Texas Bar Foundation Honors Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer

Allan K. DuBois Receives Texas Bar Foundation Award

By Sara Dysart

The Texas Bar Foundation honors Texas attorneys by giving annual awards created for certain categories of achievement. The Foundation’s fellows nominate attorneys, and the trustees of the Foundation review the nominations and vote for the recipients. It is truly an honor to be a recipient of a Texas Bar Foundation award.

One of the most coveted Texas Bar Foundation awards is the Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award—given to attorneys who have practiced law for at least 50 years and who have adhered to “the highest principles and traditions of the legal profession and service to the public.” The inaugural Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award was given in 1974 to Judge W. St. John Garwood of Austin. Since 1993, the Texas Bar Foundation has expanded this recognition to honor up to five attorneys each year. The 2021 Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award was given to four past State Bar Presidents: Harriet Ellan Miers from Dallas, Kelly Frels from Houston, Terry O. Tottenham from Austin, and San Antonio’s Allan K. DuBois.

The San Antonio Bar’s Favorite Son

Allan does not meet the political definition of a “favorite son” whose electoral appeal is based upon his native state rather than his political views. Rather, Allan is considered by many to be the San Antonio Bar’s Favorite Son because his contributions to our bar and community are as “big as Texas” and have extended throughout the state. San Antonio attorneys know Allan as past president of the San Antonio Bar Association and join all Texas attorneys who know Allan as past president of the State Bar of Texas and as champion for the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program. The Texas Bar Foundation’s Oral History about Allan further reveals who Allan DuBois is and why so many consider him to be the San Antonio Bar’s Favorite Son.

Son Influences Father’s Military Career

Allan was born in his parent’s hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Married immediately after high school, his parents were young when Allan was born. With seven sisters and one brother, Allan is the oldest of nine children. Allan’s father, an accountant at a paper mill, was drafted into the Army during World War II and became a member of the Military Police Corps.

An event in Allan’s life that he rarely shares was a critical factor in his father making the Army his career. Allan was famous before he was one year old, evidenced by many newspaper clippings saved by his mother. During a routine medical checkup, the family doctor noticed that Allan had a growth or tumor which turned out to be cancer. Because his dad was in the Army, the Army provided treatment. Allan’s mom took him by train to Sloan Kettering Institute in New York City, where the doctors successfully operated on him at the age of eight months.

Allan’s competence, excellent mentorship, and tireless advocacy continue to let others be the recipient of his good work and life of service.

- Roland Johnson Harris Finley & Bogle, P.C. Cindy Johnson Past Trustee of the Texas Bar Foundation Fort Worth

An Outstanding 50 Year Couple, Allan and Pam DuBois.

It was at the end of the war. The Army flew his dad home from Germany to join Allan and his mother in New York. Allan’s story became a “feel good” story at the end of the war—young officer returns home to be with sick son. Allan’s parents did a tour supporting military service and the purchase of war bonds. Allan’s mother kept a scrapbook about these events. She was also surprised by the reaction of others when she shared that the cute baby in her arms had cancer. People would shrink back, as though they thought that the cancer might spread through contact. Because of potential future medical treatments linked to Allan’s cancer, his father extended his two-year commitment to the Army to a career of thirty years, retiring as a Colonel.

Father Influences Son’s Military Career

Allan and his family lived in Fort Ord, California; Munich, Germany; Augusta, Georgia; and Yokohama, Japan, before moving to San Antonio, where his father was stationed at Fort Sam Houston. After arriving in San Antonio, two more DuBois children were added to the family, Paul and Trisha—joining sisters Kathy, Mary, Barbara, Diane, Joan, and Tina. The spread in the siblings’ ages is evidenced by Trisha and Paul serving as the flower girl and ring bearer in Allan and Pam’s wedding.

When the Marianist Catholic brothers, who taught Allan at St. Joseph International School in Yokohama, learned that his family was moving to San Antonio, they paved the way for Allan to be accepted to Central Catholic High School, where he was involved in ROTC. Allan was a Cadet Lieutenant Colonel in one of the two brigades. He wanted to join the Army and be a military officer just like his dad. Allan applied for an Army ROTC scholarship, a Navy scholarship, and to all the military academies, but the military academies turned him down based upon his physical. Even though Allan was cancer-free, his prior medical condition disqualified him from being accepted to any military academy.

Allan sincerely cares about others. His service to others through the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program, and outside that program, clearly evidences that. In my judgment, his support and advocacy for TLAP and the lawyers it serves alone merits the designation of Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer.

