TEXAS LEGAL LEGEND:
Induction October 31, 2018
At 9:45AM on June 13, 2019, the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas will induct Dicky Grigg as a Texas Legal Legend at the State Bar Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas.
Grigg was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas. He attended Texas Tech University for his undergraduate work, where he also played defensive tackle for the Red Raiders football team. Indeed, his original plan was to be a football coach, following in the footsteps of others in his family. But after choosing law school over business school, he was quickly lured by the challenge of trying cases. Anyone who knows Grigg knows that he is the penultimate storyteller, both in and out of the courtroom.
He attended the University of Texas School of Law, and Grigg hit the ground running, trying cases in the courtroom as he started his career in the Lubbock County District Attorney office. Early in his career, he moved to Austin, still focused on trying cases in the courtroom and now has spent over four decades in civil trial practice handling hundreds personal injury cases at the prestigious law firm of Spivey & Grigg in Austin, Texas. Most often, he’s representing “the little guy.”
His self-effacing humor belies the fact that he is the recipient of many prestigious awards over his storied career: State Bar of Texas, Litigation Section, the Excellence in Litigation Award and the Luther Soules III Award for Outstanding Service to the Practice of Law; State Bar of Texas, Leon Jaworski Award for Law Teaching Excellence; Austin Bar Association, Distinguished Lawyer Award; American Board of Trial Advocates, TEX-ABOTA Trial Lawyer of the Year and former President; Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers; Fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and former President; Member of the Tonahill Society, recognition as one of The Best Lawyers in America, and recognition as a Super Lawyer, Texas Monthly Magazine
But, in his career, as Grigg will tell you, the most meaningful work he has done has been in the public interest and pro bono sector, representing “the little guy” even when the “the little guy” is a Afghani detainee at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba who speaks only Pashto. In 2005, Grigg was attending a legal seminar and answered the call for help from the Center for Constitutional Rights to assist in the defense of the approximately 770 terrorism suspects housed at Guantanamo Bay. None of them had legal counsel nor had their cases been reviewed by an impartial court. Grigg volunteered to represent three Guantanamo detainees, filing habeas corpus petitions in their behalf in federal court in Washington D.C. His work involved several trips to the detention center and appearances at hearings and status conferences in D.C. Personally, he spent nearly $50,000, primarily on travel and interpreters—which is a small figure in comparison to the value of his time and expertise spent working on these cases. Two of his clients were released, and the third was represented by military attorneys before the Military Commission.
He has done further pro bono work, assisting U.S. military veterans with their disability appeals, part of a State Bar of Texas initiative to provide legal services to veterans. Also, he taught peer mediation training to students at Mendez Middle School in Austin, Texas, for which he received the State Bar President’s Award for Mediators Achieving Peace for his decade of work with those students. Additionally, he has been fundamental to the founding and development of the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program, which helps lawyers find solutions for dealing with substance abuse and mental health issues.
Grigg is the embodiment of what this award signifies: a stellar and unique talent in the area of civil litigation, but also an individual who has given of his time, money, and self to contribute to the larger community.
Texas Legal Legends is a project of the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas. Its purpose is to memorialize the stories of many legendary lawyers who have practiced in Texas, and to use those stories to enhance the public’s understanding of the historical importance of law students and lawyers making a difference – not just a living. Legends like Dicky Grigg are prime examples of lawyers who have spent their professional careers serving others and taking on challenges that are much bigger than themselves.
The complete list of Legends inductees includes (in order of induction):
1. Joe Jamail
2. Joe Reynolds
3. Harry Reasoner
4. Barbara Aldave
5. Carolyn Dineen King
6. Gibson Gayle, Jr.
7. LA Bedford
8. Jerry Goldstein
9. Adelfa B. Callejo
10. Broadus Spivey
11. Blackie Holmes
12. Craig Washington
13. Scott Baldwin
14. Royal Furgeson, Jr.
15. Bob Black
16. George Chandler
17. Mary Lou Robinson
18. Forrest Bowers
19. Ruby Sondock
20. H. Ron White
21. Lloyd P. Lochridge
22. Patton G. “Pat” Lochridge
23. Tom Morris
24. Harriet Miers
25. Carolyn Wright
26. James R. Harrington