State Bar of Texas Blog : State Bar of Texas Blog : News & Features on Lawyers & Attorneys & Legal Professionals in Austin, Dallas, Houston & TX

The first Austin Bar Association/Austin Young Lawyers Association Leadership Academy kicked off Friday with a daylong retreat held at the Texas Law Center. The 35 members of the leadership academy visited with Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson as well as Texas Sen. Kirk Watson, pictured. "After planning the academy for almost a year, it was wonderful to see it come to fruition with such fantastic speakers and an incredibly impressive inaugural class," says Karin Crump, co-chair of the leadership academy. "I'm thrilled to be a part in what will be a great learning experience for the entire group."

The Leadership Academy is a six-month program designed to assist Austin-area lawyers in making a difference in the legal community and the greater Austin community. "By our very nature, lawyers are leaders," says leadership academy co-chair David Courreges. "We hope that the leaders that comprise this year's class will learn from each other and will work toward a common goal of bettering our community."

Friday's retreat will be followed by a series of six lunch meetings where participants will network with academy presenters, including leaders from federal, state, and local government. The class will culminate with the organization of an optional class project.

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The Houston Bar Association welcomes Alissa Rubin as the new executive director of its Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program (HVLP). HVLP, founded in 1981, provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income Harris County residents, largely by placing their cases with volunteer lawyers throughout the Houston area. The program serves more than 20,000 men, women, and children each year, including families living with HIV/AIDS, veterans, and victims of natural disasters.

Rubin graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 2002 among the top 16 in her class, and that year began working as a litigation associate in the Houston office of international law firm King & Spalding LLP. Rubin was elected partner of the firm last year. Throughout her tenure, Rubin handled complex commercial lawsuits from inception through trial, with special expertise obtaining and defending temporary restraining orders and temporary injunctions.

Rubin was also dedicated to pro bono work while in private practice, volunteering with HVLP and Catholic Charities to help those in need. King & Spalding awarded her a pro bono service award in 2006, 2007, and 2008 for her successful representation of an immigrant juvenile in deportation proceedings and other pro bono matters. Rubin says her move to HVLP is an extension of her dedication to providing legal services to persons in need.
 

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The Austin Bar Association in partnership with the Bastrop County Bar Association is scheduling attorney volunteers for the free legal clinic in the FEMA Disaster Relief Center, 1602 Hill St., Bastrop High School 9th Grade Center. If you wish to help, email your full name, cell phone number, and when you can volunteer to Michelle Fox at Michelle@austinbar.org.

Available attorney volunteers slots:

• Wednesday, Oct. 12., 9 a.m to 1 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 12., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 13., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 14., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 15., 9 a.m to 1 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 17., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 18., 9 a.m to 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 18., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 19., 9 a.m to 1 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 19., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 20., 9 a.m to 1 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 20., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 21., 9 a.m to 1 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 21., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

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The Houston Bar Association and the Houston Young Lawyers Association are responding to the needs of our neighbors, and we are offering our members several ways to get involved in disaster relief.

• Donations may be made to wildfire relief efforts of the American Red Cross through the Houston Bar Foundation. Make checks payable to the Houston Bar Foundation and write Texas Wildfire Relief on the information line. Send your check to the Foundation at 1001 Fannin Street, Suite 1300, Houston, TX 77002.

• The HBA's Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program has set up a disaster hotline and an email where those affected by the fires can email questions to disaster.assistance@hvlp.org or call 713-225-9455 and leave a message, which will then be answered by a staff attorney or volunteer. The HBA is evaluating other legal needs that displaced persons may have in the future to determine services.

• The Austin Bar Association is recruiting volunteer attorneys to staff legal clinics in two locations in Bastrop and is providing additional services for those affected by the fires in Central Texas. For more information, visit www.austinbar.org.
 

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The Austin Bar Association's wildfire response seminar for volunteer lawyers is now featured on http://www.tenminutementor.com. Video segments are free to view or download.

