October 25, 2023 by Communications
Lone Star Legal Aid Honors Pro Bono Volunteers During the American Bar Association’s National Celebration of Pro Bono
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
During the 2022-2023 Bar Year, volunteers contributed over 2400 hours of pro bono service, equal to approximately $600,000 of donated legal services. This does not include the hours spent by volunteers assisting with training, mentorship, and other non-case specific assistance.
“We want to thank every single Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) volunteer who donated their time and expertise to serve our low-income clients. We truly cannot do it without you, and there are not enough words to express our gratitude,” said Jessie Campbell, Supervising Attorney.
In commemoration of National Celebrate Pro Bono Week (October 22-28), Lone Star Legal Aid honors the following with its Annual Pro Bono Awards for their outstanding pro bono contributions during the 2022-2023 Bar Year.
HOUSTON OFFICE
Our headquarters in Houston serves the largest county in the state of Texas. We recognize our pro bono award recipients for their exceptional service to this community.
Law Firm Awards: This award is in recognition of our firm partners who have been an outstanding contribution and commitment to serve our clients.
Large Law Firm
Latham & Watkins, LLP | Latham & Watkins has been a pillar of Lone Star Legal Aid’s pro bono program for multiple years, and we are again honored to recognize their pro bono commitment. During the bar year, Latham & Watkins completed 70 matters, donating over 856 pro bono hours completed by 68 attorneys and summer associates.
Small Law Firm
Tran Singh LLP | Since accepting their first case, Tran Singh, LLP has been a constant partner with LSLA in accepting bankruptcy matters. During the bar year, the firm completed three cases for clients living with disabilities and elderly clients. In total, the attorneys at Tran Singh provided over $100,000 in debt relief for these clients, giving them financial peace of mind.
Community Partner Award: City of Houston Department of Neighborhoods & Neighborhood Recovery Community Development Corporation (“NRCDC”). LSLA is proud to be part of the A Month of Service Partnership (“AMOS”) in collaboration with an elite group of community partners, including Houston Volunteer Lawyers, Harris Central Appraisal District, Harris County Tax Assessor Collector, The Earl Carl Institute for Legal & Social Policy, and Houston Bar Association. The Partnership has its day-to-day operations managed by the City of Houston Department of Neighborhoods and NRCDC, and without their daily management, AMOS would not be able to conduct its 10-11 monthly events to provide legal education and services to our Houston-area community. We recognize the City of Houston Department of Neighborhoods and NRCDC with our Community Partner Award
Outstanding Volunteer Award: This award is in recognition of our volunteers who provided outstanding service to our clients.
Madison DeMotts Bennett, Winston & Strawn | Since starting to volunteer with LSLA in 2022, Madison has closed 17 cases and continues to work on a more complex family matter. She has contributed over 40 hours of pro bono legal services during the Bar Year, and this does not include the time spent on her current open matter. Madison is resilient, taking on exceedingly more complicated matters outside the scope of her everyday practice.
Braedon Morrow, Holland & Knight | Since starting to volunteer with LSLA in 2022, Braedon has closed 29 cases. For Harris County alone, he has contributed 80 hours of pro bono legal services during the Bar Year, and this does not include the service he has provided to our branch offices. Braedon has been undeterred by unexpected situations, including clients withdrawing from services or difficulty with communications, nor location, often providing remote legal services to clients in our rural communities.
Commitment to Pro Bono Award: This award is in recognition of our volunteers who handled complex legal matters for clients.
- Chris Cottrell, Polsinelli
- Richard Hemingway, Holland & Knight
- Omonzusi Imobiah, Law Offices of Omonzusi Imobioh
- Mona James, Mona James Law Firm
- Marilyn McGuire, Law Office of Marilyn McGuire
- Christopher Meyer, Christopher Meyer Law Firm, PLLC
- Trang Nguyen, Pham & Nguyen Law Group, P.C.
- Jody Novak, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
- Elina Ostrovsky, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
- Jennifer Sigler, McDermott Will & Emery
- Brooke Sizer, Holland & Knight
- Christian Sternat, Attorney at Law
- Betsy Thomas, Pratt & Thomas
- Kitty Xie, Holland & Knight
- John Zappia, Sidley Austin
BRANCH OFFICES
The LSLA Branch Offices serve 71 counties in Texas plus four (4) counties in Arkansas. Within Texas, there are 29 counties that are legal deserts, defined as fewer than one (1) attorney for every 1,000 residents, with an additional 5 counties that are at 1 attorney for every 1,000 residents. With more limited resources, LSLA is grateful to our volunteers who provide services to our rural communities, often in more than one county.
