Diamond McCarthy mourns the loss of our partner, beloved colleague and friend, and one of Texas' most successful and respected trial lawyers, Darrell E. Jordan , who passed away on January 30, 2019 at age 80.

 

Darrell was a trailblazer and true leader in the legal profession, a champion of diversity and a passionate advocate for equal access to justice.

 

Darrell devoted his life to the pursuit of helping others, with particular focus on the less fortunate and under-represented. Through his dedication, Darrell paved the way at the State Bar of Texas for innovative initiatives and programs, including those that assisted individuals in need by providing accessible free legal services.

 

With his passing, he leaves behind a remarkable legal career accompanied by numerous awards, recognitions and achievements bestowed upon him by the Dallas Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas, the American Bar Association, and the Texas Bar Foundation, to name a few.

 

Darrell also was president of the State Bar of Texas in 1989-1990, after serving as president of the Dallas Bar Association in 1982. Among the noteworthy recognitions honoring Darrell's dedication to his profession and public service are the Texas Bar Foundation’s “Outstanding 50-Year Lawyer” Award, The Texas Lawbook’s “Lions of the Texas Bar” Award (which acknowledges 50 of the most successful Texas lawyers of the past half-century), the Texas Appleseed Foundation’s “Good Apple” Award, the Texas Access to Justice Commission’s “Stars of Justice” Award, and the Dallas Lawyers Auxiliary’s “Justinian” Award. 

 

Darrell was a truly joyful person who lived life to the fullest, eagerly shared his wickedly funny sense of humor and had a remarkable gift for storytelling. He will be fondly remembered and sorely missed by those who had the honor of knowing him as a partner, friend, legal counselor, colleague, mentor and dedicated family man. His professional legacy includes an entire generation of talented lawyers who developed their skills under his guidance at Diamond McCarthy and his previous firms. There is no doubt that his inspiring work and positive influence will be remembered by people across the state of Texas and around the nation for many years to come.

 

Most importantly, Darrell was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle who prioritized, cherished and adored his family above all else. The community lost one of its very best with Darrell's passing and, while we are beyond saddened by this difficult loss, we also celebrate a life well lived. Our deepest sympathies are with his family members and his many friends.