News & Events


2008 Hemphill Dinner

The Society’s Annual John Hemphill Dinner was held May 30, 2008, in the Grand Ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel, Austin, Texas. More than 400 guests attended the event.

This year's dinner speaker was Mark E. Steiner, Professor of Law at South Texas College of Law and author of the award-winning book An Honest Calling: The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln. In his talk, Professor Steiner drew on more than 15 years of research in the Lincoln Legal Papers project, which cataloged 5600 cases related to Lincoln's 25-year law career in Illiinois.

The program also included memorial statements in honor of two board members who passed away this spring: Professor Roy Mersky and Mr. Bill Carssow. Judge Bea Ann Smith spoke on behalf of Professor Mersky, and Mr. Steve McConnico spoke on behalf of Mr. Carssow.

Information on how to order Professor Steiner's book is available at http://www.niupress.niu.edu/niupress/scripts/Book/bookResults.asp?ID=417.

Past Hemphill Dinner Speakers  


2008 Judicial Portrait Dedication 


A portrait dedication ceremony was held in the Supreme Court courtroom  on the afternoon of May 30, 2008, the same day as the Hemphill dinner.

The family of former Justice Michael Schneider donated his portrait this year.  Judge Schneider now serves as Federal District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas.  He was appointed to the Supreme Court of Texas by Governor Rick Perry in 2002 and served until September 2004. 

When the Supreme Court of Texas accepts a donated portrait of a former justice into its portrait collection, the occasion is considered an official act of the court, and all nine justices attend the ceremony in black robes.

 

Past Portrait Donations Sponsored by the Society