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Week of March 12, 2007
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Austin Bar Announces Board Candidates for 2007-2008
The Austin Bar Association Nominating Committee has approved the following 2007-2008 Board of Director Candidates:
President-Elect
Bob O'Boyle (uncontested)
Secretary
Ann Greenberg (uncontested)
Treasurer
David Whittlesey (uncontested)
Directors (four with two-year terms)
David Chamberlain
Judge Elisabeth Earle
Katherine Howard
Lauren Mathews
Chris Oddo
Jeff Rose
Lance Sharp
Jo Ann Merica will assume the role of President of the Austin Bar Association on July 1.
Any qualified member not receiving a nomination by the committee may be included on the ballot by submitting
a written petition signed by 75 members of the Austin Bar Association to the Austin Bar office by Friday,
April 6, 5:00 p.m.
Voting will be held online starting on April 10. You may also vote at the Austin Bar Association
office or at the Annual Meeting of the association which will be held Tuesday, May 1, 11:45 a.m.,
at the Omni Hotel.
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Love Bar Code? Pay Your Dues by this Thursday, March 15
If you have not yet paid your dues for 2007, this will be your last Bar Code! As of this Thursday,
March 15, Austin Bar Association and AYLA dues for 2007 must be paid. Don't miss a single issue of
Bar Code or the monthly newsletter Austin Lawyer or any of the many other benefits that come
with being an Austin Bar member.
You can pay your dues 3 ways:
1. Fax membership form with credit card payment to the Austin Bar office at 473-2720;
2. Mail membership form with check or credit card payment to the Austin Bar Association at 816 Congress,
Suite 700, Austin, TX 78701;
or
3. Visit the Austin Bar Web site at www.austinbar.org
and renew online.
Membership forms are available by calling the Austin Bar Association at 472-0279 or by downloading a PDF at
www.austinbar.org/2007MembershipForm.pdf.
For information on your membership status, please contact Carol Tobias at 472-0279.
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Award Nominations Wanted - Deadline this Thursday, March 15
Austin Bar Association is on the lookout for nominations for two awards to be presented at our Law Day Banquet
on Tuesday, May 1.
Regina Rogoff Award This award is given annually to an attorney in Travis County that has demonstrated outstanding
service in the public/non-profit sector and is a lasting tribute to Regina Rogoff, who started at Legal Aid in
1973 and was Executive Director for 19 years. Past recipients include Berry Crowley, Betti Balli Torres, Bree
Buchanan, and Fred Fuchs.
The Professionalism Award The Austin Bar Association along with the Texas Center for
Professionalism presents this award to a local lawyer who best exemplifies, by conduct and character,
truly professional traits, who others in the bar seek to emulate, and who all in the bar admire. Past recipients
of this award include Chuck Herring, Xavier Medina, Steve Zager, Larry Langley, Mina Brees, and Mike McKetta.
Please send your nominations to DeLaine Ward at delaine@austinbar.org
or 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700, Austin, Texas 78701 by this Thursday, March 15.
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Join AYLA for Fun and Networking at Docket Call, March 15
Looking for a way to have a good time and to get to know your fellow young lawyers? AYLA's got you covered -
join them March 15 for Docket Call and get your weekend started a little early!
Time: 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Location: InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Bar, 701 Congress Ave.
Sponsored by Choice Investments and Home and Hearth Realty Co.
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CAFA DVDs Offered at Austin Bar Office March 20
Topics: 9:00 a.m. Myth of Best Interests (4 hours); 2:00 p.m. Representing Children in CPS Cases (3 hrs)
Location: Austin Bar Board Room, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
CLE Credit: 7.0 hours
Cost: $25 members; $30 nonmembers
RSVP: To Karen Langsley at
klangsley@austin.rr.com
or Tina Amberboy at
tamberboy@austin.rr.com.
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Rise and Shine! Austin Bar's Breakfast with the Judiciary, March 22
Judge Stephen Yelenosky, 345th District Court, will be this month's guest for Breakfast with the Judiciary.
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Location: Austin Bar Seminar Room, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700
Cost: $20 (includes breakfast and parking validation)
RSVP: Advance reservation and pre-payment are required. Reserve your spot by contacting Debbie Kelly at
debbie@austinbar.org or 472-0279. Please send your check to
Debbie Kelly at the Austin Bar Association, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700, Austin, Texas 78701.
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Austin Bar Members-Only Free CLE, March 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 March 23 for:
Title: E-Filing Process and Demonstration
Speaker: Tom Schoolcraft, ProDoc
Time: Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Austin Bar Seminar Room, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700
Cost: Free; Pizza and drinks will be served for $5.00 or you can bring a lunch
To RSVP, e-mail receptionist@austinbar.org
or call Michelle or Mollie at 472-0279. Please specify whether or not you would like lunch; no shows who reserve
lunch will be billed.