Seminar segments include:

An Introduction to the Central Texas Wildfire Response Team 
Background Information on the Austin Bar’s Response to the Wildfire Disaster 
Ethics & Pro Bono Service 
FEMA & Public Benefits 
Home Ownership Issues (title/mortgage, tax & fencing, barn, pens) 
Insurance and Consumer Law Issues 
Landlord/Tenant Concerns  
Pet and Animal Welfare Law 

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The Bell County Bar Association will be collecting items next week, specifically at the Bench Bar Conference on Sept. 22. The items will be delivered to victims of the Bastrop County fire. Please limit your donations to these specific items: gift cards for grocery stores (HEB, Walmart, Target), new socks and undergarments (all sizes), toiletries (toothbrushes, toothpaste, body soap, shampoo, disposable razors), baby clothing, blankets, diapers, gently used small toys, school supplies (pens, pencils, notebooks) talcum powder, anti bacterial hand gel, eyedrops, chapstick, and sunscreen.

During the week of Sept. 19 - Sept. 23 boxes will be set up at the Justice Complex located at 1201 Huey Road, Belton. Cash donations are always accepted, please make checks payable to BCBA.

Volunteers are still needed to assist at onsite legal clinics in Bastrop. Free legal advice will be provided to those affected by the fires. For more information on the clinics, please contact Lisa Richardson (lisa.richardson@rclawtexas.com).

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From the Austin Bar Association:

Austin, TX – The Austin Bar Association, in partnership with the Bastrop County Bar Association, has expanded the free legal clinics for wildfire evacuees to six shelters in Bastrop County.

Attorneys will be available in Bastrop at the following locations from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, Sept. 8 through Saturday, Sept. 10 (and possibly into next week depending on need):

• Bastrop Christian Outreach, 1096 Hwy 71 W.
• Ascension Catholic Church, 802 Pine St. (Water St. & Pine St.)
• Celebration Christian Church, 107 Longhorn St.
• First Assembly of God, 609 Pecan St.
• Premerica Baptist Church, 308 Paul C Bell
• Sears Hometown Store, 735 Old Austin Hwy, Ste. B

In addition, two hotlines have been set up for legal questions for those that cannot return to the area:

• State Bar of Texas: 1-800-504-7030
• Texas RioGrande Legal Aid: 1-866-757-1570

Attorneys who want to volunteer, should contact Michelle Fox at michelle@austinbar.org.

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The Austin Bar Disaster Response Team is looking for more volunteers this week to serve at its Austin Bar Legal Clinic at two locations in Bastrop. Please visit this website to sign up and help. The Austin Bar needs need attorneys, legal assistants, legal administrators, receptionists, legal secretaries, and couriers (with cars).

The Austin Bar also seeks donations of necessities for evacuees.
 

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Law Jam 3 is a benefit concert for pro bono legal aid. The concernt is a joint program of the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas that benefits the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP).

This event will be held on August 20, 2011 at the Granada Theater in Dallas. Doors will open at 5:30pm with the event beginning at 6pm. Seven bands will be performing: Big Wheel, The Usuals, Black Dirt Tango, The Catdaddies, Blue Collar Crime, The Wrecking Crew, and Texas Rock Association. All of the bands are comprised of Dallas-area lawyers and judges Click here for ticket information.

The mission of DVAP is to increase and enhance pro bono legal services to the poor in Dallas through the recruitment, training, and support of volunteer attorneys.

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Hear entertaining anecdotes, parodies and more at Bar None—the annual variety show sponsored by the Dallas Bar Association and Dallas Bar Foundation. Each year, members of the Dallas legal community assemble to perform hilarious songs and original skits about current events, politics, the legal profession—and anything else worth spoofing or lampooning. And the talent is brilliant!

The cast of more than 50 attorneys and judges endure weeks of rehearsals—and jabs from their colleagues—preparing for the four-day variety show, which benefits the Sarah T. Hughes Diversity Scholarships at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. The scholarship program provides a full three-year law school education to outstanding minority students who plan to make Dallas their home after graduation.  

Since Bar None began in 1985, the performers have raised more than $1,366,000 for the scholarship program, funding the education of 46 law students (some of whom went on to become judges). This year’s show will run June 15, 16, 17 and 18 at the Greer Garson Theatre on the SMU Campus. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Ticket prices are $25 for all shows, when purchased in advance (or $30 at the door).

For more information, visit www.BarNoneShow.com , or contact DBF Executive Director Elizabeth Philipp at (214) 220-7487.

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Local bar associations are invited to participate in the Stars of Texas Bars and the Judge Sam Williams contest. This year’s entries must be received by the State Bar of Texas, Local Bar Services department by Wednesday, May 4, at 5:00 p.m. For questions please email localbars@texasbar.com.

