Non Austin Bar Articles

Friday, May 13 | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm (virtual)

Alexander Hamilton Presents: Honoring Professionalism and Civility In The Legal Profession: A Half-Day Of Free Ethics CLE Hosted by the Robert W. Calvert American Inn of Court and the Austin Bar Association.  This event is virtual and open to all Austin-area attorneys on a first-to-register basis.  Judge Catherine Mauzy and Patrick Keel will engage us in a discussion on civility and professionalism and why it matters as a foundation to your practice. State Bar Chief Disciplinary Counsel, Seana Willing, will review the new Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and TLAP Director, Erica Grigg, will present on Attorney Wellness.  Erica offers a fresh perspective on how we can take care of ourselves and support one another.  The day will conclude with a panel discussion with Justice Gisela Triana, Judge Lora Livingston, and Judge Dayna Blazey on the importance of civility in and out of the courtroom. The four presentation segments support, encourage, and celebrate true professionalism and civility.

Be In the Room Where it Happens and join us for this FREE event that provides 3 hours of Ethics CLE.

Registration: https://www.austinbar.org/?pg=events&evAction=showDetail&eid=250121&evSubAction=listAll

Please join the Austin Black Lawyers Association for Journey to the Bench.

Wednesday, April 13, 2022 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

The Honorable Eric Shepperd: County Court at Law #2

Register here for the zoom link.

Leadership Austin focuses on inclusive leadership, transformative action, equity and emotional intelligence, and more. Programs allow its participants to model civil discourse and lean into discussions led by lived experience in a way that is not matched in our region. Programs allow cohorts to see how the system they work and live in, intersects with the other systems at play in our region and determine how they can make positive changes that impact the broader community
 
If interested, follow the link to the Application Hub for information including several info sessions to attend.
 

Courtroom Skills Series: Voir Dire
Date: Friday, April 15, 2022
Time: 12 noon-1:00pm (by zoom)
Presenters: David Brenner
 
Registration: Email Hilary Reyes and cc Megan Duckens no later than Thursday, April 14th

VLS invites you to this year's Basic Litigation Seminar on Thursday, April 29, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. via Zoom.

VLS’s Basic Litigation Seminar aims to provide you with the skills and resources needed try a VLS general law case. This is a practical course emphasizing basic trial skills and Travis County trial court procedures.

Each year, thousands of low-income Central Texans turn to VLS for legal help navigating the civil justice system. For many of them, VLS is their only resource. To ensure we can meet this need, VLS offers this seminar at no cost to attorneys who agree to take two general law pro bono cases through VLS during the 2022 calendar year. Register HERE and use your trial skills to change lives!

Please see the 2023 Travis County Civil District Courts Schedule here.

The University of Texas School of Law needs volunteer judges for its annual moot-court competition. The in-person competition will be Friday, April 22 to Sunday, April 24. Volunteers will sit on a panel with other lawyers to judge 1L students’ oral arguments. A bench memo with suggested questions will be provided.

To volunteer, complete the form at this link. We could not provide this opportunity to our students without the help of our volunteers.

Developed specifically for legal professionals, LawPay allows you to easily and securely accept credit, debit, and eCheck payments from anywhere. Our proprietary technology prevents commingling of earned and unearned funds and protects your trust account against third-party debiting—ensuring compliance with ABA and IOLTA guidelines. We’re also committed to providing an exceptional support experience and offer phone, email, and live chat support from our in-house team of experts. As a proud member benefit, LawPay wants to help you take charge of your payments (and your day)! Sign up for LawPay by March 31 to receive a wireless charging notebook and three months of no monthly program fee. Get started here.

Tips from the Bench
Date: Friday, March 18, 2022 | 12 noon-1:00 pm (by zoom)
Presenters: Judge Amy Meachum
 
Registration: Email Hilary Reyes and cc Megan Duckens at no later than Thursday, March 17th.

The State Bar of Texas seeks five attorneys who would like to serve on the District 9 (Travis County) Grievance Committee. District grievance committees are composed of two-thirds lawyer members and one-third public members, each of whom serves a three-year staggered term and is eligible to serve two consecutive terms.

The district grievance committees perform two critical roles in the discipline system: 1) Review complaints presented by the Chief Disciplinary Counsel and determine whether the case should be dismissed or proceed to prosecution; and 2) Sit as an administrative tribunal to determine whether professional misconduct was committed and assess an appropriate sanction.  

District 9 Grievance Committee members are nominated by District 9’s board representatives, which are currently Adam Schramek, Todd Smith and Kennon Wooten. It is important to the public and the lawyers of Texas for the members of the district grievance committees to fairly represent the racial, ethnic, and gender makeup of the districts they serve. District 9’s directors are requesting interested attorneys to submit their resumés to Kennon Wooten by April 11, 2022.