Welcome to a new year with the HBA! 

Whether you're interested in getting CLE, attending a section event, or making connections to enhance your practice, the HBA has something for everyone! Visit the HBA events calendar today to stay engaged and informed with your legal community. We look forward to seeing you!

Visit the HBA events calendar 

Petitions for nomination to the HBA Board of Directors are now available, with a filing deadline of 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 23, 2024.

There are both officer and director positions. Each petition must designate the officer or director position sought by the candidate and must be signed by at least 10 current members of the Houston Bar Association. A biographical form and a current photograph must accompany each petition. Biographical data will be limited to 200 words. Each candidate will be asked to read and sign the HBA guidelines governing campaigns for officer and director positions.

To request a petition, please contact HBA Executive Director Mindy Davidson at mindygd@hba.org or (713) 759-1133.

The HBA is very happy and proud to share some important news about our HBA 100 Club! 

The HBA 100 Club is a special category of membership indicating a commitment to the advancement of the legal profession and the betterment of the community. Organizations that join our 100 Club enroll 100% of their attorneys as members of the HBA.

We are thrilled to announce that the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston has taken the trailblazing step as the first local bar association board to join our 100 Club, broadening the possibilities of mutually serving our respective members through collaboration and partnership.

We are also ecstatic to welcome the Harris County District Attorney's Office back to the 100 Club.

We are sincerely grateful to the HisBA Board and the District Attorney for their support of our work. We look forward to seeing additional leadership of local Houston bar associations, as well as government agencies, law firms, and corporate legal departments, join them by enrolling 100% of their attorneys as HBA members. 

Learn more about the HBA 100 Club.
 

As a reminder, the HBA adopted the following policy for judicial campaigning at HBA events:

There should be no active campaigning, no literature distributed, no buttons worn, essentially nothing to indicate that a judge is in a contested race, and certainly nothing urging a favorable vote. Judges and judicial candidates may serve on HBA committee(s) and appear in HBA programs.

One of our key initiatives this year is to work with the Harris County District Courts, led by Judge Latosha Payne, Judge R.K. Sandill, Judge Michael Gomez, and Judge Cheryl Thornton, as well as the Harris County Commissioners Court, led by Commissioner Lesley Briones, to install increased lactation/wellness facilities in the Harris County Court Complex.

The HBA Gender Fairness Committee is spearheading our efforts to raise at least $120,000 to purchase multiple Mamava XL Lactation Pods.

We ask that you join us in supporting this initiative and help us make history by donating today. Every dollar will help. There are a number of ways to donate.

Click here to learn more about this important initiative

Many Houstonians are familiar with Seymour Lieberman by way of the three-mile trail in Memorial Park that bears his name. The trail, a central feature of the park visited by thousands of runners and walkers daily, serves as a living memorial to Lieberman. Known as the “Father of Jogging,” Lieberman was an early leader in recognizing and promoting the benefits of running for physical and mental well-being in the 1950s and 60s.  

Fewer people know that Lieberman was an attorney and a respected member of the Houston Bar Association. After graduating from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law in Chicago in 1933, Lieberman moved to Galveston to begin his legal career. He joined Cole Patterson & Cole, which later became Patterson McDaniel & Boyd, in Houston.

The Houston Bar Association Fun Run Committee is proud to promote running by organizing the annual Eikenburg 8K Fun Run. The Fun Run benefits The Center for Pursuit, a local non-profit organization that offers various programs and services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism. This year, in recognition of Lieberman’s contributions to the Houston running and legal communities, the trophy awarded to the top-placing law school team in the Fun Run will be renamed the “Seymour Lieberman Trophy."

This year’s Fun Run will be held on February 17, 2024. Sponsorship and registration information is available at hba.org/funrun. To learn more about The Center for Pursuit, visit thecenterforpursuit.org.

Thank you to all of our current sponsors! 

The 36th Annual Law & the Media Seminar, co-sponsored by the HBA Law & the Media Committee and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Houston Pro Chapter, will be held on Saturday, February 3, 2024 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at South Texas College of Law Houston. 

The theme of this year's program is "Investigative Journalism & the Rule of Law." See additional details about the program and speaker lineup here. 

Check-in with breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. Onsite registration will be limited (space permitting), so pre-event registration is encouraged. Registration for HBA members and attorneys is $50. Journalists, communications professionals, and law students are welcome to register for free. 

