FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2018
Contact: Amy Starnes
Public Information Director, State Bar of Texas
(800) 204-2222, ext. 1706, or (512) 427-1706
astarnes@texasbar.com
DA Philip Mack Furlow given prestigious
Michael J. Crowley Award
AUSTIN — The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors has awarded its prestigious Michael J. Crowley Award to 106th Judicial District Attorney Philip Mack Furlow.
The Michael J. Crowley Award recognizes meritorious service by a current member of the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors who exemplifies selfless dedication of time and talent to the legal profession.
The award is named in honor of the late Michael J. Crowley, an Austin lawyer and the chair of the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors in 1994-1995 who led a distinguished professional life.
The State Bar Board Policy Manual specifies that the Crowley Award should not be given in just any year, but only in a year that the meritorious service of a board director is extraordinary and benefits more than just a specific segment of the legal community or public. This is the fourth time the Crowley Award has been granted since its creation in 2002. It had been 10 years since the board last presented the award.
Furlow received the Crowley Award for his tireless service as chair
of the board’s Policy Manual Subcommittee, leading it through
critical deliberations on many challenging issues while always keeping
the best interests of the State Bar of Texas, its members, and the
public as his primary guiding principle.
Furlow has been a member of the General Practice Solo Council since
2013 and was a section representative to the State Bar Board. He served
with distinction as a member of the State Bar Board’s Executive
Committee, Nominations & Elections Subcommittee, and General
Counsel Search Committee before his term expired in June 2018. The
General Counsel Search Committee interviewed six Texas lawyers out of
12 respondents for the position before recommending Ross Fischer of
Austin, whose nomination was approved by the State Bar board on June
20.
Furlow previously served as chair of the State Bar of Texas Law Practice Management Committee and was a member of the Texas Young Lawyers Association Board of Directors from 2001 to 2003. He was awarded the TYLA President’s Award in 2002 and is a Texas Bar Foundation life fellow.
In January 2017, Furlow was sworn in as district attorney for the 106th Judicial District, serving Garza, Lynn, Gaines, and Dawson counties. He earned his J.D. at Oklahoma City University in 1994. He and his wife, Mary, have three children.
Previous Crowley Award recipients are:
• Dan “Gib” Gibson Walton (2002)
• Guy Harrison (2003)
• Martha S. Dickie (2008)
Media note: A high-resolution photo of Philip Mack Furlow is available upon request.
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The State Bar of Texas is an administrative agency of the Supreme Court of Texas that 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. For more information, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @statebaroftexas, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/statebaroftexas, or visit texasbar.com.
