PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

By T. Mark Kelly Vinson & Elkins LLP

Protecting Our Children, Our Future

One of the challenges and privileges of being the president of the Houston Bar Association is to identify projects on which you want to focus during your Bar year. I recently was reminded of the great need in our community for volunteers to help those less fortunate when I had the pleasure of accomplishing what I call a "trifecta." One Saturday morning I drove to Mason Park to assist in the cleaning of the park as part of the HBA's Trash Bash. Shortly before noon, I drove to the Habitat House we were building for a single mom whose dream was to finally own her own home. I then finished the day by participating in the "Aids and the Law" seminar at the Montrose Counseling Center, where our volunteers were teaching a course on the legal rights of people with HIV and Aids. I am proud, as you should be, of the large number of HBA members who volunteer their time to serve.

I have always been interested in exploring what we can do to reach out to children–who are our future–and especially at-risk children. The HBA has developed many fine programs over the years, including Adopt-A-School, Constitution Day Readings, and Children's Clothing and Diaper Drives, to name just a few. This year, I read some startling statistics regarding children who have been in foster care programs.

In a study conducted by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, they found:

• Foster children are much more likely to be unemployed;
• Almost 25 percent live on the street or in shelters;
• More than 75 percent of young women have been pregnant;
• Nearly 60 percent of young men have been convicted of a crime, and more than 80 percent have been arrested; and
• Even more startling, only six percent had an associate or bachelor's degree.

Nationwide, 513,000 young people live in foster care. The State of Texas ranks fourth highest, with 28,883 youth currently in foster care. In Houston alone, that number is 6,613 youth. Youths exiting the foster care system are twice as likely to drop out of high school and are at great risk of arrest and incarceration. The social and economic costs are too extreme to ignore.

There is an organization in Houston called the Houston Alumni and Youth (or HAY) Center that is a one-stop center where foster youth and alumni (ages 16-25) can acquire a variety of transition resources, support and services. One of their programs – the PAL (Preparation for Adult Living) Program – was implemented in 1986. All told, almost 2,000 youths are either enrolled in the PAL Program or involved with the HAY Center. Children who meet the various requirements of the PAL Program are eligible for a waiver of their tuition at in-state schools if they can gain admission. Last year, the significant funding source of the HAY Center had a financial setback and had to decrease funding.

As you might expect, a number of these youth that show up at the HAY Center have juvenile records that likely make it difficult to obtain jobs. This year, we have created a committee to assist this organization to train volunteer attorneys to help with expunging and sealing records, conducting training classes on legal topics for HAY Center staff, holding presentations on legal topics to educate youth on their rights and responsibilities, and creating a "ready room" stocked with supplies and clothing to help them in their first independent living arrangements.

We, and the staff at the HAY Center, are excited about the program and how we can hopefully be a positive influence on these youth.

We live in a society that spends hours on the Internet. Unlike when I started the practice of law with mag cards and no cell phones, our kids have personal computers, Blackberries, iPhones and drones. Their ability to communicate to each other in real time is unparalleled. What some of us may not know, and what our children clearly may not appreciate, is the legal risk they may run in inappropriate use of such devices. This year the HBA will partner with the Houston Young Lawyers Association to distribute copies of a wonderful DVD, "R U Safe? Protecting Yourself in Cyberspace," developed by the Texas Young Lawyers Association. The DVD provides information on topics such as cyberbullying, "sexting," and Internet predators in four different videos that target elementary, middle and high school students, as well as parents. The HBA's goal is to distribute the DVD to all schools in the 26 school districts that comprise Harris County, as well as private schools. Schools will be encouraged to contact the HBA or HYLA to schedule a volunteer attorney to speak on cyber safety to classrooms and parent groups, following their viewing of the video.

In an effort to reach out to the law schools, the HBA will create a Web page called Law Student Center that includes information on HBA programs specifically for law students, continuing education programs open to law students, scholarships available through HBA sections, volunteer opportunities, programs for newly licensed attorneys, photos and helpful links to additional resources. The HBA worked with the career services directors at all three Houston law schools to determine content, so the site meets the needs of students during law school and as they transition into practice.

This bar year marks the beginning of the fifth year of our Equal Access Champions Initiative for the HBA's Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program. Through this program initiated by Glenn Ballard, HVLP has increased the number of cases handled from 991 in 2005 to 2,280 in 2009, with 2010 projected to top 2,400. Law firms and corporate legal departments sign a commitment to handle a certain number of cases for HVLP each year, based on the number of attorneys in the firm or legal department. We have 104 law firms and corporations of all sizes, as well as individuals, who have stepped up to meet this commitment. This year we will urge our current champions to re-commit to this crucial program, as well as work to recruit new firms and corporations to step up to the challenge.

During Travis Sales' year, he focused on expanding our legal services provided to veterans. This year, this amazingly successful program that has received national attention is one of the featured initiatives of the State Bar. We will continue to expand our efforts locally and have agreed to partner with the State Bar to help educate and facilitate services provided to various counties across the State.

Winston Churchill said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." My predecessors in this position have done an incredible amount of good work advancing the interests of our community through the work of the HBA. I hope to continue that legacy. I encourage you to get involved in one or more of the HBA's 37 committees and one task force, and to give something back to the community in which we live. You won't regret it!

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your president. I look forward to a busy and exciting year.

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