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Week of February 20, 2007
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Austin Bar Members-Only Free CLE This Friday, February 23
The Austin Bar Association is offering free CLE opportunities now on the fourth Friday of each month for
members of the Austin Bar.
Join us this Friday for:
Title: Warren's World and the New, New Local Rules
Speaker: Warren Vavra
Time: Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Travis County Courthouse, 1000 Guadalupe, Room 308
Cost: Free; no pizza will be offered this month, but brownbaggers are welcome
RSVP: Not necessary this month
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E-Filing in the Travis County District Courts, February 23
The way you file your court cases is about to change - within the next few months, e-filing will
become mandatory in Travis County District Court cases.
Plans currently call for a phased plan for e-filing to become mandatory according to filings types
(and in this order):
- Asbestos litigation
- Foreclosures
- Personal Injury
- And the remainder
If you need to learn the basics, we've got your chance to do so.
The Travis County District Courts, along with the District Clerk's office, will be co-sponsoring a CLE
course titled "E-Filing in the Travis County District Courts" this Friday, February 23.
The general session will last one hour and will be followed by breakout sessions by two electronic
service providers, Case File Express and Pro Doc. The District Clerk's office will also demonstrate
how they process an E-filed document when it arrives in their inbox.
Hosted by: Judge John K. Dietz, 250th District Court, and Amalia Rodriguez-Mendoza, District Clerk
Time: 9:00 am to Noon
Location: Travis County Courthouse, 250th District Court, Room 314
CLE Credit: 1.0 hour
Attorneys, legal assistants, and any other legal support staff are encouraged to attend.
To RSVP, or if you have any questions, please contact Lydia Garcia at 854-9737.
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Sign Up for Settlement Week for Travis County by this Friday, February 23
The Austin Bar Association, in collaboration with the Travis County district judges, the County Court at Law
judges, and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Center, brings 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 Dispute
Resolution Center no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 23.
There is a $25 administrative fee for participation in Settlement Week. Checks should be made payable to the
Austin Bar Association and delivered to the Dispute Resolution Center with the case submission sheet.
You may obtain a settlement week package at the following locations:
- Information desk on the first floor of the Courthouse
- The Dispute Resolution Center, 5407 North IH-35, Suite 410
- The Austin Bar Association, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700
- The Austin Bar Association Web site at www.austinbar.org
The Austin Bar is looking for attorney volunteers to participate in this public service project as mediators.
Please visit our Web site at www.austinbar.org
to sign up for this important cause.
For specific questions regarding Settlement Week, please call Settlement Week Chair, Lisa Magids, at 225-5815.
For administrative questions, please call Kris Donley of the Dispute Resolution Center at 371-0033.
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Girl Law Day Needs Volunteers, Sign Up by this Friday, February 23
The Girl Scouts - Lone Star Council is planning a one-day Girl Law Day for teen girls on Saturday, March 24,
at Travis High School, 1211 East Oltorf.
The day will cover various topics particularly relevant to girls such as:
- The Juvenile Justice System
- How to Get into Law School
- Career Opportunities
- Mediation
- Law Enforcement
The Honorable Orlinda Naranjo, 419 District Court and Judge John Vasquez of the Austin Municipal Court will
participate in a judicial panel. Last year the Texas Young Lawyers Association presented several workshops
including It Could Be You and Junior Judges.
Workshop
They Had a Dream Too
It Could be You
Junior Judges
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Time
9:40 to 10:30 a.m.
12:35 to 1:30 p.m.
9:40 to 10:30 a.m.
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Grade
Grades 9 - 12
Grades 7 - 8
Grades 7 - 8
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Volunteers are needed for hour-long segments. Please contact Karin Crump at
crump@mdjwlaw.com
by this Friday, February 23, if you would like to be a part of this great project.
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People's Law School is Back this Saturday, February 24 - Spread the Word to Family and Friends
People's Law School is a day that offers free legal information to the public. This event, held at the UT
Law School on Saturday, February 24, features discussion of basic legal issues covering more than
30 subjects including small business issues, identity theft, wills & estate planning, constitutional law,
and more.
This is an extremely valuable event to those who attend. Pass this on to family and friends and give them a
chance to learn a little about the law - all for free!
A list of topics and times, as well as online registration and directions to the event, are available at
www.PeoplesLawSchoolAustin.com
Also, make sure to tune in to KEYE from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. this Thursday. Volunteer attorneys will be hosting a
call-in program for the public at the news station as well as at the Lawyer Referral Service office. They will
be there to answer basic legal questions for the public. Last year the program received over 400 calls!
For more information, contact Jenny at 472-0279 or jenny@austinbar.org
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Nominations Wanted for Austin Bar Board, Resumes Due March 5
Austin Bar Association is seeking candidates for officers and directors for the 2007-08 bar year. The nominating
committee chaired by President Steve Benesh requests applications from interested persons for president-elect,
secretary, treasurer, and four director positions. Candidates should demonstrate a history of activity within
the organized bar.