Outstanding Community Partner
- Paul Baker, Robertson County Veteran Services Office
- Dawn Norman, CP Chem
- Galveston County Long Term Recovery Group
- Jefferson County Bar Association Foundation
- Seiler, Rapp & Guerra
- Texarkana Homeless Coalition – Doorways Home
- United Way of Lamar County
Outstanding Pro Bono Volunteer Award
- Edward Adelman, Attorney at Law
- Jerrod L. Allen, Attorney at Law
- Amanda Alman-Minatrea, Attorney at Law
- Robert Arnold Anderson, Attorney at Law
- Juan Jose Amell, Attorney at Law
- Maria Cristina “Tina” Atendido, Attorney at Law
- Daryl R. Atkinson, Attorney at Law
- Reese W. Baker, Baker & Associates
- Catherin Coppedge Bateman, Attorney at Law
- Kirsten Bates, Attorney at Law
- Michael L. Bernoudy, Jr., Attorney at Law
- Robert Bollinger, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
- Carol Cappadonna, Law Office of Carol Cappadonna
- Michael Carlisi, Winston & Strawn LLP
- Michelle Cummings, Cummings Law P.L.L.C.
- John S. Delk II, Attorney at Law
- Ronald Ned Dennis, Attorney at Law
- Kyle B. Dudney, Attorney at Law
- Emma-Louise Edwards, Attorney at Law
- O.E. Elmore, Attorney at Law
- Sean T. Flynn, The Law Offices of Sean T. Flynn P.L.L.C.
- Elizabeth A. Fulton, Attorney at Law
- Anthony Franklyn, Attorney at Law
- Stephanie Gonzalez, Attorney at Law
- Maria Yolanda Gutierrez, Attorney at Law
- Thomas Jefferson Hanna, Attorney at Law
- Weston L. Harper, Attorney at Law
- Vicki K. Haynes, Attorney at Law
- Christina G. Hollwarth, Attorney at Law
- Crisarla “Cris” Houston, Attorney at Law
- George Humphrey, Holland & Knight
- Alfred “Darrell” Hyatt, Attorney at Law
- Kristen J. Ishihara, Attorney at Law
- Tameika Johnson, Attorney at Law
- Bernitha Faye Jones, The Law Office of B. Faye Jones
- Cameron Jones, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
- Chase Gregory Jones, Attorney at Law
- Julius “Eric” Junker, Junker Law, PLLC
- Charles M. Kroscher, Attorney at Law
- Jessica A. Kroscher, Attorney at Law
- Nikita Lamar, Attorney at Law
- Shinia Lambert, Jackson Todd & Lambert, PLLC
- James Limbaga, Attorney at Law
- Mary Lindley-Wiley, Lindley & Wiley, PC
- Danielle Marr, Winston & Strawn LLP
- Michael D. Martin, Attorney at Law
- Jeremy Michael Masten, Attorney at Law
- Myla G. Mayberry, Attorney at Law
- Alyssa McCain, Bracewell, LLP
- Lorena Perez-McGill, Attorney at Law
- Marie McGowan, Attorney at Law
- Marilyn McGuire, Attorney at Law
- Allison Mundy, Mundy Legal Services
- Braedon Morrow, Holland & Knight
- Jesse T. Nation, McGuireWoods LLP
- Joe W. Newsom, Jr., Attorney at Law
- Andrew C. Papa, McGuireWoods LLP
- Juan Pequeno, Attorney at Law
- Adam Rivas, Lucci Smith Law, PLLC
- Diane Macfarlane Robinson, Attorney at Law
- Brandon Rinker, Attorney at Law
- Jose P. Salas, Paul Hastings, LLP
- Marlyn M. Schulz, Attorney at Law
- Marcio Soares, The Soares Law Firm, PLLC
- Kimberly Stelter, Attorney at Law
- Frank L. Supercinski, Attorney at Law
- Jessica L. Trevino, Greater Waco Legal Services
- Yvette Vasquez-Recio, Attorney at Law
- Kaylynn Webb, McDermott Will & Emery, LLP
- Clay Wilder, Attorney at Law
- Yile Xu, Attorney at Law
Outstanding Student Volunteer
- Brynley Jones, Baylor University
The week of October 21-28 has been designated the “National Celebrate Pro Bono” Week by the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service. The goal is to showcase the remarkable difference that pro bono lawyers make to our nation, our system of justice, our communities, and most of all, the clients they serve. The theme for 2023 is Voices of Democracy: Ensuring Justice for All. For more information, visit www.celebrateprobono.org.
If you are interested in volunteering to provide legal services to financially eligible clients, complete our Volunteer Interest Form and visit Pro Bono Opportunities for Lone Star Legal Aid’s current opportunities.
Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm focused on advocacy for low-income and underserved populations by providing free legal education, advice, and representation. LSLA serves millions of people at 125% of federal poverty guidelines, who live in 72 counties in the eastern and Gulf Coast regions of Texas, and 4 counties in Southwest Arkansas. LSLA focuses its resources on maintaining, enhancing, and protecting income and economic stability; preserving housing; improving outcomes for children; establishing and sustaining family safety, stability, health, and wellbeing; and assisting populations with special vulnerabilities, like those with disabilities, the aging, survivors of crime and disasters, the unemployed and underemployed, the unhoused, those with limited English language skills, and the LGBTQIA+ community. To learn more about Lone Star Legal Aid, visit our website at www.LoneStarLegal.org.
Media contact: media@lonestarlegal.org
