FROM THE EDITOR

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

Be careful reading – this is dangerous!

“Do what you can, with what you have, right now.”
— Theodore Roosevelt

“A man can do only what he can. But if he does that each day he can sleep at night and do it again the next day.”
— Albert Schweitzer

My four year old son, Jake Austin, loves to read Dr. Seuss books. Most children do. Although he likes everything the good doctor published, his favorite is the book Fox in Socks. This is his favorite particularly because he loves laughing at me as I try to read the book as fast and I can, and inevitably make a fool of myself. He likes it even more, though, because the book contains a disclaimer on the front page that says, “Warning: this book is dangerous!” There is nothing quite like Jake looking at me with fire and excitement in his eyes when he says, “Let’s read the dangerous book.”
What makes Fox in Socks dangerous, you might ask? That’s a very good question. Although there are probably many reasons that could be given, I think Fox in Socks is dangerous because it challenges you. It forces you to push yourself beyond what you otherwise would do. (Regardless of your age, I encourage you to get a copy and read it with a young child – only then will you understand.)
I hope this is a dangerous column because I hope it encourages all of us to push ourselves beyond what we would normally do. This special issue of The Houston Lawyer is dedicated to the numerous HBA members who volunteer thousands of hours every year to charitable causes in our community. Thousands of HBA members give of their time, talents and money to support numerous HBA volunteer programs, as well as other volunteer efforts in the greater Houston area. Many of these HBA volunteers are truly unsung heroes. That is, they are consistently doing good things for people in our community, but they are not receiving significant recognition for their good works.
There is not, unfortunately, enough space in this single issue to cover all the unsung heroes in the HBA; I wish there were. What we can do, and what we have done here, is to provide a representative sample of HBA members that are supporting several of the countless worthy causes in our community.
The volunteer vignettes, which are a staple of our volunteer issue, list a number of HBA members who are certainly worthy of coverage. Also in this issue you will find a report on pro bono initiatives by several large law firms, and a discussion about the efforts by several firms to push and expand the commitment to pro bono activities; support of the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program (HVLP); and the Houston Bar Foundation which supports the HVLP. This article does a good job of describing the inspiring plans of several firms, and the reasons why more and more firms are making measurable pro bono goals a part of their firm plan and philosophy.
Certainly, one of the highlights of this issue is Justice George Hank’s essay on why it is important to volunteer. This essay is well worth your time to read not only because it has a great message and is well-written, but because of the credibility behind it. Justice Hanks is one of us, and he has consistently made volunteer efforts a part of his career and life.
I say Justice Hanks is one of us because he is an active HBA member, and he has been an active member for several years. I remember first serving with him on the board for The Houston Lawyer approximately ten years ago. His genuiness as a volunteer, HBA member, attorney, judge, and person all add to the credibility of his excellent message.
And at the end, this issue and its message is a sum of all its sub-parts, which all sing the praises of volunteerism. Every one of us who reads this column could provide our own definition of volunteerism, and our reasons to support or justify volunteering. If you have not done so recently, I encourage you to have those thoughts and then act upon them. Although, like Fox in Socks, the only way to truly appreciate volunteerism is to experience it.
For me, volunteerism is always an act of kindness and generosity. To quote Albert Schweitzer again, “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate” -- and that is a good thing.
Our next issue will be the final issue published by the current editorial board for The Houston Lawyer. It is a special issue focusing on elder law and health law, and will be the first issue of its kind published by The Houston Lawyer or the HBA. It is going to be a great issue, and we can’t wait to bring it to you. Until next time.

Text is punctuated without italics.

< BACK TO TOP >