State Bar Director Spotlight
Derek Cook
Interview by Eric Quitugua
Photo courtesy of Derek Cook
Hometown: Midland
Position: Shareholder/Litigator at Lynch, Chappell
& Alsup in Midland
Board Member: District 16
Growing up, for some reason, I was always attracted to
lawyers on TV shows I watched with my parents and grandparents, like
Matlock.
When my parents divorced, I realized how much lawyers could impact
people’s lives, both positively or negatively depending on the
circumstances. I wanted to be someone who could influence constructive
change on my community. So, I decided to become a lawyer.
I had always wanted to try a civil jury trial as the first chair
attorney.
Last year, I had the opportunity after a judge partially reversed a
wholly dispositive summary judgment ruling received the previous week.
Because of that ruling, I’d done no trial preparation. After the denial
of my continuance request, I had to conduct and prepare for trial on the
fly. I credit the directed verdict my client received to the excellent
trial advovacy training I received while in practice court at Baylor Law
School.
I always attach the Texas Lawyer’s Creed to my engagement
letter
and make sure the potential new client understands I will abide by it
throughout the matter, including freely giving discovery and other
extensions upon another attorney’s request.
I would say the most important thing is to maintain self-awareness of
your personal wellness during those high-stress years of education and
practice.
I admit that I did not do those things and fell into bad habits that
I’ve openly discussed at various bar functions, including drinking
alcoholically. I’m fortunate to be in recovery today and strive to use
my platform as a bar director to let Texas attorneys know there is help
available through the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program and other
resources.
My partner, mentor, and former State Bar of Texas president Harper
Estes asked me if I’d be interested in running for the position of
director.
I’d previously served on the board of the Midland County Bar Association
and saw this as an opportunity to continue maintaining the legacy of
service on which our firm prides itself.
I view lawyer wellness as one of the most critical issues facing Texas
attorneys, and as someone in recovery, I know firsthand the personal and
secondhand effects not taking care of yourself properly can
have.
I hope to use my position to bring about awareness to issues like
alcoholism, addiction, attorney suicide, depression, anxiety, and other
mental health issues that affect our constituents. My primary aim is to
help minimize the stigma attached to these issues to encourage attorneys
to reach out to others for assistance.
At a recent bar meeting focused on President Larry McDougal’s social
media posts, I shared my story of recovery with the board and the many
people who streamed the meeting.
I was overwhelmed by the positive response I received. That response
reinforced to me that what I discussed was important to many Texas
lawyers, and I have since joined the Justice in Leadership Workgroup
formed during that meeting to help address attorney wellness and
stigmatization of mental health issues within the bar.
Empathy is a prerequisite to being a bar
director.
One must have the ability to listen to, understand, and perhaps share
the feelings of another attorney or member of the public who has
traveled a different path than the director. Putting aside your own
feelings, if only for a second, to try and understand another’s point of
view, in my opinion, enables the director to better serve their diverse
constituency.
Before joining the board, I was largely unaware of the numerous member
benefits available to members.
I served on the Member Benefits Committee last year and saw firsthand
the hard work done by board members and staff—led by Cory Squires—to
give members the best return on their bar dues in the form of insurance,
discounts, and related benefits.
Being informed and willing to be involved and of service are
the best ways to maximize your bar membership.
When I speak at local bar events, I joke that I was elected after a
hard-fought campaign against “Write-In.” If you do not like the
direction the bar is headed or disagree with certain policies, you can
download a form, round up signatures, and join the fray to make this bar
the best it can be.
The top issue facing Texas attorneys today is ensuring they
and the public know the bar is focused on making the bar as inclusive
and diverse as possible.
Every person has the right to feel and be equal to their peers,
particularly in the eyes of the bar. While it may be impossible to
wholly achieve that goal, I have seen the commitment and action by
directors to “bend the moral arc” of the bar toward achieving that goal.
In my time on the board, I believe we have
greatly expanded and improved member benefits, including a focus on
educating the membership about what benefits are available; realized and
worked to better the bar in terms of inclusion and diversity; and acted
to bring awareness to and minimize the stigma of mental health,
addiction, and suicide issues impacting our
membership.TBJ
