Dallas Bar Association
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January 2023 Volume 48 Number 1
Focus | Criminal Law/Government Law
DBA’s 114th President: Cheryl Camin Murray
Hon. Royal Furgeson to Receive 2023 MLK Justice Award
have more balance in their lives by working smarter BY J. COLLIN SPRING and more efficiently. The Dallas Bar Association welcomes its 2023 Achieving that equilibrium is a specialty of President, Cheryl Camin Murray. Murray will Murray’s, who balances working at the highest levoversee the DBA as it celebrates its sesquicenten- els of the healthcare field, being a leader in the comnial anniversary, 150 years after its founding in munity, and being a mother to her three 7-year-old 1873. Starting January 9, triplets, Piper, Tess, and ConMurray will be a Partner nor, who she raises with her at Katten Muchin Rosenhusband Blake. Recognized man LLP, where her practice as 2020’s Working Mother of will focus on representing the Year by Working Mother healthcare industry clients in magazine, Murray emphasizes transactional, regulatory and that “a busy practice, coupled compliance matters. She will with a fulfilling volunteer and move back to private practice family life, are the keys to sucfrom her most recent role as cess.” the Chief Legal Officer at GI When asked about MurAlliance, the nation’s largray, Mark Solomon, Managest gastroenterology pracing Partner of Katten’s Dallas tice. In addition to her law office gives a simple review: degree from the University “She’s superb.” “Empathy,” of Houston Law Center, she Solomon says, “is the hallalso holds a Master of Public mark of a good leader—and Health from the University of Cheryl Camin Murray it’s something that Cheryl has Texas Health Science Center tons of. No one ever walks at Houston. Murray will be the 11th female Presi- away from Cheryl not feeling heard.” dent of the DBA and the 114th President overall. Solomon, who worked with Murray during her In addition to her years of service to the legal field, tenure at Katten, spoke at length about how much Murray is also no stranger to community service, with she brought to the organization, “not only as an a track record of bar involvement that stretches back excellent practitioner, but in terms of leadership to her early career. While she was a member of the skills. She has a way of driving the best outcomes Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (DAYL), she among different groups of people.” co-founded the DAYL Freedom Run—a treasured Immediate DBA Past President Krisi Kastl DAYL tradition now in its 23rd year. She was also noted that: “Cheryl Murray is a leader that helps a Founding Fellow of the DAYL Foundation, which others become leaders.” When asked for comment, raises funds to increase access to justice in the DFW Kastl said that “[i]n 2006, Cheryl encouraged me to metroplex. Her tireless work to improve the legal pro- run for the DAYL Board of Directors and that run fession was highlighted by the DBA in both 2006 and started my career in Bar leadership. Cheryl is not 2021, when she received Presidential Citations in only diligent and driven in her role as an attorney, a recognition of her service. Since becoming involved bar leader, a wife, a mother, and a friend, she is quick in the bar association, she has been involved with a with the quip and encourages an element of fun in plethora of committees, including the Public Forum life. While a lot has changed since our DAYL days, Committee, which she co-founded. one thing that remains constant is Cheryl’s drive Her involvement in the community does not and dedication.” stop at the bar association, however. Murray is Kastl appointed Murray this past year to lead the former Chair of the Dallas Friday Group, Dal- the committee charged with approving the Dallas las’ premiere public affairs organization that brings LGBT Bar Association’s application for a voting together members of all different professions to dis- seat on the DBA Board. On Murray’s performance cuss current issues impacting the community. She in that role, Kastl had this to say: “Cheryl’s attenalso serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the tion to detail and her commitment and devotion, Southwest Transplant Alliance, a nonprofit organi- often very late at night after her workday and putzation focused on saving lives by facilitating organ ting her children to bed, ensured that the LGBT Bar and tissue donations across Texas. She has also been received their voting seat. There is no one better to active with Act III, a mentoring organization for lead us in 2023 to commemorate and celebrate the female attorneys. She has been featured in publica- DBA’s 150th anniversary.” tions as diverse as D CEO Magazine, D Magazine, Congratulations and best wishes to our incomThe Glass Hammer, The Texas Lawbook and more. ing President. Please join us as we kick off the DBA’s Murray’s focus through the 2023 bar association 150th year on February 11, 2023 at Cheryl Camin term will be on re-energizing the DBA membership Murray’s Inaugural. The event will be held at the as the organization continues to transition out of the Westin Galleria from 6:00 p.m. to midnight. Tickets COVID-19 pandemic. The DBA’s 150th Anniver- are available at www.dallasbar.org. HN sary will be celebrated in a number of ways throughout the year. Murray also plans to bring program- J. Collin Spring is an Associate at Ryan Law Firm, PLLC. He may be ming and resources focused on helping members contacted at Jay.Spring@ryanlawyers.com.
