TBJ DECEMBER 2021
Virtual [to] Reality
A transitional—and successful—year for LeadershipSBOT.
Written by Andrew D. Tingan
ABOVE LEFT: Texas Young Lawyers Association Immediate Past President
Britney E. Harrison (Dallas), center, with LSBOT members, from left,
Mark Altman (Spring), Samantha Frazier (Houston), Glenda Duru (Houston),
and Hunter Lewis (Dallas). ABOVE RIGHT: LSBOT members during an event
hosted by Tran Singh in Houston; from left, Samantha Frazier, Emilio
Longoria (Houston), Glenda Duru, Brendan Singh (Houston), and Andrew
Tingan (Austin). PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANDREW D. TINGAN.
As we all know too well by now, our new normal has forced us all to
adapt. The most recent LeadershipSBOT class was no exception. Created in
2008 under the leadership of then-State Bar President Harper Estes,
LeadershipSBOT, or LSBOT, was designed to increase the quality of
leadership within the legal community through the nomination of lawyers
who possess both the desire and the potential to assume leadership
roles. Central to the program’s mission is ensuring that participant
demographics represent the diversity of the state of Texas.
The yearlong program equips approximately 20 carefully selected
attorneys with the tools to develop and transition into leadership roles
in their firms, communities, and the State Bar of Texas. Until 2020, the
program’s quarterly meetings took place in a live setting in various
locations throughout the state. These meetings served as an opportunity
for the class to foster meaningful relationships as a group, interact
with current leaders, and discover how to best engage in public
involvement to be effective in the profession and in the community.
2020 ushered in the first all-virtual LSBOT class, and with it the
uncertainty of whether the class would be able to connect in the same
manner as years past. Throughout their Zoom-filled year, members of the
2020-2021 class found ways to both connect and make a lasting impact
around the state. For their capstone project, members leveraged their
virtual reach by presenting the Texas Young Lawyers
Association-sponsored program Your Voice Now! to at least one
school in each of Texas’ 20 Education Service Center districts. Through
the presentations, elementary school students were introduced to the
concept of student speech and the general protections provided by the
Bill of Rights. For many of the students, some of whom had never met a
lawyer before, these presentations provided a unique opportunity to
engage with a diverse group of attorneys.
ABOVE TOP: LSBOT members and SBOT staff during a training session.
ABOVE BOTTOM: LSBOT members Tim Adams (Houston) and Brendon Singh.
ABOVE TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER REAMES. ABOVE BOTTOM PHOTO
COURTESY OF ANDREW D. TINGAN.
For a class that accomplished so much, surprisingly none of the members
had met in person. With restrictions slowly easing, recent months have
provided opportunities for in-person meetings, and the 2020-2021 class
has taken advantage of opportunities to support each other in real life.
Most recently, several members of the class were able to convene in
Houston to attend an annual barbecue hosted by Tran Singh, where fellow
classmate, Brendon Singh, is a founding partner.
Resilience may have been the true lesson during what was a trying year for the entire world. Fortunately, this year’s LSBOT class rose to the occasion with innovation and left no doubt that a virtual alternative could be just as successful as its live counterpart, albeit not quite as enjoyable.TBJ
ANDREW D. TINGAN
is an attorney with Butler Snow. He is a member of the
firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group.
