State Bar Director Spotlight
Alistair B. Dawson
Interview by Eric Quitugua
Photo by Alistair B. Dawson
Hometown: Houston
Position: Partner in Beck Redden
Board Member: District 4, Place 3 since 2017
When I started practicing law, I set two
goals.
The first was to become an accomplished trial lawyer. The second was to
give back to my community in a meaningful way. I will let others
determine whether I have achieved the first goal. I have been fortunate
to be under the incredible tutelage of David Beck. I continue to learn
how to become a better trial lawyer, which is one of the things I love
about our profession—the endless opportunities to learn. With regard to
giving back, I am proud of the various contributions to my community
that I have made over the years. I am passionate about helping
individuals with special needs or who have developmental disabilities.
Along with many others, I have helped individuals with special needs
find jobs with various law firms in Houston.
My “aha” moment, however, was in the aftermath of Hurricane
Harvey.
I was president of the Houston Bar Association at the time. The storm
started over the weekend. By the Wednesday after the storm, the HBA had
mobilized dozens of lawyers to be present at the shelters helping those
who had been evacuated from their homes. For weeks and months, Houston
attorneys volunteered to help the victims of Harvey with their legal
issues. I was so proud of how the Houston legal community responded in a
time of great need, and it was a privilege to stand with the local bar
during that time.
I first became involved in the State Bar when I was invited to join
the Litigation Council of the State Bar in 1999.
I was inspired by the council. It was then—and is now—a talented group
of lawyers from around the state who work hard to give back to our
profession in a variety of ways. After my service to the Litigation
Section, I wanted to give back to my local bar community. Thus, I ran
for election as a director of the HBA and eventually served as
president. After that, I decided that I wanted to return to the State
Bar to continue my service to the bar and the members we serve.
As a director, I have strongly disagreed with the position of our
president on two occasions.
On both occasions, I stated my opposition and brought motions against
the respective position held by the president. It was difficult, but it
was the right decision in my opinion.
These are challenging times for the State Bar. Two of our last three
presidents have been controversial and stirred up quite a bit of
disregard for the State Bar.
There are many who do not think that the State Bar does anything for
them. We as directors must do a better job of educating all of our
members about what the State Bar does for them. And we need to listen to
those who have complaints and make whatever changes are appropriate as a
result of the complaints we receive from our members.
We do a lot, but we can always do more and we need to do
more.
Specifically, we need to become more diverse and inclusive. In my
opinion, the composition of the State Bar board does not fairly
represent the composition of our bar. We need to strive to become a more
inclusive and diverse bar that appropriately represents all of our
constituents.
The biggest issue facing Texas attorneys in 2020 is COVID-19 and the
impact that it is having on our practices.
While this pandemic affects all aspects of the legal profession, the
most troubling aspect of it to me is that we have not been able to have
jury trials. I am particularly concerned about the impact this is having
on low-income Texans. Not only are these individuals denied access to
justice when we cannot have trials, but many of them do not have the
ability to participate in virtual hearings because they do not have the
requisite technology or equipment. I intend to work with the leaders of
the State Bar and the Access to Justice Commission to do our best to
address these issues and make sure that our courts are open to all
litigants in the state of Texas.
We have helped the legal profession in a number of ways.
The legal incubator program started by past President Frank Stevenson
helps new lawyers learn the ins and outs of practicing law. The bar
provides CLE programs covering just about the entire practice of law.
The bar provides counseling to lawyers in need. The ethics helpline
helps lawyers address any ethical issues that they face. In a number of
different ways, the State Bar is there to help those in our
profession.
In addition to improved diversity and inclusion, we must do more to
improve access to justice.
It is estimated that nearly 5 million Texans who qualify for legal aid
do not get any legal aid—roughly 90%. In my judgment, all 5 million of
those people are denied access to justice. Obtaining funding for access
to justice is challenging. More Texas lawyers need to volunteer to
provide pro bono legal services. TBJ
