William O. Holston Jr. Pro Bono Fund

 In 2005 the William O. Holston Jr. Pro Bono Fund was created thanks to the generous and ongoing financial commitment of Charles and Meredith Stimson.  This Fund ensures that free legal services will continue to be available to some of the most vulnerable people residing in the North Texas area: immigrant survivors of human rights abuses. The Fund guarantees that HRI's core legal services will continue to be available to indigent asylum seekers, immigrant women who have experienced domestic violence, and immigrant children who have been abused, abandoned or neglected. 

The Stimson's donation was made in honor of HRI pro bono William O. Holston Jr. in recognition of his lifelong pro bono commitment to asylum seekers.  Mr. Holston has been representing asylum seekers since 1987. He served as a mentor to one of HRI's founding members, Elizabeth Healy in the 1990s when she first began accepting pro bono asylum cases. Ms. Healy credits Mr. Holston with her continued work in this area of the law and in influencing the creation of HRI's pro bono program in 1999.  In recognition of his achievements HRI's pro bono program was named the William O. Holston Jr. Pro Bono Program in 2005.  Along with Mr. Holston's own pro bono caseload, he also chairs HRI's Pro Bono Committee and continues to influence and mentor many young attorneys.