Editor’s Note: In this blog series, we are getting to know the members of the Texas Young Lawyers Association Board of Directors. TYLA, commonly called the “public service arm” of the State Bar of Texas, works to facilitate the administration of justice, foster respect for the law, and advance the role of the legal profession in serving the public. All TYLA programs are accomplished through the volunteer efforts of its board and committee members, with the cooperation of local affiliate young lawyers associations. Learn more at tyla.org.
Name: Jay Forester
Firm: Forester Haynie
Area of Law You Practice: Plaintiff’s Wage and Hour; Mass and Class Actions
Position Held in TYLA: District 5, Place 3 Director, Co-Chair of Member Outreach/Service to the Profession
How did you get involved in bar service?
Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Wellness Committee
What is your favorite TYLA project and why?
I Was the First. You Can Be a Lawyer Too!(see iwasthefirst.tyla.org). When kids see lawyers that look like them and were also the “first” in their families, it shows them that they too can be the first.
What tips can you give to other attorneys to manage stress?
- Minimize inputs/set boundaries. (1) Take five, five-minute breaks a day. (2) Limit how often you check your work email/texts. (3) It’s good/necessary to say no!
- Work in blocks. (1) 30-45 minutes/task. (2) Take breaks between tasks. (3) Increase efficiency by grouping life tasks.
What do you do in your spare time?
Travel, run, fantasy football (I finished first place in my 12-team league).
What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
I’d rather eat at Waffle House.
Anything else that you wish to share?
#workshouldntsuck