Get the details:
Stars of Texas Bars [pdf]
Judge Sam Williams [pdf]

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The Houston Bar Association's 26th Annual John J. Eikenburg Law Week Fun Run will be held on Saturday, March 26 at Sam Houston Park, 1100 Bagby, Downtown Houston. The first race starts at 7:30 a.m.

All entry fee proceeds will be contributed directly to THE CENTER, a nonprofit organization dedicated to offering people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to reach their full potential and to contribute to their community through education, job training, socialization, community living, and health care.

Since 1986, the Houston Bar Association has raised over  $886,000 for THE CENTER.

The event features an 8K run, a one-mile non-competitive children's run, a non-competitive one-mile family walk, and a wheelchair division in the 8K. The 8K race is an official spring series race of the Houston Area Road Runners Association, and is a sanctioned U.S.A. Track and Field event.

Visit the Fun Run website to register and learn more about special events planned for this exciting race!

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The State Bar of Texas is asking local bar associations around Texas to encourage students in their communities to participate in the 2011 Law Day program. Students in grades K-12 are asked to “explore how lawyers in the past and present have promoted justice by defending unpopular clients.”

The State Bar of Texas will celebrate Law Day on Monday, May 9, at the Texas Law Center in Austin. The deadline for all submissions is Friday, April 1, 2011. Get the full details and an entry form [PDF]

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The National Association of Bar Executives (NABE) today announced that it will recognize four recipients of the 2010 LexisNexis Community and Educational Outreach Awards at the ABA annual meeting Aug. 6 in San Francisco. Honorees include the following Texas programs:

• The Texas Young Lawyers Association's "R U Safe? Protecting Yourself in Cyberspace," a four-part DVD that educates children and their parents about dangers on the Internet and provides tools for online safety.
• A collaborative effort of the Dallas Bar Association and Big Brothers Big Sisters - the Amachi Texas Program - that recruits lawyers, judges and other legal professionals to mentor the children of prison inmates.
• The El Paso Bar Association's Access to Justice Legal Fair, a collaborative effort to assist those who cannot afford legal representation. Nearly 400 people received free legal assistance during the six-hour event.

The community and educational outreach awards honor bar associations and bar foundations for commitment to public service. Also being honored is the Indiana State Bar Association.

Congratulations to all involved in serving the people of Texas through these exceptional service projects and making Texas lawyers proud!

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The State Bar of Texas, Texas Young Lawyers Association, and the Texas Access to Justice Commission invite you to the 2010 Bar Leaders Conference at the Westin Galleria in Houston, July 23-34.

Join other local bar leaders for a two-day training program that addresses common concerns for volunteer leaders. In addition, meet the State Bar of Texas and TYLA elected leaders as you learn about resources provided by the State Bar. Walk away from the conference with knowledge on how to improve your local bar and your law practice!

The registration deadline is July 7, 2010. Click here for the Bar Leaders Conference Brochure.

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Today's issue of The Recorder, an ALM publication in California, includes an article about the Eastern District of Texas ("Big Tech Shouts 'Yipee!,' Patent Bar Chattering as Rader Heads to Texas"). 

To help prepare for his imminent elevation to chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Judge Randall Rader will preside over five cases in Texas' Eastern District in April. While the article devotes much of its space to describing the tension between the Eastern District and the Federal Circuit and the stir Rader's early rulings have provoked, it concludes with as fine a representation of East Texas hospitality as you're likely to find. Members of the Eastern District of Texas Bar Association are continuing a tradition from before the days when the Court had a resident judge by preparing a dinner in honor of Rader at a small, lakeside lodge. According to Michael C. Smith, a partner in the Marshall office of Siebman, Burg, Phillips & Smith, L.L.P. who maintains a blog about the Eastern District, the menu will include "fried chicken, catfish, slaw, vegetables, pancakes, and cobbler."

In 2006, Smith wrote an article for the Texas Bar Journal about the Marshall Court's patent docket ("Rocket Docket: Marshall Court Leads Nation in Hearing Patent Cases"). The article is worth linking to if only for the photo that manages to capture in a single frame a successful patent application, the courthouse, the U.S. flag, and a pick-up truck. East Texas hospitality, indeed.

