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Houston Bar FoundationCelebrates 25 Years of Service The Houston Bar Foundation celebrated a milestone at its 25th Anniversary Annual Meeting and Luncheon, held January 24 at The Four Seasons Hotel. The luncheon not only commemorated the Foundation’s two and half decades of service, but also recognized the contributions of hundreds of volunteers who provide pro bono legal representation and other services to the community. The keynote speaker was Mark W. Kline, M.D., professor of pediatrics-retrovirology at Baylor College of Medicine and president of the BCM International Pediatric AIDS Initiative at Texas Children’s Hospital. He discussed his groundbreaking program that provides HIV/AIDS care, treatment, and health professional training programs in 20 African nations, Mexico, Romania, the Ukraine and China, providing treatment to more children than any organization worldwide. Debra Tsuchiyama Baker of Connelly •Baker•Wotring LLP became the 2008 chair of the Houston Bar Foundation, succeeding Karl S. Stern of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. Other new officers are Sonya Hill Bishop of ConocoPhillips Company, vice chair; and Charles R. Parker of Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP, treasurer. Stern will continue to serve on the board as immediate past chair. New directors for 2008-2010 are Christine LaFollette of Akin Gump Straus Hauer & Feld LLP; Kevin M. McDonald of Cooper Industries, Ltd.; and Rocky Robinson of Andrews Kurth LLP. Completing terms as directors for 2007-2009 are S. Jack Balagia, Jr. of ExxonMobil Corporation; Stewart W. Gagnon of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.; and Jarvis V. Hollingsworth of Bracewell & Giuliani LLP. Karl Stern presented the Foundation’s annual awards for pro bono services through the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program (HVLP), volunteer mediation services through the Dispute Resolution Center (DRC), and legal writing in The Houston Lawyer, the HBA’s professional journal. The Foundation also paid special tribute to the law firms, corporations, legal organizations and individuals who volunteered for “A Day of Giving” on January 12 by staffing 10 legal advice clinics for low-income residents in 10 locations throughout the city.
Houston Bar Foundation Presents ‘A Day of Giving’ On January 12, the Houston Bar Foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary with “A Day of Giving.” The Foundation built on the monthly clinic model developed by the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program to conduct 10 legal advice clinics for low-income residents in 10 locations throughout Harris County – all on the same morning. “We decided to celebrate with an event that focused on the reason the Foundation is here to begin with – pro bono service to those in need,” said 2007 Houston Bar Foundation Chair Karl S. Stern. “This is the first time the legal community has joined together to provide this type of extensive volunteer service to the community.” Under the leadership of HBF Director Stewart Gagnon of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., the Foundation recruited volunteer attorneys and support staff from law firms, corporate legal departments, law schools and other legal organizations to staff the clinics. Volunteers for “A Day of Giving” included 308 attorneys; 189 paralegals, law students, interpreters and support staff; and 33 staff members from the HVLP and HBA. The clinics served 869 low-income residents, with 976 files on legal matters opened by HVLP. Attorneys logged 1,232 volunteer hours, with 1,988 total hours for all volunteers.
Clinic Sites Aldine Youth Center
Law Firms Providing Volunteer Attorneys and Support Staff Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Corporations Providing Volunteer Attorneys and Support Staff Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Legal Organizations and Law Schools Providing Volunteer Attorneys Association of Corporation Counsel, Houston Chapter
Individual Attorney Volunteers Katherine Callahan
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