News From Around the Bar • June 2026

Alistair B. Dawson Posthumously Named a 2026 Texas Legal Legend

Late Houston attorney Alistair B. Dawson was posthumously named a recipient of the 2026 Texas Legal Legend Award during a ceremony held at South Texas College of Law Houston on April 23. The award, presented by the State Bar of Texas Litigation Section, recognizes Texas lawyers who have demonstrated exceptional professional skill and a lifelong commitment to serving others. The award memorializes the stories of legendary lawyers who have practiced in Texas. Dawson, who died in August 2025, was a longtime partner in and trial lawyer with Beck Redden in Houston. Beyond the courtroom, Dawson was a dedicated leader within the legal community. He served as chair of the State Bar of Texas Litigation Section (2007-2008), president of the Houston Bar Association (2017-2018), chair of the Texas Bar Foundation (2022-2023), and served on the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors (2018-2021). He advocated for increasing access to justice for low-income Texans as a commissioner of the Texas Access to Justice Commission and as a board member for both Lone Star Legal Aid and Houston Volunteer Lawyers. Dawson also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center and Notre Dame Law School. He was also a long-serving member of the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee, assisting in the development of rules of procedure for Texas courts. He is a recipient of the 2025 Garland R. Walker American Inns of Court Professionalism Award, the 2023 Judge Sam Williams Award, the 2021 ADL Karen H. Susman Jurisprudence Award, and multiple State Bar of Texas presidential citations. For more information about the Texas Legal Legend Award, go to litigationsection.com.

CHAMPIONS OF JUSTICE GALA BENEFITING VETERANS RAISES OVER $1,055,000
The Texas Access to Justice Commission (TAJC), together with its co-sponsor, the State Bar of Texas, raised over $1,055,000 to help provide civil legal services to low-income Texas veterans during the Champions of Justice Gala Benefiting Veterans on April 30 at the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center in Austin. The more than $1,055,000 raised was a record for the gala, according to a press release. Proceeds from the event will help expand access to critical civil legal services for low-income Texas veterans. Supreme Court of Texas Justice Brett Busby, who serves as liaison to the TAJC, acted as master of ceremonies for the evening. He presented the 2026 James B. Sales Boots on the Ground Award to Jessie G. Campbell, and the 2026 Harry M. Reasoner Justice for All Award to Laura Burstein and honored Reagan M. Brown, a Houston-based partner in Norton Rose Fulbright, with a Special Recognition for Outstanding Service in Support of Access to Justice for exceptional dedication and outstanding service in educating and mentoring young Texas legal aid attorneys. For more information about the TAJC, go to texasatj.org.

TEXAS BAR FOUNDATION AWARDS $7,400 GRANT TO ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN
The Texas Bar Foundation (TBF) awarded Alliance For Children, a children’s advocacy center serving Tarrant County, a grant of $7,400 to support its court education/ accompaniment and emergency needs programs. These programs provide essential support services for child abuse victims and their protective families as they prepare for what is likely the most challenging time of their lives. Alliance For Children’s family advocates coordinate these programs with a deep awareness of the fear and apprehension a child may experience when facing an abuser in court. The goal of these programs is to ensure that children and their protective caregivers feel supported, prepared, and empowered for what lies ahead, according to a press release. For more information about Alliance For Children or its work, go to allianceforchildren.org. For more information about the TBF, go to txbf.org.

TEXAS’ NEWEST ATTORNEYS SWORN IN
A class of freshly licensed attorneys took the New Lawyer Oath on April 27, 2026, at Bass Concert Hall in Austin. Members of the Supreme Court of Texas, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Texas Board of Law Examiners, and family and friends welcomed the newest class into the profession. State Bar of Texas President Santos Vargas lauded the inductees, citing the hours of study and classes taken to successfully meet the challenge of passing the Texas Bar Examination. Kimberly Michelle Kooker, an associate of Latham and Watkins in Austin and a graduate of UCLA School of Law, earned the highest score on the February 2026 Texas Bar Exam. Before administering the New Lawyer Oath, Supreme Court Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock described the role of attorneys as officers of the court, not only owing a duty of zealous advocacy to the people they represent, but also a duty of candor and honesty to the courts.