Jackson Walker’s Suzan Kedron ‘Took the Job to Make a Difference’

When it comes to male-dominated areas of business law, it is easy “to notice when you are the only woman or the only person of color in a room,” said Jackson Walker partner Suzan Kedron, whose practice focuses on representing landowners and developers in litigation-related matters. As Women’s History Month winds down, The Texas Lawbook interviews Kedron, who is a graduate of the South Texas College of Law Houston and widely recognized as one of the leading real estate lawyers in Texas.

March 31, 2025 Mark Curriden

P.S. — Reed Smith’s Global Managing Partner Celebrated, Volunteers Needed in San Antonio 

In this week’s P.S. column, the San Antonio Legal Services Association and another nonprofit are seeking volunteer lawyers to participate in a housing rights workshop on Saturday to educate tenants on housing rights and show them how to draft repair requests. Also, the Center for Women in Law will honor Reed Smith global managing partner Casey Ryan with the Hortense Ward Courageous Leader Award at its April 4 luncheon, featuring BBC journalist Katty Kay as keynote speaker. Finally, The Texas Lawbook invites submissions on pro bono collaborations between corporate legal departments and law firms for a new monthly column.

March 28, 2025 Krista Torralva

Much Has Changed, but Issues Remain the Same

As I mentor and visit with women in the legal profession today, I find they struggle with issues similar to the ones faced by women decades ago. Many firms still struggle as before with getting women and underrepresented talent through to partnership. But there are reasons to be encouraged.

March 28, 2025 Mary Emma Ackels Karam

Back to the Future in the Practice of Law

Leaving the practice of law to raise a family and deciding to reenter the workforce are major life decisions that require sacrifice and perseverance. Here's my story of navigating the challenges of returning to practice law after more than a decade at home.

March 26, 2025 Lynne Clarke

P.S. — Food from the Bar Campaign Benefits North Texas Food Bank, $5M Gift Creates Law School’s Business and Transaction Law Center, Firm Covers Lyft Rides from Rodeo Houston 

Let the competition begin. In this week’s P.S. column, the North Texas Food Bank is set to soon start its annual “Food from the Bar” campaign, a friendly competition among the Dallas-area legal community to raise food for children while they’re out of school this coming summer. Also, St. Mary’s University School of Law got a generous gift to create a center for business and transaction law. And one law firm is making sure Houston Rodeo participants get home safe with free Lyft rides. 

March 21, 2025 Krista Torralva

Self-Reflection, Growth, and Guiding the Next Generation

Preparation and curiosity will carry you further than perfection. As you grow, you outgrow certain mentors and find new ones who challenge and shape you in different ways. It’s a lifelong process — and that’s one of the greatest lessons I can share with the next generation of women attorneys: mentorship, learning, and growth are never one-and-done. They’re constant companions on your career journey.

March 18, 2025 Jenny Speck

P.S. — Toyota and Baker Botts Bring Legal Aid — and Laughter — to Exploited Victims

For several weeks that a woman found refuge at Dallas’ New Friends New Life for formerly trafficked and sexually exploited victims, the staff hadn’t seen a small measure of her joy: laughter.

Finally, at a pro bono legal intake clinic with attorneys from Toyota North America and Baker Botts, staffers caught a glimmer of hope as they heard the woman laugh after receiving legal aid. It was a moment that resonated with the staff and the volunteer lawyers, said Scott Young, managing counsel of Toyota North America in Plano.

“That is more than just turning a page,” Young said. “That’s like freeing her from her limitations.”

March 14, 2025 Krista Torralva

P.S. — Free Citizens Law School in San Antonio, Tennis Clinics for Boys & Girls, $82K Raised from Law Rocks Concert

All right, all right, all right. In this week’s P.S. column, St. Mary’s School of Law and the San Antonio Bar Association announce their annual People’s Law School event. Dallas lawyers fundraised to the tune of $82,000 for local charities through a battle of the bands style concert. The Austin office of Latham & Watkins sponsored a youth tennis clinic for Boys & Girls Club and sponsored the WTA tournament that drew a local celebrity. And The Texas Lawbook needs your help identifying scholarships for low-income students who need assistance.

March 7, 2025 Krista Torralva & Mark Curriden

P.S. — AT&T and Halliburton GCs: Legal Aid ‘Is a Texas Issue that Deserves Your Voice and Advocacy’

Lawyers, corporate general counsel and leaders of the Texas legal profession — 467 of them to be exact — received an email letter Thursday from AT&T General Counsel David McAtee and Halliburton Chief Legal Officer Van Beckwith announcing the annual Champions of Justice Gala that raises funds for Texas Access to Justice and military veterans. The 2025 Gala — to be held on April 30 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin — will feature Equal Justice Initiative Executive Director Bryan Stevenson, author of New York Times bestseller Just Mercy, which was made into a major motion picture of the same name. “To me, the Champions of Justice Gala has always been special,” McAtee said. “Working with Van to extend its reach and legacy is a real thrill. The funds we raise are dedicated to the many legal needs of our veterans. Last year, we set a fundraising record. We hope to shatter that record this year.”

February 28, 2025 Krista Torralva & Mark Curriden

Representation Matters: The History, the Journey, the Impact

According to the American Bar Association, there are more than 1.3 million lawyers in the United States. From 2014 to 2024, the legal profession grew by over 41,000 lawyers. However, while the number of lawyers steadily increased, the representation of Black lawyers has remained stagnant, holding firm at just 5 percent of the legal population, the same as it was a decade ago. This disparity becomes even more glaring when we focus on Black women.

February 26, 2025 Dawn Holiday