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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The year 2017 marks the 30th anniversary of the |
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passage of the Texas Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) |
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Procedures Act, and this milestone presents a welcome opportunity |
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to recognize one of the bill's coauthors, the Honorable Frank |
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Evans; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1978, Texas Supreme Court chief justice Joe |
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Greenhill tasked Mr. Evans, a justice on the First Court of Appeals |
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in Houston, with finding a way to reduce congestion in the dockets |
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of trial and appellate courts in the state; convinced that |
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alternative dispute resolution was the best answer, Judge Evans |
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became a leading advocate for this method of limiting the number of |
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cases resolved through litigation, eventually earning the moniker |
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the "Father of Texas ADR"; in 1985, he, along with The University of |
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Texas at Austin law professor Edward F. Sherman and Texas state |
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senator Cynthia Taylor Krier, drafted legislation to provide a |
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comprehensive framework for ADR practice in the state, and the bill |
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was enacted by the Texas Legislature in 1987; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the years, Judge Evans further championed ADR |
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by helping to create the Houston Bar Association Special Committee |
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on ADR and the Houston Neighborhood Justice Center, persuading the |
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Harris County District Attorney's Office to begin referring citizen |
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complaints to mediation, establishing a juvenile justice system of |
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peer mediation in Texas elementary and secondary schools, and |
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serving as founding chair of the ADR Section of the State Bar of |
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Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, After nearly two decades as chief justice, Judge |
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Evans retired from the court in 1990, and he went on to found and |
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head the South Texas College of Law Center for Legal |
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Responsibility, which has since been renamed in his honor; |
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moreover, he was retained in an of-counsel position at the |
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Houston-based law firm Haynes & Boone and continued to benefit the |
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First Court of Appeals as a conference judge; today, he and his |
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wife, Elizabeth, reside in Bastrop; and |
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WHEREAS, Widely admired in the legal profession, Judge Frank |
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Evans has made immeasurable contributions to the justice system in |
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the Lone Star State, and he may take great pride in the part he |
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played in the ratification of the Texas Alternative Dispute |
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Resolution Procedures Act; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 30th anniversary of the passage |
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of the Texas Alternative Dispute Resolution Procedures Act and |
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commend the Honorable Frank Evans for his instrumental role in |
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promoting ADR in the Lone Star State; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Judge Evans as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Davis of Harris |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1376 was adopted by the House on April |
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27, 2017, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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