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2009-2010 Officers
Lee
Arellano
President
Tim
Riley
Vice-President
George
Barnstone
Treasurer
Georgia
Cole
Asst. Treasurer
Gwen
Snyder
Secretary
Board of Directors
Georgia Cole 2009-2011
Diana Compton 2009-2011
Mike Doyle 2009-2011
State Rep. Jessica Farrar 2010-2012
Bernardo Garcia 2010-2012
David Jones 2010-2012
Jim Plummer 2009-2011
County Atty. Vince Ryan 2009-2011
Prof. Lupe Salinas 2010-2012
Dinesh Singhal 2009-2011
Michael Skadden 2010-2012
Tasso Triantaphyllis 2009-2011
Advisory Directors
Chris Bell
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
John Odam
Barbara Radnofsky
Past Presidents
Marc Whitehead 2003-2005 |
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Welcome to
Harris County
Democratic Lawyers Association
       

Our Mission
The mission
of Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association is to promote and recruit
qualified local Democrats in seeking positions of public office, to educate the
Democratic Bar in ways in which it can promote Democratic ideas and candidates,
and to assist the Harris County Democratic Party in all ways consistent with
Democratic Values.
Organization Profile and Activities
Harris County Democratic
Lawyers Association [HCDLA], was formed in 2003 by local lawyers who are
unabashedly affiliated with the Democratic Party. This group is committed
to furthering the administration of fair justice and intends to advance that
goal by making Harris County, once again, a Democratic county. Most
founding members are veteran candidates from previous Harris County judicial,
legislative, and administrative elections. However, membership is open to all
committed Democrats, including non-lawyers. Dues are nominal.
HCDLA believes that the
most effective way to win local elections is to recruit the best qualified
candidates possible and to educate our base Democratic voters of the importance
of voting “down ballot” in local elections. To that end, HCDLA is working with
various groups and candidates to organize an effective Get Out The Vote (GOTV)
effort in 2008 and beyond.
HCDLA holds a monthly luncheon on the
first Thursday of the month with a variety of speakers of interest to the legal
community. Currently, meetings are held at Birraporetti's, downtown 500
Louisiana at Prairie. The meetings are always lively, informative,
and fun events. The cost is low and both the content and the company are
very good. Click here for information
on future monthly luncheons. To reserve your place for the next monthly
luncheon and pay by credit card, just click
here. Enter a $25 donation when asked on the form, and in the comment
box indicate it is for the next luncheon. If you prefer to pay at the
door, click
here to
send an email reservation.
Every year, HCDLA sponsors the annual
Clarence Darrow Award. This award recognizes the contribution of a member
of our community, legal or otherwise, who has made a significant contribution to
advancement of the ideals of the Democratic Party.
In 2005, the first such
award was presented to Jim Mac Perdue, Sr. For more than 40 years, Mr.
Perdue has been a driving force in the advancement of the rights of ordinary
citizens in seeking legal redress in civil courts.
In 2006, the award was
presented to George Parnham, who has been a leading force advancing the rights
of individuals in the criminal court system.
The 2007 award was
presented to Professor David Dow, for his work on Project Innocence, freeing
innocent prisoners from death row.
On December 4, 2008, HCDLA presented the coveted 2008
Clarence Darrow Award to Craig Watkins, District Attorney of Dallas
County, for his actions ensuring that criminal defendants who had previously
been convicted wrongfully had their cases fairly reviewed.
On August 31, 2009,
HCDLA presented the 2009 Clarence Darrow Award to Frances "Sissy" Farenthold.
Ms. Farenthold has a lifetime of service to the citizens of Texas for
progressive and humanitarian causes.
The 2010 Clarence Darrow Award will be awarded to Anthony
Griffin, famed civil rights attorney, on August 30, 2010. Click
here for event details. Suggestions
for future deserving award nominees are welcome.
For more information contact Lee
Arellano at 713-520-5313, or by email at
leearellano@la-law.net.
Lee Arellano, President
The Harris County Democratic Lawyers
Association is an incorporated 527 general purpose PAC under Federal and Texas
state law. George Barnstone, Treasurer.
HCDLA Contact Information
- Telephone
- 713-520-5313
- FAX
- 713-456-7122
- Postal address
- P. O. Box 130978, Houston, TX 77219-0978
- Electronic mail
- General Information:
LeeArellano@la-law.net
Webmaster:
tdr@txtrial.com
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