Austin Bar Blog

This new scholarship was established in memory of former Travis County Women Lawyers' Association president Ana Mejia-Dietche, who fought a valiant battle against ovarian cancer before passing away on February 24, 2024.  Ana took her undergraduate degree at Yale and graduated from Catholic University School of Law in 1988.  Her legal employment history included Legal Aid and the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C., after which she moved to nonprofit management and grant writing.  The latter led her to a grant writing instructor position at Austin Community College.  Ana served as the director of the Healthcare Workforce Alliance of Central Texas, where she worked tirelessly to help aspiring nurses to receive their degrees and go on to accept positions where they could play pivotal healthcare roles in their communities, and she served on numerous nonprofit boards that focused on women and law, women’s history, family violence, and children.

Donations to the Ana Mejia-Dietche Scholarship will be awarded annually to a University of Texas School of Law student who shows – through community service and activities at the law school – exceptional promise of being a leader in the community.  We humbly ask for donations in any category below.  Your contributions will go a long way to help struggling law students become more empowered to take positions that help the less fortunate in our community. 

We are so pleased to announce that Ana’s husband, Chris Dietche, has generously offered to match the first $10,000 in donations to the scholarship in Ana’s name.  Names of major donors will be revealed at the October 17 event unless anonymity is requested. 

Donor Categories:

$1,000

$500

$250

$100

$50

Other

Donations can be made in person at the October 17 event, can be made online, or can be mailed to TCWLA Scholarship Fund, c/o Amie Rodnick, 507 West 7th Street, Austin, TX  78701. 

We are excited to announce that the Veterans' Legal Assistance Program (VLAP) has launched a groundbreaking pro bono portal, designed to streamline how attorneys connect with veterans and low-income Texans in need of legal assistance. Initially serving Central Texas, this platform will soon expand to other bar associations and organizations with limited resources.

To register, click here.

What’s New?

This innovative portal offers a range of features to enhance your pro bono experience, whether virtually or in person:

• Customizable Filters: Narrow your search by case type, geographic location, preferred service method (remote or in-person), and more, ensuring you only see the opportunities that match your expertise and availability.
• Opportunities Page: A centralized page will display a wide array of eligible pro bono cases, with detailed descriptions of client needs and case specifics. This will allow you to easily browse and select the matters that align with your interests and professional skills.
• Automated Updates and Reminders: Stay informed with automatic program updates and receive reminders for events or opportunities you’ve registered for, ensuring you never miss a commitment.
• Virtual Case Handling: Many of the opportunities available will allow you to provide legal assistance remotely, so you can help those in need without leaving your home or office.
• Easy Tracking: Stay updated on the status of your pro bono matters with integrated case management tools, helping you manage deadlines, document submissions, and client communications effortlessly.

We Need Your Input!

As we finalize the portal’s features, we invite you to complete a brief survey about your military service or connection to veterans. This will help us better match you with future pro bono opportunities tailored to your experience. You can access the Military Service Survey here, or please copy/paste this link in your preferred browser: https://memcentral.wufoo.com/forms/military-service-survey/

Stay Tuned!

The portal will be launching soon, and we will share details on how you can register. Whether you prefer in-person interactions or virtual meetings, this platform will help you make a meaningful impact in our community.

Together, we can make access to justice a reality for all.

The Austin Bar Foundation’s Veterans Legal Assistance Program receives support from Texas Access to Justice Foundation (TAJF), the Texas Bar Foundation, and from the board of directors and members of the Austin Bar Association who volunteer their services through our program.

Attorneys and other paraprofessionals seeking to learn more about the Veterans’ Legal Assistance Program or sign up as a volunteer for a future advice clinic or event is welcome to contact program staff at 512-472-0279, ext. 110 or by email to doug@austinbar.org or leslie@austinbar.org for more details.

