As Texans, we have much to be proud of. Having lived and traveled in many other states, in my heart and mind the Lone Star State reigns supreme among all the states of the Union. Texas is one of the most prosperous states; among the fastest growing economies and populations; enjoys tremendous freedom; has world leading industries, educational institutions, and cultural riches; and hands down has the best food (especially in San Antonio!).

Of course Texas has its fair share of problems, as does our profession. But what makes Texas truly special - Texans. Texans, like Bob Pemberton, who roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty to make the society we inherited a better place. I have the good fortune of featuring one of Texas' true shining young stars: Bob Pemberton. Our future as a state and profession are in good hands because of humble professionals like Bob who are committed to making our society better. I take great comfort knowing that Bob, a young lawyer of extraordinary talents, has been called into leadership positions to help solve the tough issues of our state and profession.

Bob is a sixth-generation Texan who grew up in Temple. In high school, Bob played for the legendary high school football coach Bob McQueen. Pemberton then attended Baylor, where he graduated top in his class from the Hankamer School of Business. He was then lured to the East Coast for law school - Harvard. At Harvard, Bob graduated with honors and made the Harvard Law Review. While in law school, Bob clerked for Chief Justice Tom Phillips of the Texas Supreme Court. Although enticed by the East Coast and its glitter, Bob chose to hang his professional hat in Texas. Bob credits the mentoring and friendship of Chief Justice Tom Philips with helping him make the right decision to remain in Texas.

Through his father, a senior district court judge who still sits by assignment, Bob learned that with a license to practice law comes an obligation to serve not only one's client but also the community. It's a lesson that has been permanently wired into Bob's conscience. Bob's mother also immersed herself into her community, making her community a better place. Clearly Mom and Dad set an example for Bob to emulate. Those lessons learned from Mom and Dad served Bob well, which in turn, has served the bar and the State of Texas well.

After Harvard Law School, Bob practiced for five years with Baker Botts in Houston, doing chiefly litigation and appellate work. In 1998, Bob had the opportunity to return to the Texas Supreme Court to serve as the Rules Attorney, the Court's chief in-house counsel on its historic rewrite of the civil discovery rules. This proved to be an exceptional professional opportunity for Bob. He was intimately involved in drafting the new rules, had the opportunity to speak at dozens of CLE courses, and co-authored the seminal Guide to the 1999 Texas Discovery Rules Revisions with Justice Nathan Hecht, and a book, West's Texas Discovery Handbook.

When I left the Army JAG Corps in 2000 and started private practice in San Antonio with Jenkens & Gilchrist, the first practice guide that my litigation partners gave me was Guide to the 1999 Texas Discovery Rules Revisions. It's a meticulous yet easy-to-understand guide to the recent revisions of the Texas rules of discovery. I still keep the Guide in my personal library and hand it out to other young lawyers. Bob continues to write and speak on these and other court rules.

Bob's exceptional work at the Court led to an opportunity for further public service. Bob was asked to join Governor Rick Perry's staff, where he served as Deputy General Counsel. His duties included advising the Governor on legal and policy issues involving tort law, appointments, election law; "special projects"; and overseeing litigation and appellate work on behalf of the Governor's Office. Bob found working for Governor Perry to be a rewarding and enjoyable experience where he learned a great deal. Bob also came away with great respect for the Governor's abilities and those of his staff.

Having served the Governor, Bob returned to private practice. He recently accepted a position as Senior Counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in Austin. Bob sees Akin Gump as a good fit for him. The camaraderie, professionalism and spirit of public service practiced by his fellow Akin Gump attorneys remind him of his father's old firm in Temple. Plus, he has a great view of the Capitol from the firm's offices.

In addition to his leadership role at Akin Gump, Bob is also a leader in the Bar. In fact, he is President-Elect of the Austin Young Lawyers Association (AYLA) and active on many TYLA committees. Bob is co-chair of TYLA's Lawyers as Leaders committee, which supports attorney volunteerism, and a vice-chair of the Supplemental School Projects committee, which is focusing on a new youth crime prevention project--It Could Be You!--that Bob is helping launch in the Austin area.

Bob's signature project is a new legal referral service to help nonprofit groups--Lawyer Friends Of Nonprofits (LawFON)--which is being set up through the Travis County Lawyer Referral Service. He spearheaded last year's launch of the AYLA's Lawyers as Leaders volunteerism initiative, which seeks to encourage and assist young lawyers to volunteer with nonprofit groups and provides education programs on legal issues impacting nonprofits. (For more information, see www.ayla.org/LawyersAsLeaders.htm). The program's inaugural year culminated with "Lawyers as Leaders" being named the top service project nationally in its category by the ABA-YLD, and it received similar statewide recognition from TYLA. TYLA has now launched a statewide version of Lawyers as Leaders, and Bob is co-chairing that effort.

Beyond the bar, Bob has been very involved with the Aspiring Youth after-school program in Austin. He co-chaired the program both locally and statewide, and was named "Outstanding Austin Volunteer" last year by the Aspiring Youth Foundation. He also served as a "Big Brother" in the Central Texas Big Brother-Big Sister program. (His little brother graduated high school early, with honors, and is now in college.) Bob also helped start a young professionals' support group to benefit the Austin Symphony.

But perhaps the most significant event in Bob's life has been his recent marriage to Rebecca (Becky) Yates, who is also a lawyer (an in-house Corporate Counsel for Dell Computer Corporation). Becky is also heavily involved in community service efforts. Although Bob and Becky have yet to bless Texas with a seventh generation of Pemberton Texans, they do have four dogs. Together, they enjoy life in one of Texas' finest cities, runs on Town Lake, and "family" outings at Austin's many leash-free doggie parks.

Bob's future is bright. We are fortunate that Bob was not dazzled by the glitter of the East Coast but chose to remain loyal to his Texas roots. For that, we have Chief Justice Phillips and Bob's parents to thank. It is human nature to take the easy path in life. Bob has gone out of his way to tackle life, as in his old football days, and in so doing has made Texas and our profession better. As Texans and members of the bar we are all better off for Bob's decision to hang his hat in Texas. I do have a premonition/inkling that someday Bob's star may shine on the East Coast, but it's more likely to shine closer to downtown Austin, under the big pink dome... or in that court building next door.