FROM THE EDITOR

By BRAD A. ALLEN Martin, Disiere, Jefferson & Wisdom, L.L.P.

Passing the Torch
“To you I hand the torch.”
– Samuel Palmer Brooks

These were some of the last words spoken by Samuel Brooks, President of Baylor University at the turn of the last century. They were part of a death bed message in 1931 that recapped all that he and prior generations had done, and all that was still left to be done. This simple sentence embodies the transfer of leadership at the The Houston Lawyer.
No, my predecessor did not give me a death bed plea. (Sounds dramatic enough, though.) I am happy to report Patrice Pujol is alive and well. But she, like so many Editors in Chief before her, did an excellent job with The Houston Lawyer, and then passed the torch on. Much like Dickens’s ghost of Christmas present, our time (as Editor in Chief) on this world is brief, but our mission paramount. I am honored to carry the torch along with the rest of the editorial board of your magazine.
And The Houston Lawyer is your magazine – it belongs to the entire Houston Bar Association. We have limited space and time, so the magazine cannot be all things to all people at all times. Nevertheless, it is our single best way to consistently communicate with and educate our members. During the next year our editorial board will strive to provide high quality substantive articles, while also providing useful case updates, media reviews, vignettes about HBA committees, and human interest stories. I encourage you to contact me if you have any suggestions for topics or improvements, as the torch was passed to you as well.
This issue contains four articles that are well worth a read. First is an interview with our new HBA President, Randy Sorrels. Tara Shockley did a great job of providing a quick and easy way for us all to get to know Randy better. This interview, combined with his message this month, provides an excellent capsule of his focus for the HBA this year and beyond.
You won’t want to miss Ed Junell’s article and pictures about his trip to Normandy and tribute to fallen World War II heroes. This article has been in the works for some time, and we are pleased we can finally bring it to you. Ed movingly describes the tremendous price that was paid for freedom and how the torch of freedom has been passed to all of us.
Specialists and general practitioners alike should read the update on the Bankruptcy Reform Act, which is bringing massive changes to that practice area. The Act is too long and detailed to cover in one article, but the authors provide us with all of the key changes, and make it clear that even those that are not bankruptcy specialists need to be aware of the changes that may impact other areas of the law.
Finally, Judge Murry Cohen’s and Stephen Barrick’s short yet informative article, When A Creditors’ Committee Dies, Does Its Pending Appeal Die, Too? fits in well with our bankruptcy theme.
Our next magazine is a special issue on President Sorrels’ focus on the jury system and jury service. We hope you are looking forward to it as much as we are. In the meantime, we welcome your thoughts about this issue (both good and bad), and what you would like to see in future issues. Until next time.

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