The Houston Bar Foundation marked its 27th year of service with an Annual Meeting and Luncheon held January 13 at The Houston Club. The luncheon not only commemorated the installation of new officers, but also recognized the contributions of volunteers who provide pro bono legal representation and other services to the community.

The keynote speaker was the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church, who spoke on the power and impact of community involvement.

Rocky Robinson of Andrews Kurth LLP took office as the 2010 chair of the Houston Bar Foundation, succeeding Stewart W. Gagnon of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Other new officers are Christine LaFollette of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, vice chair, and David Sterling of Baker Botts L.L.P., treasurer.

New directors for 2010-2012 are Melanie Gray of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP; Robert J. McAughan of Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP ; and Thomas M. Roche of ExxonMobil Corporation.

Completing terms as directors for 2009-2011 are Daniel D. Herink of Administaff, Inc.; William C. (Bill) Lowrey of Shell Oil Company; and John Eddie Williams, Jr. of Williams Kherkher Hart Boundas, LLP.

Gagnon presented the Foundation’s annual awards for pro bono service through the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program (HVLP), volunteer mediation services through the Dispute Resolution Center (DRC), and legal writing in The Houston Lawyer, the HBA’s professional journal. The Foundation recognized Rafte & Company for its outstanding contribution in providing pro bono IT and network support throughout the year to the HBA’s Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program, including updating an aging computer network and providing technological expertise to integrate older, but still functional, equipment.

The Foundation also recognized David J. Healey and his law firm, Fish & Richardson, for their contributions to the Foundation’s Hurricane Ike Relief Fund. Healey contributed $15,000 with the stipulation that it be used for grants of $1,000 or less for emergency living and housing expenses for non-attorney employees in the legal community, as well as law students. When Fish & Richardson opened its doors in November 2009, it marked the occasion by donating an additional $18,000 to the Hurricane Ike Relief Fund for the same use. The grants provided direct help to 33 families in the Houston/Galveston area, as well as to some attorneys and support staff in Jefferson County, also hit hard by the storm.

Inaugural Presentation of James B. Sales ProBono Leadership Award
Gagnon also presented the inaugural James B. Sales ProBono Leadership Award to its namesake, James B. Sales of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., to honor his lifetime of commitment and leadership in providing access to justice for all Texans. A former president of the Houston Bar Association and the State Bar of Texas, Sales was the founder of the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program, served as chair of the Texas Access to Justice Commission, and established some of the most enduring professionalism and community service programs in Houston and throughout Texas. He was the first chair of the Houston Bar Foundation and was responsible for developing its core philosophy of service, as well as the Foundation Fellows program that today provides strategic support for the HBA’s pro bono efforts. The James B. Sales ProBono Leadership Award will be given annually to an individual who embodies the same principles of dedication and leadership.