{"id":271459,"date":"2025-06-26T07:07:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T11:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/english-nix-patterson-announces-that-christina-yarnell-has-been-named-the-winner-of-the-state-bar-of-texas-individual-pro-bono-lawyer-of-the-year-award\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T07:20:02","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T11:20:02","slug":"nix-patterson-anuncia-que-christina-yarnell-ha-sido-nombrada-ganadora-del-premio-individual-de-abogado-pro-bono-del-ano-del-colegio-de-abogados-del-estado-de-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/nix-patterson-anuncia-que-christina-yarnell-ha-sido-nombrada-ganadora-del-premio-individual-de-abogado-pro-bono-del-ano-del-colegio-de-abogados-del-estado-de-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"NIX PATTERSON ANNOUNCES THAT CHRISTINA YARNELL HAS BEEN NAMED THE WINNER OF THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS&#8217; INDIVIDUAL PRO BONO LAWYER OF THE YEAR AWARD"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><![CDATA[\n\/* Style Definitions *\/\nspan.prnews_span\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\na.prnews_a\n{\ncolor:blue;\n}\nli.prnews_li\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\np.prnews_p\n{\nfont-size:0.62em;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\nmargin:0in;\n}\n.prngen2{\nPADDING-RIGHT:0.17em; PADDING-LEFT:0.17em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: BOTTOM; FONT-SIZE: 8PT; FONT-FAMILY: ARIAL; COLOR: BLACK; MARGIN:0em; BORDER-TOP:black 1pt; BORDER-RIGHT:black 1pt; BORDER-BOTTOM:black 1pt; BORDER-LEFT:black 1pt\n}\n.prnml4{\nMARGIN-TOP:0em; MARGIN-RIGHT:0em; MARGIN-BOTTOM:0em; MARGIN-LEFT:0.33em !IMPORTANT\n}\n.prnbcc{\nBORDER-COLLAPSE: COLLAPSE\n}\n]]><\/style>\n<div class=\"xn-content\">\n<p><span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-location\">AUSTIN, Texas<\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-chron\">June 26, 2025<\/span><\/span> \/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE\/ &#8212; On <span class=\"xn-chron\">Thursday, June 19, 2025<\/span>, the State Bar of <span class=\"xn-location\">Texas<\/span> named <span class=\"xn-person\">Christina Yarnell<\/span> as the recipient of the 2025 Frank J. Scurlock Award at the Bar&#8217;s Annual Meeting in <span class=\"xn-location\">San Antonio<\/span>, Texas.\u00a0\u00a0 This award is given annually to the individual attorney who has provided outstanding pro bono work in the <span class=\"xn-location\">State of Texas<\/span>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"prni_dvprnejpg96dcleft\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"width: 100%; text-align: left;\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"prnejpg96dcleft\" title=\"NIX PATTERSON ANNOUNCES THAT CHRISTINA YARNELL HAS BEEN NAMED THE WINNER OF THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS\u2019 INDIVIDUAL PRO BONO LAWYER OF THE YEAR AWARD\" src=\"https:\/\/mma.prnewswire.com\/media\/2719521\/NIX_PATTERSON_CHRISTINA_YARNELL_awarded.jpg\" alt=\"NIX PATTERSON ANNOUNCES THAT CHRISTINA YARNELL HAS BEEN NAMED THE WINNER OF THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS\u2019 INDIVIDUAL PRO BONO LAWYER OF THE YEAR AWARD\" align=\"middle\"\/><\/div>\n<p>Mrs. Yarnell is a trial attorney at Nix Patterson, LLP in <span class=\"xn-location\">Austin<\/span>, Texas.\u00a0 In addition to her work as a trial lawyer, she also serves as the firm&#8217;s Chief Talent Officer and COO.<\/p>\n<p>Mrs. Yarnell was nominated for her work over a ten-year period representing numerous vulnerable, at-risk, immigrant women in an incredibly complex human trafficking matter against an <span class=\"xn-location\">Austin<\/span> based Spanish immersion school and its owner.\u00a0 She worked in the face of threats, harassment and intimidation\u2014not only to her clients but also to herself.<\/p>\n<p>Christina ultimately was able to get the <span class=\"xn-location\">Austin<\/span> Police Department to join the fight.\u00a0 From there, APD turned to the United States Department of Homeland Security and others.\u00a0 Eventually, the <span class=\"xn-location\">Texas<\/span> Attorney General&#8217;s Office also joined in the fight.\u00a0 Mrs. Yarnell stayed involved and counseled her clients through it all.\u00a0 She also helped the women get access to immigration specialists who helped them get U-immigration Visas, which are special visas for victims of labor trafficking who agree to cooperate with investigators and prosecutors.<\/p>\n<p>On <span class=\"xn-chron\">January 28, 2025<\/span>, ten years after Christina first started fighting for justice for these immigrant women, the <span class=\"xn-location\">Texas<\/span> Attorney General&#8217;s Office announced an historic settlement against the school and its owners.\u00a0 The settlement imposed the maximum penalty allowed in labor trafficking civil suits under <span class=\"xn-location\">Texas&#8217;<\/span> racketeering law and prohibited the defendants from threatening or taking any action against these women.<sup>1\u00a0<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>While the Attorney General&#8217;s office announced this settlement, the true heroines of this story are Mrs. Yarnell and the women she represented.