David Chaumette Takes Office As New Houston Bar Association President

David A. Chaumette, founding partner of Chaumette, PLLC, is the new president of the Houston Bar Association. He took office May 16th at the HBA's Annual Dinner Meeting at River Oaks Country Club. Chaumette succeeds Brent Benoit of Locke Lord LLP. With over 11,300 members, the HBA is the fifth largest metropolitan bar association in the nation. Read more.

Java with the Judges, May 28

The HBA's CLE Committee is excited to announce the creation of a new CLE program, "Java with the Judges," on the fourth Tuesday of every month, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Civil Courthouse Attorneys' Ready Room, 201 Caroline Street, located on the 8th floor. The goal of the program is to provide a setting that allows members of the judiciary and HBA members to meet and discuss legal issues while earning .50 MCLE credit. The next program will be Tuesday, May 28 at 8 a.m. with Hon. Linda K. Storey, County Civil Court #3, speaking. Coffee and donuts will be provided. The program is free for HBA members and no pre-registration is needed. If you have any questions, please contact Lucy Fisher Cain at 713-759-1133 or lucyf@hba.org.

Renew HBA Dues for 2013-2014 Bar Year - Online Renewal Available

HBA dues statements for 2013-2014 have mailed. You can now conveniently renew your dues and manage your HBA membership account online. To use this feature, you can either log in to your account or if you do not have an online account, you can create your online account by using the email address where you receive your HBA email announcements. Once created, you will be able to manage your HBA account at your convenience. (To create your online account, please click here.) Currently only Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted. If you would like to join or re-join a Section of the HBA, please remember to check the Section(s) on your dues statement and include the Section dues with your HBA dues. If you have questions about your dues statement or online account, contact the Membership Department at 713-759-1133 or email Ron Riojas at ronr@hba.org or Ariana Ochoa at arianao@hba.org.

Free Legal Advice - LegalLine June 5

The HBA's LegalLine will hold a program on Wednesday, June 5 with attorneys answering calls from 5:00 p.m. until 9 p.m. The public may call 713-759-1133 and speak to volunteer attorneys who will answer their legal questions. Click here for more information on the program and upcoming LegalLine dates.

The HBA would like to thank The 43rd Restaurant & Lounge, Wedge International Tower, 1415 Louisiana Street, 43rd Floor, 713-739-6550, for providing dinner for our LegalLine volunteers.
If you would like to volunteer in the HBA LegalLine Program and make a difference in our community, please contact Lucy Fisher at lucyf@hba.org.

Harris County Bench Bar Pro Bono Awards Recognize Outstanding Legal Services to Low-income Houstonians

The Harris County judiciary, in conjunction with the Houston Bar Association, presented the fifth annual Harris County Bench Bar Pro Bono Awards to law firms, corporate legal departments and an individual in a ceremony on May 1 at the Harris County Civil Courthouse. The awards program was established to recognize outstanding pro bono service through local legal service providers and to encourage the provision of direct legal services to low-income Harris County residents. A committee of seven judges and six attorneys selected the recipients. Harris County Administrative Judge Ken Wise of the 334th District Court and Houston Bar Association President Brent Benoit presented the following awards for outstanding service:
• Large Firm – Vinson & Elkins LLP
• Mid-size Firm – Seyfarth Shaw LLP
• Corporation – Marathon Oil Company
• Individual – Chastiti N. Horne of Ebanks Horne Rota Moos, LLP
• Bench Bar President's Award – Exxon Mobil Corporation

Night Court Tickets Available Online Now

Tickets to "Night Court 2013: Law of Ages/Feel the Energy" are now available to purchase. The HBA's all-lawyer musical comedy production will explore global energy issues from the origin of fossil fuels from dinosaurs in "Houstone" through the current issues surrounding climate change, global warming and energy exploration. Night Court 2013 will play at the Wortham Center from June 12-15. Click here for the link to purchase tickets.

2013 Spring/Summer Seminar Schedule

The 2013 Spring/Summer Seminar Schedule for March - August 2013 is available to download as a PDF or as an up-to-date listing on the HBA/CLE Seminars page. Click here to download the schedule as a PDF.

Find Your Place on HBA Committees

Why should you sign up for HBA committees? Here's what volunteers are saying:

"Serving on an HBA committee is a great way to connect with other lawyers, and I find it very rewarding to volunteer and give back to our profession and community."
Farrah D. Martinez, Legislative Affairs Director, Harris County District Clerk's Office Editorial Board Member, The Houston Lawyer

"Working on the HAY Center Committee has given me so much – provided an opportunity to give back to the community by helping at-risk kids, allowed me to work with so many wonderful Houston lawyers whom I otherwise would not have known, and it has energized my law firm by involving lawyers and staff in a community-wide project. It has been a true win-win-win for me."
Ellyn Haikin Josef, Vinson & Elkins LLP, HAY Center Committee

Sign up now to be on an HBA Committee of your choice. Please remember that reappointment to a committee on which you have been serving is not automatic. Click here for the sign up form and to learn more about committee opportunities and the time commitments for each one. Every effort will be made to accommodate your interests, and you may serve on more than one committee. For more information, please call (713) 759-1133. You must be a current member of the HBA in order to serve on an HBA committee.

