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Week of August 23, 2010
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Lori Tullos Barta: 1971-2010
Lori Tullos Barta, a former Board member of the Austin Young Lawyers Association, passed away Thursday, Aug. 19 from complications following heart surgery.
A passionate and energetic woman, Barta was very active with AYLA's mock trial program. She also served as president of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas in 2008 and 2009. She was involved with the association for six years after the birth of her middle daughter Hannah, who has Down syndrome. Barta developed an Educator Manual and training program - currently in use in local school districts - for teachers of individuals with Down syndrome.
The family will receive visitors at Weed-Corley-Fish, 3125 N. Lamar in Austin, Monday, Aug. 23, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 2:00 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 3201 Windsor Road.
Barta will be greatly missed by friends and family. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in the following ways:
- Donate to a trust fund being set up for the family, to support Lori's daughters' needs now and into the future. Make checks payable to Family of Lori Barta and send to DSACT at 3710 Cedar Street, Box 3, Austin, Texas 78705.
- Donate to DSACT in honor of Lori Barta. Click here or make checks payable to DSACT, with a note that the gift is in honor of Lori Barta. These gifts will go first to sustain the education programs and services that Lori created and about which she cared so deeply, and then to other DSACT initiatives of greatest need. Checks may be sent to DSACT at 3710 Cedar Street, Box 3, Austin, Texas 78705.
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Veterans' Benefits Law TexasBarCLE Webcast, August 24
Date: Tuesday, August 24th
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
CLE: 3 hours (meets VAs Attorney Accreditation Requirements)
Registration Fee: $195 OR free to attorneys who agree to take one VA
Benefits case pro bono within one year.
The Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans program is moving ahead at full steam! The Basics of Veterans Benefits Law TexasBarCLE Webcast is designed to give attorneys who have an interest in representing veteran claimants seeking VA benefits a primer in this growing area of legal practice. It is also designed to give those attorneys who are already approved by the VA to represent veteran claimants the 3 hours of continuing legal education necessary to maintain their accreditation. The course will primarily focus on VA disability benefits and what is necessary to secure these benefits on behalf of our veteran clients.
For more information about the webcast, click here. Visit TexasBarCLE.com to learn more or to register.
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Build Up the Community with Legal Build, August 24
Date: Tuesday, August 24
Time: noon to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Austin Bar Association, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700
RSVP to Julie Gau at 472-0279, x108 or julie@austinbar.org.
The Legal Build Committee needs volunteers to help with organizing and fundraising. This year, the partnership will again provide an opportunity for a Habitat for Humanity family to own a home. The Austin Bar's Legal Build Committee will lead the effort to raise $65,000 to finance the building, as well as organize volunteers to work with the family to physically build the home.
For information on sponsorships or other ways to help Legal Build get this house started, contact Mishell Kneeland at mishell.kneeland@gmail.com or call 965-5463 or Jessica Mangrum at jmangrum@thompsoncoe.com or call 825-5426. To make a contribution online, go to https://secure.toolsfororgs.com/austinhabitat.org/forms/appeal5.php.
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Austin Lawyers Support Group, August 26
Date: Thursday, August 26
Time: noon to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Austin Bar Association, 816 Congress Ave., 3rd Floor, Longhorn Room
Speaker: TBA - 30 minute speaker - an expert from the mental health field; 30 minute peer support - lawyers supporting lawyers
A monthly education and support group for lawyers, judges, and law students seeking help or support while healing from depression, addiction, job stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
Meetings are confidential and held monthly on the last Thursday of each month. For more information, call Texas Lawyers Assistance Program at 800-343-8527.
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Members Only Free Fourth Friday, August 27
Date: Friday, August 27
Time: noon
Location: Austin Bar Association, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700
Topic: TBA
Speaker: Jeff Jury
CLE: 1 hour
RSVP to Marissa Lara-Arebalo at 472-0279, x100 or marissa@austinbar.org.
Austin Bar members are invited to enjoy another Free Fourth Friday featuring State Bar of Texas Alternative Dispute Resolution council member, Jeff Jury. The CLE includes a free lunch. Please be sure to RSVP to Marissa!
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Estate Planning and Probate Lawyers, Special Help is Needed! September 11
The Austin Bar Association is helping 100 deploying Marine reservists through a Wills clinic on Saturday, September 11 at Camp Mabry. Unlike full time military, the reservists do not receive legal assistance from JAG before deployment.
The ABA will send out an estate planning questionnaire to the Marine reservists. Upon receipt of the completed questionnaire, we will know how many of these folks need assistance. We will pair the reservists with an attorney or attorneys to discuss and prepare a will/powers of attorney. The clinic held on September 11 is for the actual execution of the documents. Before that date, you will need to conference with your client and prepare the documents. Also, please have all documents printed and saved to a flash drive so that last minute changes can be made.
