Don't miss the legal community's first party of the holiday season — the Harvest Party! Over 1,000 legal professionals and guests gather on November 10 to mix and mingle with friends and colleagues, meet new bar members, and network until the stars come out. Don't miss your opportunity to make memories at the Harvest Party.

And there is still time to sponsor! Pledge $1,000 or more by October 31 to be recognized in the Houston Chronicle's special Thanksgiving weekend ad. Click here for sponsorship benefits. All net proceeds directly benefit Houston Volunteer Lawyers with every $1 raised becoming $4 of pro bono legal services for the greater Houston community.

PURCHASE TICKETS

On Saturday, September 27, hundreds of HBA members and partners came together for the HBA Days of Service, one of HBA President Daniella Landers’ key initiatives for the 2025–2026 Bar year. The fall event was a resounding success, uniting our legal community across eight volunteer opportunities—both legal and non-legal—organized in partnership with HBA committees and local organizations.
 
From restoring IDs and clearing records for individuals experiencing homelessness at The Beacon to advising and representing veterans at a legal clinic, members put their skills to work for those in need. Volunteers also presented legal resources to the LGBTQ+ community at the Montrose Center, sorted and distributed books for local schools with Books Between Kids, and installed and restocked Little Free Libraries across Houston. Family-friendly projects included sports and fitness activities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, food sorting at the Houston Food Bank, and a clean-up and historical marker installation at the Dawson Lunnon Cemetery.
 
Together, these projects highlighted the power of service while bringing us closer as a community committed to building a stronger, better Houston. More photos coming soon!

Mark your calendars for the second HBA Days of Service, which is set for Saturday, March 28, 2026. Details on events and sign-ups will be announced soon on hba.org/dos. We hope you’ll join us in continuing this tradition of service and community connection.

Congratulations on starting your legal career! The HBA is excited to celebrate you at the New Lawyers Induction Ceremony. Can’t make it to Austin? Don’t worry—you can still mark this special milestone on Monday, October 20, at 11:00 a.m. at the 1910 Harris County Courthouse and be sworn in by Chief Justice Tracy Christopher of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals. Bring your loved ones and celebrate this important step in your journey. Space is limited — must register!

LEARN MORE 

Don't Miss the Attending Judiciary:

Fourteenth Court of Appeals

Chief Justice Tracy Christopher
Justice Chad Bridges
Justice Tonya McLaughlin
Justice Katy Boatman
Justice Brad Hart
 
First Court of Appeals

Justice Andrew Johnson
Justice Veronica Rivas-Molloy
Justice Jennifer Caughey
Justice Amparo "Amy" Guerra
 
Texas Business Court, Eleventh Division

Judge Sofia Adrogué

Join us for the 5th Annual LGBTQ+ Committee Halloween Party, on Tuesday, October 28, at Norton Rose Fulbright Tower.

We’re excited to welcome everyone back for another evening of costumes, community, and cocktails for Icons of the Afterlife!

Get ready to step into the afterlife as your favorite legend, reimagined. Think Cleopatra with a ghostly glow, Selena with starlit wings, Bowie from another dimension, or Elvis back from beyond.

Everyone is welcome! Spend your night connecting with your peers and having a spooky good time!

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR TICKETS

INTERESTED IN SPONSORING? CLICK HERE

Not convinced to join in on the fun? See photos from last year below!

On Constitution Day, September 17, HBA President Daniella Landers joined our HBA Ambassadors at the HBA office to reaffirm the attorney’s oath live with our Instagram followers, honoring 238 years of the U.S. Constitution’s enduring legacy in shaping justice and democracy.
 
The event also marked a special moment as we welcomed the 2025–2027 HBA Ambassadors (Class V). These dedicated members will play an important role in supporting the HBA’s mission and engaging with our legal community in meaningful ways.
 
We are eager to see how our new ambassadors will shape the future of the HBA and its service to the legal profession and community. Thank you to all who took part in the ceremony and to our ambassadors for their commitment to service.

Click here to meet our new ambassadors.

The HBA will open the 2025 Judicial Evaluation Questionnaire on Saturday, October 27. Every two years, the HBA conducts a Judicial Evaluation Questionnaire, in which members are asked to evaluate elected and appointed judges on a number of professional and ethical questions, based on personal, firsthand knowledge. Judges who had not actively served at least six months on their current bench as of the date this questionnaire was prepared do not appear on the Judicial Evaluation.

The results of the questionnaire are not a Houston Bar Association opinion or an endorsement. 

Stay tuned for an email from the HBA soon with more details.

As a reminder, only HBA members are eligible to participate in the Judicial Evaluation Questionnaire. Click here to join and become a member today!

View the 2023 Judicial Evaluation Questionnaire Results

Don’t miss the Texans’ regular season finale! HBA members get exclusive discounted tickets to watch the Houston Texans take on the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium on Saturday, January 3 or Sunday, January 4 (date TBD). Grab your seats before they’re gone!

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW

Need the perfect game day look? Check out the HBA’s new red apparel — rep the Texans while showing your HBA pride.

SHOP THE HBA STORE

Join us on social media! Share your HBA activity with your network by tagging us on any of these platforms

 Here are some of our members' latest posts! 

