Partner Michael K. Hurst, first-time male recipient of the Louise B. Raggio Award presented by the Dallas Women Lawyers Association, comments in the "Women Leaders in Law 2017" D CEO issue on the importance of promoting women in the legal profession.

Once women lawyers take on leadership roles in a firm, those who hire them don't regret it. Last year's Dallas Women Lawyers Association's Louise B. Raggio Award, for the first time, went to a male lawyer, Michael Hurst with Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst, LLP. He believes gender equality is the moral responsibility of all lawyers and that clients, the legal profession, and the community are served better when both women and men lawyers contribute.

"Not only is it our collective moral responsibility to promote women, but it is also in the best interests of our clients and law firms," he says.