We are pleased to present to you the elected members of the 2024-2025 HBA Board of Directors. 

President
David Harrell
Locke Lord LLP

Please join us on Tuesday, May 14 at the River Oaks Country Club from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to welcome the leadership of incoming HBA President David Harrell, celebrate our award winners, and honor outgoing HBA President Diana Gomez.

Individual tickets are $160 per person, and tables of 10 are $1,600.
 
Online ticket and table sales will close at 11:59 p.m. on May 7th (if not sold out before). No tickets will be sold at the door. Please submit attendee names by May 7th. If you would like to pay by check, please contact Alli Hessel at allih@hba.org or Ashley Steininger at ashleyg@hba.org. 
 
We look forward to celebrating with you!

Purchase Your Tickets to the HBA Annual Dinner Here
 

We have revamped our website to better your hba.org experience! 

If you’re having trouble finding what you need, please email hba@hba.org. For questions about your membership, please email membership@hba.org.

If you would like to stop receiving renewal reminders this year – visit your member profile to enroll in auto renewal, which will process April 17, 2024.

Please visit hba.org, click on the blue "Welcome" button in the right-hand corner to log into your account.  Once logged in, scroll to the red "Outstanding Invoices" and gray "Recent Payments" tab, where it says, "To sign up for auto-renewal of your HBA membership or HBF fellow pledges, update your preferences here." Click the link and follow the prompts (click "Yes" on the drop down) to automatically renew your membership. 

Questions about the process or your HBA membership? Email HBA the Membership Department at membership@hba.org. 

Linda Hester became the 2024 Chair of the Houston Bar Foundation at the Foundation’s Annual Luncheon on March 7 in downtown Houston. Hester succeeds Monica Karuturi of CenterPoint Energy.

Under Karuturi’s leadership as Chair, the Foundation accomplished several access to justice initiatives, including the launch of a new $50,000 annual grant program. The first of these grants was a $30,000 grant for the purchase of one of several lactation pods to be installed in the Harris County Court Complex. The Foundation also received a watershed gift of $500,000 from CenterPoint Energy to assist self-represented litigants in Harris County, and the 74th Annual Harvest Celebration in November raised a record-breaking amount of almost $1.1 million for Houston Volunteers Lawyers.

Read more about Linda Hester, as well as the 2024 HBF board, and the award winners recognized at the luncheon here. And read the Foundation’s highlights from the past year in the Cornerstone: HBF Impact & Gratitude Report here. 

HBA Past President and Bracewell LLP Partner Warren W. Harris presented the James B. Sales Pro Bono Leadership Award to Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht. Chief Justice Hecht also delivered the keynote address. 

The form to request appointment to an HBA committee for the 2024-2025 bar year is now open! Click here to fill out the 2024-2025 Committee Interest Form.

Please note that appointment to a committee is not guaranteed, and reappointment to a committee on which you currently serve is not automatic. The form must be completed for any committees on which you would like to serve.

More information on each of the committees can be found on hba.org/committees. If you have any questions, please contact Ashley Steininger at ashleyg@hba.org or 346-471-3431 or Alli Hessel at allih@hba.org or 346-471-3293.

Pictured above: HBA LGBTQ+ Committee meeting on March 21, 2024

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.

Celebrate professionalism at the Houston Day of Civility in the Law on Thursday, April 4 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the historic 1910 Courthouse. Join us for an insightful discussion on the "Texas Lawyers’ Creed - 35 Years Later," followed by two engaging panels on "Civility in the Courtroom" and "Civility Toward Non-Lawyers & Public." A reception will follow. 

FREE for HBA members and law students!  Accredited for 2 hours of MCLE, including 2 hours of ethics.

For more information, please contact William Hagans at whagans@hagans.law.

View Panel Speakers and Secure Your Spot

Join us for our first-ever multi-practice Bench Bar Conference, "Bridging the Bench & Bar: Forging Connections," on Friday, April 12 at the Hotel ZaZa – Museum District from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

The course qualifies for 5.75 hours MCLE credit; including 2.5 hours ethics credit and 5.75 hours of legal specialization in the following areas: Child Welfare Law, Civil Appellate Law, Civil Trial Law, Criminal Appellate Law, Criminal Law, Estate Planning and Probate Law, Family Law, and Personal Injury Trial Law.

Thank you to the members of the judiciary, who will be in attendance for all or part of the conference. Click here to see judicial attendees.

Purchase Your 2024 Bench Bar Conference Tickets and View the Program Agenda

Interested in discounted hotel rooms for the Bench Bar Conference or Bites & Beverages for the Bar? Click HERE

Come gather with friends and colleagues from across Houston’s bar as we celebrate our shared commitment to the administration of justice in the best legal community in the nation.

Purchase Your Tickets to Bites & Beverages for the Bar

Watch this special message from HBA President Diana Gomez and Judge Michael Gomez

Have questions about Bites & Beverages for the Bar?

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.

