Buckle Up: Texas Lawyer Spotlights Kirk Pittard’s Passion for Aviation and the Law

Texas Lawyer recently featured Durham, Pittard & Spalding founding partner Kirk Pittard in its series on lawyers and their unique hobbies. Reporter Laura Lorek’s profile, Lawyer, Pilot, Mountain Climber: Dallas Attorney Does It All, dives into Pittard’s lifelong interest in both aviation and the law—and how the two intersect in his professional life. 

Click here to read the article.

After graduating from Baylor Law School in 1999—where he served as assistant managing editor of the Baylor Law Review—Pittard began flight training while working as a briefing attorney for Justice Jim Moseley on the Dallas Court of Appeals. Today, as an instrument-rated pilot, he flies his Bonanza A-36 several times a month for client meetings, court appearances, and visits to the firm’s Houston and Santa Fe offices.  

Pittard sees parallels between piloting and appellate practice: both require precision, technical skill, and sharp analytical thinking. 

“When I’m flying, I have to think through the plane’s operating systems, avionics, flight plan, and weather conditions. The attention to detail is critical,” he said. “Appellate work is similar—lots of research, analysis, and writing. I have to take complex legal issues and make them simple enough to explain clearly to the court.” 

That cockpit experience has also given him an edge in aviation litigation. 

“Aviation has its own language,” Pittard told Texas Lawyer. “Being able to speak the language is very helpful. There’s not a learning curve that I would need if this was all foreign to me.” 

The Texas Lawyer feature highlights how Durham, Pittard & Spalding encourages its lawyers to pursue interests outside the office. In Pittard’s case, that also includes spending time in the Colorado high country climbing peaks and fly fishing. 

"We want our attorneys to be happy in their personal lives because if they're happy personally, they're going to be happier with work," he said. "I maintain that balance by making sure I am getting up in the airplane and flying periodically, climbing mountains, and fly-fishing." 

Read the full Texas Lawyer article here.