- Thomas C. Riney, Partner Riney & Mayfield LLP, Attorneys and Counselors, Amarillo, Texas

UT Law classmates, Past Presidents of the State Bar of Texas,and Recipients of the Texas Bar Foundation Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award: Kelly Frels, Terry Tottenham, and Allan DuBois

Selecting the University of Texas, Allan qualified for a ROTC scholarship, which paid tuition and books for four years, but not room and board. Tuition was only $50 a semester. He was the Brigade Commander of the Army ROTC and a Distinguished Military Graduate of the University of Texas. Instead of going into the Reserve Officer Training Corps, Allan was awarded a Regular Army commission. It was 1967 and the Vietnam War was raging when Allan heard, “Congratulations, you’re now an infantry officer!” But there was more: “Allan, you have been accepted under the Army’s diversionary program to go to law school.” The Army not only paid the law school tuition, but also provided medical, post exchange, and commissary privileges. Every summer Allan reported to Fort Sam Houston in uniform for his summer job—basically a law clerk in the office of the Staff Judge Advocate.

Almost every entry on his resume describes a personal, professional, or charitable commitment or recognition that Allan has made or received and confirms the ideals of discipline and accomplishment his life has come to exemplify.

- J. Cary Barton Retired Member Barton, Benson & Jones PLLC San Antonio, Texas

A Winning Team— Allan and Pam

Allan and Pam married the summer before Allan started law school. In the span of just a few months, Allan graduated from UT, was commissioned into the United States Army, married the love of his life, and started law school. Allan and Pam made new friends during law school, including his co-honorees for the Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award: Terry Tottenham and Kelly Frels. Many of the married students were financially challenged. They would bring their lawn chairs to someone’s driveway to socialize and grill hot dogs and hamburgers. There was probably plenty of beer available.

Upon graduating from law school, and after pulling a U-Haul across the country with Pam and their two sons, Captain DuBois reported to JAG School in Charlottesville, Virginia. Faced with decisions regarding assignments after JAG School, Allan and Pam elected to move to Washington, D.C., where Allan was a Commissioner to the Army Court of Review for a year and then a lawyer in the Defense Appellate Division.

Even though Captain DuBois did the work of a Major for the last year and half of active duty and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal on the last day of active duty, he was not promoted to Major. The Army was downsizing, and promotions were limited. If he had been promoted, Allan might have stayed in the Army to serve as a Staff Judge Advocate in the criminal division of the JAG Corps.

Return to Texas!

Instead, Allan and Pam decided to return to Texas. Interviewing in Dallas and Austin, Allan’s top priority was “to try cases and be in front of juries.” Allan did not want to be a transaction attorney, not even for the Dallas Cowboys.

When Allan came to San Antonio, he contacted several law firms, including Lang, Cross, Ladon, Boldrick and Green. The senior trial partner was Paul M. Green. Paul was an Army Reserve Officer JAG, who taught international law at the JAG school in Charlottesville and had served in the Army in Paris. He and his wife came to Washington, D.C., to interview Allan and Pam. They met at the swimming pool at Fort Myers Officers’ Club. Allan and Pam had their four children—Chris, Andy, Lisa, and Becky—in tow. As the kids played, the adults had drinks—that was the interview.

Paul invited Allan to San Antonio to meet the other members of the firm. In San Antonio, Paul took Allan to the Plaza Club, where he received a warm San Antonio welcome, along with an offer to join the law firm for less money than he was making as a Captain in the Army. After lots of soul searching, Allan and Pam knew that they wanted to be back in San Antonio with both sets of parents, Colonel and Mrs. Blakely and Colonel and Mrs. DuBois. So that is how Pam and Allan and their four children moved back to San Antonio—go figure! Another factor might have been the fact that Pam’s parents, Colonel and Mrs. Blakely, played bridge with the firm’s senior partner, Bernard (“Beb”) Ladon. Do you think they talked about how Colonel and Mrs. Blakely wanted their daughter and grandchildren in San Antonio?

Allan celebrates with his many friends from the State Bar Board of Directors, the Texas Young Lawyers' Association Board of Directors, and the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program.

The Rest of the Story

In the Oral History, Allan himself recounted the story of how he came to practice law in San Antonio, but the rest of the story about Allan DuBois was filled in by those who have had the privilege of practicing law and serving the community in San Antonio with him for many years. Allan’s service to the bar and community starts with Pam. When you get Allan’s commitment to a project, program, committee, or event, you also get Pam’s commitment. Everyone who interacts with Allan also gets to know and love Pam. Pam does not step into the limelight, but she makes sure that Allan is there on time and prepared. I know this because I have watched Pam in action for over thirty years.

When I think about the criteria for this award, I imagine a seasoned attorney that is proficient in the profession, a legend that is an advocate for clients, and a mentor that is giving of his talent and time. Put all that together, and Allan DuBois fits the criteria perfectly.