Interested persons should send a resume along with the position title by March 5 to: Austin Bar Association,
Attn: Nominating Committee; 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700; Austin, Texas 78701. Officer positions are one-year terms.
Director positions are for two years. Nominees for the office of president-elect shall have served at least two
years on the Board of Directors prior to assuming office.
The Nominating Committee is composed of President Steve Benesh, President-Elect Jo Ann Merica, Past President
Randy Howry, two representatives from the affiliate bar associations, and four representatives of Austin Bar's
sections.
The Nominating Committee's decision shall be announced on or before March 15. The number of candidates to
be nominated for each position shall be left to the discretion of a majority of the Nominating Committee. Any
qualified member not receiving the nomination of the committee may be included on the ballot by submitting a
written petition signed by 75 members of the association. Such written petitions must be submitted to the
association by April 10. Voting will be conducted at the annual meeting of the membership in May and
via electronic ballot. If there is a contested race, early voting will begin 15 business days prior to the annual
meeting.
For questions about the election process, please contact Austin Bar Executive Director DeLaine Ward at 472-0279.
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A Lawyer Walks into a Bar...March 13
Camel's Back Films announces the World Premiere of "A LAWYER WALKS INTO A BAR..." at the 2007 South by Southwest
Film Festival.
The film takes a whimsical look at lawyers, law, and litigiousness in America as seen through the eyes of six
would-be lawyers preparing for the most notorious bar exam in the nation. The documentary features a cast of
characters that runs the gamut -- from a type A "gunner" hellbent on rising to the top of her profession at
whatever cost, to a former Marine who has taken the bar exam 41 times. (Yes, 41 times.)
The film features cameos by legal luminaries, politicians, celebrity lawyers and other notables, including actor
and comedian Eddie Griffin, attorney Robert Shapiro (counsel to O.J. Simpson), CNN's Nancy Grace, Court TV's
Catherine Crier, novelist Scott Turow, Harvard law professor and legal commentator Alan Dershowitz, U.S. Senator
John Cornyn, Clinton advisor Vernon Jordan, renowned Texas trial lawyers Joe Jamail and Mark Lanier, Comedy
Central's Michael Ian Black, and ABC's John Stossel.
Date: Tuesday, March 13
Time: 10:30 p.m.
Location: Paramount Theater, 713 Congress Ave.
To purchase tickets and for more information, please visit
http://www.alawyerwalksintoabar.com.
Space is very limited as SXSW badge holders will have priority seating after this advance ticket pre-sale.
Please reserve your seats early. Purchased tickets can be picked up at Will Call at the Paramount Theater
thirty minutes prior to the show. Please bring your receipt and picture ID.
For questions, please e-mail info@alawyerwalksintoabar.com
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People to People Goes to Russia
People to People Ambassador Programs brings you a unique, life-changing opportunity. The program
invites you to join them for the U.S.-Russia Joint Conference on the Rule of Law in St. Petersburg,
Russia from November 2-9, 2007. Richard Pena will spearhead the trip and will be joined by distinguished
co-chairs:
- Justice Wallace Jefferson, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas
- Steven Walther, past chair of the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation
- Irena Lieberman, director of the ABA Commission on Immigration
- Steven Zack, past chair of the Board of Directors of the ABA
- General Alfred Valenzuela, Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary’s Law School
- Steven Tober, New Hampshire State Bar
People to People International was founded in 1956 by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower in an effort
to better promote cultural understanding through the direct communication of individuals from different
countries. For 50 years, the program has developed teams of specialists in a variety of disciplines
to allow face-to-face communication among colleagues.
People to People provides a professionally rewarding experience for each delegation member by providing
them with an opportunity to share their experiences and expertise, discuss common problems, compare
recent findings, and to learn from their international counterparts and fellow team members.
For questions regarding the delegation, please contact an associate of People to People Ambassador
Programs at (877) 787-2000 or e-mail
info@ambassadorprograms.org
For more information, visit http://www.ambassadorprograms.com.
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Volunteers Needed
The Central Texas Civil Liberties Union is looking for attorney volunteers interested in Bill of Rights issues
to help screen complaints and requests for help to the Central Texas chapter of the ACLU of Texas. The screening
group meets the first Wednesday of each month at the ACLU office on East 11th Street from about 4:30 pm to
5:30 p.m.
To volunteer or for more information, contact Lynn Sanders at 474-5793 or
lynnsanders@sbcglobal.net
or Larry Sauer at
sauerlaw@wdo-law.com.
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Upcoming Meetings
SECTIONS:
Friday, February 23, Solo/Small Firm Section Meeting
Tuesday, February 27, Bankruptcy Law Section Meeting
Thursday, March 1, Environmental 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 to
receptionist@austinbar.org
or call 472-0279 with your name and the name of the committee.
Publications Committee Meeting – February 21
Time: Noon
Judicial Affairs Committee Meeting - February 26
Time: Noon
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Proud corporate sponsors of the Austin Bar Association
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