Dallas Bar Association
HEADNOTES January 2019 Volume 44 Number 1
Focus Torts & Insurance Practice
Laura Benitez Geisler: DBA’s 110th Bill Holston to Receive 2019 MLK Justice Award and First Hispanic President BY ALEX FARR
When Laura Benitez Geisler is sworn in as the 110th President of the Dallas Bar Association (DBA) on January 12, 2019, she will be the first Hispanic member to assume the role. Ms. Geisler, of the Geisler Law Firm, will lead the DBA after more than a decade of service to the organization, both on its Board of Directors and in other capacities. “Through the 20 years of watching and working with Laura, I can tell you that no one cares more about our profession, its leadership, and success. And no one has been more prepared to assume the DBA presidency,” said immediate past President Michael Hurst, partner at Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst, LLP. “Laura’s natural Laura Benitez Geisler and practiced leadership qualities include her charisma, passion, heart, energy, and experience.” Ms. Geisler was raised in Corpus Christi. Recounting her childhood, she said “I always tried to renegotiate every rule that I found arbitrary— like bedtime—which frequently led to the comment that I would ‘make a good lawyer.’ I really took it to heart.” After majoring in Criminal Justice at the University of Texas at San Antonio, she came to Dallas to pursue her J.D. at SMU Dedman School of Law, serving on the SMU Law Review and interning for Judge Jorge Solis and at the Texas Supreme Court with Justice Craig Enoch. Ms. Geisler knew she wanted to spend her legal career in the courtroom and, after an unconventional interview with Ralph “Red Dog” Jones in which she attended a meeting with an expert witness and a client (all the while being evaluated on her interactions), she was invited to join the firm—thus began her career as a personal injury attorney. Ms. Geisler took on meaningful roles in significant cases from the very start. And Red Dog turned into a great mentor (and later partner) to Ms. Geisler—it was he who convinced her to participate in the first Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (DAYL) Leadership Class in 1997. From there Ms. Geisler was hooked on active involvement with the bar. “I really enjoyed participating in bar association programs and activities, meeting new people and fellow practitioners, strengthening my practice and skills, and, most importantly, forming lifelong friendships,” said Geisler. She served as President of the Dallas
Women Lawyers Association (DWLA) in 2003 and DAYL President in 2007. She was elected to the DBA Board in 2008 while assisting Justice Douglas Lang of the Fifth Court of Appeals with the Transition to Law program to help first year lawyers make the leap from student to practicing attorney. Indeed, one of Ms. Geisler’s passions is helping mentor young lawyers to become successful practitioners. This year she is working on the development of a “legal incubator” program for new attorneys to take on modest means representations while learning practical skills about how to run a business as a lawyer. Having started her own firm, Ms. Geisler has a first-hand understanding of the challenges of balancing one’s practice and client demands with running a business and everyday life—a balance she appears to have mastered herself: she has been named in numerous “Best Lawyer” lists in the field of personal injury including “Best Lawyers in America,” “Best Attorneys in Texas,” and “Best Lawyers in Dallas” and Texas “Super Lawyers” among other accolades. In addition to her DBA Board service, Ms. Geisler was also Co-Chair for the 2014-2015 Equal Access to Justice Campaign benefitting the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, in which she helped raise over $1.1 million to provide pro bono legal services to low income Dallas County residents. “I believe the Dallas Bar Association is truly unique and among the strongest and most active bar associations in the country,” she said. “I intend to continue the tradition of preserving the DBA’s unparalleled assets and resources.” Judge Martin L. Hoffman, of the 68th District Court, said of Ms. Geisler “Laura has been a hard working visionary leader in the Dallas legal community for a long time. Her role in starting the DAYL Judicial Intern program has helped thousands of law students learn more about our Dallas judicial system. Laura’s program on the “Independence of the Judiciary” will highlight this important issue. Laura’s dedication and leadership makes her well suited for the herculean task of President of the Dallas Bar.” Rob Crain, a partner at Crain, Lewis, Brogdon, LLP and past DBA President said “Serving others is Laura’s passion; whether directed professionally, continued on page 10
BY BETH M. JOHNSON
This January, the Dallas Bar Association will honor Bill Holston, Executive Director of the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, Inc. (HRI), with the 2019 Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Award, which recognizes area leaders whose service to the community embodies the example of Dr. King. One cannot help but notice the plight of the immigrant and refugee communities in today’s news. Among their many other concerns and daily needs, these immigrants and refugees find themselves attempting to navigate a complex legal system. Bill Holston and Bill Holston HRI provide guidance and aid to help smooth that path. HRI is a nonprofit organization that provides legal assistance to refugees and immigrants in the North Texas area who are the victims of human rights abuses. It was founded in 1999 by attorney Elizabeth “Betsy” Healy and social worker Serena Simmons Connelly. An Alabama native sporting a bow-tie, Bill Holston graduated high school in Texas, where he also attended undergrad (UT Dallas) and law school (SMU). Before joining HRI in 2012, his career had been focused on commercial trial work as a partner of Sullivan and Holston Law Firm. While he found commercial litigation to be intellectually stimulating, his pro bono immigration work provided a more meaningful reward. Working in immigration gives Holston the opportunity to change the lives of his clients, as well as those whose lives his clients touch. Holston is inspired by the asylum seekers’ stories and their strength to persevere through their tribulations. Holston has described the work as “the most fulfilling part of [his] life outside [his] family.” “Our clients come to America with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They are prohibited from working and not entitled to government benefits but have taken huge risks so they have a
chance at freedom and safety in our country,” said Holston. “Our new challenges include providing social services to clients through our pro bono lawyers, doctors, and other volunteers. We need to provide increasing social services especially given the huge backlog of cases in Immigration Court.” Along with other members of the DBA, Holston volunteered his services at DFW Airport when the travel ban was instituted. He traveled to Paris, Texas, along with many other legal volunteers and legal service organizations, to help immigrants affected by one of the largest ICE raids in recent history. With his talented team at HRI, he has been working to help the children separated from their immigrant parents at the border. Holston also promotes collaboration with other area groups providing related services through a collaborative program called the Force for Immigrant Rights & Empowerment (FIRE) Coalition to help share resources and spread information through the community. Since the mid-1980s, Holston has been providing pro bono services for political and religious asylum applicants from 21 countries, helping clients navigate the legal system, and learning about human rights efforts in other countries. Through his work with HRI, Holston has tried multiple asylum trials. In 2005, HRI awarded Holston with the Angel of Freedom Award. In 1997, he received the Outstanding Political Asylum Lawyer Award from the Dallas Bar Association, and in 2002, he received an award for Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award from the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program. In 2015 Mr. Holston was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni for Public Service by the SMU Dedman School of Law. Additionally, he has authored commentaries and editorial on human rights issues for KERA 90.1 continued on page 16
Inside 6 Crain Lewis Brogdon Supports Equal Access to Justice 8 DVAP’s Chris Reed-Brown Retires 18 Lawyers and Happiness - A Pragmatic Discussion 23 A Case for Sidelining Dangerous Doctors
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