Who is Joseph D. Jamail Jr. - Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award

Joseph D. Jamail, Jr. was born in Houston, Texas where he grew up to attend St. Thomas High School. Attorney Joseph D. Jamail graduated from the University of Texas with a B.A. in 1950 and from the University Of Texas School Of Law in 1953. As a lawyer he was known for his passion and his aggression in practice. He is also known for his caustic behavior. This behavior caused him problems while practicing in Delaware Courts. When told lawyers should not be involved emotionally in their cases, Joseph D. Jamail Jr. replied that was nonsense! ''How can I not be involved? I’ve been involved all my life.'' This was the man who was awarded Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award.

Joseph D. Jamail Jr. received an honor few attorneys ever achieve. He was honored by the Texas Bar Association as a recipient of the Outstanding Fifty Year Lawyer Award for the year 2003. He was admitted to the bar to practice law in 1952 and received his degree in 1953. The award recognizes attorneys whose careers span fifty years and whose integrity and principles are their hallmark. Attorney Joseph Jamail holds a membership as:
 

• Fellow of the American College and International Academy of Trial Lawyers
• Fellow of the International Academy of Law and Science
• Sustaining Life Fellow to the Texas State Bar
• Trustee of the University of Texas Law School

His is well known for representing Pennzoil against Texaco where Pennzoil won the case and his fee for the win was $335 million. He is well known through out Texas by the dedication of a football field in his name as well as the Joseph D. Jamail Jr. Pavilion on the campus he attended, The University of Texas School of Law. A Swimming Center on the campus was also named the Lee and Joe Jamail Swimming Center for both his wife and himself. The University also has presented two statues in honor of the man who had donated millions of dollars to the Law School at the University of Texas. He also contributed to the University of Texas at Austin. It was for many of his contributions to the state that he was honored with the Outstanding Fifty Year Lawyer Award.

Most recently in 2008, Attorney Joseph D. Jamail Jr. donated $15 million dollars to support not only the law school at University of Texas, but also the Nursing School and the College itself. The school renamed another structure in his honor for the generous gift.

Attorney Joseph D. Jamail Jr., honored with the Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award had a copious beginning coming from a Lebanese Family who owned the local grocery market. As a young kid he learned to take care of himself against bullies who picked fights everyday for going to a catholic school. That is where he learned to fight for people who had been unfairly treated which worked very well for him as a Trial Court Lawyer.