UH Law Center Alumnus and Adjunct Professor Richard "Dick" Schwartz Recognized with HBA Professionalism Award
Quick summary: Richard "Dick" Schwartz (J.D. '79), a University of Houston Law Center alumnus and adjunct professor, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Houston Bar Association's Justice Eugene A. Cook Professionalism Award. The award recognizes his outstanding career as a trial lawyer and his contributions to the legal community through teaching and service.
The award is the highest honor bestowed by the Houston Bar Association to an attorney or judge who exemplifies the highest level of legal ethics, integrity, and professionalism.
Schwartz is a shareholder in Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.'s Houston office. With a career spanning more than 45 years, Schwartz has established himself as a highly successful trial lawyer, trying more than 65 cases across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, New York, and California. In 2025, Dick was lead trial counsel in Civelli v. Mulacek, where he secured a $138 million federal jury verdict on behalf of his client. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas recently entered final judgment exceeding $210 million, including substantial prejudgment interest and full recognition of the jury's findings. His extensive practice covers a wide array of state and federal disputes, including complex commercial litigation, labor and employment, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and professional liability.
A 1979 graduate of the UH Law Center, he returned to serve as an adjunct professor in 2019, teaching a course on the legal and ethical responsibilities of members of the legal profession. He also recently completed his second six-year term on the State Bar of Texas District 4 Grievance Committee, where he served as Chairman.
Schwartz has completed advanced negotiation and leadership programs at Harvard Law School, as well as comprehensive commercial arbitration and mediator training at the Law Center's A.A. White Dispute Resolution Center.
