When I was a child, my grandmother would often tell me that life is as much about who you know as it is what you know. Like all grandparents’ wisdom, her words were deeply profound and I would find them to be true later in life.

On July 14, 2012, the Texas Young Lawyers Association lost a great friend and a true Texas lawyer, Keith Krueger. Keith was the TYLA secretary this year and passed away peacefully during the Bar Leaders Conference. That weekend, Keith was surrounded by his TYLA family and was doing one of the things that he loved most — helping fellow lawyers.

Fall is a wonderful time of the year.  The Texas heat fades away and the start of football season brings hope of a championship for teams and their fans. In addition,  arents are thrilled because their children return to school. This is also the time of the year that the Texas Young Lawyers Association seeks to educate students on various important issues.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. It is an opportunity to spend time with family and friends while enjoying great home-cooked food. In addition, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect and give thanks to the people who have enabled us to be where we are in life. Unquestionably, my parents are driving forces behind any success I have achieved. As TYLA embarked on a new public service project this fall, Slavery Out of the Shadows: Spotlight on Human Trafficking, I was reminded how thankful I am to have parents that not only loved, but also protected my siblings and me when we were children.

I am tremendously proud to serve as the 2012-2013 Chair of the Texas Young Lawyers Association. In thinking about what to write during my turn at this page, I thought it best to get back to basics and explain who we are and how one can get involved. What is the Texas Young Lawyers Association? TYLA is the public service arm of the State Bar of Texas. All Texaslicensed lawyers age 36 and younger as of June 1, or in their first five years of practice, are automatically members of TYLA. The TYLA Board of Directors is made up of an executive committee of eight members and approximately 40 directors representing geographic districts all over Texas.

IN NOVEMBER, WE WELCOMED 2,308 NEW LAWYERS TO THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN TEXAS. As I sat through this year’s swearing-in ceremony, I was struck by the amount of time that had passed since the start of my law career, and I began to reflect on the challenges I have faced.  Unfortunately, these obstacles have only increased with a declining job market, rising billable hours, and the constant struggle to balance work and life. As we begin a new and challenging year, I offer a few ideas to help deal with what you will face in the coming year.

During the past year, I've had the honor of speaking to law school students at most of the law schools in the state.  I shared my advice on law school and information regarding TYLA programs that are applicable to them. If you have friends, relatives, or mentees who are either in
law school or thinking about law school, please share this article with them.

Globalization is here to stay. Our State's shared border with Mexico creates a natural and lucrative trade partnership. The number of Texas corporations, with their business interests abroad, joint venture partners, and employees around the world, makes the possibility of encountering an international legal issue likely. Similarly, foreign citizens who live and work within our borders may face a variety of legal
 issues, from employment to criminal matters. Consequently, Texas young lawyers will be well served to understand some aspects of international law.