Baker Botts L.L.P. Partner Bill Kroger Receives James B. Sales Pro Bono Leadership Award

Kroger recognized for leadership during onset of COVID-19 in 2020, community service

(HOUSTON – February 2022) – The Houston Bar Foundation is proud to announce Bill Kroger, partner at Baker Botts L.L.P., is this year’s recipient of its highest honor, the James B. Sales Pro Bono Leadership Award. Kroger received the award during the Houston Bar Foundation’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon held at The Corinthian Houston on February 15, 2022.

Susan L. Bickley, who served as Chair of HBF while Kroger served as president of the Houston Bar Association, said he showcased exemplary leadership when he assumed his role just months after COVID-19 hit Houston.

“Bill was instrumental in not only guiding the HBA and its members to help the greater Houston community weather the pandemic, but also ensured support for pro bono activities through its charitable arm, the Houston Bar Foundation,” said Bickley “Under Bill’s leadership, we had record-breaking fundraising success to support pro bono legal services. Bill’s leadership continues to benefit not only the HBA and HBF, but the greater Houston community, as well.”

Kroger is the immediate past president of the Houston Bar Association, a former chair of the Houston Bar Foundation, and a Sustaining Life Fellow of the Houston Bar Foundation. Bill has been a long-standing supporter of the Houston community through his charitable work with Communities in Schools, the Alley Theatre, and the Houston Volunteer Lawyers to name just a few organizations that have enjoyed the benefits of his leadership.

Established in 1982, the Foundation’s primary mission is providing support for legal services to the less fortunate. In 2009, under chair Stewart W. Gagnon, the Foundation established the James B. Sales Pro Bono Leadership Award to recognize the excellence in community service that has been the hallmark of the Foundation’s leadership. The inaugural award was presented to its namesake, James B. Sales, the first chair of the Foundation, whose contributions to equal access in Texas are unmatched. The award may not be presented every year. It was first awarded to its namesake James B. Sales in 2010.

Other award winners announced during the Houston Bar Foundation’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon are:

• Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP - Outstanding Contribution to HVL by a Large Firm

• Foley & Lardner LLP - Outstanding Contribution to HVL by a Mid-size Firm

• Shortt & Nguyen, P.C. - Outstanding Contribution to HVL by a Small Firm

• Keri Brown – Outstanding Contribution to HVL by a Pro Bono Coordinator

• Hon. Fran Watson – Outstanding Contribution to HVL by an Individual

• Chevron Corporation -- Outstanding Contribution to HVL by a Corporate Legal Department

• Felicia Harris Hoss – Outstanding Contribution to the Dispute Resolution Center

• Hon. Josefina Rendon – Longevity of Exemplary Service to the Dispute Resolution Center

• Anietie Akpan and Mia Lorick (not photographed) were honored as the co-authors of the outstanding legal article published in The Houston Lawyer, the HBA’s professional journal

Photography credit: Barfield Photography

 

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The Houston Bar Foundation is the charitable arm of the Houston Bar Association. The Foundation supports programs that help provide legal representation to the indigent, promote community understanding of our legal system and foster the administration of justice.