LEGAL EAGLES
John Forrest, Jr. — The Humble Attorney
Attorney With Only One Client: Parker County
Parker County Attorney John Forrest, Jr. came from a
law enforcement household, so for him, passing the
bar in 1995 was a natural step.
“I idolized my dad and he encouraged me that it
would be a good course to pursue based on what he
did and then taking it one step further,” Forrest said.
For Forrest, the best part about working for the
county is that he gets to help and protect the people
who need him the most. From the abused children
to the battered wives, it’s his ability to help people
in times of crisis that makes his job worthwhile. He
considers himself fortunate to be able to have a career
that impacts so many lives.
“I am a fortunate one in that I enjoy what I do.
When you enjoy what you do, it isn’t hard to get out
of bed and look forward to the week. Sometimes at the
end of week, you’re looking forward to Monday,” he
said.
So what are his favorite cases?
“Favorite cases are sad because they go back to
CPS (Child Protective Services) days. We always want
reunification of families. That is the first thing that CPS
wants,” Forest said. “Absolutely reunification of a fami-
ly. If we can put a family back together, and the crime
hasn’t been so heinous that we can’t, that is always a
great thing to see at the end of the day; a family that
goes through the work to put their family back togeth-
er. Those are the best cases, being successful watching
a family move forward, not breaking them apart and
taking them down.”
Forrest says that a lot has changed in the 20-plus
56
years that he has been practicing law, with one of the
biggest things being public opinion on multiple issues
nationwide.
“A lot of things haven’t made it here yet. One of
the big ones, legalization of marijuana. I hope we
never get there. I hope that the states who have legal-
ized it will review what they have done and realize
they have made a mistake. Personal injury, tort reform,
so it is a great profession still, but it is not the one that
people thought it was when you could go out and
make a million dollars over night,” he said.
What Forrest is most proud of though, is his work
with different organizations in the community. He
currently works with Freedom House, the Parker
County Children’s Advocacy Center, the Parker County
Committee on Aging, and many more.
He is also a member of Noon Lions and Rotary.
“I get a reward out of seeing Parker County being
a better place that way. I think the great thing about
these organizations is that they help different people
throughout the county they have different causes they
are endeared to.
It’s this dedication to county and community that
this Rotarian and Lion wants to be remembered for.
“The Freedom House, The CAC, Committee on
Aging, they are all near and dear to my heart and so I
want to continue to see them do well and to provide
for the v ictims and the individuals. I would like for
people to know that I was a part of that and helped
move them forward,” he said.