Please e-mail Ellen P. Stewart at stewart@bls-legal.com by Friday, August 27 to participate in this worthy project. These reservists are regular civilians who are now being deployed. They can use all of the help we can give.
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Settlement Month Deadlines are Approaching! September 20 - October 31
The Dispute Resolution Center, in collaboration with the Travis County district judges, the County Court at Law judges, and the Austin Bar Association, is holding Settlement Month from September 20 through October 31, which gives people a chance to settle their cases in a cost-effective manner with the aid of a trained, neutral mediator.
If you would like to submit a case, please fill out and submit the Case Submission Sheet to the DRC no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 3, 2010. The $25 administrative fee (checks made payable to the Dispute Resolution Center) should be delivered to the DRC with the Case Submission Sheet for proper processing.
Settlement Month packages are available by clicking here or from the following locations:
- Dispute Resolution Center office, 5407 North IH-35, Suite 410
- Austin Bar office, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700
- Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse, 1000 Guadalupe, first floor information desk
- Julia Benkoski, Co-Chair of Settlement Month Committee, at the Law Office of Julia G. Benkoski, Barton Oaks Plaza One, 901 S. Mopac Expressway, Suite 300
Attorney mediators are also needed to volunteer in this public service project. If interested, click here to access the Mediator Application Form. Fill out and return to the DRC no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, August 27, 2010.
For questions regarding the Settlement Month forms, please contact Rita Rancken of the DRC at 371-0033.
For more information or questions about Settlement Month, please contact Kris Donley, Executive Director of the DRC, at 279-1901; Charlie Cannon, Settlement Month Co-Chair, at 372-2469; or Julia Benkoski, Settlement Month Co-Chair, at 329-0491.
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Support the AYLA Promise of "Justice for All"
The pledge of equal access to justice needs your help! 65-70 percent of all Texans in poverty need legal help. Sadly, most are unable to get it. The Texas Young Lawyers Association is hosting a contest and recognition opportunity to promote the purchase of license plates containing the phrase "And Justice for All." $22 of the proceeds from the $30 purchase price for each plate will go toward a special account supporting a broad range of pro-bono civil legal services to low-income Texans.
AYLA is participating in this contest and hopes you (and your friends and family) will join in on this meaningful, fun way to increase access to justice. You can purchase a "Justice for All" license plate by clicking here. You will have an option to purchase online or print an application and send it via regular mail. You will need your license-plate and vehicle-identification number to complete the purchase process, which is easy and fast.
PLEASE SEND PROOF OF PURCHASE to Debbie Kelly at debbie@austinbar.org so that AYLA can track and report all license-plate purchases. (If you order online, you will receive a confirmation email that you can forward to Debbie. A photo of your license plate will also suffice.) If you have any questions, please contact Kennon Peterson at kennonpeterson@hotmail.com. Thanks to everyone who participates in this contest and thereby helps to reduce financial barriers to justice in Texas!
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Crime Victims First Presents Jazz Happy Hour, September 1
Date: Wednesday, September 1
Time: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Speakeasy, 412 Congress Ave.
Cost: Free
Crime Victims First continues to partner the power of music with its mission to improve the treatment and protection of victims and survivors of crime. CV1 invites you to Jazz Happy Hour featuring jazz trumpeter and board member, Jeff Lofton. Come out and enjoy the sounds of the Jeff Lofton Electric Thang at Speakeasy, housed in the historic Kreisel Building in Austin's famed Warehouse District.
For more information, feel free to e-mail info@helpcv1.org or visit Crime Victims First on the web. To see the video clip about Crime Victims First, click here.
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Featured Corporate Partner: Rainmaker Document Technologies
Rainmaker offers full image technology and file copying document productions of any size. Using Rainmaker technology combines speed, practicality, quality control, and ease of use. For more information, please click here or contact Thomas Rutledge at 472-9911.
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Upcoming Meetings
SECTIONS:
Tuesday, August 24 - Health Law Section Meeting
Wednesday, September 1 - Family Law Section Meeting
Wednesday, September 1 - Labor & Employment Law Section Meeting
COMMITTEES:
The following Austin Bar Committees are meeting at the Austin Bar office, 816 Congress, Suite 700.
Parking is available in the adjacent garage, accessible from 9th Street. Please feel free to attend any that interest you.
Since lunch is provided, please RSVP by noon the previous day with your name and the name of the committee.
Tuesday, August 24 - Legal Build Committee
RSVP to Julie Gau at 472-0279, x108 or julie@austinbar.org.
Wednesday, August 25 - Gala Auction Committee
RSVP to Debbie Kelly at 472-0279, x105 or debbie@austinbar.org.
Thursday, September 2 - Adoption Day Committee
RSVP to Julie Gau at 472-0279, x108 or julie@austinbar.org.
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Proud corporate sponsors of the Austin Bar Association
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