An inaugural program created to address the civics gap connected more than 130 students from five schools with judges, legislators, and a former U.S. Trade Ambassador for a real life Schoolhouse Rock experience.

“It is one thing to read about [civics], but it is important for students to learn directly from the leaders who are doing it,” Dallas Bar Association President Jonathan Childers said.

Luke Schamel became an officer in the U.S. Navy to serve his country. Now a Houston associate at Yetter Coleman, Schamel is continuing his public service in a different uniform. He is representing the Veterans of Foreign Wars on a pro bono basis in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that challenges a rule that petitioners say denies veterans the full education benefits that they have earned.

At the center of the case is the VA’s “break-in-service” rule, which petitioners argue improperly requires veterans to have a gap in military service before they can access the full 48 months of education benefits available under the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

In this packed edition of P.S., we highlight the charitable giving of the Barnes & Thornburg Foundation, collectively funded by firm lawyers and staff. Each year, five firm offices are selected to direct grants to charities in their local communities. The Dallas office was chosen this year, and it awarded a $50,000 grant to Project XVI, a Dallas-area nonprofit helping children identified as belonging to at-risk communities. Their work addresses problems that most people would drive by, said Barnes & Thornburg Dallas managing partner Thomas Haskins. Read on for more about what drew the firm to Project XVI. 

Also in P.S., we report on fundraising efforts to endow a scholarship in memory of the 8-year-old twin daughters of attorneys John and Lacy Lawrence who were lost in last summer’s Hill Country floods. 

Plus, Dallas was the site of the 47th Annual Texas High School Mock Trial Competition, Houston prepares to host Law Rocks and more.

In this edition of P.S., women across Houston’s legal community shared their career insights and celebrated each other’s growth in a Women’s History Month event sponsored by Beck Redden.

In observance of Ramadan, hundreds of guests attended an annual Iftar hosted by Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing.

We also highlight a general counsel program sponsored by Dorsey & Whitney’s Dallas office that featured an all-Hispanic panel of legal professionals.

In this edition of P.S., see which of your favorite attorney-led bands earned bragging rights and helped set a fundraising record with Law Rocks Dallas, a “battle of the bands” style fundraiser for local charities. In Houston, the Houston Volunteer Lawyers honored firms and attorneys making significant pro bono contributions. We also spotlight Susman Godfrey partner Krisina Zuñiga’s graduation from a national Latina leadership program and a $30,000 donation from attorney Jim Mueller honoring Michael Hurst to support pro bono legal services through the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program.