Burta Rhoads Raborn was a recognized expert in Texas family law. Burta was born in London, England in 1935 but was raised and educated in Houston, Texas. She received a B.A. in accounting and economics from Rice University in 1956 and graduated with honors from the University of Houston Law Center in 1962.
For years Ms. Raborn was a dedicated member of the faculty for the annual State Bar of Texas Advanced Family Law Course, serving as Course Director in 1996. A noted and gifted author and speaker, Burta enjoyed a distinguished career as a Houston trial attorney for over thirty-five years. A former CPA, she belonged to the American Trial Lawyers Association, the Houston Bar Association, the Association of Women Attorneys, the Gulf Coast Family Law Specialists and the Texas Association of Certified Family Law Lawyers. She was a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and was a Master of the American Inns of Court—Family Law Section of Houston.
Over the course of her career, Burta was honored with numerous awards and accolades, including the Judge Sam Emison Award by the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, the David A. Gibson Award of Excellence for Professionalism by the Gulf Coast Family Law Specialists and the Outstanding Woman Award by the Federation of Houston Professional Women. She was included in Houston’s First Edition of “Who’s Who” in 1980. Shortly before her death, she was presented with the Dan Rugeley Price Memorial Award by the Texas Bar Foundation and the “Outstanding Mentor” award by the American Inns of Court—Family Law Section of Houston.
Back when women saw few avenues into the legal profession, Burta vigorously sought for their inclusion as a founding member of the Association of Women Attorneys. Her dedication to that cause never wavered as she personally encouraged hundreds of women to pursue their dreams.
Burta Rhoads Raborn passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer on June 9, 1998. This chapter of the American Inns of Court is dedicated to her memory.