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News Release

For Immediate Release

Contacts:
Heather Way- Legal Aid of Central Texas, 512-447-7707, ext. 370
Joe Householder- Vinson and Elkins, L.L.P., 713-758-2171

Austin, Texas - On Tuesday, October 16th, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Texas Supreme Court Justice Wallace Jefferson will join community leaders and representatives of the state's legal community in recognizing four law firms - Vinson & Elkins; Brobeck Phleger & Harrison; Locke Liddell & Sapp; and Baker Botts - for their groundbreaking role in establishing Texas C-BAR. The four firms have set a superior standard in the legal community for volunteer service by business lawyers. A Community Builder Award will also be presented to Pineywoods HOME Team, one of the few nonprofits committed to community development in rural East Texas. The awards will be presented at C-BAR's First Anniversary Celebration and Block Party at the Blackland Community Center, 2005 Salina Street in Austin, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Texas Community Building with Attorney Resources (Texas C-BAR) - the only statewide provider of business law pro bono service to community based development nonprofits - is presenting the Community Builder Awards to recognize and honor outstanding contributions by its volunteers and nonprofit clients in the field of community development. In Texas C-BAR's first year, more than 60 volunteer attorneys were matched to nonprofits working to improve the quality of life in Texas's low-income and disadvantaged communities. These volunteers provided critical corporate, tax, real estate, employment and other business law services. "The firms and volunteers who work with Texas C-BAR nonprofits are making an important contribution to communities which have suffered from disinvestment and neglect. By ensuring that these nonprofits have high quality legal representation in their development activities, these attorneys are making Texas a better place for everyone who lives and works in the state," said Heather Way, Director of Texas C-BAR.

Recipients of the 2001 Community Builder Awards are:

Law Firm Honorees:

Vinson & Elkins: For the firm's pivotal role in launching Texas C-BAR and providing hundreds of hours of free legal services through more than 15 pro bono referrals to community development corporations across the State of Texas.

Brobeck Phleger & Harrison: For the firm's continued role in supporting the creation of Texas C-BAR and providing assistance to numerous community development corporations, ranging from the incorporation of a new nonprofit housing organization in the inner city of Fort Worth to the establishment of a revolving loan fund for low income families in rural East Texas.

Baker Botts: For the firm's quality legal services to many community-based nonprofits, including assistance to the Brownsville Community Development Corporation in the closing of a loan for the development of a 158-home subdivision for low income families.

Locke Liddell & Sapp: For the firm's ongoing support of business law pro bono and the tireless dedication of one of the firm's partners, Cynthia Bast, in creating Texas C-BAR.

Community-Based Nonprofit Honoree:

Pineywoods Home Team: For its innovative approach to increasing homeownership opportunities for low-income families in rural East Texas, including the creation of a community development financial institution to help low income families realize their dream of homeownership, the construction of more than 45 new homes, and the development of fully-accessible homes for disabled individuals.

Members of the press are invited to the First Anniversary Celebration and Block Party.