Houston Bar Association Contact: Tara Shockley, Communications Director Houston Bar Association 1001 Fannin, Suite 1300 Houston, TX 77002 E-mail: hba-office@hba.org Website: www.hba.org This program was a winner of the 2000 Law Day Activity Awards. Activity Summary: The Houston Bar Association’s 2000 Law Day activities focused on public education, with a particular emphasis on introducing culturally diverse groups of young children to Law Day and the importance of law in a democratic society. Programs were, however, geared toward all age groups and ethnic groups through cooperative efforts with the public library system, the courts, city government, and the dedication of HBA volunteers. Activity Narrative: The HBA Law Day Committee works year-round on activities centered on Law Day and its annual theme. The committee works with many other HBA organizations and community organizations to plan and implement activities and programs that touch a cross-section of the community. A particular focus this year was on educating children about the law, reaching out to diverse segments of the community. The HBA also continued two programs that were new last year: the Lawyers Against Waste Cleanup Project and “Java with the Judges.” Lawyers Against Waste Main Street Cleanup Project The Houston Bar Association celebrated both Law Day and Earth Day with its second Lawyers Against Waste,” or L.A.W., Cleanup Project. More than 260 HBA members, their families, and other community volunteers cleaned up 72 city lots and picked up 36,400 pounds of trash on the Main Street Corridor and surrounding streets on April 29th. The cleanup was sponsored in partnership with Keep Houston Beautiful and the City of Houston, which provided tools, trash bags, T-shirts, and planning support for the event. Beginning at 8 a.m., volunteers mowed vacant lots, picked up trash, and weeded sidewalks until noon, when they returned to Don Massey Cadillac, host site for the event, where they were treated to lunch and post-event festivities that featured live music and door prizes. Houston Mayor Lee Brown declared April 29th “Lawyers Against Waste Day” in Houston, and several city council members, who also are HBA members, were on hand for the presentation of the proclamation. Since its inauguration as a Law Day event last year, the Cleanup Project has become an annual event. Java with the Judges For the second year, this program was held concurrently from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. on May 3 in the Civil Courthouse, Criminal Justice Center, and Family Law Center. “Java with the Judges” is a series of casual receptions designed to increase awareness of the meaning of Law Day among judges, court staff, and those who work within the justice system. HBA board members and staff were posted at each location to distribute information about Law Day and information about HBA community services. Coffee and donuts were provided, with some being donated by local vendors. Java with the Judges has become an annual event. Naturalization Ceremony Over 1,000 new citizens took the oath of allegiance in a special Naturalization Ceremony on May 2 at Jones Hall in downtown Houston. The HBA co-sponsored this event with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, which sat en banc for the ceremony, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. HBA president Andrew S. Hanen welcomed the new citizens. The keynote speaker was Nat Levy, a leading Houston financial planner and naturalized citizen from South Africa, who served as part of Nelson Mandela’s defense team in South Africa. HBA staff welcomed the new citizens and distributed brochures that featured information on legal and community services available through the HBA. Law Day Luncheon The Houston Young Lawyers Association sponsored a Law Day Luncheon on May 1 that was attended by more than 400 attorneys. The Hon. Greg Abbott of the Supreme Court of Texas was the keynote speaker, providing his insights on the Law Day theme. Special guests of the HBA were the winners of poster and essay contests sponsored in local schools (see below). The HYLA presented its Liberty Bell Award to Kimberly Stabler of Justice for Children, an organization that works with abused and neglected children in the legal system. The HYLA also presented its annual Woodrow Seals Outstanding Young Lawyer Award to Bill Kroger of the law firm of Baker Botts L.L.P., who also was named the Outstanding Young Lawyer of Texas. Library Programs On May 1 and various dates in early May, the HBA and the Houston Public Library presented a series of free programs in four branch libraries in different parts of the city. The programs provided legal information on topics that were selected by the patrons of each branch for relevance to their daily lives. Programs were presented on Consumer Law, Grandparents’ Rights, How to Hire and Work With a Lawyer, and Immigration Law. Story Times Volunteers from the HBA’s Lawyers for Literacy Committee greatly expanded a project created last year in which lawyers read stories to small children at branch libraries during “story times.” This year, volunteers presented the free program in 16 libraries throughout the city, reaching culturally diverse groups of pre-school children. Books focused on how citizenship and freedom affect children’s lives. The volunteers also guided the children through accompanying crafts that further helped to illustrate the stories. Poster and Essay Contests Students in grades K-12 in all 24 Houston-area school districts were invited to participate in poster and essay contests on the Law Day theme. Students in grades 9 - 12 competed in the essay contest. First place winner Katrina Esco wrote about intolerance and its historical effects on democracy and diversity. The HBA also entered Katrina’s essay in the State Bar of Texas Essay Contest, where it won a second place award. The essay will be published in the HBA’s magazine, The Houston Lawyer, and was distributed at the Law Day Luncheon. Students in elementary and middle schools were invited to participate in a poster contest with the theme of “Celebrate Your Freedom.” More than 100 students submitted posters. Winning posters were displayed at the Law Day Luncheon and are currently on display in art cases located in the Harris County Civil Courthouse and the Family Law Center. Both Poster and Essay Contest winners and their teachers received cash prizes underwritten by Salomon Smith Barney. Other Law Day Activities Included: A nine-hour LegalLine program where 60 volunteer attorneys staffed phone lines and answered 830 legal questions from the public. A program on May 2 in conjunction with a local bookstore that featured attorneys speaking on family law and real estate law. A Law Day Information Booth at the Houston International Festival in late April, where HBA volunteers spent Saturday and Sunday distributing brochures about HBA Law Day. The International Festival is an annual, citywide event. A Houston Law Week Fun Run that raised more than $41,000 for the Center for the Retarded, Inc. Law Day proclamation presented to the HBA from Houston City Council. Sample Programs Home | By Audience | By Location | By Sponsoring Organization