Paving the Way to a More Diverse and Inclusive Legal Community

On March 30, Yvonne Y. Ho received the 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Award from the University of Houston Law Alumni Association at its 43rd Annual Law Gala and Auction. The award annually recognizes a University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) alumnus or alumna who has demonstrated significant commitment to diversity and inclusion by fostering a more diverse and inclusive legal community.

“I am touched to be recognized for mentoring other lawyers and striving to ensure that all individuals have equal opportunities to advance their legal careers,” says Yvonne, who chairs Bracewell’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. “This is especially true because I strongly believe that we share a common responsibility to pave the way for the next generation of lawyers. After all, everyone that has achieved any measure of success has done so only because others have shown them the way.”

Throughout her career, Yvonne has served as a dedicated mentor to law students and worked to improve opportunities for young lawyers.

Yvonne is a past co-chair and long-standing member of the Houston Bar Association Minority Opportunities in the Legal Profession Committee, which connects first-year minority law students with summer internship opportunities at local courts, nonprofits, governmental entities and law firms. As a current and past co-chair of the HBA Professionalism Committee, Yvonne has promoted a mentoring program that pairs newly licensed lawyers with senior attorneys across the legal community.

Since 2009, she has served on the UHLC Clerkship Committee, advising dozens of students applying for clerkships with federal and state court judges.

“Serving as a mentor has made me appreciate how much my own mentors have contributed to my success,” explains Yvonne. “I’ve also realized that you don’t have to have the ‘right’ answer to everything to have something valuable to offer. Sometimes what mentees need is a safe sounding board as they puzzle through difficult challenges. And from time to time, serving as a mentor has inspired me to implement my own advice.”

Yvonne earned her J.D. in 2006 from the UHLC, where she graduated summa cum laude and was valedictorian of her class. She previously received the Rising Star Award from the University of Houston Law Alumni Association in 2014. Yvonne also volunteers time to her law school by serving on the board of directors of the Houston Law Review and the Houston Law Review Alumni Association.