A Recognized Leader in Family and Juvenile Law
William B. (“Bill”) Connolly, J.D., is a 1974 Graduate of the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada and a 1979 graduate of South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas. His practice is focused mainly in the areas of Family Law, Child Welfare Law, Juvenile Law and Civil Appellate Law. He is the only attorney in Texas that is Board Certified in Family Law, Child Welfare Law and Juvenile Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Bill is a Certified Child Welfare Law Specialist by the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC). He is a former Professor of Juvenile and Child Welfare Law at South Texas College of Law and is a past Officer, Director and Chair of both of the Juvenile Law Section of the Houston Bar Association and the Juvenile Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. Bill is a frequent author and presenter at CLE programs throughout Texas.
Bill is a former member of the Collaborative Council to The Permanent Commission on Children Family and Youth of the Texas Supreme Court and currently servers on the TBLS Committee on the Child Welfare Law Certification. Bill is a member of the Texas Family Law Foundation and is a member of the Collaborative Divorce Texas.
Bill is married to Lind Butler and is an Elder at St. Philip Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling (although not so much lately), creative writing and photography.
Education:
South Texas College of Law, J.D. (1979)
The University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada B.A. (1974)
Areas of Practice
Family Law
Juvenile Law
Child Welfare Law
Civil Appellate Law
Certified Legal Specialties
Board Certified, Child Welfare Law – Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Board Certified, Family Law – Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Board Certified, Juvenile Law – Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Child Welfare Law, National Association Counsel for Children (NACC)
Texas Super Lawyer
Chair – State Bar of Texas, Juvenile Law Section (2009)
Chair – Houston Bar Association, Juvenile Law Section (1995)
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) – (Board of Directors – Texas – 2004 – 2005)
Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists (TAFLS) (Past Member)
Texas Family Law Foundation
Gulf Coast Family Law Specialists (Past Member)
AV Rated – Martindale-Hubbell
Adjunct Professor of Child Welfare and Juvenile Law – South Texas College of Law – 1998-2001
Mediator, Civil Trial, Family, Appellate and Other Civil Disputes
Collaborative Divorce Texas
Continuing Legal Education Speaker/Author – 1981-Present
Permanent Commission on Children, Family Youth – Texas Supreme Court (Collaborative Counsel) (Past Member)
Member, College of the State Bar of Texas
Member, Houston Bar Association (Sections: Juvenile, Family and Appellate)
Member, Houston Bar Foundation
Family Law
Obtained Custody for Grandparents in a case involving parental addiction and mental health issues.
Successfully defended a custody modification case in favor of a father
Obtained Custody for Father in a parental alienation case
Successfully defended a physically and sexually abused partner in Protective Order case
Obtained Custody for Grandparents in a case involving parental use of drugs
Obtained managing conservatorship for both Fathers and Mothers in cases involving substance abuse by the spouses
Obtained standard possession order in favor of one grandparent against another grandparent
Obtained access and permission to disabled son and disabled grandson over objection of other parent.
Obtained relief against improper Qualified Domestic Relations Order and Post Judgment Clarification Order.
Read more about our family law practice
Juvenile Law
Obtained early termination of probation on Aggravated Robbery Case
Obtained acquittals in court and jury trials in drug possession cases
Secured Dismissal of Cases Accusing a Sex Trafficked Girl of Delinquent Conduct
Successful denial of Transfers to Adult Court in Certification case.
Secured Dismissal of Aggravated Robbery case
Successful defenses in cases involving claims of sexual assault
Obtained a no disposition (punishment) on assault case
Obtained reversal in a wavier of jurisdiction (certification case)
Obtained orders setting aside dispositions (sentences) due to a lack of jurisdiction.
Read more about our juvenile law practice
CPS(DFPS) Child Welfare Law
Obtained jury award of termination of parental rights in favor of foster parents
DFPS Ordered to provide a disabled parent “reasonable accommodations” in a Family Service Plan
Successfully defended several parental rights termination cases
Obtained termination of parental rights and grandparent conservatorship in several cases
Successfully defended parents in several initial custody determinations against DFPS at Adversary Hearings.
Obtained return of child to parents from CPS in several cases
Obtained Custody for grandparents over foster parent intervention
Obtained reversal of child abuse and child neglect findings against parents in several CPS Administrative Review Proceedings (ARIF)
Read more about out CPS (DFPs) Child Welfare Law Practice
Appellate Law
Successfully obtained several Writs of Mandamus which voided Orders entered by trial courts that did not have proper jurisdiction.
Participated with a team of attorneys in Texas Supreme Court decision reversing the Austin Court of Appeals and redefining the “Acceptance of Benefits” doctrine in Texas
Secured reversal of a divorce and property division due to legal and factual insufficiency of the evidence.
Successfully defended Mandamus action against a trial court judge’s conservatorship award to a grandparent.
Multiple reversals of parental rights termination cases for legal and factual insufficiency of the evidence
Successfully obtained reversal of a termination case on behalf of a mother over claims she did not complete services to the satisfaction of CPS
Successfully obtained reversal of a parental rights termination case where court found that the “reasonable discipline” exception to child abuse applied.
Successfully obtained reversal of parental rights termination case where mother was a victim of domestic violence.
Successfully obtained reversal of a parental rights case where the trial court never obtained jurisdiction of minor mother.
Successfully reversed post judgment clarification proceedings where trial court improperly made substantive changes to property division, without jurisdiction.
Successfully reversed several orders and decree after trial court improperly struck interventions brought by people with proper standing.
Successful mandamus proceedings in cases where trial court entered orders without jurisdiction and improperly attempted to clarify the orders when court had no jurisdiction to do so.
Legal and Professional Writings, Speeches and CLE Presentations: William B. Connolly
Lost in Translation: Translation Issues in Juvenile Cases – 9th Annual Adjusting the Bar Ad Litem Conference (September 27, 2024)
Thinking Outside The Box; Creative Motion Practice, Child Abuse and Neglect, Advanced Family Law (August 7, 2024)
Filing for Mandamus in Child Welfare Proceedings (May 7, 2024)
Juvenile Cases: Translation Problems and Ethical Considerations (November 17, 2023)
Case Law Update – Fourth Annual Advanced Child Welfare Law Seminar (March 25, 2022)
Representation of Children in Dual Systems with Sex Related Offenses (Conflicts and Duties of DFPS and Ad Litems) – 18th Annual Special Education, Child Welfare, and the Juvenile Justice System (June 17, 2022)
Case Law Update -Texas Association of Family Defense Attorneys (June 10, 2022)
Lost in Translation: Translation Issues in DFPS Cases – 9th Annual Adjusting the Bar Ad Litem Conference (September 6, 2019)
Service Plans of Parents with Disabilities – 9th Annual Adjusting the Bar Ad Litem Conference (September 6, 2019)
Appellate Issues in DFPS Cases – 9th Annual Adjusting the Bar Ad Litem Conference (September 7, 2019)
A Quantum Leap: Defending a 262 Hearing in a DFPS Case – Brazoria County Bar Association (October 27, 2017)
Urgent Need and Reasonable Efforts: Defending a 262 Hearing in a DFPS case – 7th Annual Adjusting the Bar Ad Litem Conference (April 14, 2017)
What You See Isn’t Always What You Get (How Mental Health Professionals Should Respond to Subpoenas) – Council On Recovery February 22, 2017
“What Just Happened?”: Ethics and Effective Assistance of Counsel at a DFPS Adversary Hearing – 6th Annual Adjusting the Bar Conference(April 29, 2016)
Other Writings and Presentations and CV Available upon Request
