News

James B. Sales
Of Counsel
Houston

At its 27^th Anniversary, The Houston Bar Foundation bestowed the inaugural presentation of the James B. Sales Pro Bono Leadership Award to Fulbright lawyer James B. Sales.

The award was created to honor Sales—Fulbright partner, former HBA president and former Foundation chair—for his lifetime commitment to public service.

During his 30 years with the firm, Sales practiced as a litigator, and was head of the litigation department from 1979 to 2000. He is noted for his commitment to providing access to the justice system for all Texans and to advocacy on behalf of members of the legal profession in need. As Houston Bar Association president from 1980 to 1981, he initiated the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program, now one of the largest pro bono programs in the state, serving more than 2,000 clients a year.

Sales served as chairman of the board and then as president of the State Bar of Texas in 1989 and 1990. He led the State Bar to adopt a mass disaster plan to prohibit improper solicitation and harassment of victims in disaster situation, a plan now used as a model by many other bars. He also led the association in a successful effort to restructure and approve the current Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, and to reestablish the Texas Lawyer Assistance Programs, a network of programs that assist impaired lawyers.

Sales served in the American Bar Association House of Delegates from 1983 to 2003, and for several years as a member of the ABA Commission on Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts, a program designed to provide more comprehensive funding for legal services.

In May 2004, the Texas Supreme Court appointed Sales to chair the Texas Access to Justice Commission. Created in 2001, its mission is to formulate and expand solutions for delivery of legal services to low-income and poor Texans.

In 2006, the State Bar of Texas awarded Sales its Presidents Award for Distinguished Service in 2006, and the National Conference of Bar Presidents presented him with its Outstanding Fellows Award. He also received the South Texas College of Law Legacy Honors Award in 2006. In 2009, he was presented with the American Bar Foundation Outstanding Service Award, and the Texas Association of Civil Trial & Appellate Specialists awarded him its Lifetime of Excellence in Trial Advocacy Award. He has been selected by Law & Politics as a Texas Super Lawyer and, in 1995, he was selected by Texas Lawyer as one of the 100 Legal Legends in Texas. Sales has been included in the Best Lawyers in America from 1989 to 2006.

That same night, the Foundation recognized outstanding contributions to the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program, the Harris County Dispute Resolution Center, and legal writing in The Houston Lawyer. Andrews Kurth’s Rocky Robinson became the 2010 chair of the Foundation.