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Week of March 23, 2009

Austin Bar Nominating Committee Announces Board Candidates

Congratulations to 2009 - 2010 slate! Below is a list of all of the candidates who have been nominated by the Austin Bar Nominating Committee.

President-Elect - David Whittlesey
Secretary - David Chamberlain
Treasurer - Lance Sharp

Director (4 positions, 2-year terms) nominations include:
Julia Benkoski
Ed Burbach
Ami Desai
Judge Elisabeth Earle
Bethann Eccles
Kurt Kuhn
R. Allen Rodgers
Jeff Rose
Judge Eric Shepperd
Amy Welborn

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 to the Austin Bar Association office by Friday, April10.

Early voting will begin April 16, 15 business days before the annual meeting, by electronic ballot. If you do not receive an electronic ballot or you choose to vote in person, you may do so at the Austin Bar/AYLA office, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700. In addition, the last chance to vote will be at the Law Day Luncheon & Annual Meeting on May 7 at the AT&T Conference Center.

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.

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Legal Build 2009: Making Dreams a Reality

Continuing the Austin Bar's tradition of working with Habitat for Humanity to give deserving Austin families the benefits of home ownership, Legal Build 2009 was kicked-off last week and needs your help.

There are many benefits of homeownership that Tamika Nobles and her family will realize through the partnership between her, the Austin Bar Association, and Habitat. Did you know that children of low-income homeowners are 20 percent more likely to graduate from high school, 62 percent more likely to acquire post-secondary education, and typically earn 24 percent higher income as adults? Helping parents become homeowners improves their children’s prospects for a more productive adult life. Tamika and her family will work side by side with Legal Build to build her home, which she will pay for through a mortgage.

We must raise a total of $65,000 before the summer's end to build a home for the Nobles family. To get things started off, our first goal is to raise $20,000 by the end of March.

You can help us change the lives of the members of the Nobles family! Donations may be mailed to the Austin Bar Foundation, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700, Austin, TX 78701 (please indicate that the contribution is for Legal Build) or may be made online. If you would like additional information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Mishell Kneeland by e-mail or phone, 965-5463.

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Austin Bar Association's Annual Blood Drive, March 24

Date: Tuesday, March 24
Location: Austin Bar Association, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700

It's that time of year again! It's time for Austin Bar members to roll up their sleeves and get to work donating blood. Please follow the simple instructions below to sign-up today.

Visit www.lonestardonor.com. Click on the appropriate log-in type:

  • Quick Log-in – for those with a user name and password
  • Returning Donor – you've given blood previously through the Blood Center of Central Texas but haven't used the online service before, or
  • I want to become a Donor – you have never given blood through the Blood Center of Central Texas
Once you have logged in, use the "Find a Drive" function: type in Austin Bar and click the Search button. The search results page should list only the Austin Bar Association Conference Room on Tuesday, March 24. Click on "Austin Bar Association Conference Room." This will take you to the list of times available to donate blood. Click on the time you would like to donate. If it asks for a sponsor code, use "Austin bar."

Please call the Austin Bar at 472-0279 if you have any trouble.

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Breakfast with the Judiciary, March 26

Date: Thursday, March 26
Location: Austin Bar Assocation, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700
Time: 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.
Cost:$22
RSVP to Michelle McFadyen at Michelle@austinbar.org or 472-0279 x111.

Join Justice Jan Patterson from the Third Court of Appeals for breakfast next Thursday morning. Fill up on a scrumptious spread and great conversation to celebrate being on the downhill side of the week.

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Civil and Criminal Attorneys Free Happy Hour, March 26

Time: 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Location: Austin Bar Association, 816 Congress Avenue, Suite 700
Host: David Sheppard
Cost: Free, open to members of the Austin Bar Association only
RSVP to Michelle McFadyen at 472-0279 ext. 111 or Michelle@austinbar.org. Reservations are limited to the first 30 responses. Please RSVP to ensure your spot.

Has your best friend called you during the middle of the night to report that their son was arrested for DWI or their daughter got an MIP? Has your nanny been caught shoplifting? Has your ex-brother-in-law been in a bar room brawl? Come to a happy hour and meet some of our outstanding Criminal Law attorneys. We will have a directory of the criminal law attorneys for you to take with you.

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Members Only Free Fourth Friday CLE, March 27

Date: Friday, March 27
Location:Austin Bar Association, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700
Time:noon to 1:00 p.m.
Topic: Building and Managing Client Relationships in Challenging Economic Times
Speaker: Debra Bruce & Gerry Morris
RSVP to Mollie Gallagher at 472-0279 or Mollie@austinbar.org.

Today the saying "business as usual" seems to be a relic of the past. The turbulent times require lawyers to be nimble and knowledgeable to ethically find new clients and manage financial issues with them. Gerry Morris and Debra Bruce will mesh their experience from challenging times of the past with the benefits of using today's technology.



