Real change needs real commitment—meet Caitlyn

Because of supporters like you, the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) can take on urgent civil rights cases and build the legal power needed to challenge injustice and defend constitutional rights across Texas. TCRP doesn’t do this work alone. We partner with pro bono attorneys who expand our legal capacity and strengthen our efforts. These volunteer lawyers generously contribute their time and expertise to support our clients and advance justice.

This impact comes to life through the work of pro bono partners like Caitlyn Silhan.

A partner at Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel in Dallas, Caitlyn has practiced law since 2011.  She’s a mother of two, balancing a demanding legal career with the daily realities of raising a family. Her practice focuses on qui tam whistleblower cases under the False Claims Act and toxic tort litigation. She brings unwavering dedication, legal skill, and a personal commitment to justice to every case.

Caitlyn first connected with TCRP in 2014, through a partnership to sue the state of Texas over its failure to help register voters at the Department of Public Safety. Over several years, TCRP attorneys and Caitlyn litigated side by side, ultimately securing meaningful relief that has increased voter registrations by as much as 100,000 each month. 

Caitlyn’s partnership has expanded beyond voting rights into TCRP’s Criminal Legal Program, where she’s helped TCRP take on cases with serious First Amendment and civil rights implications.

Caitlyn shared: “As pro bono attorneys, one of the things we value deeply about partnering with TCRP is their expertise across a range of civil rights issues in Texas. Their commitment to long-term, systemic advocacy adds tremendous value not only to the litigation itself but to the clients we serve. And as Texans, it’s significant to support an organization with deep roots in our state and dedicated to advancing justice in our communities.” 

Her dedication to this work is profoundly personal and grounded in the community she serves. Living in Dallas, she sees the real-life impact of unjust policies, particularly in cases like Waggoner v. City of Dallas, where she and TCRP are challenging a city ordinance that criminalizes asking for help in public spaces.

In her words, “These are our clients. They get ticketed, fined, and pulled into a cycle of panhandling to pay the fines they’ve incurred for trying to meet their basic needs. I see examples of this every day in my community, so I’m proud to stand alongside TCRP to fight to make the system better for my neighbors.”

This kind of long-term, values-driven advocacy is what sets TCRP’s partnership apart.

Caitlyn’s firm, founded in Dallas, has worked with numerous legal nonprofits over the years. Still, she sees something distinct in the way TCRP engages with Texas communities, both locally and statewide. 

“As a Texas-based firm, it means something to engage in pro bono work that has a direct impact here at home. As a plaintiff-side firm, our core mission is to help individuals and families navigate difficult circumstances and secure justice. With every case we take on with TCRP, we see that shared mission in action, driving meaningful change for individuals and communities. Their work doesn’t just move the needle on policy, it changes lives. That’s what makes this partnership deeply fulfilling.” — Caitlyn Silhan

And your support is what makes this possible.

Your generosity powers the strategy, relationships, and infrastructure behind these cases. It ensures pro bono attorneys like Caitlyn have the backing they need to show up—where others won’t—and to keep fighting through every stage of complex, high-impact litigation.

Caitlyn noted, “There are many cases firms simply don’t have the appetite or capacity to take on. But through our partnership with TCRP, we’ve pursued cases that matter deeply. If TCRP weren’t here, who would fill that gap?”

This is how TCRP, with your support, builds legal power: by uniting people, strategy, and resources to defend civil rights and challenge injustice in every corner of Texas.

When you support the Texas Civil Rights Project, you help ensure TCRP can identify core civil rights issues, recruit pro bono partners like Caitlyn, and partner meaningfully to take on Texas’s most brutal civil rights battles. Caitlyn’s experience demonstrates how pro bono partnerships not only protect our neighbors but also help identify and challenge the systems that harm entire communities.

Because of you, TCRP isn’t just taking on cases—we’re standing with communities, empowering advocates, and driving change one attorney, one breakthrough, one fight at a time. Thank you for standing with TCRP in the fight for a better Texas.