Pro Bono Spotlight • October 2026

Parker Cragg

A SPIRIT OF SERVICE RUNS STRONG IN PARKER CRAGG’S FAMILY. HIS FATHER SPENT HIS CAREER IN YOUTH MINISTRY AND HIS MOTHER TAUGHT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. AFTER A DECADE OF WORKING IN EDUCATION, HE DECIDED TO SHIFT HIS FOCUS TO THE UNDERLYING ISSUES AFFECTING STUDENTS LIKE HIS. HE EARNED HIS JD AND EVENTUALLY TOOK A POSITION AS PRO BONO COUNSEL AT VINSON & ELKINS IN HOUSTON. NOW, HE’S CONTINUING HIS FAMILY’S TRADITION OF SERVICE ON A GLOBAL SCALE, AS HE SUPPORTS THE PRO BONO WORK OF OVER 700 V&E ATTORNEYS AROUND THE WORLD. CRAGG SPOKE WITH THE TEXAS BAR JOURNAL ABOUT HIS ORIGINS IN PRO BONO AND HOW HE’S HELPING TO PUSH THIS CORNER OF THE LAW INTO THE SPOTLIGHT.

Interview by Will Korn
Photo courtesy of Vinson & Elkins

I TOOK ON MY FIRST PRO BONO MATTER THE DAY I JOINED VINSON & ELKINS IN 2019. As an associate in our firm’s Appellate Practice Group, my pro bono portfolio mainly consisted of appeals and immigration matters. In June 2025, I became V&E’s pro bono counsel—my dream job. I support every aspect of the firm’s program, including strategy, intake, staffing, training, and our legal aid partnerships, for roughly 725 attorneys across 14 offices worldwide. It’s such a privilege to assist attorneys across a wide variety of practice areas and jurisdictions. I’m constantly learning new things and making new connections.

SERVICE WAS THE FAMILY BUSINESS. My grandfather served as a United Methodist minister in Texas for more than 50 years. My father dedicated his career to youth ministry and community service. My mother taught elementary school for decades. I considered joining the ministry myself, but I ultimately felt called to serve others through legal advocacy instead. My pro bono practice is a way I can love my neighbors.

I WORKED IN EDUCATION FOR 10 YEARS BEFORE ATTENDING LAW SCHOOL, first as an English teacher at Houston’s Chavez High School through Teach For America, then as the director of Three Oaks Academy, a high school for students in recovery from substance use disorders. Nearly every crisis that reached my desk had an unmet legal need behind it, which is why I decided to pursue a career in law.

IN PRO BONO WORK, THE PERFECT IS OFTEN THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD. An attorney who is expert in her own field can be wary of stepping outside it, and that instinct is reasonable. But the comparison that matters is not between you and a specialist; it’s usually between a prepared, good-faith advocate and no advocate at all. So, to anyone weighing a first matter: Do not wait until you feel ready. Now more than ever, resources to help you get prepared are typically just a few clicks away. Showing up and giving your best effort adds tremendous value.

NOTHING BEATS THE JOY OF GIVING LONG-AWAITED GOOD NEWS TO A CLIENT. Most of our pro bono clients have spent years being told “no” by a landlord, an agency, or a claims office. By the time we call, they have stopped expecting a positive outcome. Telling them the repairs are ordered, or the benefits are finally coming, never gets old.

CLOSING THE JUSTICE GAP REQUIRES A MULTIFRONT EFFORT. Far too many legal needs go unmet, and no single approach is going to solve the problem. We’ll always need to recruit new volunteers into the work, but we also need to get more capacity out of the lawyers already committed to it. At V&E, we are carefully using AI tools to increase our productivity in a wide range of pro bono matters. I can’t wait to see what these resources can deliver in the years ahead.

I ONCE VOLUNTEERED TO SERVE AS LEAD COUNSEL IN A FIFTH CIRCUIT ASYLUM APPEAL SHORTLY AFTER I ARRIVED AT VINSON & ELKINS. Our client was a gay man from Mexico who had been assaulted by cartel members on account of his sexuality. I did not know asylum law at the outset of the engagement, but I worked hard on the briefing, relied on excellent mentors, and was given the opportunity to present oral argument in my second year of practice. In the end, we obtained a settlement that gave our client everything we had petitioned for. I’ll never forget that experience, and I’m grateful every day for the opportunity to do this work.