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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Alex Roberts ’06

A year into his undergraduate education, Alex Roberts considered have a tremendous impact on
leaving his hometown of Yankton, S.D. for life on the ski slopes of your clients’ lives.”
Breckenridge, Colo. Now a partner at Beck Redden
The 2006 University of Houston Law Center alumnus said he isn’t in Houston, Roberts said he still
sure what trajectory his career would have taken if not for a frank feels an obligation to volunteer.
conversation with his father. Roberts serves on the Houston
“After a year of being pretty aimless, I didn’t know what I wanted Volunteer Lawyers board of
to study,” Roberts said. “My thought at the time was to move to directors, the Houston Young
Breckenridge and be a ski instructor. I had one of those long Lawyers Foundation board of
heart-to-hearts with my dad, and he convinced me, I think wisely, directors and also spent time on
that I should do something more worthwhile and constructive the board of the Texas Young
with my time.” Lawyers Association, the pro-
Roberts decided to leave South Dakota, but for Houston instead bono arm of the State Bar of Texas.
through AmeriCorps, an initiative under then-President Bill “We need to give back to our community. As lawyers, we’ve been
Clinton. AmeriCorps is a volunteer program similar to the Peace given so much opportunity. I think it’s an obligation that we have as
Corps. Instead of goodwill assignments abroad, AmeriCorps places members of the bar,” Roberts said.
college-aged students in one-year service projects around the U.S. “Houston Volunteer Lawyers provides free legal service to about
Roberts spent his first two years in Houston volunteering at Casa de 5,000 people annually. Getting to serve with my fellow board
Esperanza de los Niños, which translates to the House of Hope for members and the staff of that organization is incredibly humbling.
Children. Casa de Esperanza is a crisis shelter for children suffering You see the tremendous difference they make in the lives of people
from the effects of HIV or who have been abused or neglected. all across our region.”
The experience proved to be a lasting one, as Roberts met his wife, Roberts maintains strong ties to the Law Center. He and his wife,
Anne, while volunteering. After his service at Casa de Esperanza, Anne, chaired the 2017 Law Gala & Auction on March 25, 2017. He
AmeriCorps provided Roberts with the necessary financial also is involved in mentoring programs at the Law Center and is on
assistance to earn his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the the board of directors of the Houston Law Review.
University of Houston in 2002. “You get as much as you give in these types of relationships,” Roberts
“It was an incredible growth experience,” Roberts said of his said. “I really enjoy the opportunity to talk with law students about
volunteer work. “I was 19 when I came. It’s one of those places their plans and ambitions. That is rewarding in and of itself, and
where you give all of yourself 24-7. But in the end, you receive so hopefully I can share some of what I’ve learned along the way.”
much more than you give. The kids that we took care of teach you Beck Redden primarily handles high stakes commercial and civil
so much about life, hardship and resilience and give you so much litigation, where Roberts is one of about 40 trial lawyers. His cases
perspective.” have ranged from general breach of contract issues and oil spill
Roberts’ time at Casa de Esperanza also inspired him to take the litigation to legal malpractice defense.
next step in his education and pursue a law degree. Seeing the He has been named to Benchmark Litigation’s Under 40 Hotlist
administrative side of children’s cases, he realized he could broaden and as a Litigation Star. Thomson Reuters listed Roberts as a Texas
his efforts to help others in similar circumstances. Super Lawyer in 2016, and he was also commended as a Rising Star
“Advocating and solving problems for people piqued my interests,” by the UH Law Alumni Association in 2015.
he said. “I enjoyed the service aspect of the work, but I didn’t have “Recognition is certainly an honor,” Roberts said. “I don’t know
the tools to really make a difference. I was basically helping one, two whether it’s deserved or not. But it does help you to grow your
or three kids at a time. You made a difference for their day, and that reputation. Your reputation takes a career to develop and a moment
was significant, but you come to learn with a law degree you can to lose.”

28 Briefcase 2017