Register for the 36th Annual Law & the Media Seminar

Questions? Email HBA Marketing and Communications Director Maggie Martin at maggiem@hba.org.

Nominations for the 2024 Harris County Bench Bar Pro Bono Awards are due by 5:00 p.m. Friday, January 19, 2024. The Houston Bar Association Harris County Bench Bar Pro Bono Awards Committee will select the award recipients. The awards will be presented at the HBF Annual Luncheon on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

Awards may be given in the following categories:

• Large Firm (100+)
• Mid-size Firm (20-100)
• Small Firm (1-20)
• Corporate Law Department
• Individual, an award for overall outstanding pro bono work by an individual, whether part of a firm, corporation, or solo practice.
  *Awards may not be given in every category every year.

Eligibility criteria include:

• The attorney or firm attorneys must be licensed by and in good standing with the State Bar of Texas.
• The attorney must primarily practice in Harris County or surrounding counties.
• The law firm submissions must be based on pro bono work performed through the office based in Harris County or surrounding counties.

Attorneys and firms become eligible through a self-nominating process or someone may nominate a firm or individual. 

Click Here for Eligibility Criteria, List of Materials to be Submitted, and Nomination Form 

Nominations for these awards are due by 5:00 p.m., Friday, March 29, 2024. Please submit the nominee's resume and three to five letters of support to HBA Marketing and Communications Director Maggie Martin at maggiem@hba.org.

Justice Eugene A. Cook Professionalism Award

The Justice Eugene A. Cook Professionalism Award is presented by the Houston Bar Association to a lawyer or judge who exemplifies the highest level of professionalism and legal ethics. A nominee must have demonstrated, by conduct and character, a longstanding commitment to professionalism and a record of exemplary service in the areas of professionalism, legal ethics, and legal excellence. The nominee must be a role model for younger or less experienced lawyers who make the bar proud of the legal profession. Lawyer nominees may be from a transactional or litigation practice, and nominees must be a member of the HBA.

Justice Ruby Kless Sondock Award

The Justice Ruby Kless Sondock Award is presented by the Houston Bar Association to a woman lawyer or judge for exceptional achievement and leadership in the law. This award recognizes a record of outstanding accomplishments by a woman attorney. The award was established in 2019 and is named in honor of Justice Sondock, the first recipient, who was a trailblazer in the legal profession as the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court of Texas and the first woman District Court Judge in Harris County. A nominee must have demonstrated, by conduct and character, a record of exceptional service as a role model, mentor, and advocate in the legal profession, and a lifelong commitment to professionalism. Nominees may be from a transactional or litigation practice, and nominees must be a member of the HBA.

Click Here to See Past Recipients 

Join us right after the 2024 Bench Bar Conference on Friday, April 12, 2024 at the Hotel Zaza Museum District from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Don't miss this HBA signature event, bringing the legal community together with food and drinks from around the world. 

For questions regarding sponsorship opportunities, please contact HBA Associate Executive Director Ashley Gagnon Steininger at ashleyg@hba.org or 346-471-3431 or HBA Education Coordinator Alli Hessel at allih@hba.org or 346-471-3293.

A Special Day at the Courthouse is a unique civics-education learning experience designed to give high school students with intellectual disabilities a basic understanding of what lawyers and judges do. We host this annual event at the historic Harris County 1910 Courthouse in downtown Houston.

We invite volunteers to sign up. Volunteers will be greeting attendees, passing out resource lists and activity books, and generally directing groups to their seating areas.

Questions? Reach out to HBA Education Coordinator Alli Hessel at allih@hba.org.

Sign Up to Volunteer Here

We're proud to celebrate the 60th anniversary of our award-winning publication, The Houston Lawyer! Read the November/December issue of The Houston Lawyer here. 

Thank you to all of the members of The Houston Lawyer Editorial Board—past and present—whose dedication drives the magazine. 

You can also listen to the companion podcast episode of Behind the Lines: The Houston Lawyer Podcast. Download this special anniversary episode here.

The HBA Professionalism Committee invites its mentors and mentees to attend a FREE breakfast event on January 30, 2024.

This event will focus on practical tips for mentors and mentees, for example, questions for mentees to ask mentors to get value out of future meetings, questions for mentors to ask mentees to elicit ways to help, and what other resources are available for a successful mentorship's sessions.