For those of you who attended last month's Fourth Friday, you heard about the importance of the new local rules
from Warren Vavra, especially of Chapter 15, which consists of e-filing for court documents.
This month's CLE is a great way to find out more about the implications of Chapter 15. Don't miss out on this
opportunity!
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Put Your Paws Together for Austin Bar/AYLA's Newest Committee
The Austin Bar Association and the Austin Young Lawyers Association have jointly created the new Animal
Welfare Committee, which will utilize community service and other activities to promote the welfare of animals.
Many Austin Bar & AYLA members have advocated for such a committee, similar to other bar associations around
the state and nation.
The committee's first meeting will be held March 29 at noon at the Austin Bar offices. Take this
opportunity to help formulate the mission of this new and exciting joint committee.
Date: Thursday, March 29
Time: Noon
Location: Austin Bar Association, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700
RSVP to Debbie Kelly at debbie@austinbar.org
by noon, Wednesday, March 28.
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IOLTA Comparability Rule in Effect
On March 1, the Texas Supreme Court's IOLTA comparability rule, which requires that Texas lawyers keep their
IOLTA accounts with eligible financial institutions that pay interest rates on IOLTA accounts that are comparable
to the rates they pay on similar accounts, went into effect.
A list of more than 100 eligible financial institutions is posted on the Texas Access to Justice
Foundation's Web site at www.teajf.org.
The foundation is working with hundreds of other banks to become eligible before the June 1 compliance deadline.
If a financial institution decides not to pursue eligibility, its account holders would be required to move their
IOLTA accounts to an eligible institution.
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Court Reorganization Bill
A Court reorganization bill has been filed by Sen. Robert Duncan. Under the bill, all Travis County Courts-at-Law
will be abolished and new District Courts will be created in their place.
Additionally, the bill creates a mechanism for cases to be designated as "complex" and reassigned from the judge
in whose court the case resides.
To view the proposed bill, please click here.
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LexisNexis Webinar Series
LexisNexis is now offering LexisNexis Coffee Break Webinar Series, available to existing subscribers to the
LexisNexis services.
Take a break from the daily grind and improve your practice at the same time. Each webinar is a 20-minute
session provided at no cost - and participants receive a $5.00 Starbucks card for each session they attend!
Coffee Break Webinar Series:
- Get Your Litigation Mojo Working
- Uncover Hidden Assets and Other Juicy Information
- Busted! Using Facts as Your Secret Weapon
- Who Says Tax Law Research is Taxing?
- Search, Find, Validate: Top Tips for Case Law Research
Current sessions are now scheduled for March and April. To register and for more information,
click here.
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Save the Date - Law Day, May 1
Mark your calendars for the Annual Law Day Luncheon to be held on Tuesday, May 1, at the Omni Hotel.
Best-selling author and lawyer James Grippando will be the guest speaker.
The Austin Bar Association will also be honoring District Attorney Ronnie Earle, who recently celebrated his
65th birthday, for his years of public service and support of the Austin Bar.
Individual tickets are on sale now for $50 per person. To purchase your ticket, send a check made payable to
Austin Bar Association to Austin Bar Association, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700, Austin, Texas 78701.
Watch Bar Code for more information.
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New Austin Bar Member Benefits
To continue providing members of the Austin Bar Association with important services and benefits, the
following companies have become corporate partners with the Austin Bar Association:
Major, Lindsey & Africa
Major, Lindsey & Africa is the world's largest and highest rated legal search firm. Austin Bar member
Berry Crowley is their new managing director and can be reached at 276-5077.
Click here for a job announcement from the firm
for an Assistant General Counsel position.
To learn more about Major, Lindsey & Africa, visit www.mhaglobal.com.
American Bar Association Retirement Fund
The American Bar Association Retirement Fund was established by the ABA in 1966, and provides full-service,
cost-effective retirement plan solutions to law firms of all sizes - 401k's & profit sharing plans plus
one-on-one investment advice services.
If you are interested in this opportunity or would like more information, contact Joe DiBello at
1-800-826-8901 or jrdibello@citistreetonline.com.
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Upcoming Meetings
SECTIONS:
Tuesday, March 13, Real Estate Law Section Meeting
Thursday, March 15, Construction Law Section Meeting
Tuesday, March 20, Business, Corporate and Tax Law Section Meeting
Wednesday, March 21, Administrative Law Section Meeting
Thursday, March 22, Solo/Small Firm Section Meeting
Thursday, March 22, Civil Appellate 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.
Legislative Committee Meeting - March 16
Time: Noon
Publications Committee Meeting - March 21
Time: Noon
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Proud corporate sponsors of the Austin Bar Association
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