Thank you to all the amazing participants who made our 76th Annual Golf Tournament on March 28 an absolute hole-in-one success! And a special thank you to our generous sponsors and dedicated volunteers. 

The day was filled with friendly competition, camaraderie, and support for two fantastic causes: the Houston Bar Foundation and Houston Habitat for Humanity. Every swing and every putt contributed to making a difference in our community. More photos coming soon...

Let's raise our clubs high to congratulate our outstanding winners:

See you next year for our 77th Annual Golf Tournament! 

We are thrilled to announce that the Board of Directors of the Houston Young Lawyers Association has joined the HBA 100 Club. 

We are sincerely grateful to the HYLA Board and our other HBA 100 Club members for their support of our work. 

Learn more about the HBA 100 Club here.

Visit the HBA Career Center, where we connect employees and employers. It’s also where you’ll find a Career Planning Portal offering resume writing services and coaching.  

HBA Career Center

The State Bar of Texas' elections are open now through April 30 at 5 p.m. Denise Scofield (Houston) and Santos Vargas (San Antonio) are running for 2024-2025 State Bar president-elect.

There are also 12 proposed changes to the Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct on the ballot.

Click here to learn more. 

We welcome nominations for the 2024 HBA Diversity Awards. Click on the forms below for more information on required submission materials. Nominations for the 2024 Diversity Awards are due May 16, 2024.

Individual Attorney Nomination Form

Organization Nomination Form

For questions or additional information, please contact Associate Executive Director Ashley Gagnon Steininger at ashleyg@hba.org or 346-471-3431.

Houston is relatively close to the path of totality. For this unusual event, visit www.click2houston.com/cool-ways-to-celebrate-the-solar-eclipse-in-houston or www.utsa.edu/today/2024/03/story/planet-utsa-episode-1 to learn more.

Stay engaged and informed with your legal community! Visit the HBA's online events calendar for upcoming CLEs, section and committee programming, and more. We look forward to seeing you soon! 

HBA Online Events Calendar

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.

Explore our new, searchable online CLE library!

Visit the New HBA On-Demand CLE Library Here

Questions? Contact HBA Education Coordinator Alli Hessel at allih@hba.org. 

 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.

Adams and Reese welcomed Jane Haas as counsel in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group.

Dykema welcomed Brad Howell as a member in its Product Liability Practice Group in the firm’s Houston office.

Chaffe McCall is pleased to announce that Gus “Dave” Opperman has joined their Houston office as a Partner in the Commercial Litigation, Insurance Defense, and Maritime sections.

Andrew Wootton has joined Baker Donelson as counsel and member of its tax group. 

Congratulations to all the attorneys recently named 2024 Texas Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers.

Congratulations to the recipients of the Texas Bar Foundation's 2024 Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award.

Stay tuned for more information. Volunteer links coming soon...

• April 19 & 20, 2024 - Spring Games - Baytown
• April 27, 2024 - Equestrian - SIRE Spring

The Houston Food Bank’s annual Food from the Bar Campaign is going on now through April 28!

We encourage you to join the HBA and HBA Campaign to End Homelessness and Hunger Committee team here or register your office team to compete.

We invite you to volunteer with Team HBA at the Houston Food Bank on Saturday, April 20. 

Questions about Team HBA or the Food from the Bar Campaign? Contact Aburiyeba Amaso at aburiyeba.amaso@kirkland.com.

Help beautify the Dawson Lunnon Cemetery! Join the HBA Lawyers for a Beautiful Houston Committee for a spring cleanup and pocket prairie planting on Saturday, April 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Sign up to volunteer here.

The HBA's Teach Texas project is an innovative program that introduces 7th-grade students to the Texas court system through colorful stories from Texas courts' history with hands-on classroom activities led by teams of judges and attorneys. Volunteers commit to teaching one class on two different days and select from a list of schedules. The HBA will provide materials and training. 

Volunteer Here

Questions? Contact Georgina Peña at georginap@hba.org.

Sign up to assist with providing legal advice and information to HVL applicants over the phone in 2024. Volunteer opportunities are available for individuals or groups on certain Wednesdays from 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. or Fridays from 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Volunteer attorneys will be assigned 4-8 calls. Each volunteer will be matched with an HVL staff attorney for guidance and mentorship, as needed. Volunteer attorneys will have access to online legal resources and telephonic language interpreters, if needed. Volunteers will be able to discuss the cases with their HVL mentor attorney prior to and/or during their calls.

For questions about HBA’s LegalLine service, email probono@hvlp.org.

Sign Up to Volunteer for LegalLine Powered by HVL

Volunteer with the HBA Habitat for Humanity Committee to build the HBA's 26th Houston Habitat for Humanity home in Southeast Houston for a deserving family. Volunteer from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on any of these dates:

Friday, April 5
Saturday, April 6
Saturday, April 27

Groups and individuals welcome! Lunch is provided.