Register Today

Join the HBA and Houston Young Lawyers Association (HYLA) to run or walk with a judge and fellow bar members on Wednesday, January 24 at 6:30 p.m. Participants are invited to meet at the swimming pool parking lot at Memorial Park. 

Questions? Email HYLA Run Club co-chairs Joshua Upham (joshua.upham@lanierlawfirm.com) or Humam Daas (humam.daas@gmail.com).

Register Here

We welcome you to register for the 76th Annual HBA Golf Tournament, taking place on Thursday, March 28 at Wildcat Golf Club. 

Whether you're a seasoned golfer or a "green" player, the tournament is a fun way to spend the day bonding with colleagues and friends while supporting a great cause. Net proceeds benefit the 26th HBA Habitat for Humanity house and the Houston Bar Foundation.

Register for the 76th Annual HBA Golf Tournament

Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available

For questions, contact HBA Projects & Events Director Bonnie Simmons at bonnies@hba.org. 

Join the HBA LGBTQ+ Committee for their 3rd Annual Mardi Gras Party on Monday, February 12 at Brennan's. All are welcome! 

Purchase your tickets here

Sponsorship opportunities here

The HBA is excited to announce a new platform to experience our online CLE library! Here are some of the new features HBA members can enjoy now:

• More user-friendly.
• Easier search function.
• Watch history makes it easy for you to return to programs you’ve started watching and find programs you’ve completed to report CLE.
• Still FREE to HBA members!
• Still 24/7 access at your fingertips.

Visit the New HBA On-Demand CLE Library Here

You can also bookmark hba.org/CLE in your browser, or find the library in the dropdown menu under "CLE & Events" on the HBA website

Questions about the HBA's new online CLE library? Contact HBA Education Coordinator Alli Hessel at allih@hba.org. 

The HBA provides hundreds of hours of CLE programming to our members! As we ring in the new year, take a look back at what the HBA provided in 2023 and some of the interesting CLEs you might have missed but can watch online.  

(Having trouble playing? Click here)

See you in 2024!

These CLE programs are FREE for HBA members to attend. Non-members may also attend most programs for $26 per person (unless otherwise noted). Register by noon the day of the program (unless otherwise noted) via the HBA website calendar.  

 If you have good news you would like to share in the HBA Bulletin, please email HBA Marketing and Communications Director Maggie Martin at maggiem@hba.org.

Beck Redden LLP announced that partner W. Curt Webb has retired. 

Reynolds Frizzell LLP welcomed Mason Malone, Erin Formby, and Nathaniel Bass as associates.

HBA Past President Benny Agosto, Jr. has established a University of Houston Law Center scholarship for first-generation college students in honor of UH Law alumna and longtime HBA member, Judge Josefina Rendón.

Reagan Hanna Noser, Zachary D. Sarver, and Catherine Welch joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP's Houston office as fall associates. 

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP announced the addition of associates Miatta C. Echetebu, Samuel P. Gillaspie, Charles Hutchison and Nick E. McTarnaghan to the firm’s Houston office.

Winston & Strawn LLP announced Imad Khan and Louis Savage have been elevated to partner in the firm's Houston office. 

Sidley Austin LLP promoted Andy Chen, Quan Q. Lu, and Eduardo Marquez to counsel in its Houston office. 

Susman Godfrey announced Krisina Zuñiga and Hunter Vance have been elected to partner in the firm's Houston office. 

Sorrels Law announced Andrea Roth and Jessica Rodriguez-Wahlquist have been named partner. 

We are proud to share new a new HBA Membership Testimonial featuring HBA Board Member Seepan Parseghian! Click here to read about how Seepan values his HBA membership. 

Our thanks to Seepan and all of the other members who shared their HBA member experience! You can learn more about their HBA journeys here and follow us on social media to catch the newest membership testimonials as soon as they post.  

If you’d like to be a part of the HBA member experience, click here to join us today! Thank you to the HBA Membership Committee and Social Media Subcommittee for your partnership on this special initiative.  

If you have questions about these testimonials, or would like to join the HBA Membership Committee, please contact HBA Marketing and Communications Director Maggie Martin at maggiem@hba.org.  

We are incredibly grateful to our members, volunteers, and donors who helped the HBA spread some holiday cheer! 

