Texas Center for Legal Ethics Announces 2015 Pope Award for Integrity and Professionalism
AUSTIN – The Texas Center for Legal Ethics (TCLE) is proud to announce that Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit will receive the 2015 Chief Justice Jack Pope Professionalism Award.
Each year, TCLE presents the Pope Award to a judge or attorney who personifies the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in the field of law. The Pope Award is named for former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Jack Pope, one of TCLE’s founders and the first individual to receive the Award in 2009.
Judge Elrod was appointed to the 5th Circuit in 2007 by President George W. Bush. Prior to her appointment, she served as Judge of the 190th District Court in Harris County after previously practicing law at Baker Botts in Houston.
“Judge Elrod has been a persistent and influential advocate for legal ethics and pro bono throughout her time as a lawyer and judge,” said TCLE executive director Jonathan Smaby. “Her tireless work to improve the profession makes her particularly deserving of this honor.”
The Pope Award will be presented to Judge Elrod by Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht at the Annual Texas Supreme Court Historical Society Dinner on September 11 in Austin.
Founded in 1989 by three retired Texas Supreme Court chief justices, TCLE promotes the values contained in the Texas Lawyer’s Creed. The group pursues the original vision of its founders as the leading center of knowledge and resources for ethics and professionalism in Texas. For more information, visit the Texas Center for Legal Ethics website at http://www.legalethicstexas.com.
For more information on Judge Elrod receiving the Pope Award, please contact Jonathan Smaby, Executive Director of the Texas Center for Legal Ethics, at 512-427-1477 or jonathan.smaby@texasbar.com.