The verdict is in

Legal eagles are good guys after all

Houston Bar Foundation Chair Stewart W. Gagnon of Fulbright & Jaworski; SandyNorris, president of the Houston Bar Association Auxiliary; and Houston BarAssociation President Barrett H. Reasoner of Gibbs & Bruns
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John and Danielle Ellis
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John Eddie and Sheridan Williams
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Karen and Scott Rozzell
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Elizabeth and Bill Kroger
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Andria and Todd Frankfort
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Wendy and Alistair Dawson
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Harry and Macey Reasoner, left, with Susan and Barrett Reasoner
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So much legal muscle in one room, such delicious potential for billable hours. But the dollars flowed in the opposite direction at the Houston bar's annual Harvest Party, attended by more than 1,000 lawyers, judges, family and friends.

The legal eagles chipped in $500,000 for the Houston Bar Association's volunteer lawyers program, which provides pro bono legal representation in civil issues for nearly 1,800 low-income citizens each year and legal advice and counsel to more than 10,000 people annually.

The 60th annual Harvest Party spread across the full reaches of River Oaks Country Club, the expanded space necessary to accommodate the huge turnout. There to welcome the razzle-dazzle crowd were hosts Barrett Reasoner, president of the Houston Bar Association; Stewart Gagnon, chair of the Houston Bar Foundation; and Sandy Norris, president of the HBA Auxiliary.

In the mix were Marsha and Charlie Parker, Wendy and Alistair Dawson, Sheridan and John Eddie Williams, Danielle and John Ellis, Elizabeth and Bill Kroger, Karen and Scott Rozell, Susan Reasoner, and Macey and Harry Reasoner.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”