winter 2003 vol.9 no. 3                                                                                                                      Return to Contents
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Exceptional Pro Bono Service Award

GLORIA MARTIN, 2003 RECIPIENT

The Exceptional Pro Bono Service Award was created by the Legal Assistants Division (Division) of the State Bar of Texas to promote awareness of pro bono activities and to encourage Division members to volunteer their time and specialty skills to pro bono projects. The 2003 recipient of this year’s award is Gloria Martin from Lubbock, TX. The award was presented to Gloria at the June 2003 Annual Meeting of the Legal Assistants Division in Houston.

Gloria has served as lay member of the Pro Bono Advisory Committee of Lubbock County Bar Association since 1991. She began her involvement through her service to the Legal Assistants Division (Division). As the Division’s Director for District 6, Gloria had recruited Melissa Jenkins to serve as the Division’s Public Relations Committee Sub-Chair. Gloria learned from Melissa that the Lubbock Bar Association was going to partner with West Texas Legal Services to provide certain legal services to people who could not afford to pay legal fees and that Melissa had volunteered both Gloria and herself to serve on the Committee as lay members. Gloria continues to serve on and enjoy the activities of the committee. Gloria was honored by the Committee to receive the 1991 Civil Clinic Lay Advocate Volunteer Award.

Gloria said “that her association with the individuals who work together to provide legal services to persons who need the services but are financially unable to purchase the services for themselves has been a great benefit to me personally. My pro bono activities have helped me to be a better legal assistant and have helped me to be a better person as well. Any time I can do something that benefits my fellow ‘man’ ‘human’ whatever the politically correct word is, I think benefits me directly.” An added benefit to working at the Clinic has been getting to know the individuals that come into the clinic for assistance; it is very rewarding to know that these people will receive legal counsel.

Gloria began her legal career as the receptionist at Splawn Law Offices in Lubbock on May 1, 1971. She worked for Johnny Splawn through August 1972 and then moved to Austin where she worked for Korioth & Collins for a short time. However, Lubbock was home and she moved back and returned to work at Splawn Law Offices in February of 1974 (John Simpson was the law clerk at that time). The Lubbock Legal Secretaries Association (LLSA) afforded local seminars and learning opportunities which Mr. Splawn encouraged her to attend. One thing led to another, and Gloria became a legal secretary. She continued to attend seminars and classes and joined LLSA. After a short while, the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) came into existence through the National Association of Legal Secretaries. With the encouragement of her employers, Gloria continued to take advantage of the continuing education through NALA and the Legal Assistants Division of the State Bar of Texas. In the fall of 1985 Gloria took and successfully completed the Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) examination administered through NALA. She received her CLA certificate on January 20, 1986.

Gloria has been a member of the Legal Assistants Division of the State Bar of Texas since 1986, served as Director of District 6 from 1990 to 1992, and this yearreceived the “Exceptional Pro Bono Service Award” for the year 2002-2003. Gloria has been a member of the National Association of Legal Assistants since 1975. She is an active charter member of West Texas Association of Legal Assistants, having served as president 1985-1986, 1986-1987; 1993-1994; and 1997-1998; honored as Legal Assistant of the Year in 1994 and voted a life membership in 1997. Gloria served on the Texas Tech University, Department of Continuing Education, Certified Legal Assistant Program, Advisory Board from 1991 to 1995 and was a member of Lubbock Legal Secretaries Association, 1974 to 1989, President 1978-1979.

Even more important to Gloria, other than her legal career, is her husband, Rex Martin. They have been married 31 years. They have two sons and 2 granddaughters. During their lifetime together, they have enjoyed camping, water skiing and fishing. Gloria also enjoys reading, working with ceramics, sewing and crocheting. And if Gloria wins the lottery, how will her life change? “I would have money! – at least for a little while.”

Texas Paralegal Journal © Copyright 2003 by the Legal Assistants Division, State Bar of Texas.

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