Editor's Column

TYLA Is Here to Help
By: Amanda Torres Tiffany

November has definitely been memorable. Emotions are running high post-election, and for a lot of people, things seem topsy-turvy. However, a lot of good things have happened this month like the release of the results of the July 2016 Texas Bar Exam. Our profession just grew by about two-thousand new lawyers, and that means new advocates, new adversaries, and new ideas coming into the practice of law.

New lawyers are often called “baby lawyers” because everything is new, or being done for the first time. Don’t be embarrassed or worried if you do not know how to do everything your first day at work. It is called the practice of law for a reason! We are all still learning new things and keeping up with new changes.

The minute you become a new lawyer, you are automatically a member of the Texas Young Lawyer’s Association and TYLA has a lot to offer! If you are setting up your own shingle, definitely take time to scope out our Office in a Flash project, which is designed to assist young lawyers in opening their own firm.  It contains information about business plans, firm structure, office logistics, technology, and how to manage revenue. It even has a free 1 hour of CLE! Also, look at our Ten Minute Mentor program that features short videos on useful topics. The presenters include some legends, jurists, experts, and young lawyers. These videos are short and packed with information on a variety of topics from Alternate Dispute Resolution to Wills, Trusts, and Probate.

All lawyers can benefit from TYLA’s many available programs and guides. For example, TYLA has criminal law toolkit, and a separate specialized criminal law toolkit for representing clients with misdemeanor drug offenses. We have a pamphlet on the Attorney-Client Relationship that you can hand out to your clients, so they can learn about the importance of this relationship, and hopefully avoid accidentally waiving important privileges. TYLA also offers a twenty-minute video called “Justice 101” that explains the litigation process to clients.

TYLA does not only want to help you professionally, we are also interested in the total well-being of the members of the bar. So head to our website and click around, you will find information on almost every topic you can think of! If we don’t have the information you are looking for, let us know.

Finally, congratulations to all the new lawyers that have entered the bar and welcome to the Texas Young Lawyer’s Association. TYLA is here to help you succeed.

Amanda Torres Tiffany is an associate at Branscomb | PC in Corpus Christi, Texas where her practice focuses on civil litigation including probate litigation, and guardianships. She is a Minority At-Large Director, Small City, for the Texas Young Lawyer’s Association.  Amanda can be reached at atorres@branscombpc.com.