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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in Houston, and in this episode it’s beginning to look a lot like divorce -- along with other family law topics. This episode brings advice for family lawyers and pro bono attorneys who find themselves working on a family law case, and it also may serve as a resource for self-represented litigants in family court.  

Segment One:  Best Practices in Family Court for Family Lawyers, Pro Bono Attorneys, and Self-Represented Litigants

Judge Gloria E. López (308th Family District Court), Judge Germaine Tanner (311th Family District Court), and Judge Janice Berg (247th Family District Court), provide practice tips based on their combined 18 years of experience as judges in Harris County Family Courts. They discuss best practices for family lawyers, pro bono lawyers who have a family law case, and self-represented litigants who have cases in family law court. 

Segment Two: Protective Orders 101

Maisha Colter, Chief Executive Officer of AVDA-Texas, talks about how to obtain a domestic violence protective order, provides statutory updates related to obtaining these orders, and addresses issues pro bono or self-represented litigants should be aware of if they end up with a case that may involve domestic violence issues. Importantly, if you are experiencing domestic violence, help is available - call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).   

Service Spotlight: Finding Time to Have a Heart and Raise Awareness

Kelly LaPar (Senior Counsel for NRG Energy, Inc. in Operation and Generation) and Dr. Damian LaPar (Chief of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, Executive Co-Director of the UTHealth Houston Children’s Heart Institute, and Professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at McGovern Medical School) are co-chairing the American Heart Association - Houston Chapter's Houston Heart Ball this February. They address the importance of giving back and how to find the time to do that, and they provide some tips (and potential New Year's resolutions) for cardiovascular wellness. It is a timely and important topic for Houston lawyers. 

Segment Three: When Practice Areas Intersect: Immigration and Family Law

Behind-the-Lines interviewer Rinku Ray talks with Ana Maria Schwartz (Principal of Schwartz Immigration Law, PLLC) about the ways immigration law and family law intersect and provides important insight into immigration issues family lawyers may need to be aware of. This is a very interesting interview that should be of interest to all lawyers. 

Segment Four: The Nuts & Bolts of Guardianship Cases, A Rewarding Pro Bono Experience

New Behind-the-Lines interviewer Jennifer Smith talks with Gerald Kimani (Gibson Dunn) about his extensive pro bono work on guardianship cases. Kimani discusses the substantive details about filing guardianship applications as well as the benefits of this important pro bono service, and he also briefly addresses helping obtain expunction orders on a pro bono basis. 

For full speaker bios, visit The Houston Lawyer (hba.org/thehoustonlawyer). To read The Houston Lawyer magazine, visit The Houston Lawyer_home. For more information about the Houston Bar Association, visit Houston Bar Association (hba.org).
*The views expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the views of The Houston Lawyer Editorial Board or the Houston Bar Association.