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Apply for U.S. Attorney Position by March 27

Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn announced last Thursday that qualified candidates who are interested in serving as a United States Attorney in the state of Texas must submit application packets by this Friday, March 27.

Qualified attorneys who seek appointment to these critical positions must submitt their resumes and completed questionnaires to each Senator’s office. All applications will be carefully reviewed, and then Sens. Hutchison and Cornyn will make recommendations to the President so he may select a nominee.

Completed application packets must be sent via e-mail to the following addresses no later than this Friday, March 27: FJEC@hutchison.senate.gov and FJEC@cornyn.senate.gov. The comprehensive questionnaire is available on their Web sites at www.hutchison.senate.gov and www.cornyn.senate.gov. Submitted questionnaires will be reviewed by the Federal Judiciary Evaluation Committee, and selected candidates will be interviewed.

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Easels, Clothes Hangers, and Immigration and Public Benefits Attorneys Needed for Women's Resource Fair, March 28

Date: Saturday, March 28
Location: Schmidt-Jones Family Life Center, 1300 Lavaca Street
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Attorneys with a background in Immigration and Public Benefits are asked to volunteer to help the more than 130 women and children that will be attending the 2009 Women's Resource Fair. WRF provides a free day of access to medical care, social services, resume writing workshops, and clothing in addition to legal services for homeless and battered Austin-area women.

Like last year, the legal clinic will be staffed with attorney volunteers. It will be a one day only event for the volunteers; they'll just be there to counsel and advise. Any follow-up that's needed will be handled by Texas RioGrande Legal Aid or by a referral to Volunteer Legal Services.

If you are interested in providing legal assistance to these women, please contact Heather Godwin at hgodwin@trla.org.

In addition, 10 to 15 easels are needed for signage at the event. If your firm can loan easels for the weekend, please contact Liz Branch at branch@branchlawoffice.com to arrange for drop off. Please label the easel with your firm contact information.

Also, due to the generosity of the legal community, we have a great selection of clothing for the fair. However, we do need wire clothing hangers to hang everything. Please drop off hangers at the Austin Bar office by noon on Friday, March 27.

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Fit Bar Ethics CLE, April 4

Date: Saturday, April 4
Location: Castle Hill Fitness, 1112 North Lamar Blvd. Suite D
Time: 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.
Topic: Client Confidentiality, Fee Agreements, Billing & Collections
Speaker: Jacqueline Rixen
CLE: .5 hours of ethics
Cost:Free but open to Austin Bar members only; space limited to first 24 RSVPs
RSVP to Michelle McFadyen at Michelle@austinbar.org or 472-0279 x111.

Are you finding it difficult to squeeze in a daily workout between home and work commitments? The Austin Bar has the perfect solution! We're turning you into a lean, mean, CLE earning machine on April 4.

Join us for an hour of spin class while earning .5 hours of ethics and you'll be able to scratch two things off your to-do list. Take the time to RSVP today and do something great for your body and mind.

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AYLA's 50th Birthday Bash, April 17

Date: Friday, April 17
Location: Threadgill's, 301 W. Riverside Dr.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $40 per person (food and drink included)
RSVP to Debbie Kelly at Debbie@austinbar.org or 472-0279 x105.

Help AYLA celebrate 50 years of service and fun as they honor the past 50 AYLA Presidents and Board of Directors. With entertainment provided by Austin's own The Gourds, this is one birthday celebration you don't want to miss.

The evening will offer Silent and Live Auctions as well as the presentation of the AYLA Outstanding Alumnus and AYLA Outstanding Mentor Awards.

To buy wristbands or give AYLA a special 50th birthday donation, click here. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Please contact Debbie Kelly at 472-0279 x105 to become a sponsor today!

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Save the Date: Legislative Update, April 30

Date: Thursday, April 30
Location: Austin Bar Association, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700
Time: noon to 1:15 p.m.

Mark your calendars for a Legislative Update seminar next month featuring David Chamberlain as moderator and Jay Harvey and Dicky Grigg as panelists. The Austin Bar has applied for CLE credit for this event. Look to future Bar Code E-newsletters for more information including RSVPs as the event approaches.



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Capital Area AIDS Legal Project Seeking Advisory Board Candidates

The Capital Area AIDS Legal Project is seeking candidates for its Advisory Board. Interested persons should contact Michelle Cheng at 476-4346 or mcheng@AustinTrialLaw.com. CAALP uses a network of volunteer attorneys to provide free legal services in a number of practice areas to income-qualified individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.

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Upcoming Meetings

SECTIONS:
Tuesday, March 24 - Business, Corporate & Tax Law Section Meeting

Thursday, March 26 - Solo/Small Firm Section Meeting

Tuesday, March 31 - CAFA 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 by noon the previous day to Mollie@austinbar.org or call 472-0279 with your name and the name of the committee.

Tuesday, March 31 - Judicial Affairs Committee Meeting

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