News From Around The Bar
Jennifer A. Hasley Elected 2021-2022 Houston Bar Association president
Jennifer A. Hasley, managing partner
in Hasley Scarano, was elected 2021-2022 president of the Houston Bar
Association. Hasley succeeds Bill Kroger, a partner in Baker Botts.
Hasley is only the fifth woman president of the HBA in its 150-year
history. This is her 12th year of leadership on the HBA Board of
Directors, including serving as first vice president and treasurer.
Hasley has spent more than 25 years volunteering through HBA community
projects, events, and partnerships. She is a past chair of the Houston
Volunteer Lawyers Board of Directors and supports HVL’s mission by
providing pro bono legal service to low-income Houstonians. Other new
officers are President-elect Chris Popov, of Vinson & Elkins; First
Vice President Daniella Landers, of Reed Smith; Second Vice President
David Harrell, of Locke Lord; Treasurer Diana Gomez, of Chamberlain,
Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry; and Secretary Greg Moore, of
Norton Rose Fulbright. Kroger will serve on the board as immediate past
president. Directors for 2021-2023 are Collin Cox, of Yetter Coleman;
Pamela A. Medina, of Medina Law Texas; Colin Pogge, of Gibbs &
Bruns; and Yvonne Ho, of Bracewell. Completing terms as directors in
2022 are Robert Painter, of Painter Law Firm; Greg Ulmer, of
BakerHostetler; and Chanler Langham, of Susman Godfrey. For more
information about the Houston Bar Association, go to hba.org.
Karen C. Burgess elected dean of the International Academy of Trial
Lawyers
Karen C. Burgess, of Burgess Law in
Austin, was elected dean of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers
at the academy’s annual meeting, held virtually in March.
“It is an honor to work with the people and for the purposes of the
academy and to join with leading lawyers around the globe to promote the
rule of law,” Burgess said in a press release. Burgess is a trial lawyer
with a practice ranging from trade secret disputes to securities,
contract, insurance, real estate, oil and gas, partnership, and
fiduciary litigation. She is certified in civil trial law by the Texas
Board of Legal Specialization. Burgess was inducted into IATL in 2015
and has served on various IATL committees, the board of directors, and
held the office of secretary-treasurer. She served as co-chair of the
2019 State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting.
Scott Rothenberg named 2021 Gene Cavin Award for Excellence in
CLE recipient
Scott Rothenberg, of Bellaire, has
been named the 2021 Gene Cavin Award for Excellence in CLE recipient.
Nominations for the Gene Cavin Award are solicited from the State Bar of
Texas Board of Directors, Continuing Legal Education 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. 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.
State Bar of Texas Appellate Section seeks nominations for
Texas Appellate Hall of Fame
The State Bar of Texas Appellate Section is accepting nominations for the Texas Appellate Hall of Fame. The hall of fame posthumously honors advocates and judges who made a lasting mark on appellate practice in Texas. Nominations should include the nominator’s contact information, the nominee’s bio or CV, the nominee’s photo if available, and all the reasons for the nominations (including unique contributions to the practice of appellate law in Texas). The more comprehensive the nomination materials, the better. All material will be sent to the voting trustees for consideration. Nominations will be considered based upon some or all of the following criteria: written and oral advocacy; professionalism; faithful service to the citizens of Texas; mentorship of newer appellate attorneys; pro bono service; and participation in appellate CLE. An individual’s nomination in a prior year will not necessarily carry over to this year. If someone was nominated in a prior year, the nomination and nomination materials should be submitted again. Nominations should be submitted in writing to halloffametx@outlook.com no later than July 15. The tentative plan is to honor the inductees as part of a luncheon presentation and ceremony held by the Appellate Section on September 2.
Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters Committee
announces Indigent Defense Awards winners
The State Bar of Texas Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters Committee announced Claire Buetow as the winner of the Michael K. Moore Award and Mark Stevens as the Warren Burnett Award winner. Buetow is a senior policy analyst for the Texas Indigent Defense Commission. The Michael K. Moore Award recognizes an individual or organization for exceptional research or writing that deals with indigent criminal defense and that represents a significant contribution to the knowledge and practices of the bench, bar, and scholarly committees. The award is named after Michael K. Moore for his pivotal role in research and writing efforts that had a major effect on indigent defense in Texas. Stevens practices at the Law Office of Mark Stevens in San Antonio. The Warren Burnett Award recognizes extraordinary contributions to improving the quality of criminal legal representation to indigent Texans. The award honors either an individual or organizations for their work in the courtroom, Legislature, or in the public sphere. TBJ
