Richard Pena
2211 SOUTH IH-35. STE. 300 AUSTIN, TX 78741 | (512) 327‐6884 | [email protected]
Work History
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1976‐Present
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President & CEO, Law Offices of Richard Pena, P.C., Austin, TX
The Law Offices of Richard Pena, P.C. concentrates on representing individuals in personal injury, workers’ compensation and on‐the‐job injuries. |
Education
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University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), 1970
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.), 1976 |
Military Service
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United States Army
Operating Room Specialist, Vietnam Honorable Discharge, 1973 |
Law Licenses
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Texas, Colorado, Illinois
United States Court of Appeals - 5th Circuit |
PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION
I. American Bar Association
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Board of Governors 2007 - 2010
State Delegate 2002-2007 House of Delegates 1998-2013 Select Committee of ABA 2010-2013 Credentials and Admissions Committee 2000-2004 Vice Chair 2002-2004 Conference of State Delegates 2002 Nominating Committee 2000-2007,2010-2013 Executive Committee Steering Committee Vice Chair 2004-2006 American Bar Foundation President 2008 Vice-President 2006 Board of Directors 2000-2012 Fellows, Secretary 2003 Chair-Elect 2004 Chair 2005 Presidential Appointments Advisory Committee 2005,2008, 2010 Chair 2009 Commission on Immigration Chair 2004, 05, 06 |
Presidential Pricing Strategy Committee 2013
ABA Task Force on Hurricane Katrina 2005-2006 National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP) Executive Council 2000-2003 Commission on Immigration Chair 2004, 05, 06 Advisory Committee on Immigration Pro-Bono 1999-2002 Commission on Immigration Policy Practice & Pro-Bono 1999-2002 Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund Selection Committee 2001-2003 Colloquium on Diversity Invitee 1999 Tort & Insurance Section 1999 GPSolo Division Pro-Bono & Public Service Committee ’13 Liaison for Enterprise Fund Grant 2013 Latin America & Caribbean Committee 2011‐2014 Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities 2014-2019 Chair 2017-2019 Diversity and Inclusion Center 2017-2019 Section on Civil Rights and Social Justice (CRSJ) Immigration Committee - officer |
II. State Bar of Texas
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President 1998-1999
Director: District 9 1991-1994 Texas Bar Foundation Chairman 1996-1997 Vice-Chairman 1995-1996 Secretary 1994-1995 Treasurer 1994-1995 Trustee 1994-1996 James Watson Inn. Chairman 1997-1998 Vice- Chairman 1995-1996 Secretary 1995 Council Member 1994-1997 Board of Directors’ Committees Chairman, Policy manual 1993 Executive Committee 1992-1994 Chairman PDP 1992 Chairman Minority Rep. 1991 Chairman, Goals & Implementation Women & Minorities Sub Committee ‘91 State Bar Committee Hurricane Katrina Task Force 2005 Travis County Bar Association President 1990-1991 President-Elect 1989-1990 Membership Committee 1989-1990 Secretary 1988-1989 Law Day Banquet Committee Chairman 1988-1999 Judicial Screening Committee Chairman 1987 Insurance Committee Chairman 1987-1990 Board of Directors 1986-1988 Lawyer Referral Service Board of Trustees 1983-1984 Travis Co. Bar Foundation 2004-2005 Professional Activities American Inns of Court, Master 1998 Capital Area Trial Lawyers Exec. Comm. President, Capital Area Mexican-American Lawyers Association 1984 |
Referral Fee Task Force 2004
