H.R. No. 2722
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Jeanne Collins of El Paso is the 2009 recipient of
the Sarah T. Hughes Women Lawyers of Achievement Award; and
WHEREAS, Given by the Women and the Law Section of the State
Bar of Texas, this accolade recognizes Jeanne "Cezy" Collins for
her work to advance women's issues and enhance the legal
profession; Ms. Collins has spearheaded such efforts as a statewide
survey for Texas Women Lawyers on the maternity leave policies of
various law firms, through which she demonstrated the difficulty
that women face in balancing their roles as mothers and lawyers, as
well as the challenge of retaining women within the industry; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Collins grew up with the desire to defend the
rights of underrepresented groups, and she knew from an early age
that she wanted to practice law; she went on to graduate from the
University of Southern California in 1986, and she earned a law
degree from the University of Arizona in 1991; she moved to El Paso
in 1993 to work for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, and she later joined
the El Paso County Attorney's office, becoming the division chief
of the civil litigation and family violence units; in 2000, she
accepted a position as a commercial litigator with one of El Paso's
oldest firms, Kemp Smith; and
WHEREAS, A partner at her firm specializing in copyright and
trademark matters, Ms. Collins still finds the time to devote to
numerous professional organizations, including Texas Women Lawyers
and the El Paso Women's Bar Association; she has also served as the
El Paso area director for the State Bar of Texas, as a vice
president of the National Conference of Women's Bar Associations
and of the El Paso Bar Foundation, and as president of the National
Foundation for Women's Bar Associations, and she was appointed to
the Texas Access to Justice Commission; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of her outstanding career, Jeanne
Collins has demonstrated the utmost dedication to her profession
and to her community, and she has garnered the lasting respect and
admiration of her colleagues and fellow citizens alike; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Jeanne Collins on her receipt of
the 2009 Sarah T. Hughes Women Lawyers of Achievement Award and
extend to her sincere best wishes for continued success and
happiness; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Ms. Collins as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Marquez
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2722 was adopted by the House on May
31, 2009, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House