TYLA Officers
   

Rebekah Steely Brooker, President
   

Dustin M. Howell, Chair
   

Sam Houston, Vice President
   

Baili B. Rhodes, Secretary
   

John W. Shaw, Treasurer
   

C. Barrett Thomas, President-elect
   

Priscilla D. Camacho, Chair-elect
   

Kristy Blanchard, Immediate Past President

TYLA Directors
   

Amanda A. Abraham, District 1
   

Sharesa Y. Alexander, Minority At-Large Director
   

Raymond J. Baeza, District 14
    Aaron J. Burke, District 5, Place 1
   

Aaron T. Capps, District 5, Place 2
   

D. Lance Currie, District 5, Place 3
   

Laura W. Docker, District 10, Place 1
    Andrew Dornburg, District 21
    John W. Ellis, District 8, Place 2
    Zeke Fortenberry, District 4
   

Bill Gardner, District 5, Place 4
   

Morgan L. Gaskin, District 6, Place 5
    Nick Guinn, District 18, Place 1
   

Adam C. Harden, District 6, Place 6
   

Amber L. James, District 17
   

Curtis W. Lucas, District 9
    Rudolph K. Metayer, District 8, Palce 1
   

Laura Pratt, District 3
    Sally Pretorius, District 8, Place 2
   

Baili B. Rhodes, District 2
   

Alex B. Roberts, District 6, Place 3
    Eduardo Romero, District 19
    Michelle P. Scheffler, District 6, Place 2
   

John W. Shaw, District 10, Place 2
    Nicole Soussan, District 6, Place 4
    L. Brook Stuntebeck, District 11
   

C. Barrett Thomas, District 15
    Judge Amanda N. Torres, Minority At-Large Director
   

Shannon Steel White, District 12
    Brandy Wingate Voss, District 13
    Veronica S. Wolfe, District 18, Place 2
   

Baylor Wortham, District 7
    Alex Yarbrough, District 16

   

Justice Paul W. Green, Supreme Court Liaison
   

Jenny Smith, Access To Justice Liaison
   

Brandon Crisp, ABA YLD District 25 Representative
   

Travis Patterson, ABA/YLD District 26 Representative
   

Assistant Dean Jill Nikirk, Law School Liaison
   

Belashia Wallace, Law Student Liaison

 

 
TYLA Office

Tracy Brown, Director of Administration
Bree Trevino, Project Coordinator
Michelle Palacios, Office Manager
General Questions: tyla@texasbar.com

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 12487, Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711-2487
(800) 204-2222 ext. 1529
FAX: (512) 427-4117

Street Address

1414 Colorado, 4th Floor
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 427-1529

 

Views and opinions expressed in eNews are those of their authors and not necessarily those of the Texas Young Lawyers Association or the State Bar of Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June-July 2012

Editor's Column
Editor's Column

Plan for Success
By: Robert E. Booth, Mills Shirley LLP

It’s been six months since you made your New Year’s Resolutions. Take a few days this summer to evaluate your progress and adjust your goals. Get organized, adjust your plan, and strive to succeed.

Top Story
Top Story

Central Texas High School Senior Day
By: Kathryn E. Boatman

     On May 9, 2012, the Texas Young Lawyers Association entertained close to 100 students and chaperones at Central Texas High School Senior Day at Baylor University School of Law.  The 2011-12 president of TYLA, Natalie Cobb Koehler, introduced the high school students to the program, which addressed issues facing the high school seniors.

Feature TYLA Project
Feature TYLA Project

TYLA Family Law Section Helps to Assist CPS
By: Kristy Piazza Blanchard, KoonsFuller PC

The Family Law Committee of TYLA has created a new project entitled What You Should Know About Your Child Abuse, Neglect or CPA Case. With a growing number of CPS cases in Texas and a lack of information available to the public about CPS, this resource seeks to provide information to the public about what to expect in a CPS case. The project is comprised of an informational handbook and a one page handout that summarizes the timeline of a CPS case.

Feature TYLA Affiliate
Feature TYLA Affiliate

Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Aid to the Homeless
By:  Chris Hodge, Attorney, Carrington Coleman

More than ten years ago, DAYL’s Aid to the Homeless Committee began collaborating with the Dallas Municipal Courts, the Dallas City Attorney’s office, and the Stewpot, a resource center for homeless and at-risk individuals in Dallas, to conduct a Community Court Project. This program allows homeless participants with certain kinds of misdemeanors to work off their sentence (from a guilty or no contest plea) on a Saturday by doing supervised community service.

Tips For Young Lawyers
Tips For Young Lawyers

Answering the Call: Responding to a Texas Subpoena (Civil and Criminal)
By: Baylor Wortham

You are sitting in your office one afternoon when you hear a knock at the door. You look up to see a former client standing in your doorway with a piece of paper and a nervous expression on their face. The client says, “I’ve just received this subpoena and I don’t know what to do!” “What are my options?” “What will happen to me if I don’t respond?” Many young Texas civil and criminal lawyers often find themselves facing these questions, but are unable to provide guidance because they are generally unfamiliar with the opposing criminal/civil side of Texas law.

Article of Interest

Interview with Judge Gregg Costa
By: Andy Soto, Mills Shirley LLP

On April 26, 2012, the United States Senate approved Gregg Jeffrey Costa to serve as U.S. Judge for the Southern District of Texas. Judge Costa is assigned to the Galveston Division, and also handles some of the docket in the Victoria Division.

ABA YLD Update

July 2012 ABA/YLD Update
By:  Jobe Rodgers

As we near the end of summer (already?!), I wanted to remind you all of the greatest opportunity for CLE and networking anywhere in the world.  Where, you ask?  The ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago, of course.  This year, the ABA will host the annual meeting in its home city alongside Lollapalooza. (I am sure this is not a coincidence).  From August 2-5, you can find CLE covering most any topic of interest.  There are also endless networking opportunities, such as the First Timers’ Reception, Section Connect, Networking Breakfast, and the ABA/YLD Fellows Gala.

