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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 2012

Editor's Column
Editor's Column

Be-Friending the Election Season
By:  Cameron J. Cox

          The next two months present a number of opportunities for us young lawyers to have our voices heard and to exercise that right we all went to law school to learn about and to protect- the right to vote. We vote in more than just primaries and general elections. We vote for those who oversee our self-governance within the Bar.

Top Story

2012 State Bar and TYLA Elections

Election 2012 for State Bar and TYLA presidents-elect and district directors is currently underway and will continue until 5:00 pm on May 1, 2012.

Click the link below to access your secure online ballot (you may also cut and paste this link https://www.vres.us/webapps/vwr2047.pgm?query=3 to your web browser).

Feature TYLA Project
Feature TYLA Project

Attorneys Without Borders
By:  Pricilla Camacho and Victor Villarreal, Project Co-Chairs

          In a historic visit brought by TYLA’s Diversity Committee, the City of Laredo was selected as a host city for oral arguments before the Texas Supreme Court.  The event, Attorneys Without Borders, was held on February 28th and 29th in the border city of Laredo.  This two day event began with a reception the night before oral arguments at the historic La Posada hotel in Laredo.

Feature TYLA Affiliate
Feature TYLA Affiliate

Fort Worth-Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association         

          The 2011-2012 year has been one of changes and new challenges for the Fort Worth-Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association. We added a number of new programs to our yearly events calendar. 

Tips For Young Lawyers

New Solos: Use Your “Downtime” Productively!
By:  Connie Hall

Starting a law practice can be a daunting task.  And, unless you were fortunate enough to bring a full book of business into your firm at start-up, you will likely, at least initially, have a lot of free time.  Here are some tips for using that time productively:
 
1)      Define an endgame.  What is the vision for your practice?  Although it may be necessary to take clients and their legal issues across a broad spectrum of practice areas when you’re starting out, have a vision for your firm.

Article of Interest
Article of Interest

Legal Writing for Tablet Readers
By:  Robert Dubose, Alexander, Dubose & Townsend L.L.P.

Why reading technology matters

          Over the past two decades, technology has profoundly changed the way most of us read. Once we read entirely on paper. Now we read more on screens.

          As researchers have discovered, screen reading has changed our reading habits too. In response, web designers and electronic publishers have changed the look of electronic documents.

Access To Justice Commission Update
Access To Justice Commission Update

Champions of Justice Gala for Veterans
By:  Georgia Trapp Nolan

On May 1, 2012, the Texas Access to Justice Commission will host its annual Champions of Justice  Gala for Veterans. The State Bar of Texas has graciously agreed to underwrite this worthwhile event so that all proceeds will be dedicated again solely to programs providing civil legal services to Veterans and will be distributed through the Texas Access to Justice Foundation.

Important Dates To Remember
Important Dates To Remember

April 13, 2012
TYLA Deadline to receive Liberty Bell, Outstanding Young Lawyer, and Outstanding Mentor Award Applications

April 20, 2012
TYLA deadline to receive entries for the TYLA State Awards of Achievement Program

April 23, 2012
TYLA Local Affiliate Grant Reports Due 

April 27-28, 2012
TYLA Board Meeting - LaToretta Resort, Montgomery

Take Note
Take Note



View This Month's TYLA President's Opinion
Natalie Cobb Koehler, TYLA President
 


State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting

June 14-15 • George R. Brown Convention Center & Hilton Americas • Houston

Get the most out of your Annual Meeting experience! Customize your schedule to receive the most recent updates in your practice area, learn the latest in cutting-edge tech trends, and take advantage of special presentations not available at any other course! You can receive all of your MCLE and ethics requirements for only $245 if you register before May 15. Registration includes breakfast, lunch, a flash drive with all Annual Meeting materials, free Wi-Fi in the meeting rooms and two quality days of CLE.

Register Online or download the full Course Brochure


2012 National Trial Competition

The top 28 teams out of over 300 competed in the 37th Annual National Trial Competition Championship Rounds on March 21-24, 2012 in Austin, Texas.  Congratulations to the 2012 National Trial Competition 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 affiliates 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 Kenneth C. Riney or Brooke Ulrickson Allen.




Ten Minute Mentor
Ten Minute Mentor is a TYLA project that debuted in 2004 as a means for sharing concise and practical advice that is always accessible online. Since that time, 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!
The Texas Young Lawyers Association 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 can be purchased for only $35.00 per year.

$25.00 from the purchase of each plate will be deposited into an account supporting legal services to the poor. If you would like that plate personalized, you can get your plate for $70.00 per year. To purchase your plate today, simply fill out an application and send your check, payable to the Texas Department of Transportation, to the following address:

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 14,000 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 2010-2011
Want to know how TYLA is serving its members and the community? Then be sure to read the 2010-2011 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 you a copy.