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Texas Appleseed awarded Fulbright with its annual Pro Bono Service Award. The award was presented at the November 5, 2009, Good Apple Dinner in Austin, Texas. Fulbright partners Marcy Greer and Layne Kruse, who also serves on the Board of Directors of Texas Appleseed, accepted the award on behalf of Fulbright.

Texas Appleseed, established in 1996, is a nonprofit network focused on promoting social and economic justice for all Texans through research, analysis, advocacy and pro bono partnerships. Texas Appleseed is one of sixteen Appleseed centers throughout the United States and Mexico City.

Fulbright, a long-time pro bono partner with Texas Appleseed, has generously donated time and resources to protect foster children’s rights by conducting a state-wide study, led by Greer.

The study is intended to provide the qualitative data for policy recommendations and best practices for the Texas legislature, executive, and judicial branches to improve the life outcomes for children in the state’s long-term foster care system.

The study is an outgrowth of the Texas Supreme Court’s Permanent Judicial Commission For Children, Youth and Families, where Fulbright partner Stewart Gagnon serves as a member.

This short and powerful interview video of a Texan who grew up in the foster care system demonstrates some of the special needs and challenges of Texas foster children.

Many lawyers and non-lawyers in all of Fulbright’s offices have assisted the study by interviewing stakeholders, such as judges, ad litems, foster families, biological parents, placement agencies, and treatment facilities throughout Texas.

Senior associate Anne Grigg has taken a leading role in the project by organizing and managing a sophisticated, confidential database of the interview reports from the various stakeholders and training the interviewers.

Houston lawyers Hannah Sibiski and Amy Garzon acted as Harris County Chairs, and Dallas partner Norlynn Price was Dallas County Chair. Houston attorneys Erin Leeser and Nicole Mitchell chaired the Northern Panhandle, Northeast Texas, and Taylor and Fort Bend County jurisdictions. These chairs organized and trained local lawyers to conduct interviews of the necessary stakeholders. Austin secretary Lesa Kreizenbeck has put in countless hours in coordinating interviewers and training sessions, and information and managing interview notes.

It has truly been a team effort: so many Fulbright personnel have answered the call to help, conducting the interviews needed for the qualitative review, creating the reports for our massive and confidential database, making travel arrangements, and providing other valuable assistance, including:

To learn more about Fulbright’s community service activities, please visit www.fulbright.com/community.