Advertising Review Committee 1995 Co-Chairman, Referendum 1994 Pattern Jury Charges, Vol.2, Committee ‘94 Co-Chairman, Annual Meeting 1993-1994 Chairman, Nominating Committee, Minorities Director, 1991 ABA Nominating Committee 1996, 1990 Opportunities for Minorities in the Prof. 1990 Federal Judiciary Appointments Comm. 1984 The College of the State Bar of TX 2012-2013 Special Committee to Nominate ABA Del. 2012 Texas Access to Justice Commission Strategic Planning Committee, 2023-24 Membership Sustaining Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation College of the State Bar Pro-Bono-College Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism Austin Bar Association American Bar Foundation Austin Bar Foundation Texas Access to Justice Veterans Committee, 2023 Continuing Legal Education Speaker Advanced Workers’ Compensation Course SBOT Course Director 2005,2006 Panelist 2009 Speaker, 9th Annual Advanced Workers’ Compensation Law Course State Bar of Texas 2012 State Bar of Texas Ethics Presentation 2006 Texas Orthopedic Association, Workers’ Comp. Legislative Changes 2005 Car Crash Seminar, State Bar of Texas, Ethics, “The New Referral Fee Landscape in TX” State Bar College “Summer School” Workers’ Comp Changes 2005 Workers’ Compensation Law, G&G Publishing 2004 (2 loc.) Poverty Law Conference, Workers’ Comp. SBOT ‘04 Dispute Resolution Training Seminar, Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission Hearing Division 2002 Unauthorized Practice of Law, Annual Meeting, SBOT Hispanic Issues Section 2002 Legal Update Conference Texas Legal Services Center 1996 16th Annual Advanced Civil Trial Coarse SBOT 1993 8th Annual Advanced Personal Injury Trial Law State Bar of Texas 1992 Legislative Update Seminar, Travis Co. Bar Assn. 1991 Texas Bar CLE, A South Texas Litigation Course, Workers’ Comp., Fact or Fiction 2012 Litigation, Practice Skills State Bar of Texas 1990 Advanced Evidence & Discovery Course State Bar of Texas 1989 |
III. Recognitions Include
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Rated “AV” by the Martindale-Hubbel Law
Directory, indicating a “Very High to Preeminent” Reputation for legal ability and a “Very High” General Recommendation Recipient of Difference Makers Award, by the General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division 2010 Presidential Citation, State Bar of Texas 1991, 2000, 2004 Chairman, ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities, 2017-2020 |
Trailblazer Recognition, State Bar of Texas 2014
Legal Services Award, MALDEF, 2001 Outstanding Hispanic Lawyer-Austin Mexican American Bar Assn. of TX 1989 LULAC Council No. 85, Austin Honorary Member‘1998 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award 2017 Joseph C. Parker Jr. Diversity Award 2018 Spirit of Excellence Award, ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity In The Profession, 2020 ABA's National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP) 2024 Fellows Award Winner |
IV. Published Articles Include
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Texas Bar Blog “Former State Bar President Returns
From Turkey” Nov. 17, 2013 Numerous CLE Papers |
GPSolo American Bar Association “Giving Back” Lawyers Under Attack in Turkey Jan/Feb 2014
Texas Bar Journal, October 2023, Pro Bono Spotlight |
V. Civic & Other Duties
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Board of Directors
Boys Club of Austin & Travis Co. 1997-1998 Austin Association for Retarded Citizens 1987-1988 Center for Battered Women 1972-1982 |
Chairman, Homeless Planning & Implementation Council
City of Austin 1996-1997 Austin Association for Retarded Citizens. Private Facilities Monitoring Comm. 1981 Austin-Travis Co. MHMR, Public Responsibility Committee 1972-1982 Leadership Austin |
VI. Instructor
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St. Edward’s University, Austin, Texas
Business Law 1983 |
Austin Community College, Austin, Texas
Business Law 1981-1982 |
VII. Miscellaneous
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People to People Ambassadors Program
Led delegations of Texas and U.S. Lawyers to 20 Countries 2000-2014 Texas Lawyers Committee for Kerry-Edwards Chair 2004 Expert Witness in Workers’ Comp. Related LawSuits Texas Lawyers Committee for John Kerry for President 2004 In the community, Pena served as chair of the Homeless Task Force and on the boards of L Legal Aid of Central Texas, Center for Battered Women, and Austin Association of Retarded Citizens. |
Real Estate Broker, Texas 1980-Present
National Football League Players Assn. Certified Contract Advisor 1984-1986 Austin Light Newspaper, Sports Editor 1982 President Third Coast Sports & Entertainment Management Agency 1986 Co-Author of Last Plane Out of Saigon, published 2014 |
