FORT WORTH – Benson Varghese, managing partner of Varghese Summersett, is the new president of the Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (TCCDLA). Varghese took helm on January 1, 2021.
Varghese was elected on December 11 during the bar association’s virtual monthly luncheon in Fort Worth. He was among 12 criminal defense attorneys named to the 2021 TCCDLA Executive Board.
“I am honored to have been selected by the defense bar to serve in this capacity,” Varghese said. “We have a lot planned for 2021 and I look forward to working with the Board to build on past initiatives and implement new ones. We are focused on equipping our members with the resources they need to be the most zealous advocates, particularly in light of how the pandemic has changed the legal landscape.”
The Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association is a non-profit association of lawyers who practice criminal defense in Tarrant County. The organization’s focus is to protect citizen’s Constitutional rights, keep its members updated on the latest developments in criminal law, and educate the public about the need for strict adherence to ethical standards in the criminal justice system.
The organization’s membership is overseen by officers and directors who are elected annually. The outgoing president, Gary Smart, officially passed the torch on New Year’s Day to the new executive board:
- President, Benson Varghese
- President Elect, Harold Johnson
- 1st Vice President, Emily LaChance
- Vice President, Leigh Davis
- Treasurer, William Biggs
- Secretary, Miles Brissette
- Membership, Monroe Solomon
- Director, Gary Smart
- Director, Rose Anna Salinas
- Director, Dewayne Huston
- Director, Elizabeth Cortright
- Director, Brad Shaw
Benson Varghese is the founder and managing partner of Varghese Summersett PLLC, one of the largest and fastest growing criminal defense firms in Tarrant County. A former prosecutor, Varghese has handled thousands of state and federal criminal cases and taken more than 100 to jury trial. He is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and a Member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, honors reserved for few Texas attorneys. He also guided his firm to be included in Inc. 5000, an exclusive ranking of America’s fastest-growing private companies. Varghese has been named an Entrepreneur of Excellence, a Minority Leader in Business, a Top Attorney, and a Super Lawyer Rising Star, among numerous other accolades. In May 2019, he was named the Outstanding Young Lawyer of Tarrant County.
Learn more about Benson Varghese on the firm’s website, www.versustexas.com.