FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 16, 2022
Contact: Lowell Brown
Communications Division Director, State Bar of Texas
(800) 204-2222, ext. 1713, or (512) 427-1713
lbrown@texasbar.com
Texas Young Lawyers Association announces president-elect candidates
AUSTIN—Texas attorneys new to the practice of law will choose between lawyers Laura Pratt of Lubbock and Courtney M. White of Amarillo for the next president-elect of the Texas Young Lawyers Association.
TYLA is a department of the State Bar of Texas and commonly referred to as its “public service arm.” All Texas-licensed attorneys in their first 12 years of practice, regardless of age, are TYLA members. TYLA members will cast ballots April 1 to May 2, and election results will be announced May 2. The winner will serve as TYLA president from June 2023 until June 2024.
Laura Pratt
Born and raised in Longview, Pratt is a first-generation,
scientist-turned-attorney at
Brady & Hamilton, practicing commercial litigation with a focus on
eminent domain,
administrative law, and agricultural law.
After attending Texas Tech University School of Law, Pratt began her diverse legal career at the City of Lubbock, practicing municipal law and specializing in environmental compliance and natural resources law. She also was a municipal prosecutor. After completing a two-year relocation overseas in the UAE, Pratt returned to Lubbock and held the position of executive director for OneVoiceHome, a local nonprofit she cofounded in 2015 that supports survivors of sex trafficking.
She is TYLA’s vice president, and she previously served for four years as the TYLA District 3 director. Pratt has served on 15 committees and contributed to over 20 different TYLA projects. Some of her more recent favorites include Iconic Women in Legal History, Slavery Out of the Shadows, and Consequences of Vaping. Pratt is a Texas Bar College member and a Texas Bar Foundation fellow.
Locally, Pratt also serves as a director for the Lubbock Area Bar Association and the Lubbock County Young Lawyers Association. She frequently speaks to community organizations and schools on various legal topics. Pratt also regularly volunteers her law school, her local church, and her kids’ PTA. She has received several local, state, and national awards for her commitment to service.
Laura married her high school sweetheart, Joshua, and they have three children, Zachary, Alexander, and Victoria, and a double-doodle, Shadow.
Courtney M. White
White serves in a diverse role as an assistant city attorney for the
City of Amarillo, where
she handles everything from “airport” to “zoo.” To illustrate, she
oversees the city’s
public information program, represents the city in civil service
employee appeals, and
provides legal advice to the police department during SWAT callouts.
Born and raised in Amarillo, she graduated from Wake Forest University and the SMU Dedman School of Law. Her parents are Amarillo attorneys Mark D. White and Terry Ann White, who are both role models of bar and community service. Following in her parents’ footsteps, White is passionate about giving back to the community by volunteering for local arts organizations and museums. She is a longtime board member of the Amarillo Symphony Guild and a past-president of the Amarillo Art Force, which supports Amarillo College Fine Arts students and programs.
White’s bar service includes serving as president, vice president, and secretary of the Amarillo Area Young Lawyers Association, where she led community service projects, fundraisers, and CLE events. She has also been a director of the Amarillo Area Women’s Bar Association. Since joining the TYLA Board of Directors in 2021, White organized virtual TYLA Roadshows in response to the pandemic. She also led the planning of TYLA’s inaugural Attorney Wellness Retreat, which will be held this spring. White volunteers monthly for Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, which has recognized her with special service awards for four consecutive years. Additionally, White is a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.
Media Note: High-resolution photos of the candidates are 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.
