News From Around the Bar • July/August 2024

Nathan L. Hecht to be Recognized at Texas Supreme Court Historical Society’s John Hemphill Dinner

The Texas Supreme Court Historical Society will hold its 29th annual John Hemphill Dinner at 7 p.m. Friday, September 6, in the Grand Ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin. This year’s dinner program will be a celebration of the service of Supreme Court of Texas Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht for his time on the bench of the Supreme Court. Hecht, the 27th chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, was first elected to the court as a justice in 1988 and is now the longest-serving member of that court in its history. The program will be emceed by former Supreme Court of Texas chief justices Thomas R. Phillips and Wallace B. Jefferson. During the dinner, the Jack Pope Professionalism Award and the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society’s President’s Award will also be presented. For more information about the society, go to texascourthistory.org.

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS COMMITTEE SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENTS ON PROPOSED ETHICS OPINION

The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas is accepting public comments on Proposed Opinion 2024-1: “If a lawyer for a governmental entity attends a meeting between a representative of the governmental entity and an individual known to be represented by a lawyer regarding the subject of the meeting, and the individual’s lawyer does not attend the meeting, may the lawyer for the governmental entity communicate with the individual without the absent lawyer’s consent?” Go to texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=pec&Template=/P EC/vendor/comment.cfm to read the proposed opinion and provide comments. The comment deadline is July 20, 2024.

LEGISLATIVE POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE SCHEDULED TO MEET IN AUGUST

The State Bar Legislative Policy Subcommittee is tentatively scheduled to meet during the week of August 19- 23, 2024, to discuss all legislative proposals that have been properly submitted for consideration by the committee. To read the proposals, for details on the meeting date and location, or for instructions on how to provide comments to the committee, go to texasbar.com/legislativeprogram or contact the State Bar Governmental Relations Department
at govt.relations@texasbar.com or 1-800-204-2222, ext. 6826.

HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION NAMES DAVID HARRELL PRESIDENT, VINH HO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Houston Bar Association named David Harrell president for the 2024-2025 bar year and Houston attorney Vinh Ho (above) its new executive director effective May 13, the HBA announced in a press release. Harrell, a partner in Locke Lord in Houston who succeeds HBA Immediate Past President Diana Gomez, has been an active HBA member since 2007 and has sat on its board of directors for eight years. He has served as chair of the Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the service arm of the HBA; is a life fellow of the Houston Bar Foundation; and is a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. “I look forward to working with the HBA’s board, staff, and members to accomplish our major initiatives for the coming year, and I look forward to seeing our community reap the benefit of those efforts,” Harrell said in a press release. Ho will succeed current Executive Director Mindy G. Davidson, who will retire later this year after five years of service to the HBA in that position. “I am thrilled to join the Houston Bar Association,” Ho said in a press release. “I have dedicated my career to public service and look forward to serving Houston lawyers in furtherance of our profession and the administration of justice.” Ho, currently the senior director of legal services at the Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics at South Texas College of Law Houston, brings extensive experience in immigration law, family law, and nonprofit management to the HBA. For more information about the HBA, go to hba.org.

HEDY BOWER NAMED RECIPIENT OF 2024 GENE CAVIN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CLE

Hedy Bower, director of TexasBarCLE, was named the recipient of the 2024 Gene Cavin Award for Excellence in CLE. Nominations for the Gene Cavin Award are solicited from the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors, CLE Committee members, and past award recipients. The award was established by the CLE Committee in 1989 and recognizes long-term participation in State Bar CLE activities. Bower succeeded Pat Nester as the director of TexasBarCLE in 2016. In particular, nominating State Bar of Texas directors praised Bower for her efforts in guiding and strengthening TexasBarCLE’s position and services during the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced a radical shift in the types and format of CLE programs that could be offered. The award is named in honor of Gene Cavin, the founder of the Professional Development Program, who during his service from 1964 to 1987, lifted the level of practice in Texas while bringing the program to international prominence.