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Bar Leaders Conference Kicks Off the Bar Year
By: Cameron Cox, Attorney, Sawko & Burroughs, P.C.

The 2011 Bar Leaders Conference, held this year in Houston, contained a unique aroma of service to the Bar with the flavor of giving back to the community. The Conference blended all local affiliates and leaders, allowing them to coordinate and develop successful initiatives for the upcoming year.

The Conference began with the unveiling of the State Bar of Texas’s initiatives for 2011-2012, introduced by this year’s president, Bob Black. President Black presented his vision for attorneys in Texas in the coming year, emphasizing the importance of a self-governing State Bar as the best way for attorneys to be governed. He then showcased two powerful videos. The first video featured an overview of Marbury v. Madision, which will serve as an informative video for all public school children to view and discuss in preparation for the TEKS test. This video analyzes the famous case that set the precedent for judicial review and the powerful role the United States Supreme Court serves in reviewing the constitutionality of laws and policies. The second video highlighted the contributions of attorneys throughout history in protecting the rights of all individuals.

The next day, TYLA led the Conference, beginning with TYLA President Natalie Koehler’s vision for TYLA in the coming year. Participants enjoyed a taste of this year’s projects that will be rolled out by TYLA. The projects include a statewide effort to teach parents and minors of the dangers of underage drinking, as well as a mental health initiative directed toward our colleagues in need of mental help and assistance. TYLA then led a series of breakout sessions geared toward the development and sharing of ideas between all local affiliates, such as what projects within their affiliates have been successful, ways to increase participation in their local affiliates, and ideas for future projects and initiatives to fulfill the needs within our Bar and communities.

TYLA also presented its end of the year awards and recognized the local affiliates who surpassed expectations and committed themselves to bettering their communities and local bar associations. For their commitment to the constant development of new ideas and projects within their region, the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers won first place in the overall comprehensive category. The Houston Young Lawyer Association’s Teen Summer Law Program won the award for best project. Other local affiliates that were recognized for their successful projects were: Austin Young Lawyers Association, San Antonio Young Lawyers Association, Texarkana Young Lawyers Association, Collin County Young Lawyers Association, Cameron County Young Lawyers Association, and Amarillo Area Young Lawyers Association.