Attorneys Dedicated to Serving Their Clients and the Community
At Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend, our attorneys not only help our clients, but we also enjoy helping the community. We do this in a variety of ways, from actively participating in state and local bar associations to serving on boards of charitable foundations and associations. To learn more about how we are committed to serving our clients and the community, below are a few of the organizations in which our attorneys are involved.
Allied Advocates Foundation. AAF is a 501(c)3 foundation with the sole purpose of raising money to give back to those in need. Beginning in 2012, AAF will hold an annual fundraiser where all the proceeds will be given to a single dedicated charity. The first fundraiser will take place in the fall of 2012 and will be a sporting clay tournament in Fulsher, Texas. AAF plans to donate the net proceeds from its inaugural event to Returning Heroes Home, Inc., a home in San Antonio, Texas where wounded veterans can go to recover after returning home. The organization was founded by attorney Daniel D. Horowitz and three other personal injury plaintiffs' attorneys.
- Founding Board Member, Partner Daniel D. Horowitz III
Hispanic National Bar Association. The HNBA works to promote the retention and recruitment of Hispanic law students, holds workshops and conferences, testifies at governmental hearings, and educates the Hispanic community about the American legal system.
- President, 2011-2012, Partner Benny Agosto Jr.
- Editor-in-Chief of HBNA Journal of Law and Policy, 2011, Partner Benny Agosto Jr.
Houston Bar Association. The Houston Bar Association is a professional non-profit association for attorneys in Houston. With nearly 12,000 members, the HBA is the fifth largest metropolitan bar association in the nation and provides education, professional development, and service programs for both the legal profession and the community. The HBA helps coordinate a number of fundraising and charity drives, including the annual HBA Book Drive and the HBA Clothing Drive.
- Active Committee Member on multiple committees, Partner Daniel D. Horowitz III
- Chairman, Federal Practice Committee, 2011, Attorney Jay Jackson
- Director, 2008-2010, Partner Benny Agosto Jr.
- Past President, 2005-2006, Partner Randall O. Sorrels
- Member, Gender Fairness Committee, Attorney Chelsie Garza
- Member, Communities in Schools Legal Internship Committee, Attorney Chelsie Garza
- Pro-bono clinic volunteer serving veterans at the Michael DeBakey VA Hospital, Partners Daniel D. Horowitz and Muhammad Aziz and Attorney Chelsie Garza
- Member, Law Week Committee, Attorney Sammy Ford
- Member, Bench-Bar Pro Bono Committee, Attorney Sammy Ford
- Helped with book drives and clothing drives, Partner Muhammad Aziz
Houston Lawyer Referral Service. A nonprofit organization sponsored by the HBA that is tasked with assisting the community find reputable lawyers in a wide variety of legal fields. The goal is to assist the general public in obtaining access to legal advice and counsel and to provide information about available legal services.
- Board of Trustees, 2011-2012, Attorney Brant Stogner
Houston Trial Lawyers Association. HTLA is an organization of members comprised of trial lawyers who represent people who are damaged and need legal representation. HTLA stands up for the rights of plaintiffs and the trial lawyers who represent them. HTLA is proud to have a united membership of attorneys committed to providing services, information, networking and continuing education seminars for our members.
- Board of Directors, 2009-2012, Attorney Brant Stogner
- Board of Directors, Partners Randall O. Sorrels, Benny Agosto Jr. and Daniel D. Horowitz III
- Co-Chair, Membership Committee, 2010-2012, Attorney Brant Stogner
- Helped with Adopt a Classroom Project, Partner Muhammad Aziz
Houston Young Lawyers Association. The HYLA is a local bar association that allows "young lawyers an opportunity to better know one another and to informally exchange ideas regarding the profession." It coordinates a number of community projects and programs, including the Legal Needs for Abused Women, Know Your Rights Legal Information Program, Radio Legal News Show, and Internet and the Law Seminar, and the Aspiring Youth Program. The HYLA Board helps coordinate these programs and other community projects - most recently the Adopt an Angel program and by helping displaced families affected by the recent wildfires in Texas.
- Board of Directors, 2011-2012, Partner Muhammad Aziz
- Fellow, Partners Daniel D. Horowitz III and Muhammad Aziz and Attorney Chelsie Garza
Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program. HVLP helps low-income citizens that other programs often cannot serve because they do not meet the financial criteria of other legal assistance programs or are non-US citizens. HVLP's commitment to helping those in need strongly reinforces how deeply the legal profession cares about the Houston community.