\u00a0 As the Detective who investigated this matter, and the Assistant Attorney General who prosecuted the civil case, both wrote to the State Bar, none of this would ever have happened without the courage, tenacity and hard work that <span class=\"xn-person\">Christina Yarnell<\/span> gave to each of her pro bono clients.<\/p>\n<p>Mrs. Yarnell&#8217;s award comes nearly 25 years after Nix Patterson was named the winner of the State Bar of <span class=\"xn-location\">Texas&#8217;<\/span> <span class=\"xn-person\">Dean Frank Newton Pro Bono<\/span> Award.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div>\n<table border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"1\" class=\"prnbcc\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"prngen2\" colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><\/td>\n<td class=\"prngen2\" colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p class=\"prnml4\"><span class=\"prnews_span\"><sup>1<\/sup>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/c212.net\/c\/link\/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4457595-1&amp;h=3884952365&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.texasattorneygeneral.gov%2Fnews%2Freleases%2Fattorney-general-ken-paxton-stops-austin-business-operating-international-human-trafficking-scheme%23%3A%7E%3Atext%3DAttorney%2520General%2520Ken%2520Paxton%2520announced%2Coperators%252C%2520Adriana%2520and%2520Enrique%2520Rodriguez&amp;a=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.texasattorneygeneral.gov%2Fnews%2Freleases%2Fattorney-general-ken-paxton-stops-austin-business-operating-international-human-trafficking-scheme%23%3A%7E%3Atext%3DAttorney%2520General%2520Ken%2520Paxton%2520announced%2Coperators%252C%2520Adriana%2520and%2520Enrique%2520Rodriguez\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"prnews_a\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/www.texasattorneygeneral.gov\/news\/releases\/attorney-general-ken-paxton-stops-austin-business-operating-international-human-trafficking-scheme#:~:text=Attorney%20General%20Ken%20Paxton%20announced,operators%2C%20Adriana%20and%20Enrique%20Rodriguez<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p><b>Contact information<br \/><\/b><b>Name:\u00a0Brad Beckworth<br \/><\/b><b>Email:\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0<b><a href=\"mailto:bbeckworth@nixlaw.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">bbeckworth@nixlaw.com<\/a><br \/><\/b><b>Phone<\/b>: <b>512-328-5333<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"prni_dvprnejpg72bdleft\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"width: 100%; text-align: left;\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"prnejpg72bdleft\" style=\"width: 400px; height: 240px;\" title=\"Nix Patterson\" src=\"https:\/\/mma.prnewswire.com\/media\/2661269\/LOGO_Name_Below_Black_Logo.jpg\" alt=\"Nix Patterson\" align=\"middle\"\/><\/div>\n<p>Photo &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/c212.net\/c\/link\/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4457595-1&amp;h=665244387&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fmma.prnewswire.com%2Fmedia%2F2719521%2FNIX_PATTERSON_CHRISTINA_YARNELL_awarded.jpg&amp;a=https%3A%2F%2Fmma.prnewswire.com%2Fmedia%2F2719521%2FNIX_PATTERSON_CHRISTINA_YARNELL_awarded.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/mma.prnewswire.com\/media\/2719521\/NIX_PATTERSON_CHRISTINA_YARNELL_awarded.jpg<\/a><br \/>Logo &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/c212.net\/c\/link\/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4457595-1&amp;h=3194832845&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fmma.prnewswire.com%2Fmedia%2F2661269%2FLOGO_Name_Below_Black_Logo.jpg&amp;a=https%3A%2F%2Fmma.prnewswire.com%2Fmedia%2F2661269%2FLOGO_Name_Below_Black_Logo.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/mma.prnewswire.com\/media\/2661269\/LOGO_Name_Below_Black_Logo.jpg<\/a><\/p>\n<p>SOURCE  Nix Patterson LLP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"xn-content\">\n<p><span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-location\">AUSTIN, Texas<\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-chron\">June 26, 2025<\/span><\/span> \/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE\/ &#8212; On <span class=\"xn-chron\">Thursday, June 19, 2025<\/span>, the State Bar of <span class=\"xn-location\">Texas<\/span> named <span class=\"xn-person\">Christina Yarnell<\/span> as the recipient of the 2025 Frank J. Scurlock Award at the Bar&#8217;s Annual Meeting in <span class=\"xn-location\">San Antonio<\/span>, Texas.\u00a0\u00a0 This award is given annually to the individual attorney who&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":271460,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-271459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interes-humano"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271459"}],"version-history":[{"count":"1","href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271459\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":271462,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271459\/revisions\/271462"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/271460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}