A Greater Responsibility
In the big picture, it doesn't much matter whether you're a plumber, the manager of a grocery store or a practicing lawyer - all of us are a part of a larger community and we are all more than just whatever it is that we do.
Everyone has more to offer.
At Banner, Briley & White, we believe that if you consistently do the right things in life and you do them for the right reasons, everything else will take care of itself. And to us, part of what "doing the right thing" means is giving back to the community - something our firm has been putting into practice for more than half a century.
Today, we are just as committed as ever to doing more than "the job" of helping personal injury victims or families in turmoil achieve legal solutions to their problems. We are committed to using all of our collective experience, knowledge, talents and resources to help make the larger communities we are a part of better, safer and more just for everyone.
"In every community there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart there is the power to do it." - Marianne Williamson
Pro Bono Service
The term pro bono is from the Latin root pro bono publico, which means "for the public good." In other words: Not having money does not mean that you can't get legal representation.
What providing pro bono representation does is ensure that justice cannot be bought, and that it remains a legal right of each United States citizen regardless of their financial situation or means.
Attorneys Steve Briley, Harold White, Kathleen Brown and Sheri Littrell have taken this ideal to heart and believe that it is not just their professional obligation - it is their privilege to provide pro bono services on behalf of the people and families who need them in North Texas. In doing so, each hopes to contribute a valuable service to the individuals they represent, to the community and to the country as a whole.
What Does a Pro Bono Lawyer Do?
The pro bono lawyer may find himself aiding members of family violence by representing abused women seeking to remove themselves and their children from harm's way, or as an advocate for victim's rights or wrongful termination or even aiding someone overwhelmed with debt to begin again by filing a bankruptcy action.
On occasion an attorney may be requested to represent a pro bono client in a matter that is outside his area of expertise. Educating himself or herself about new areas of the law increases the attorney's knowledge, broadens their abilities and builds their self-esteem. Lastly, providing pro bono services also brings a great deal of career satisfaction and sense of fulfilling purpose to lawyers who enthusiastically participate.
Pro bono services in Wichita County can be arranged by contacting Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas at (940) 723-5542 or by going to www.lanwt.org.
Perhaps no member of our firm is more committed to the ideal of pro bono service than Steve Briley. Here's what Linda Gomez, the Equal Justice Volunteer Program Coordinator for that organization's Wichita Falls office, has to say:
"Steve Briley is dedicated to the pro bono cause. He has been a volunteer attorney for legal aid since the mid 1990s when he became a volunteer for West Texas Legal Services (WTLS). In 2003, WTLS merged with Legal Services of North Texas to become Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. Throughout this transition, Mr. Briley has continued to provide free legal assistance to persons of our low income population through advice clinics and litigation, contributing innumerable pro bono hours."
For his work for on behalf of the organization and clients, Mr. Briley received Attorney of the Year award recognitions from the Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively.
The Christmas Families Tradition
Each year, Banner, Briley & White sponsors the families of one or two handicapped children through the North Texas Rehabilitation Commission. About ten years ago we did this for the first time and found it so rewarding that we have made it a tradition.
The basic criteria are that there is a handicapped child receiving services through North Texas Rehabilitation or that the family is under some kind of hardship. In the past we have provided Christmas for single mothers, grandmothers and other relatives who are raising children due to the disappearance or disability of the natural parents, and also for families where one or more of the adults have been laid off work and have not yet found employment.
How it works is that North Texas Rehabilitation sends us a list of names, ages, needs, wants and sizes. We then display that list in a central area and each of us writes down what we have bought or will buy so that we don't get duplicates. Everyone donates wrapping paper, tape, bows, and name tags and about a week before Christmas we have a wrap party. Pizza is delivered and everyone joins in the fellowship, eating and wrapping presents.
In previous years, we have provided clothing, toys, food, gift cards from grocery stores, and paper goods as well as larger items like microwave ovens, televisions and on one occasion, a freezer. In 2006, we sponsored two families who were refugees from Hurricane Katrina. You can see the impact of their experiences on the children's thank you notes. One child points out that he lives in Texas now; another includes a symbol for the Red Cross.
The bottom line for us: Knowing you have helped a deserving family to have a better Christmas makes your own Christmas better - no matter what.
Giving Back to the Community,
Working to Build a Better Community for All
Although working to hold negligent property owners, doctors, product manufacturers and others accountable for the harms they cause innocent people does benefit the community - we also feel that there is no substitute for hands-on work, for investing our time and resources into making the communities we live and work in better and stronger communities for all.
Steve Briley and Harold White are proud members of the Wichita Falls community who appreciate the efforts made to offer services and expose citizens to a wide array of opportunities and entertainment. In that regard, they and other members of our firm have been happy to serve and provide assistance to many local organizations, including:
- Association for Retarded Citizens
- Girl Scouts of America
- Calvary Assembly of God
- Electra Heritage Society
- Electra High School
- Family YMCA
- Friends of Youth Golf Tournament
- Hirschi All Sports Booster Club
- Hospice of Wichita Falls
- Iowa Park High School
- Midwestern State University
- Taft Counseling Center
- MSU Annual Fund
- Midwestern State University "M" Club
- Party in the Falls
- Rider Cheerleader Booster Club
- Rider Lady Raider Soccer Team Booster Club
- Wichita Falls Area Community Fund
- Wichita County Democratic Association
