Barry Sorrels, Serjeant of the Inn Award

Barry Sorrels has been a longtime Master of the prestigious Patrick E. Higginbotham Inn of Court. Last week at the Joint Inns of Court meeting, Barry received the Serjeant of the Inn Award. This award is bestowed annually to a Master of the Inn of Court who has significantly contributed to the profession and the community throughout their career. And Barry’s contribution to the profession and community have been remarkable. This is largely due to his commitment to mentoring.

In 2003, Barry Sorrels founded and directed a weeklong CLE program at the Center for American and International Law to teach trial skills to young criminal defense attorneys or attorneys who were new to the practice.  For 15 years, Barry Sorrels volunteered to direct the intensive program where participants practiced their advocacy and improved their skills with a faculty of some of Texas’ best criminal defense lawyers. Barry recruited the faculty, who likely agreed to serve because of Barry’s reputation.

During Barry’s tenure as director, almost 1000 young lawyers and new criminal defense lawyers were trained in trial skills and the life of a criminal defense lawyer by the very best in Texas. The Trial Skills Program was not simply a clinic. Under Barry’s direction, it was truly an experience. Participants often reported that this was the best program they had ever attended. Through Barry’s leadership, the program inspired the students to learn their craft, to devote themselves to the practice of criminal defense, and to be courageous.   The prominent faculty members also got to know each other better, started working together more, and sharing more resources. From the young criminal defense lawyers to the established elite attorneys Barry invited to the program, the program elevated the practice of all of them and, one must believe, the practice of criminal defense at courthouses all over the state.

In 2019, the Center for American and International Law created the Barry Sorrels Award to recognize exemplary commitment to leadership and mentorship in service of the legal community. Barry was the first recipient of this award in honor of his lengthy and noteworthy commitment to the Trial Skills Programs.

We are proud of Barry for his skill in the courtroom and the results he gets for his clients, but we are also extremely proud of the impact he has made in the criminal defense community at large.

Congratulations, Barry!