FeAtURes

150 Years: Lawyers Who Shaped Houston’s Legal Legacy

On April 23, 1870, several Houston lawyers met at the courthouse to form the Houston Bar Association (“HBA”). Its purpose was to “raise the standard of the legal profession” and purchase a law library.1 Over the next one hundred and fifty years, while its mission has changed from time to time, the HBA has consistently remained committed to raising the standard of the profession. This is evident in the HBA’s current mission statement, which is “to serve the needs of Houston-area lawyers and enhance the legal profession through promoting: professionalism, access to justice, the rule of law, equality and inclusion in the legal profession, legal education for the profession and the public, and service to our community through law-related or high-impact and high-involvement projects.”2

The Houston lawyers who are profiled on the following pages are lawyers who are or were dedicated to raising the standard of the legal profession in Houston in important ways. They are or were leaders through important eras in Houston’s history when the community needed lawyers to step up. They are or were exceptional advocates. Some fought for civil rights; others shaped specific areas of the law. They all epitomize civility in the legal profession. And, they are all shining examples of serving humankind and changing the world at the same time. They thus embody the spirit of the HBA and are important components of Houston’s legal legacy. The Houston Lawyer therefore celebrates the HBA’s 150th Anniversary by sharing their stories. Anna Archer, Editor in Chief

endnotes

1. ERIC L. FREDERICKSON, A COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE: THE HISTORY OF THE HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION (1992). 2. About the HBA: Our Mission, HOUS. BAR ASS’N, https://www.hba.org/?pg=About-the-HBA (last visited Nov. 13, 2020).