Cindy V. Tisdale The Law Office of Cindy V. Tisdale, PLLC Grandbury, Texas

When Allan was sworn in as State Bar President, his entire family was there. His grandchildren led the pledge of allegiance, and a very young granddaughter sang the national anthem. They were front and center on the dance floor at the Presidents’ Party. Allan and Pam’s daughter, Lisa, died during Allan’s term as State Bar President. Allan and Pam have raised Lisa’s three children and are active in the lives of all fourteen of their grandchildren. Surrounded by family is the only life Allan knows. He and Pam are also close to Allan’s eight siblings and their children and grandchildren.

Allan is an experienced trial attorney. He was a partner with the law firm that brought Allan and Pam to San Antonio until the early 2000’s when the lease ran out. Attorneys in private practice know the possible consequences of an expiring lease. It can mean a commitment to the law firm for another five+ years, or it can bring the firm to an abrupt end. This happened to Allan. When the music stopped, Allan and Paul Green moved to a new location to start their twoperson law firm. Allan continued to practice law with Paul M. Green, a trial attorney icon, until Green’s passing in 2006. Allan still grieves the loss of his great friend.

Allan escalated his bar service. He joined the San Antonio Bar Association Board of Directors, moving up through elected positions to SABA President while working on State Bar committees. His bar leadership resulted in his election as President-Elect of the State Bar of Texas in 2014.

While Allan’s leadership positions are extremely noteworthy, they do not fully demonstrate Allan’s “all in” approach. He worked with SBOT President Terry Tottenham to start Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans. Allan did not just help to start the program, though. He also participates at every veteran’s clinic offered in Bexar County and many more pro bono clinics. Allan’s dedication to the men and women who have served our country through military service is undaunted. I know firsthand of Allan’s enlisting younger attorneys to help move furniture for a veteran so that the veteran could comply with a lawsuit settlement.

Allan DuBois is perhaps best known for his commitment to recovery, including his tireless work with the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program (“TLAP”) and Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers. Allan shared his own story of recovery and message of hope as he campaigned for SBOT President-Elect, wrote about it in his President’s Messages in the Texas Bar Journal, and now includes it as part of TLAP’s wellness presentations. Allan has made it okay for Texas attorneys to seek help and to talk about their recovery so that others will seek help, too.

Allan DuBois—accompanied by Pam and revered by his children, grandchildren, greatgranddaughter, friends, and colleagues—is rightfully considered by many to be the San Antonio Bar’s Favorite Son!

Applause for the Texas Bar Foundation!

The Texas Bar Foundation was formed in 1965, thanks to the efforts of its Charter Members—255 attorneys who pledged to make charitable contributions and support the Foundation’s mission. It is the largest charitably funded bar foundation in the nation. Under the leadership of Executive Director Andrea Stone, the Foundation solicits charitable contributions and provides funding to enhance the rule of law and the system of justice in Texas, especially for programs that relate to legal assistance for the underserved, the administration of justice, ethics in the legal profession, the encouragement of legal research, publications and forums, and education of the third branch of government. Texas Bar Foundation, “About Us,” TEXAS BAR FOUNDATION at “Who We Are,” https://txbf.org/about-us/ (last visited July 7, 2021).

The Texas Bar Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees, comprised of attorneys and non-attorneys, and chaired this year by Wendy Burgower of Houston. San Antonio attorneys Diana Geis, Andy Kerr, and Sylvia Cardona currently serve as trustees. There is a separate slate of fellows’ officers, chaired this year by Carlos Eduardo Cardenas of El Paso.

Each year, nominations committees in each State Bar District nominate one-third of 1% of Texas attorneys to become fellows. Fellows are nominated for membership “because of their dedication to the administration of justice and high professional standing among their peers.” Fellows agree to contribute $2500 to the Texas Bar Foundation, which can be paid over a ten-year period. Upon full payment of this commitment, fellows become “life fellows.” Life fellows who continue to make annual contributions become “sustaining life fellows.”

Grants are made possible by the generosity of fellows and charitable gifts from law firms and individuals throughout the state. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $22 million in grants to 1,628 charitable organizations in Texas. The 2020- 21 fiscal year marked the sixth successive year that the Foundation awarded at least $1 million to Texas nonprofits. The trustees of the Texas Bar Foundation have approved a grant budget of $1,280,000 for the year 2021-22.

The Texas Bar Foundation’s awards are given at its Annual Dinner, which takes place on the Friday night in June immediately following the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting. The Texas Bar Foundation’s website highlights the various awards and their recipients and provides information about the Foundation.

Sara Dysart, a sole practitioner, is Board Certified in Commercial Real Estate Law. She received the Texas Bar Foundation 2020 Terry Lee Grantham Memorial Award.