By Tara Shockley
Sixth Harris County
Bench Bar Pro Bono Awards
Large Firm – Norton Rose Fulbright Ninety-four percent of the attorneys in the Houston office of Norton Rose Fulbright contributed to the 32,269 pro bono hours recorded in 2013. That equates to an average of 150.9 hours per attorney. Norton Rose Fulbright accepted cases from the HBA’s Houston Volunteer Lawyers, Catholic Charities, the HVL/ Texas Children’s Hospital Medical Legal Partnership, Lone Star Legal Aid, and the Tahirih Justice Center. The firm is also appointed by the courts on criminal appeals and several family district courts appoint a Norton Rose Fulbright attorney to every Special Immigrant Juvenile status case as an amicus attorney. Several firm attorselected the recipients neys handled high in several categories. profile pro bono The keynote speakcases that had er was Stewart W. broad impact on Gagnon, partner and the community. In head of the Family addition to direct Law Practice Group representation of at Norton Rose Fulindividuals, firm bright, who is himself attorneys voluna recipient of the first teered for 12 HousHarris County Bench ton Area Women’s Bar Pro Bono Award Center Domestic recognizing an outViolence Clinics, Keynote speaker Stewart Gagnon standing individual four Houston Bar for his pro bono work in 2008. He told a Association Veteran’s Clinics, and four moving story of his first pro bono case, HVL Saturday Clinics. representing a woman who was abused and persecuted by her husband, and Mid-size Firm – Jackson Walker LLP its impact on his life. Gagnon and his The 77 attorneys in the Houston office
Presented May 1
F
or the sixth year, Harris County judges and attorneys came together to recognize outstanding pro bono service by presenting the annual Harris County Bench Bar Pro Bono Awards on May 1. The awards program was established to recognize outstanding pro bono service through local legal service providers and to encourage law firms, corporate legal departments and individual attorneys to volunteer direct legal services to low-income Harris County residents. A committee of seven judges and six attorneys, including representatives from the Houston Bar Association, the Houston Lawyers Association and the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston, reviewed nominations and
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May/June 2014
thehoustonlawyer.com
firm have also earned recognition for pro bono work at the state and national levels, and Norton Rose Fulbright was a recipient this year. The award recipients were honored with a ceremony and luncheon at the Civil Courthouse. In addition to receiving a custom-designed crystal and wood award, their names are featured on permanent plaques in the lobbies of the Civil Courthouse, Criminal Justice Center, Family Law Center and Juvenile Justice Center in downtown Houston.