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Do you know a budding writer, artist, or photographer? The State Bar, along with the Texas Young Lawyers Association, is inviting students grade K-12 to show off their skills by entering the 2010 Law Day editorial, photography, and poster contests. 

The theme of this year's Law Day is "Law in the 21st Century: Enduring Traditions, Emerging Challenges." Judges are looking for essays, photographs, and posters that creatively describe or depict how the modern world is changing the way we practice law. All entries should be submitted to your local bar association or young lawyer affiliate. Winners may receive up to $1000 in prizes, plus an invitation to the State Bar of Texas Law Day Luncheon on Friday, April 30th. The deadline for all contests is April 1st.

More information on the contests is available here. To contact your local bar association, check out the State Bar's Local Bar Services.

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State Bar of Texas President Roland Johnson and President-elect Terry Tottenham visited the San Antonio Bar Association (SABA) luncheon today. SABA lawyers are actively involved in mentoring young lawyers, providing legal services to the poor, and helping local military personnel.

In addition to a CLE presentation by United States Circuit Judge Edward C. Prado, two special awards were given during today's luncheon.

Every year, the San Antonio Bar President recognizes one bar member who has gone above and beyond in service to the bar with the President's Award. This year's recipient is Carl Werner. Werner used his expertise on probate, wills, and estates to incorporate a wills clinic into the bar's Community Justice Program. His energy extended to recruiting and mentoring volunteers to the extent that in 2011, a wills clinic will be offered monthly.

For the first time, AT&T presented the First Annual AT&T Excellence in Pro Bono Award. AT&T has played an instrumental role in supporting the pro bono efforts in San Antonio. As the Community Justice Program continues to grow and the number of volunteers increases, the administrative workload becomes mountainous. The new award established AT&T will offer a St. Mary's law student a scholarship in return for working five hours a week for the Community Justice Program.

The first recipient of the AT&T Excellence in Pro Bono Award is Kimbell Ward. Ward, a 2L law student, was chosen because of her high class ranking, a highly complimentary letter from a mentor, and her passionate essay about the importance of pro bono efforts. In addition to her volunteer efforts at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and Catholic Charities Call-a-Lawyer, Ward has served as president of the St. Mary's Criminal Defense Law Bar. It would be remiss not to mention that Ward is also a mother of two. Texas lawyers can expect great work from future lawyer Kimbell Ward.

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The Fort Bend County Bar Association’s 31^st Annual Golf Tournament proved to be a huge success! The bar association raised more than $10,000 which exceeded the goal and allowed the association to make more donations than expected.   Fort Bend Lawyers Care received $5,000 to enhance free legal services to the indigent. Richmond Rosenberg Helping Hands received $5,000. Helping Hands provides food, clothing, shelter and assistance to families in financial crisis. 

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The Bell County Bar Association is preparing for their second annual National Adoption Day. This year's theme is "The Wizard of Oz, There's No Place Like Home." A yellow brick road will lead the way to the bench as 32 children will be adopted by 20 families on November 16.

"The purpose of this day is to make it the most special day of their life," Judge Rick Morris (pictured), President of the Bell County Bar said.

Adopted children will receive special gifts to signify their adoptions - engraved necklaces for girls and engraved dog tags for boys. Teddy bears, books, and donated bags of necessities from hospitals will also be presented to the new families. A photographer will take pictures of the new families and each family will receive an 8x10 framed photo of the special day.

Fifteen attorneys, four judges and 20 paralegals have volunteered their time for adoptions and to write wills.

"National Adoption Day is so fun, I should have to pay to take part!" Morris said, "There will not be a dry eye in the room."
 

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The Tarrant County Bar Association hosted its fundraising event, “The Tarrant County Derby,” at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie in May and came up with a big winner! Getting into the Kentucky Derby spirit, some of the 150 attendees — both ladies and gents — participated in a Parade of Hats contest in between enjoying, and hopefully winning on, the races and dancing to music from Johnny D and the Doo Wopps. The ladies’ hat contest winner was Jessica Graham and the men’s winner was Cary Schroeder. “We had a great time,” said Planning Committee Chair Lori Spearman (pictured fourth from left), who credited committee members Lindsay DeVos, Shannon Sears, Tracy Wilkinson, Lydia Dews, Karmen Johnson, Nancy Gordon, and Casey Dyer for putting together such a successful and fun event. Koons, Fuller, Vanden Eykel & Robertson co-sponsored the event.

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