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State Bar of Texas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 22, 2008

Contact:   Kim Davey, 800.204.2222 x 1713 or 512.427.1713

State Bar of Texas Announces YouTube Video Contest Winners

(Austin) – State Bar of Texas President Gib Walton today announced the winners of the Bar’s YouTube video contest, “Lone Star Stories: Texans on Justice.”

The winner of the $2,500 award in the age 18 and older category is Natalie Jordan of Dallas for her video, “Texans on Justice.”   A contest judge said, “I think this video, with its stories from different perspectives on the meaning, necessity, and impact of justice, captured exactly what the contest was all about. Great job!”

As a result of a tie, two $2,500 scholarships will be presented in the under 18 category. Brothers Raphael and Alexandre Chaumette of Sugar Land  won for their video, “The Promise of Justice for All.” Said one judge of the effort, “It took great initiative for such young people to put this video together. I appreciated their simple explanation of fairness and equality for all people.”

Huey Fischer of Rockport also won in the under 18 category for “The Murder of Ima Bacon:  A Tale of Justice in Texas.” He used stop animation and cleverly named characters – Sheriff Hal E. Luya, Barry E. Vull, Judge Ted E. Bayre – to portray how the criminal justice system works. “The story served as a great allegory on the judicial process and the role each person plays in that process,” one judge commented on Fischer’s video.

In addition to the $2,500 prizes, the winners will be presented with awards at a special celebratory event Jan. 25 in Grapevine in conjunction with the State Bar’s quarterly board of directors meeting.

“With this first-ever bar association YouTube contest, we hoped to encourage communication and dialogue with a whole new audience about the importance of the rule of law. I think we have accomplished that,” Walton said. “We are delighted!”

The contest entries were judged by Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson, ESPN and Court TV Legal Analyst Roger Cossack, former Apprentice contestant Amanda Hill, Texas Music Office Director Casey Monahan, and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s press secretary, Rich Parsons .

Texans were invited to create and submit videos on the theme, “Texans capturing the promise of justice for all.” The contest is a highlight of the State Bar’s “Let’s Do Justice for Texas” public education initiative, which aims to help the public better understand the importance and value of the justice system and the impact it has on our lives everyday.

Visit www.texasbar.com/texansonjustice or www.youtube.com/group/texansonjustice to view the winning videos.

The State Bar of Texas is an administrative agency of the Supreme Court of Texas. The Bar provides educational programs for the legal profession and the public, administers the minimum continuing legal education program for attorneys, and manages the attorney discipline system.

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