Senior Counsel Katie Tipper-McWhorter and her husband Simon McWhorter have established a mental health initiative with an endowment fund to benefit the students at the University of Houston Law Center.
The endowment will focus on providing UH law students with opportunities to discuss mental health issues and develop skills to better address the challenges they will encounter during school and in their future legal careers.
Inspiration for the fund arose out of the recognition that Tipper-McWhorter’s personal support system, which has been built over a decade and included several mentorship programs, is focused on the unique aspect of the women’s experience in the legal profession.
“It’s a tough job. It’s competitive, it’s challenging—really all the things that make the job great are also aspects of the job that can weigh on you,” says Tipper-McWhorter. Her goal for the initiative is to help combat the stigma surrounding mental health issues and ultimately lead to building camaraderie between colleagues in their companies through conversations about their personal challenges.
“We are very proud of Katie and this important effort for law students. She and Simon are giving back in a meaningful way that will have long-term impacts for future lawyers.” says Tracy LeRoy, partner.
Learn more about the endowment here: Katie Tipper-McWhorter: Counseling the Counselor