Pro Bono & Community Outreach
As an integral part of our firm's culture, Strasburger is dedicated to
providing pro bono services to the firm's local communities. This commitment is
evidenced by Strasburger's adoption of formal pro bono policies and procedures
and the appointment of a Pro Bono Committee to manage the firm's pro bono services.
In addition, Strasburger is a signatory to the "Pro Bono Challenge" issued by
the Pro Bono Institute at Georgetown University Law Center ("PBI"), and is also
a member of Pro Bono Institute.
http://www.probonoinst.org.
Strasburger's Pro Bono Committee is responsible for reviewing the firm's
pro bono policies and coordinating institutional support for our attorneys' public
service.
Strasburger's pro bono program benefits the public, the individuals we serve,
and the development of our lawyers' skills and sense of professional and public
service. Some of the projects and organizations our attorneys have contributed
to include:
- Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
- Dallas Attorney Volunteer Program
- Dallas Charter Commission
- East Austin Revitalization Group
- Hidalgo Foundation of Bexar County
- Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program
- "Just Take One" – San Antonio Justice Clinic
- Legal Aid of Northwest Texas
- Metrocrest Family Medical Center
- San Antonio Inventors & Entrepreneurs
- Senior Source – Senior Citizens of Greater Dallas
- The Suicide and Crisis Center
- Susan G. Komen Foundation
- Undermain Theater
- Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas
- White Rock Lake Museum
- YWCA
Pro Bono Highlights
- Community Justice Program (CJP)
On June 21, 2005, Strasburger attorneys volunteered for the San
Antonio Bar Association's Community Justice Program "Just Take One" at St.
Mary's University Center for Legal and Social Justice. The CJP is a
collaborative effort by the entire legal community to provide free
neighborhood based legal services to individuals who may not otherwise
have access to the legal system. CJP's partner, Texas Rio Grande Legal
Aid, supports the program by coordinating all client intake through their
toll-free hotline. CJP accepts uncontested matters such as divorce, child
custody modifications, guardianship proceedings, bankruptcy, simple
landlord/tenant disputes, probate matters and wills. Participating
attorneys were available to assess each applicant's legal needs, answer
questions, direct them to the appropriate resources, and as the name
suggests, "just take one" case and see it through to completion.
Strasburger attorneys participating in the clinic were Judith Blakeway,
Merritt Clements, Kipling Giles and John Pinckney.
- Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP)
The DVAP of the Dallas Bar
Association honored Strasburger with the Gold Award for Pro Bono Service
at its 22nd Annual Pro Bono Celebration held on October 7, 2004.
Media Release
- Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program (HVLP)
On August 6, 2005, Strasburger co-sponsored the HVLP Saturday Morning
Clinic at the Bayland Community Center. The clinic provided attorney
consultation services to over 125 applicants fitting HVLP's income
criteria. Strasburger attorneys assessed each applicant's legal needs,
answered their questions and directed them to the appropriate resources.
They provided education and information to the applicants in areas of law
such as probate, family law, landlord-tenant issues and consumer law.
Strasburger attorneys participating in the clinic were Carrie
Douglas, Jami Meador, Erik Norris, Clint Rosenthal, Bijan Siahatgar,
John Spiller and Michael Springer.
In February 2005, ten attorneys from Strasburger's Houston office were
recognized in the Houston Bar Bulletin for having accepted pro bono cases
through HVLP after the firm sponsored a family law clinic in its offices.
In June 2004, Houston partner, John Spiller,
was named treasurer of HVLP. Mr. Spiller has served on the HVLP Board of
Directors since 2002.
On April 1, 2004, Strasburger's Houston office became
a signatory to the "Pro Bono Commitment" of the HVLP. As a
signatory, Strasburger has agreed to accept and handle a number of referrals
per year from HVLP. Strasburger also agreed and has conducted an in-house
training seminar on family law issues.
- Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas (VLS)
Once a month the Austin office staffs a legal advice clinic sponsored by
VLS. At the clinic, Strasburger attorneys meet with certain applicants
for pro bono legal services to help VLS determine whether an applicant
is eligible for VLS representation, or, where appropriate, to provide
applicants with brief legal advice on certain civil law topics.
Austin partner, Robert O'Boyle, has been elected to the VLS Board of
Directors. VLS recruits volunteer attorneys to help low-income persons
in central Texas with civil legal issues.
On May 20, 2005, VLS honored Mr. O'Boyle with the
Judge Suzanne Covington Pro Bono Service Award, which honors
law firms and individuals for their outstanding commitment to
pro bono and assisted pro se legal services in Travis County.
Media Release.
Strasburger's Pro Bono Committee
- Monica A. Velasquez, Associate, Collin County
- Merritt M. Clements, Partner, San Antonio
- Robert M. O'Boyle, Partner, Austin
- Laura Reilly O'Hara, Partner, Dallas
- Scott A. Shanes, Partner, Collin County
- Linsi Smith, Firm Development Coordinator, Austin
- John K. Spiller, Partner, Houston
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