ABA YLD

TYLA and ABA YLD Welcome Jay Forester as the New District 26 Representative
By: Victor A. Flores

This is going to be another exciting bar year. We especially want to share some great news: Jay Forester, an employees’ wage attorney from Dallas, has been elected as the new American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division representative for District 26. The district covers most, if not all, of North/West Texas, including Dallas, Fort Worth, Tyler, Texarkana, Waco, Midland, Odessa, Lubbock, Amarillo, and El Paso. Jay was previously a Texas Young Lawyers Association director for District 5, Place 4. He was an active participant on numerous TYLA projects, including, among others, presenting on Wage/Hour Legal Updates at the TYLA CLE Roadshow in McAllen and facilitating a Conozca Sus Derechos (Know Your Rights) community presentation in McKinney. We are confident that Jay is going to bring the same level of energy serving the ABA YLD as its Texas liaison.

For those new to the ABA YLD section, Texas has two district representatives. With approximately 30,000 practicing young lawyers spread over the Texas plains, Hill County and valleys, the Lone Star State definitely benefits from having two representatives. District 25 covers the southern and central portion of the state, including Houston, San Antonio, Beaumont, Bryan/College Station, Austin, Laredo, and McAllen/Brownsville. If you are unsure which district representative represents you and your area, you can find additional information here.

A proposal has recently been made to reduce ABA YLD representation down to a single district, which is why Jay and I have adopted an age-old Texas saying as our motto for the year: Come and Take It. In addition to our respective districts, we are proud to serve you and invite your ideas for improving bar service to our Texas young lawyers. We want to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to contact either of us (Victor Flores or Jay Forester).

One last bit of information: Two truths and a lie about Jay Forester: (a) got his pilot’s license at 22; (b) once negotiated his way into a Bolivian prison; (c) has thrown out the first pitch at a Rangers baseball game. (T/T/L).

Victor Flores is an assistant city attorney with the City of McAllen – City Attorney’s Office. He is the TYLA/ABA YLD District 25 representative, representing Central and South Texas. He can be reached by email at vflores@mcallen.net.