Al Bennett - Democrat for for Judge, 61st Civil District Court

Education

• University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas
• J.D. May 1991
• Permanent Class President, Class of 1991
• Student Bar Association
  • President, 1990 – 1991
• Thurgood Marshall Legal Society
  • Social Committee Chair, 1989 – 1990
  • Member, 1988 – 1991

• University of Houston, Houston, Texas
• B.S. Political Science, May 1988
  • Students’ Association
    • Speaker, Student Senate, April 1986 – January 1987
  • The Mickey Leland Washington, D.C. Internship Program
    • Intern, The Honorable Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Spring 1987

Legal Experience

• 61st Civil District Court - Harris County, Texas
• Presiding Judge, January 2009 - present

• Law Offices of Alfred H. Bennett, Houston, Texas
• Solo Practitioner, March 1998 – December 2008
  • Responsible for managing of law practice, various complex commercial
  • and tort litigation matters

• Thurgood Marshall School of Law – Texas Southern University
• Adjunct Professor of Law - Trial Advocacy, Spring 2003 – present

• A.A. White Dispute Resolution Center- University of Houston Law Center
• 40 Hour Basic Mediator Training, August 2007

• Solar & Fernandes, L.L.P., Houston, Texas
• Associate, October 1994 – February 1998
• Responsible for various complex commercial and tort litigation matters

• Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., Houston, Texas
• Associate, September 1991 – September 1994
• Assist with complex and tort litigation matters

Bar Admissions

• State Bar of Texas, 1991

• United States District Court, Southern, Eastern & Northern Districts of Texas

Bar Associations

• National Bar Association
• Constitution & Bylaws Committee, Member, July 2000 – 2004
• Gertrude E. Rush Mid-Year Planning Committee, Vice-Chair, 1997
• Member, 1988 - present

• State Bar of Texas
• Texas Access to Justice Commission, Commissioner, June 2010 - present
• College of the State Bar, June 2010 - present
• Committee on Lawyer Referral & Information Services
• Chair, July 2004 - July 2005
• Vice-Chair, May 2002 – July 2004
• Member, July 1998 – July 2005
• Texas Minority Conference Program Houston Host Committee, Member, Fall 1999 &
  • Fall 2003
• President-Elect’s Advisory Committee on Strategic Planning, Member, 1995–1996

• Texas Young Lawyers’ Association
  • Dropout Prevention & Literacy Committee, Past Member
  • Voters Rights & Registration Committee, Past Member

• Houston Lawyers Association
  • Immediate Past President, 1998–1999
  • President, 1997–1998
  • Chair, Board of Directors, 1997–1998
  • President-Elect, 1996–1997
  • Nominations Committee, Member 2000 – 2001, Chair 2001–2002
  • HLA Annual Scholarship Golf Classic Committee, Vice-Chair 1999–2000
  • Member, 1992 – present

• Houston Bar Association, Member, 1991-present
  • Harris County Bench Bar Pro Bono Awards Committee, Member, March 2009-present
  • Volunteer, Law Day Guest Speaker, H.I.S.D., May 2009
  • Volunteer, Lawyers in Public Schools, H.I.S.D., Fall 1999
  • LegalLines Volunteer
• Houston Young Lawyers Association, Member, 1991 – 2001

• W. J. Durham Legal Society, Past Member

Pro Bono Activities and Community Service

• OST/Almeda Corridors Redevelopment Authority & Reinvestment Zone Number
  • Seven, Director, August 2006 - present

• East Downtown Management District, Director, June 1999–August 2006
  • Vice-Chair, December 2005–August 2006
  • Treasurer, February 2000–November 2005
  • Service and Assessment Plan Design Subcommittee, Chair

• Parkwood Drive Civic Club
  • President, November 2006 – November 2008
  • First Vice-President, November 2004 – November 2006
  • Director, November 2004 – November 2008

• Candidate, Democratic Primary—State Representative District 146, March 2006

• Guest Legal Commentator, Dialogue with Ada Edwards – 97.9 The Box, June 2006–March 2007

• State Bar of Texas Grievance Committee 4A, Member, May 2001 – June 2004

• University of Houston Alumni Association, Member, 1988 – present

• University of Texas School of Law Alumni Association
• Executive Committee, Member, June 2001 – May 2010
• Nominating Committee, Member, May 2002 - May 2006
• Young Houston Steering Committee, Co-Chair, Fall 1999

• Just the Beginning Foundation, Co-Chair of Houston’s Scholarship Golf Tournament
  • Committee, March 2001 – September 2002

• Houston Business & Professional Men’s Club, Member, 1998 – 1999

• Guest Lecturer, Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas
  • Fall 1993 & Spring 1994

Awards

• Rated AV (very high to preeminent legal ability) in Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory, July 2001

• Houston Lawyers Association Achievement Award, December 1998

• The Thurgood Marshall Legal Society Distinguished Service Award, April 1990

CLE/Speeches/Presentations

• Anti-Defamation League's Summer Associate Research Program's Breakfast, Guest Speaker, July 2010

• Texas Insurance Law Symposium, Judicial Panel Member, January 2010

• University of Houston Center for Public Policy, Mickey Leland Congressional Intern Program, Guest Speaker, December 2009

• HBA Litigation Section Series Luncheon, Guest Speaker, September 2009

• American Bar Association's Litigation Section's Chemical Product & Toxic Tort Seminar, Panel Member, September 2009