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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Down a New Path to Service While I happen to know from our periodic golf outings that his shoes are actually smaller than mine, the presidential shoes Glenn Ballard has left for me to fill are exceedingly large. The very busy trial lawyer with Bracewell & Giuliani, who is also a marathon runner, mountain climber, and golfer (albeit no threat to Tiger), brought this same energy, passion and work ethic to his service as HBA president. In spite of his law firm responsibilities and demanding docket, Glenn not only met, but also exceeded every duty, responsibility, and challenge that arose this past year. There is no doubt that the HBA has Glenn to thank for an exceptional year. We made extraordinary progress in our mission to provide help to those in our community unable to afford vital legal services. Our Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program is stronger than ever as a result of Glenn’s Equal Access to Justice Champions initiative. On behalf of the board and the members of the HBA, I want to thank Glenn for his leadership, hard work, and friendship this past year. Entering our 2007-2008 bar year, we have much to do to fulfill our commitments to the many established programs and activities of the HBA. Our members routinely give their time, expertise, labor and money to many causes. As lawyers, we are uniquely able to help those in need of legal services, which will remain a paramount focus of our efforts. We remain dedicated to pro bono service and will continue Glenn’s Equal Access to Justice Champions initiative to increase the number of people we can serve through the HVLP. There are other ways to give, other ways to help, other ways to contribute to making our city a better place for the people who live here. One of those ways is raising funds and providing volunteers to build homes for low-income citizens as part of the HBA’s ten-year community partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Houston. The Habitat mission provides an opportunity to help people who are helping themselves. A few months ago, working on our two HBA Habitat homes, I was proud to labor side-by-side with my new friend, Raul Garcia, as he was hard at work investing sweat equity hours to achieve his dream of home ownership. The HBA is helping Raul and others in the Habitat program realize such dreams. Each year, the president of the HBA has the prerogative to institute a new project for the coming year. This year, we have decided to expand our community partnership with Habitat as we embark on a new venture, which will employ our legal expertise to assist the Habitat families. In July, the HBA and HVLP initiated a program to provide education on estate planning matters. Our volunteers will advise Habitat homebuyers and then prepare the necessary estate-planning documents for them. As they assume all of the responsibilities of homeownership, the HBA will help them plan their affairs responsibly. Beginning this fall, an HBA study group will determine if we are effectively reaching out to all segments of our Bar. Regardless of ethnicity, gender, area of practice, or size of firm, there is a place for all who wish to participate in HBA programs, activities and leadership. We will reach out, we will communicate our desire for full participation, and we will listen to each voice. We intend to increase the co-sponsorship of programs, activities and events with other local bar associations to facilitate our mutual objectives. The HBA will address the critically important issue of depression. There is evidence depression among our ranks is widespread, under-recognized and under-treated. Under the leadership of immediate past president Martha Dickie, the State Bar of Texas produced a powerful DVD entitled Practicing from the Shadows – Depression and the Legal Profession. The HBA will incorporate the DVD and the issue of mental health into our programming. The HBA intends to support the initiative of Gib Walton, our new State Bar president, to reframe the discussion of the importance of the judicial system, the rule of law in our society, and the importance of lawyers and judges in our system. While uncomplimentary attacks on the integrity of our profession are certainly not new, such attacks seem to be ever escalating, not only against lawyers, but against the judiciary and the rule of law, as well. These spirited attacks by segments of the country’s leadership and special interest groups have successfully polarized many of our citizens. The targets of these assaults are not the only ones hurt; the system is hurt if it is tailored to fit the needs of any special interest group influenced by its own economic or social interest. No matter one’s politics or side of the docket, any diminishment of the role of the third branch of government hurts us all. We will help with President Walton’s effort to educate the community on these issues. I want to thank the membership for allowing me the opportunity follow in the footsteps of some great leaders of the bar. I look forward to a productive and rewarding year as we together work for our community and our profession.
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