Amuny, a cluster of MehaffyWeber colleagues, and Dean Darby Dickerson of Black’s alma mater, Texas Tech University School of Law.
“We’re so excited for [Texas Legal Legends] to induct one of our own,” Dickerson said. “We are so proud of the work Bob has done for the State Bar, the community and the people of Texas.”
Amuny, whose tenure as the chair of the litigation section ended Friday, said the criteria for Texas Legal Legends includes pro bono service, honesty, integrity, respect for fellow lawyers and “someone who strives to preserve the rights we believe are sacred.”
She added what makes Black a legend is “his willingness and eagerness to give back, to make things right and, as we always say, ‘to fight the good fight.’”
Though Black is known as one of the most respected attorneys in Texas, he said his education career did not necessarily start off on the right foot. He initially dropped out of college after demonstrating apathy toward attending class.
“I was distracted by anything that was more interesting than my history classes. And what was everything,” he said during his award speech.
Black decided to work for Texas Electric Cooperatives after dropping out, which brings electricity to poor, rural areas. He said the experience opened his eyes and made him want to return to college.
“Boy did I think I had it hard until I met migrant farmers, whose every day is hard,” Black said.
He went back to school and graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1977. He went on to obtain his J.D. from Texas Tech’s law school in 1980 and graduate summa cum laude. That same year, Black joined MehaffyWeber and hasn’t left since. He will celebrate 30 years at the firm this August.
“I accept this great honor… but I don’t accept it in a personal way,” said Black of his award. “I accept it because it affirms all of our commitment to the profession and the rule of law.”
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