Gibbs & Bruns’s Caitlin Halpern was selected as a 2025 Texas Legal Awards “Pro Bono Attorney of the Year” finalist. Caitlin was shortlisted in last year’s Texas Legal Awards in the “Influential Women of the Year” category, 2024.
Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Finalist Q&A
What challenges do you face when working on pro bono cases, and how do you overcome them to achieve the best outcomes for clients?
One recurring challenge is that my pro bono work frequently involves unfamiliar practice areas. Since joining the firm, I have been asked to take on pro bono matters including divorce, immigration, workers compensation, and Social Security benefits. I have no expertise in these areas, nor do my colleagues at Gibbs & Bruns, a boutique focused on commercial litigation. In these circumstances, achieving the best outcome for my client requires asking for help, which also provides an opportunity to seek collaboration and build networks. For example, when I took my first parole case several years ago, I reached out to the University of Texas Parole Project for guidance. Their assistance allowed me to achieve a favorable outcome for my client, and that initial contact turned into a longstanding and fruitful relationship: I currently work with the UT clinic on a statewide Pro Bono Parole Program run by the Texas Defender Service. And with 14 parole matters under my belt, I now have the expertise to pay it forward by recruiting and training others.How does your firm encourage pro bono work?
Gibbs & Bruns encourages every lawyer to use their law degree to advance causes they care about—from a senior partner who serves as the pro bono general counsel to the regional Lutheran Bishop, to a mid-level partner passionate about assisting new Americans with the naturalization process, to young associates interested in trying out eviction or expungement matters. In addition, our partnership with Houston Volunteer Lawyers makes pro bono work easily accessible for each attorney, no matter how new or how busy.
Gibbs & Bruns has a legacy of recognition with the ALM/Texas Legal Awards:
Texas Legal Awards finalists and honorees are selected by Law.com and Texas Lawyer‘s editors and reporters. Winners will be recognized at an awards dinner September 25, 2025 in Dallas.