2024 Free Legal Advice Clinics for Veterans, hosted by VLAP

Monday, October 21, 2024

Monday, November 18, 2024

Monday, December 9, 2024

All clinics run from 1:30 to 4 p.m. You can choose how long you would like to volunteer. *Sign-in starts at 1:30 p.m. Please sign-in before 3:30 p.m.

Austin VA Outpatient Clinic

7901 Metropolis Drive, Austin, Texas, 78744

Conference Room G101

Join us for an enlightening CLE focusing on the newly established business court. This panel-style discussion will feature the judges from the Austin and Houston Business Court, including Hon. Sofia Adrogué, Hon. Grant Dorfman, Hon. Melissa Davis Andrews, and Hon. Patrick K. Sweeten, moderated by Justice Chari Kelly of the Third Court of Appeals.

Don’t miss this chance to ask questions and gain valuable insights directly from the judges about how the court operates!

Register here.

You can submit questions directly through this link. 

https://www.austinbar.org/?pg=events&evAction=showDetail&eid=290829

We will be focusing on the new Dallas, Ft. Worth and San Antonio Business Courts in the new future.

The Austin Bar and the Mother Attorney Mentor Association (MAMAs) are teaming up to put on the Pro Bono Fall Festival to benefit Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas.

This family-friendly event will take place on Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the South Austin Recreation Center, 1100 Cumberland Road.

Come dressed in your most creative fall or Halloween costume to compete for fabulous prizes! We'll also have face painting, crafts, and a dunk tank.

All proceeds will benefit Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas.

Single and family tickets are available here.

Thank you for your support, and we can't wait to see you there!

The Austin Bar Association is taking part in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Out of the Darkness Austin Community Walk. This fundraiser takes place on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 10 a.m. starting at St. Edward's University on the Andre Lawn. 

Our team is named in honor of Trevor Taylor and Aspen Dunaway. 

Click here to join our team and/or donate.

Click here to watch on YouTube.

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts.

Click here to listen on Spotify.

The Christi Center is a free grief counseling center in Austin, Texas. The Center has groups for Loss to Suicide, Loss to Overdose, Pregnancy and Infant Loss, Crime Victims, Teen Group, as well as a general adult group.

Featured in this episode are Ana-Christina Gonzalez, a fundraising consultant for the Christi Center; Executive and Clinical Director Jocelyn Chamra Barrera; Peer Support Coordinator Christi Neville, and Board President Julio Mendoza-Quiroz.

The Christi Center has its annual fundraiser, Heart Connections, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Norris Conference Center. If you are interested in purchasing tickets, a table, or sponsoring the event, please click here.

If you're interested in learning more about the Christi Center, including joining any of its grief groups, please click here.

The Christi Center offers numerous resources for parents in how to help their children through grief. To access these resources, including the downloadable PDF "Coping with Grief," click here.

The Christi Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. To make a tax-deductible donation, click here.

The December 2024/January 2025 Austin Lawyer is now available.

Justices Chari Kelly and Rosa Lopez Theofanis are both seeking full time staff attorneys for their chambers at the Third Court of Appeals.  Interested attorneys can click on the link below for more information:

Staff attorney for Justice Kelly

Staff attorney for Justice Theofanis

The Austin Bar has launched its Legal Expert Network!

The purpose of this network is to provide the media valuable sources when reporting on important cases, legal matters, legislation, and more!

If you are a reporter or other individual interested in getting the opinion of an attorney, please contact Communications Director Billy Huntsman with a summary of your question and any pertinent information (such as a summary of the case, the legislation, etc).

If you are an attorney interested in providing your expert legal opinion, please fill out this form.

Please note: Referrals of attorneys to the media do not constitute an endorsement of what the attorney says. The referred attorney is merely speaking on their own behalf and does not represent the Austin Bar.

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to with Aaron Moncibaiz, general counsel for Goodwill of Central Texas. For more information on how you can support Goodwill Central Texas, visit https://www.goodwillcentraltexas.org/