Texas Access To Justice Commission Update
Texas Access To Justice Commission Update

Increasing Access to Justice with Interpreters in Texas Courts
By: Melissa Cook, Texas Access to Justice Commission, Staff Attorney

Imagine how difficult it would be to go to court to obtain a desperately needed protective order or probate a will if the proceedings occurred in a language you didn't understand and no interpreters were available. What would you do? Most of us would hire an interpreter. But for many poor and low-income Texans who aren’t fluent in English, this obstacle to justice is simply insurmountable.   

Important Dates To Remember
Important Dates To Remember

July 31-August 6, 2012
ABA/NABE/NCBP/NCBF & ABA/YLD Annual Meeting; House of Delegates - Chicago, IL

August 17, 2012
TYLA Minority Scholarship applications and brochures mailed to all participating Texas ABA-accredited law schools

August 24, 2012
TYLA deadline to receive grant applications for the 2012-2013 Local Affiliate Grant Program

Take Note
Take Note



View This Month's TYLA President's Opinion
C.E. Rhodes, TYLA President

Keith L. Krueger

Dear TYLA Family and Friends,
It is with great sadness and very heavy hearts that we inform you that Keith Kreuger, our secretary, passed away on Friday night. His leadership, friendship, service, and laughter will be missed greatly. We ask that you keep Keith's family, his firm, the current TYLA Board of Directors, Tracy, Bree, and Michelle in your thoughts and prayers. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that charitable gifts be made to Bethel Lutheran Church, 4221 Boonville Road, Bryan, Texas 77802.
 

Congratulations to TYLA's Local Affiliates! 
The Texas Young Lawyers Association has reviewed the 2012 Awards of Achievement applications submitted and selected the winners.  Please click here for a list of the 2011-2012 TYLA Local Affiliate Awards of Achievement winners.  Once again, congratulations and thank you all for participating in this program.

Please note:  August 24, 2012 is the deadline to receive grant applications for the 2012-2013 Local Affiliate Grant Program.  Please click here for more information.

 

TYLA Minority Scholarship Program
Annually, a $1,000 scholarship is awarded to one minority student at each Texas law school. The scholarship promotes diversity in the legal profession by assisting members of minority populations within the bar to: (1) enter the legal profession; and (2) participate in the programs and activities of TYLA and the State Bar of Texas. The application deadline is October 15, 2012. The scholarship awards are distributed prior to the Spring semester. For more information please click here.


2012 State Moot Court Competition
Seven Texas Law Schools competed in the Annual State Moot Court Competition on June 12-14, 2012 in Houston, Texas.  Congratulations to the 2012 State Moot Court Champion, Baylor University School of Law! Click here for a full list of the results.

 

Oyez, Oyez, Oh Yay!
State Bar President Bob Black has worked with the State Bar Law-Related Education Department on Oyez, Oyez, Oh Yay! Civics Resources for Texas Students and Teachers, an interactive web-based project to assist Texas teachers and their students in preparing for the new Texas Essential and Knowledge Skills (TEKS) standards, which took effect Aug. 1, 2011. The website includes links to landmark court case decisions that students are required to study, as well as videos and other multimedia tools, and teacher resources. Toolkits are also available that include information on the new TEKS standards, as well as a sample case summary, sample teaching strategies, a list of online resources, and other curriculum ideas from Law-Related Education.  For a toolkit, which includes a video sample on Marbury v. Madison, contact Judy Marchman or call (800) 204-2222, ext. 1520.

 
Back-to-School Savings through the State Bar Member Discounts Program
Take advantage of the State Bar Member Discounts Program to save money on computers and books. Visit texasbar.beneplace.com for more great savings from dozens of retailers and service providers. State Bar Member Discounts — A new way for Texas lawyers to shop!

TYLA Local Leader Directory
Please email the TYLA office if there are any changes to your local affiliate's contact information.

If your affiliate has an upcoming event that you would like featured in eNews, please forward the information to Bree Trevino or contact eNews Co-Chairs Robert E. Booth, Leif Olson or Victor Villarreal.




Ten Minute Mentor
Ten Minute Mentor debuted in 2004 to sheare concise and practical advice that is always accessible online. Since then, it has proven its enduring appeal as one of TYLA's most successful projects. More than 50,000 people have visited the site, and we continue to average more than 2,000 segments viewed each month. You can visit the site at www.tenminutementor.com.



Support Pro Bono Legal Services and Let Everyone Know It!
TYLA needs your help to support and promote free legal services for indigent Texans by purchasing a specialty license plate. The license plate proudly states that you support "Justice for All" and costs only $35.00 per year, or $70.00 for a personalized plate.

$25.00 from the purchase of each plate will go to support legal services to the poor.  To buy your plate, simply fill out an application and send your check, payable to the Texas Department of Transportation, to:

Vehicle Titles and Registration Division (SPB)
Texas Department of Transportation
Austin, TX 78779-0001
To pay online click here.

Make New Connections with Texas Bar Circle
More than 15,000 of your peers have joined Texas Bar Circle - our social and professional network for Texas lawyers. Join today and reconnect with colleagues, find jobs, explore opportunities, and have fun. The power of Texas Bar Circle is in the connections you will make. Visit here.

TYLA Annual Report 2011-2012
Want to know how TYLA is serving its members and the community? Then be sure to read the 2011-2012 Annual Report, which details the activities of TYLA during the 2010-2011 Bar year. Click here for a copy or call 800-204-2222, ext. 1529 and we'll send one.