The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
By:  Natalie Cobb Koehler

It’s that time of year again…time for candidates for TYLA President-Elect to travel the state in an effort to meet as many young lawyers as they can before Election Day. This year we are fortunate to have two outstanding candidates from large cities, C.E. Rhodes from Houston and David Courreges from Austin. On April 1st, election packets with a paper ballot will be mailed to all eligible attorneys. You may either submit your paper ballot via mail or vote online. The deadline to cast ballots is 5 p.m. CST on April 30th.

SAYLA Starts Spring with Family Fun
By:  Priscilla Camacho

Moving away from the traditional cocktail socials and happy hours, SAYLA will be hosting its Inaugural Family Fun Fest and Chili Cook-Off on March 6, 2011. The festivities will take place at San Antonio's Brackenridge Park and will be open to the entire legal community and their families. This event promises to have everything from face painting and piñatas to snow cones and even a moon walk for the kids! Not leaving anything out, we are also hosting a chili cook-off where lawyers can show off their culinary skills and present their family's secret recipe. Each participant will compete for Best Chili and People's Choice Award.

How to See the Inside of the Courtroom by April
By: Erin O’Driscoll, Attorney, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Are your cases settling before trial? Do you miss that sudden surge of adrenaline as you head down to the courthouse steps? Do you want to help foster superior advocacy skills among law students? If you answered yes, TYLA is offering you the opportunity to be a part of a full blown trial—become a volunteer at the upcoming preeminent mock trial competition in Houston!

TBLS WANTS YOU!
By:  Gary McNeil

The Texas Board of Legal Specialization was established in 1974 by the Supreme Court of Texas to administer a program under which attorneys with sufficient experience, continuing legal education and education in a specific area of law could become “Board Certified” in that area and advertise the certification. The goals of the program were to recognize expertise and encourage ongoing study in a specialty area and to provide the public with a means of identifying a capable attorney in that area.

Summaries of Evidence
By: Bonnie Sudderth, Judge of the 352nd District Court

The Hitchhiker’s Guide, a fictitious travel guide in Douglas Adams' humorous five-part “trilogy,” Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is touted as the most comprehensive source of information on intergalactic space travel destinations. In the Guide, planet Earth is summed up in two words: “Mostly harmless.”

Bank on Justice! Get your money in a Prime Partner bank
By:  Benet Magnuson

The State Bar Board of Directors adopted a resolution supporting the IOLTA Prime Partner Program. The Resolution encourages Texas lawyers to support the Prime Partner Program in three ways:

1. Ask your bank to become a Prime Partner.
2. If your bank won’t become a Prime Partner, move your money to a Prime Partner bank. A list of Prime Partner financial institutions is available here.
3. Talk to your colleagues about the Prime Partner program and the need for increased funding for civil legal aid in Texas.

2011 Midyear Meeting Report

More than 350 young lawyers attended the Midyear Meeting held February 10-12, in Atlanta, Georgia. This report contains the highlights of this very successful Meeting.

ABA YLD Assembly
Delegates from across the country gathered on Saturday, February 12th for the ABA YLD Assembly. Four resolutions were adopted (which is fairly unusual), and each was presented by young lawyers:

March 10-11
ABA Bar Leadership Institute - Chicago, IL

March 11
TYLA Joseph M. Pritchard Inn membership applications mailed to all past and present officers and directors of TYLA

March 14
TYLA deadline to receive completed nomination forms for the Minority At-Large Director Place 1 election

March 18
TYLA deadline to receive completed nomination forms for the ABA YLD District 26 Representative election

March 21
TYLA ballots for the ABA YLD District 26 Representative election mailed to all ABA YLD District 26 affiliate presidents