The 30 HBA Committees are the driving force behind many of our programs. While most committee appointments are made at the start of the bar year, many committees remain open for new members all year long. Ready to get involved? Visit www.hba.org/committees to explore opportunities and join a committee today!

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

VISIT THE HBA ON-DEMAND CLE LIBRARY HERE

Questions? Contact HBA CLE & Technology Platforms Coordinator Alli Hessel at allih@hba.org. 

Sorrels Law welcomes trial lawyer Anthony Foster to its Houston litigation team.

Gibbs & Bruns LLP is pleased to announce the promotion of Caitlin Halpern to the partnership.

We’re thrilled to introduce our fourth HBA Ambassador from Class V (2025-2027), Cassie Maneen, associate at Beck Redden LLP, and member of the Houston Young Lawyers Association (HYLA), and click here to learn more about Cassie and the rest of our HBA Ambassadors. 

WATCH NOW

Join the HBA Gender Fairness Committee on Thursday, October 9, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for an empowering evening! The program begins with a 30-minute panel on effective networking for women lawyers, followed by a reception where you can immediately put those tips into practice. Thank you to AZA for sponsoring this FREE event! Seating is limited — RSVP today.

SECURE YOUR SPOT

The HBA AIDS Outreach Committee invites you to “adopt” a local, low-income, HIV/AIDS-impacted family for the 2025 holiday season.  

Adoption entails purchasing, wrapping, and delivering gifts from a wish list (provided to adopters in late October) for delivery in mid-December. Families are referred by local social service agencies the HBA works with and has children or a senior adult in the home with a member of the family affected by HIV/AIDS.

Please consider sponsoring a family by Wednesday, October 15.

Contact Georgina Peña at georginap@hba.org or (346) 471-3310 for more information. 

SIGN UP TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Looking for a meaningful way to give back? Volunteer with the HBA Special Olympics Committee and Special Olympics Texas at the Regional Bocce event on Saturday, October 18 at The Kinkaid School. Various shifts are available, and volunteers of all ages are welcome to join with a guardian. Bring your family to cheer on these remarkable athletes and help make this day unforgettable! 

Can't make it? There's another family-friendly volunteer opportunity at the Special Olympics Texas Regional Pickleball competition on Saturday, October 25—details coming soon! Click here to stay updated on that event. 

BECOME A VOLUNTEER

Get your running shoes ready for the 41st Annual HBA Eikenburg Fun Run benefiting Pursuit Center, happening at Sam Houston Park downtown on February 21, 2026. Contact Georgina Peña at georginap@hba.org or (346) 471-3310 for more information. 

If you joined us last year and had a blast, encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to participate! See photos from last year’s event here.

On September 30, the HBA Senior Lawyers Committee kicked off the year with its first forum at Brennan's of Houston. Charles Foster of Foster LLP and Bill King of the Baker Institute for Public Policy presented an informative CLE session, addressing pertinent issues and their impact on the legal landscape.

A big thank you to the Senior Lawyers Committee for organizing this event!

HBA members visited 1st-3rd grade students across elementary schools in Harris County in honor of Constitution Day on Wednesday, September 17. Our attorneys read, discussed, and donated the book Marshall, the Courthouse Mouse by Peter W. Barnes and Cheryl Shaw Barnes.

We are delighted that the 2025 HBA Constitution Day Reading Program was able to reach approximately 3459 students in 49 schools, and 12 districts and private schools!

More photos coming soon!

Houston Lawyer Referral Service

Grow Your Practice with the Houston Lawyer Referral Service!

Looking to build your client base and boost your income? Join the Houston Lawyer Referral Service (HLRS) — the trusted referral arm of the Houston Bar Association. HLRS connects qualified attorneys with clients actively seeking legal representation. Members earn an average of $20,000 annually from referrals alone!

HLRS is especially looking for bilingual attorneys and those with offices near or outside Beltway 8. For just $175 a year, membership includes:

• Pre-screened, high-quality referrals
• Public speaking opportunities
• Free and discounted CLEs tailored to solo/small firm success
• …and much more!

Visit www.hlrs.org/for-attorneys to learn more and apply, or email kramsey@hlrs.org to see if HLRS is the right fit for you. Don’t miss this chance to grow your practice with purpose!

Dispute Resolution Center  

Behind the Lines Podcast: Spotlight on the Dispute Resolution Center

The upcoming episode of the HBA’s Behind the Lines podcast, hosted by Anna Archer, is titled “Still Taking Care of Business!”—a special anniversary edition marking one year since the launch of the Texas Business Court and the podcast’s original “Taking Care of Business” episode.

This episode features Stephen Kreider, Executive Director of the Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) , U.S. Army veteran, and owner of Kreider Mediation. Kreider, who also authored “Bridging Differences: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Professional Mediator,” shares insights about a specialized training program his company created for mediators working with business disputes. The conversation also explores different types of mediator training, why training matters, the essential work of the DRC, and ways the community can get involved.

The episode will be released in mid to late October—click here to stay tuned for the release.

Houston Volunteer Lawyers

Join HVL in celebrating Pro Bono Month this October! There are many ways to get in on the celebration – from taking a case or volunteering at a clinic to using your social media platform to highlight the need and benefits of doing pro bono work! View opportunities and ways to get involved at www.makejusticehappen.org/pro-bono-month-2025.

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.