Austin Bar Blog

In the June issue of Austin Lawyer read about the Austin Bar members who won State Bar elections, learn more about local legal legends on the Austin Bar’s podcast, Council of Firsts, stay current with court updates, get tips on lawyer wellness and more. Find the new issue here.

If you’re interested in being featured in Austin Lawyer, please contact Billy Huntsman to submit your story. We look forward to hearing from you.

In this week's episode of the Council of Firsts, Austin Bar Association President Amanda Arriaga talks with Gary Schumann, the founder of the Austin LGBT Law Association, now the LGBTQ Law Section of the Austin Bar Association. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcasting platforms, or watch on YouTube.

June is LGBTQ pride month!  The first Pride marches took place in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles to commemorate the anniversary of the historic stand against injustice at the Stonewall Inn.  Organized marches in support of the LGBTQ community continue throughout the country.  The Austin Bar Association is proud to support the LGBTQ community and begins by honoring this week’s attorney spotlight, the Austin Bar LGBTQ section President, Philip Arnold.
 
Philip is a partner at Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP in Austin, Texas. He focuses his practice on representing private and public entity clients in litigation matters with a principal area of practice in eminent domain litigation and right of way acquisition. He has counseled Texas counties and municipalities in a variety of local governmental issues, including eminent domain litigation; real estate transactional and title issues; water law litigation; U.S.C. § 1983 Civil Rights defense; drafting Interlocal Agreements, Tax Rebate Zones (TRZs) and Economic Development Agreements. Prior to entering private practice, Philip worked for eight years in the Transportation Division of the Office of the Texas Attorney General where he litigated hundreds of cases involving eminent domain, tort, and State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) cases.
 
Philip frequently speaks about issues affecting governmental entities at conferences and CLE programs throughout the state. In addition to his leadership role in the LGBT section, Philip is the founder and has served as the chair of the Austin Bar Association’s eminent domain section since 2021.
 
Philip is excited to begin his new position next year as the President of the LGBT section of the Austin Bar Association. Thank you, Philip, for your service to your clients, the Austin Bar Association, and the community!

Courtside with the Administrators - 4th Thursdays of the month. Brown bag networking lunch, socializing and good ol’ fashioned board games. Come hang with Warren Vavra and Jacob Stokes. Meet at the Court Administrators office on the 12th floor of the CFCF. 12:00 -1:00 p.m.

In further recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the Austin Bar Association Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee recognizes Sherine Thomas in this week’s spotlight.

Sherine Thomas is the current President of the South Asian Attorneys Bar Association. She is putting her legal acumen and accomplished trial record to work in private practice and also running for the District Court bench. During her career, Sherine tried cases at every level of trial court and argued at various state and federal appellate courts, including the Supreme Court of Texas. She recently retired after a successful tenure at the Travis County Attorney’s Office where she served under three County Attorneys. Sherine rose through the ranks to become the first woman and first minority to serve in the position of Executive County Attorney, where she managed and supervised the civil side of the County Attorney’s Office, which included a total of five divisions, including litigation and transactional. Plus, while responsible for overseeing office wide policies and administering a $25 million budget as part of the executive management team, she continued to litigate and advise on significant legal matters. Her record includes taking on some of the most consequential legal battles for Travis County. Sherine secured the largest settlement in Travis County history from a developer for polluting Hamilton Pool. She also advised on the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses, and she led the County’s multi-faceted legal response to the COVID pandemic.

Thank you, Sherine, for the many ways in which you contribute to the legal community!

Attorney volunteers will provide brief legal advice in their preferred practice area(s) to veterans in need. Walk-ins are welcome or you may pre-register online.  Sign up starts at 1:30 p.m. and please sign in before 3:30 p.m.

Veterans can also complete an intake application via phone. Call 512.472.0279 x110 to see if you qualify. For more information, please see the click here.

Volunteers may select a specific time slot or attend the entire duration of the clinic to provide advice. Volunteer here.

June 12, 2023 | 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM CT

Austin VA Outpatient Clinic | 7901 Metropolis Drive |  Austin, Texas, 78744

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts podcast, Austin Bar President Amanda Arriaga talks with Judge Ramey Ko, the first Asian ever to hold the position of Judge in Austin or Travis County.Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcasting platforms, or watch on YouTube.

The Austin Bar Foundation and the LGBTQ+ Law Section of the Austin Bar Association are honored to announce the Foundation’s eighth annual LGBTQ+ Scholarship. The Foundation and Section will award $5,000 scholarships to four current students (including 2023 graduates) enrolled at a Texas law school. Please complete this form and submit it, along with a current copy of your transcript (official or unofficial), resumé, statement of financial need, and, most importantly, a statement of commitment or contribution to the LGBTQ+ community or LGBTQ+ legal issues to:

LGBTQ+ Scholarship, Attn: DeLaine Ward, 712 W. 16th Street, Austin, TX 78701 by August 22, 2023, or by email it to AustinLGBTLawScholarship@gmail.com.

You may also complete the online application.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is an annual celebration that recognizes and celebrates the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. The AAPI umbrella term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast and South Asia and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. AAPI heritage month is celebrated in May to commemorate the arrival in May 1843 of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States. The Austin Bar Association honors the diverse culture and contributions of our AAPI members and is honored to recognize May as AAPI month!
 
In special recognition the Austin Bar Association Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee is honored to recognize Chi Reece in this week’s spotlight.
Chi Reece is a partner at Vela Wood. The core of Chi’s practice focuses on counseling and providing sound legal advice to business clients to build a solid foundation for future growth and success. She advises clients on transactional matters related to leases, acquisition and disposition, entity structuring and branding, trademark matters, vendor contracts, financing, private securities offerings and contract negotiation and review. Chi graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas and is a Plan II Honors Program and Frank Denius Normandy Scholar Program graduate from the University of Texas at Austin.

As a former owner of music venues and entertainment focused establishments in Austin, Texas, Chi’s background as a business owner and exposure to Austin’s creative scene provides her with a unique perspective and practical experience in understanding and responding to the needs of her business clients.

Chi is a past Chair of the Asian Pacific Interest Section of the State Bar of Texas and past President of the Austin Asian American Bar Association.

Thank you, Chi for your invaluable contributions to the Austin legal community and here with the Austin Bar!

The Austin Bar Association would like to thank Judge Lee Yeakel's retirement reception planning committee and sponsors, over $50,000 was raised for the Lee Yeakel University of Texas scholarship fund. See the full list of sponsors here.

Planning Committee:
Chair: Andrew Broadaway, Cornell Smith Mierl Brutocoa Burton
Marcy Greer, Alexander, Dubose & Jefferson
Kennon Wooten, Scott, Douglass & McConnico
Katie Carmona, Jackson Walker
Laura Sharp, The Sharp Firm
Paul Trahan, Norton Rose Fulbright
Brian Nash, Morrison & Foerster
Dirk Jordan, Jordan Law Firm
Ed Fernandes, King & Spalding
Mike Stenglein, King & Spalding
Randy Howry, Howry, Breen & Herman
Nick Jutila, UT