Thank you to all of the legal organizations, law firms, corporations, and individuals who volunteered for the 2023 Adopt-a-Family project!

See the list of our adopters and our photo album on the HBA AIDS Outreach Committee webpage here.

Thank you to all who participated and donated towards the 2023 Veterans Holiday Gift Bags, led by the HBA Campaign to End Homelessness and Hunger Committee. 

View a list of our donors and additional photos on the HBA Campaign to End Homelessness and Hunger Committee webpage here. 

As we begin a new year, we invite you to join the HBA in giving back to the Houston community!

The HBA is proud to serve as Houston Habitat for Humanity's longest-serving sponsor! Since 1998, the Houston Bar Association has partnered with Houston Habitat for Humanity to provide houses for deserving local families. 

We invite you to help the HBA raise funds for its next Habitat home by contributing to the construction fund here. All contributions will be allocated to the HBA sponsorship of Houston Habitat for Humanity.  

Visit the HBA Habitat for Humanity Committee page to view sponsorship levels or to learn more about the HBA’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity and other ways you can help make a difference.  

Thank you to Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg for hosting the HBA for a presentation about HBA membership on December 13! Attorneys from the DA's office, Bridget Holloway, Vincent Tanzillo, Michelle Oncken, and Tiffany Larsen, talked about their experiences serving on HBA committees. In their presentations, they talked about how much they enjoy meeting attorneys outside of their practice areas, as well as how much they value giving back to the Houston community through HBA programming. They encouraged their colleagues to get involved by either joining an HBA committee or volunteering for an event (see our volunteer opportunities in our events calendar). 

The Harris County DA's Office recently became members of the HBA 100 Club by enrolling 100% of their attorneys as members of the HBA. Thank you, DA Ogg! We enjoyed visiting with the office's attorneys to talk about how they could make the most of their HBA membership. 

Join the Houston Bar Association Auxiliary (HBAA) for their 9th Annual Chili and Pie Cook-off on Saturday, January 27 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

This is not only a fun, family-friendly event where you can sample some fantastic chilis and pies. It's also for a great cause. Proceeds go to the HBAA Charitable Fund, which provides scholarships to students from the three local law schools. Purchase your ticket here.

Are you a sitting judge? Want to help us reach a verdict in who has the best chili and pie? Sign up to volunteer as a contest judge!

Email HBA Associate Executive Director Ashley Gagnon Steininger at ashleyg@hba.org. 

Houston Lawyer Referral Service
Interested in building your clientele base and giving back to your community? Consider becoming a member of the Houston Lawyer Referral Service. Annual dues start at $175. Referrals are pre-screened. 

Contact HLRS Executive Director Karen Ramsey at Kramsey@hrs.org or call 713-650-0470 to learn more, or visit the HLRS website here. You can also watch a brief two-minute video about how the HLRS works here.

Dispute Resolution Center  
Interested in volunteering with the Harris County Dispute Resolution Center? Send a copy of your mediation certificate and resume (or bio) to email@drchouston.org (please type “Volunteer” in the subject line) or mail them to: Dispute Resolution Center, 49 San Jacinto, Suite 220 Houston, Texas 77002.

While many of the mediations are conducted virtually, there are opportunities to mediate in-person at most JP courts throughout Harris County and limited opportunities at the DRC office.

Interested in learning more about the DRC? Visit their website here. Or, you can reach out by calling (713) 274-7100 or by email at email@drchouston.org.

Houston Volunteer Lawyers

Houston Volunteer Lawyers is seeking a full-time attorney to work primarily as a part of HVL’s veterans unit. The position will work primarily in the office in downtown Houston and will require working on-site at the VA Hospital most weeks on Friday afternoons at the veterans clinic. 

For more information and to apply online, click here. 

Thank you to these firms and companies who have agreed to assume a leadership role in providing equal access to justice for all Harris County citizens. Each has made a commitment to provide representation in a certain number of cases through the Houston Volunteer Lawyers.

The 100 Club

The Houston Bar Association 100 Club is a special category of membership that indicates a commitment to the advancement of the legal profession and the betterment of the community. The following law firms, government agencies, law schools and corporate legal departments with five or more attorneys have become members of the 100 Club by enrolling 100 percent of their attorneys as members of the HBA.