HCCLA – what is it? What does it stand for? Why is it important to our community? Harris County Criminal Lawyer’s Association is what those letters represent. What the group represents is a community of attorneys who support each other to benefit the clients we all serve. It is the largest, local Bar Association of it’s kind. It’s over 700 members strong, chock full of attorneys, both new and old.
Last week, I was sworn in as the association’s Secretary of the Executive Committee by the famous criminal defense lawyer, Dick DeGuerin. He has represented Tom DeLay, Roger Clemons and Robert Durst, among other famous defendants. He is committed to helping younger attorneys learn from his experience through our organization.
While on stage being sworn in, DeGuerin’s cell phone began to ring. This is a job that never sleeps, thus causing us to always be on guard. Being a criminal defense attorney demands your time, emotion and efforts at all hours of the day. HCCLA helps support young attorneys to not be swept up in the chaos a career like this can bring with it.
Last year, I joined the Board of Directors of HCCLA, hoping to get more involved and become entrenched in my legal community. The service I have given has helped expand my legal contacts and provided me with new friendships that will last throughout my career. The old adage applies, “You will get out of something as much as you put in.”
I encourage others to join our community, either as a bystander or an active participant. My work is just beginning to help bring this group into a new era. We plan to eliminate the drama, bickering and divisiveness that plagued the group in the past. We hope to use our energies to support, aid and benefit our members in every possible way.