- Legal Clinic focused on Veterans' Needs, Partner Muhammad Aziz
Shifa Legal Resource Center. The Center is non-profit organization and provides free legal counseling, medical services and other community assistance for those in need.
- Legal Counseling Volunteer, Partner Muhammad Aziz
State Bar of Texas. The State Bar of Texas is the governing body for all licensed attorneys in the State of Texas. The State Bar is governed by a board of directors who volunteer their valuable time and professional experience to the organization. The board's diverse expertise allows the State Bar of Texas to continue to provide high-quality services and programs to both its members and the public. The board members receive no monetary compensation and are elected by State Bar members.
- Board of Directors, 2011-2014, Partner Daniel D. Horowitz III
- Member, Court Rules Committee, Attorney Clyde J. "Jay" Jackson, III
Tahirih Justice Center. Since it was originally opened in Washington, D.C., in 1997, the center has developed a model to protect women and girls fleeing gender-based violence, honor crimes, trafficking, widow rituals, and other forms of violence against women. Tahirih provides social and legal services for its clients in an effort to assist them in becoming self-sufficient members of the community. Tahirih opened a Houston office in 2009 and has applied the same model to assist women and girls in our area. The Tahirih Center handles a high-volume of complex cases, but maintains a 99 percent success rate for its clients. Tahirih is the only organization in the greater Houston-Galveston area focusing exclusively on defending women and girls escaping human rights abuse.
- Legal Advisory Committee, Attorney Chelsie Garza King
- The firm has also helped support these efforts by co-hosting a Tahirih event. Tahirih strives to maximize its donations and is able to turn every $1 donated into $5. In order to further help the organization, Chelsie King Garza will be hosting a fundraising event at her home this coming December.
Texas Access to Justice Commission. The Texas Access to Justice Commission was created in 2001 to address the wide disparity and opportunities for low income individuals to gain access to justice. The commission is comprised from members of the law, education, public service and non-profit sectors.
- Commissioner, 2009-2012, Partner Randall O. Sorrels
Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists. TACTAS is an organization that promotes the availability, accessibility and quality of services of personal injury, civil trial, and appellate specialists. TACTAS advances the standard of the legal profession in these specialty areas. Its membership includes only attorneys and judges who obtained board certification in these areas.
- Secretary, 2011-2012, Partner Randall O. Sorrels
- Board of Directors, Partner Daniel D. Horowitz III
Texas Bar Foundation. The Texas Bar Foundation is the largest charitably-funded bar foundation in the nation. Membership is composed of the most elite Texas attorneys who are nominated because of their dedication to the administration of justice and high professional standing of that lawyer's peers.
- Trustee, 2009-2012, Partner Randall O. Sorrels
- Fellow, Partners Benny Agosto Jr. and Daniel D. Horowitz III
Texas Trial Lawyers Association. The Texas Trial Lawyers Association is a member organization comprised of Plaintiffs' attorneys. Its mission is to protect the rights of Texas families serving as a defender of the civil justice system in Texas, providing legislative representation for individuals who are injured in the Texas State Legislature and serves to provide cutting edge continuing legal education for trial lawyers. During the legislative session, attorneys - such as Daniel D. Horowitz - often volunteer time to go to Austin to speak out against big business and the insurance lobby who continuously wage war on the rights of the citizens of the State of Texas.
- Vice President of Finance, 2010-2012, Partner Randall O. Sorrels
- Board of Directors, Partner Daniel D. Horowitz III
- Past Chair, TTLA Advocates Board, Partner Daniel D. Horowitz III
Community Outreach at Texas Schools
In addition to working with these various organizations and associations, the attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend continue to give back to their alma maters and other local schools:
- Board of Directors of the University of Texas Silver Spurs Alumni Association, Partner Daniel D. Horowitz III
- Adjunct Advocacy Professor/Varsity Coach for Mock Trial and Moot Court teams at South Texas College of Law, 2006-2011, Attorney Brant Stogner
- Board Member of Young Alumni Council at South Texas College of Law, Attorney Brant Stogner
- "Ask the Experts" Program at Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Attorney Jay Jackson
- Guest lecturer on Criminal Justice and Forensic Science at Klein High School, Partner Benny Agosto Jr.
- Speaker for career day at St. Thomas High School, Attorney Sammy Ford
- Read to elementary school students for Constitution Day, Attorneys Sammy Ford and Chelsie Garza
- Spoke about legal profession to Nimitz High School Students, Attorney Sammy Ford
- Performed mock voir dire for high school students from Incarnate Word Academy, Attorney Sammy Ford
