Porter Hedges Announces Recipients of 2022-23 Scholarship at Texas Southern University

The Firm is pleased to announce that Dexter Maryland and Christopher Brown are the recipients of its Diversity Scholarship and Pre-Law Mentorship Program at Texas Southern University (TSU), one of the nation’s largest historically black colleges and universities.

Dexter is a rising senior majoring in political science from Houston, TX. He currently serves as the president of the TSU College Democrats Club and has political aspirations following graduation at TSU and law school.

Christopher is a rising junior from Houston, TX. He has more than a decade of experience on the police force and is currently working fulltime as a deputy for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office while completing his undergraduate degree.

As scholarship recipients, Dexter and Christopher will receive an academic scholarship and will participate in a 9-month mentorship program, which includes sessions with Porter Hedges attorneys and a mentorship pairing with a third-year law student from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at TSU. The scholarship was first announced in April 2021.

"We are excited to continue our partnership with Porter Hedges LLP. We commend their continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. The expansion of the Porter Hedges Scholarship and Pre-Law Mentorship Program at TSU strengthens our partnership and is an excellent demonstration of the strong commitment of Porter Hedges to promoting diversity in the legal profession. We are proud of the TSU recipients, Dexter Maryland and Christopher Brown. We are confident that they will be great ambassadors of the partnership. We look forward to continued collaboration with Porter Hedges" said Okezie Chukwumerije, Interim Dean of Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.

The Porter Hedges Scholarship and Pre-Law Mentorship Program is awarded annually to undergraduate students at TSU who are interested in pursuing a career in the legal profession upon graduation, giving talented students a real-world look at the practice of law and the many ways in which lawyers serve and contribute to their communities.

“We had an outstanding pool of applicants for this year’s scholarship and we are honored to offer two scholarships to these well-deserving students. Porter Hedges is committed to increasing diversity and equity in the legal profession and providing greater access to law school through this scholarship and other law school pipeline programs. We sincerely appreciate our continuing relationship with TSU in this endeavor,” said Joyce Kao Soliman, Chair of the Firm’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Committee.

For more information about Porter Hedges diversity initiatives, visit our Diversity and Inclusion page on the Firm’s website.

Dexter Maryland	Christopher Brown