Whether providing pro bono services while in private practice, ensuring justice has been served as a judge, or shaping the lives of future lawyers as a law school dean, Judge Royal Furgeson’s passion for people and pursuit of justice make him an ideal recipient of the 2023 Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Award, which recognizes area leaders whose service to the community embodies the example of Dr. King. “His life and impact are beyond measure,” says Judge Furgeson. “While none of us can hope to accomplish what Dr. King accomplished, we can stand with him in his quest for justice.” A native of Lubbock, Judge Furgeson earned a degree in English from Texas Tech University, where he was also a college athlete. After earning his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, he served two years as an officer in U.S. Army, including one year in Vietnam. After completing his military service, he was a federal judicial law clerk to the Honorable Halbert O. Woodward. He then entered private practice in El Paso for 24 years before his appointment to the federal bench in 1994, where he served both the Western and Northern Districts of Texas before retiring in 2013. After retiring as a federal judge, Judge Furgeson served as founding Dean of UNT Dallas College of Law. He recalls how “former Chancellor Lee Jackson presented the idea of starting a law school that was affordable and would open access to a legal education for underrepresented groups.” Judge Furgeson welcomed the idea of founding such a school because he “recognized that we are in a predominately white profession, and we needed to change that. So, founding the law school was a small opportunity to do just that. The practice is for everyone.” It is now recognized as one of the most diverse and affordable law schools in the country. During his tenure, Judge Furgeson empowered the founding faculty to create community lawyering centers to meet the needs of those often left without access to affordable and effective legal representation, advocacy programs that developed award-winning student advocates, and community partnerships that resulted in students completing thousands of hours of community/pro bono service. His decision to pursue that small opportunity yielded big results for so many new lawyers in the Dallas community, including myself. As a member of the inaugural class at UNT Dallas College of Law, I witnessed
BY ASHLEY JONES WRIGHT
Hon. Royal Furgeson
firsthand Judge Furgeson’s dedication to ensuring the school’s success. He knew each one of us by name and never missed an opportunity to showcase us to the legal community. And when the ABA initially denied the school’s request for provisional accreditation, he could have quit at that moment— but did not. Instead, he and the founding faculty fought hard to show the ABA that UNT Dallas College of Law deserved another opportunity. To our benefit, they prevailed and gained provisional accreditation in 2017 and full accreditation in 2021 under the leadership of Dean Felicia Epps. Amanda Gadison, 2019 graduate of UNT Dallas College of Law and president of the law school’s alumni association, also attended the law school under Judge Furgeson’s leadership and said, “Judge Furgeson’s passion for the legal system, the community, and the students shined bright every single day. He helped create a law school that is representative of our society as a whole, which will have a positive, lasting effect on our legal community. He is incredibly deserving of the DBA’s MLK Justice Award.” Judge Furgeson retired as Dean in 2018 but continues his commitment to the law school as Dean Emeritus. He assists with the school’s fundraising efforts and is working to develop a federal clerkship pipeline program for its students. He also continues to support the careers of UNT Dallas College of Law alums by advocating on their behalf and opening doors that help their careers flourish. His unwavering commitment to the law school and its students is only a continuation of the work he has done throughout his career. continued on page 26
Inside 6
Toyota Supports Equal Access to Justice
12 Meet Your Sister Bar Presidents for 2023 17 The DBA is 150 Years Old! 20 How to Find Your Arrested Client in Dallas County 25 Diversion and Detection of Defendant Mental State
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