"Since becoming involved in the bar, I've had the great opportunity to become friends with peers that I would not have otherwise met, to see the light in children's eyes as I read to them about our Constitution, and to hear the appreciation in the voices of those who have finally found someone to help with their legal problem during LegalLine."
Sammy Ford IV, Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend, Golf Tournament Committee, Law Week Commitee & The Houston Lawyer Editorial Board

"Serving on HBA Committees has provided me with the opportunity to work together with other attorneys in the Houston legal community on issues that are of importance not only to lawyers, but to all individuals in the greater Houston area. I appreciate that there are so many different types of committees, which allows people with diverse interests to get involved in a way that is meaningful to them."
Anna Archer, U.S. District Courts, Gender Fairness Committee & Professionalism Committee

Veterans in 17 counties in southeast Texas will have increased access to legal services through a new coalition of bar associations and legal communities, made possible by a grant from the Texas Access to Justice Foundation. The HBA, the Jefferson County Bar Association, Fort Bend Lawyers Care, Austin Bar Foundation and Baylor Law School are part of the coalition.

In addition to Harris, Jefferson and Fort Bend counties, the coalition will encompass Bell, Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Liberty, McLennan, Montgomery, Orange, San Jacinto, Travis, Walker and Waller counties. The area is home to nearly 500,000 veterans. The program will be modeled on the Houston Bar Association's successful Veterans' Legal Initiative, which is entering its fifth year and has served over 7,300 veterans.

"We are grateful to receive these funds from the Texas Access to Justice Foundation that will enable us to assist many more veterans in southeast Texas," said Lowrey. "I urge HBA members to volunteer for this new coalition to help men and women who have sacrificed and served our nation." Read More. Click here to volunteer.

UPCOMING VETERANS LEGAL CLINICS
All clinics listed below are from 9:00 a.m. - Noon. No appointments are necessary to attend the clinic, unless otherwise stated next to the date.


2013 Clinics

•June 29, American Legion Post 241, 1021 S. Velasco, Angleton
•August 31, Texas A&M Galveston, Mary Moody Northen Student Center

Look Who's Volunteering at the HBA

We appreciate all our volunteers and donors. Take a look at the HBA's current list of event volunteers, here.

HBA Passes Resolution in Support of Legal Aid Funding

The Houston Bar Association Board of Directors has passed a resolution in support of proposals from the Texas Access to Justice Commission and the Texas Access to Justice Foundation for additional funding from the Texas Legislature for basic civil legal Services. Read the Resolution.

How Can Houston Lawyers Help Those in Need of Legal Services?

There is a critical need for pro bono legal services for the less fortunate in our community. How can lawyers help fill this need? Watch a new video in support of the HBA's Houston Volunteer Lawyers on YouTube.

HBA, TCH Introduce New Medical-Legal Partnership

Texas Children's Hospital and the Houston Bar Association's Houston Volunteer Lawyers announced the formation of a medical-legal partnership that will provide Texas Children's low-income patients and patient-families with critical legal assistance. This is the first partnership of its kind offered in the Houston area. Read More.

28th John J. Eikenburg 8K Fun Run Race Day Results and Event Photos

The HBA's 28th Annual John J. Eikenburg Law Week Fun Run was held on Saturday, March 23 in Downtown Houston. Click here for race day photos. Click here for individual race results. Click here for team race results.

HBA members can take advantage of discounts on tickets and/or priority seating for performances by the following organizations:

•GlobalFit: May Savings! - Get fit for beach season with FREE gym activation: Feel better now, free start up for national physical fitness month. Start with $0 activation fee on most gym memberships and save up to $49.00. Just use code FIT0513. That's on top of GlobalFit's Lowest Price Guarantee – members save an average of $120/year on dues alone! Start Today! Click here for more information or call 800-294-1500. Offer is only valid May 1, 2013 - May 31, 2013.

•ClubCorp Offers Houston Young Executive Membership - Under 40 and love golf? ClubCorp, an HBA member benefit provider, is offering a special until membership reaches 500. The $1,000 initiation fee is reduced to $100 for HBA members and dues are $275 per month. The membership gives you access to nine Houston area clubs featuring over 150 holes of golf, eight swimming pools, over 50 tennis courts, racquetball, cardio, strength training, group exercises and dining privileges. For more information click here.

•Da Camera of Houston offers HBA members a 20 percent discount on tickets to any concert. To purchase tickets, call 713-524-5050 and ask for the HBA discount.

Join the 10th Annual "Paul E. Stallings Blood Drive" the HBA's continuing partnership with the Blood Center. Please give The Blood Center the HBA code, QM07, to have your donation credited to the HBA drive. Visit www.giveblood.org to learn more about a drive in your area.

36 firms have signed a commitment statement that pledges an increase in various actions that promote gender fairness. To find out more about the Gender Fairness Initiative, please contact Tara Shockley or call 713-759-1133.