The patio at the AT&T Center filled with dark suits and nice haircuts. Corporate lawyers. Pro bono advocates. A few judges and justices.
The occasion was Texas Access To Justice Commission dinner. This group, appointed by the Texas Supreme Court, promotes access to legal assistance in civil cases for those in need.
I heard about one particular active-duty soldier whose husband filed for divorce while she was stationed in Iraq. I was told of other ordinary people without the resources to hire a lawyer who really had nowhere else to turn.
Attorneys Marshall and Susanna Meringola stood out in a sea of conservative suits at the Access to Justice Dinner
Also met some fascinating folks — mostly from Houston — who raised several hundred thousand dollars that night to supplement what money the government provides. (A few had pieces on view in the Blanton Museum of Art’s alumni collecting show, which, earlier in the day, curator Annette Carlozzi elucidated for me.)
Now I’m looking for a way to tell the story of a legal client, especially among military veterans, who remained the focus of this dinner.
Later, I swung by the Austin Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee at Zach Theatre, intending to stay for a few minutes before hitting another social gathering. Transfixed, I stuck around for finale of this charming contest run by the Literacy Coalition of Central Texas.
Karrie League, John Erler and John W. Smith stood out in more ways than one during the Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee
A dozen or so teams of two or three members dressed in clever, thematic costumes. They were given one round of test words, then brought back on the stage for the real countdown. Winner on the words “aglet” and “tittle” were the cold-blooded Spelling Demons, whose devil horns must have given them a psychological advantage.
Our friend Clay Smith took home three prizes. His Texas Book Festival team, dressed convincingly as beekeepers, won second in the main spelling contest and first in the costume division. On his Kirkus Reviews account, Smith nabbed the Twitter speed award on the word “obsequious.”
The event also promoted the good works of this Austin literacy group, about which I’d love to know more.