The 65th Harvest Celebration honored Houston law firms, corporate legal departments, and individuals who are committed to providing pro bono legal services to low-income Houstonians. The event, which raised $670,000 for pro bono, is sponsored by the Houston Bar Association, Houston Bar Foundation and Houston Bar Association Auxiliary.
More than 1,000 Houston Bar Association (HBA) members and guests filled River Oaks Country Club on Monday, November 17. A reception prior to the Harvest Celebration honored over 100 law firms, corporate legal departments and individuals who are “Equal Access Champions,” committed to helping those who do not have the means to pay for basic civil legal services.
Greeting guests were Houston Bar Foundation chair, John Eddie Williams, Jr. of Williams Kherkher Hart Boundas and his wife, Sheridan Williams; Houston Bar Association president, M. Carter Crow of Norton Rose Fulbright and his wife, Meredith Crow; and HBA Auxiliary president, Hazel Donato.
The Houston Bar Foundation is the primary support of the HBA’s Houston Volunteer Lawyers, which provides pro bono legal services for low-income families including veterans, the elderly, those with disabilities, and other low-income Houstonians with family law, consumer law, probate and other legal problems. Although the Harvest Celebration has been the social event of the year for the legal community since 1949, it was designated a fundraiser 15 years ago and has raised more than $6 million for the Foundation and pro bono legal services in Harris County.