Sign up to Volunteer

Pictured above: Volunteers at our home build last week.

Can't volunteer but want to make a difference in another way? We welcome contributions at any level here.

Thank you to all the members of the judiciary who joined us for the Bench Bar Conference VIP Judicial Reception at Baker Botts L.L.P. on March 19! It was a wonderful way to pre-game ahead of our first-ever multi-practice conference on April 12. Thank you to Baker Botts L.L.P. for graciously hosting the event.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this year's HAY Center Prom Readiness event an unforgettable experience for foster youth. Thanks to the many donations, they were able to 'shop' for free prom attire and accessories so that they could attend their own prom. Volunteer seamstresses were also provided to tailor-fit clothing for the youth, along with gift cards for them to enjoy dinner before prom. Together, we united to transform prom dreams into reality!

The HBA was honored to be present for the portrait unveiling for the Honorable David D. Farr for his service in the 312th Civil District Court. 

Law Student Mixer

The HBA Military & Veterans Committee hosted their annual Law Student Mixer at Platypus Brewery on Tuesday, March 26. Veteran law students from each of the three schools chatted with several attorney members of the HBA. Thank you to everyone who joined us! 

Law School Visits

The HBA Professionalism Committee enjoyed visiting students at Thurgood Marshall School of Law, the University of Houston Law Center, and South Texas College of Law Houston to promote the Day of Civility in the Legal Profession. Students started their mornings with complimentary coffee and donuts while committee members visited with them about their semester, shared information about the HBA, discussed civility in the legal profession, and invited them to upcoming events, including the committee’s Houston Day of Civility program. Thank you to the students who participated in our event; we are glad you are already a part of our HBA community.

A special thank you to the committee members and attendees who volunteered: Madison Bennett, Gregory Brown, Professionalism Committee co-chair Eric D’Olive, Russell C. Ducoff, and Daniella Landers.

Thank you to all who generously volunteered for the HBA LGBTQ+ Committee's End of Life Clinic, conducted in partnership with Houston Volunteer Lawyers on March 20 at the Law Harrington Senior Living Center.

• Volunteer attorneys: Todd Batson, Gunther Goetz, Veronica Jacobs, Daniel O’Neil, Jeff Watters
• Advisers to the attorneys: Michael Herman & Hon. Jerry Zimmerer

Thank you to all those who participated in the Special Olympics of Texas East Region Tennis Tournament on March 23! 

Interested in volunteering for upcoming events? Volunteer at www.hba.org/specialolympics.

Pictured above: HBA Special Olympics Committee Co-Chair Derick Mendoza and athletes.

We're still abuzz with excitement following the success of the 39th Annual HBA Eikenburg 8K Fun Run held on February 17! We want to extend our heartfelt thanks again to all who participated and volunteered.

The HBA Fun Run Committee is excited to announce that thanks to the unwavering support of our generous sponsors, the event attained the highest sponsorship amount in history! This milestone underscores the incredible impact our community can have when united for a great cause such as The Center for Pursuit.

If you missed the event or simply wish to relive the fun, click here to view our winners, sponsors, photos, and more!

Dive into the future of justice & health equity at UHLC's program on April 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the University of Houston's Fertitta College of Medicine. Join the dialogue on affirmative action's role in legal & medical education. Don't miss out on a chance to earn 6 hours of MCLE and 6.25 hours of CME credits. Click here to register.

Houston Lawyer Referral Service

The HBA’s Houston Lawyer Referral Service helps attorneys grow their practice. Here are 5 fun facts:

1. HLRS members earn an average of $20K a year from referrals
2. HLRS pre-screens referrals based on members’ criteria
3. HLRS members credit HLRS for helping them maintain a private practice
4. HLRS offers free CLE webinars that focus on starting/building a law practice
5. HLRS dues are $175-$250 annually for HBA members

Dispute Resolution Center  

The Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) offers invaluable mediation services at no cost to Harris County residents dealing with disputes under $100,000, both pre and post-litigation. As attorneys, it's crucial to prepare your clients for the mediation process, which has evolved over the DRC's 44 years of operation. Emphasizing the distinct role of attorneys in mediation is essential; it is best to explain to your clients the difference between mediation and litigation. Mediators do not possess the authority to make decisions or take sides; rather, they offer impartial feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of each party's position. This constructive dialogue fosters resolution. It's imperative to manage clients' expectations regarding the presentation of information, which is more succinct and less formal than in a courtroom setting. Attorneys must emphasize the collaborative nature of mediation, steering away from confrontational tactics.

For further guidance or to explore becoming a mediator, please contact the DRC at (713) 274-7100 or email@drchouston.org.

Houston Volunteer Lawyers

Join Houston Volunteer Lawyers in transforming lives through pro bono legal work! No prior expertise required – you'll be equipped with everything you need, from CLE training to ongoing mentorship. Be part of the 3,000+ strong community bridging the legal gap. Explore available cases here and sign up to lend your support today!

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.