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Week of April 9, 2007
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Court Reorganization or Removing Local Authority from Judicial Branch? You Decide.
Join the Austin Bar Association and the Civil Litigation Section tomorrow, April 10, for an in-depth discussion
of Senate Bill 1204.
Filed by Sen. Robert Duncan, SB 1204 outlines a plan which will abolish Travis County Courts-at-Law and replace them
with newly created District Courts. Additionally, the bill creates a mechanism for cases to be designated as
"complex" and reassigned from the judge in whose court the case resides.
The Civil Litigation Section of the Austin Bar Association wants you to hear both sides of the issues. To provide a
balanced view and an opportunity for questions, the section will present The Pro's and Con's of Senate Bill 1204
tomorrow, Tuesday, April 10.
Speakers: Lee Parsley, E. Lee Parsley, PC. and lawyer for the Texans for Lawsuit Reform; Jay Harvey,
Winckler & Harvey, and President of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association
Time: Noon
Location: Austin Bar Seminar Room, 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700.
CLE Credit: 1.0 hour
Cost: Free, Feel free to brown bag - lunch will not be provided.
Brought to you by the Civil Litigation Section of the Austin Bar
Space is limited so please rsvp by e-mailing
receptionist@austinbar.org
or calling 472-0279.
Two papers have been prepared on the bill:
Texas Trial Lawyers:
SB 1204 - TTLA Summary
Texans for Lawsuit Reform:
SB 1204 - TLR Summary
To view the proposed bill, please click here.
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Voting for Austin Bar Board Begins This Week
Help shape the future of your bar association by participating in the 2007 Board Elections.
Austin Bar members who have provided e-mail addresses will receive an e-mail notification from Ballot Box on
April 10 allowing them to vote electronically. If you do not receive the e-mail or you choose to vote in person,
you may visit the Austin Bar office at 816 Congress Ave., Suite 700 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday,
April 10 through May 1 or cast your ballot at the annual Law Day Luncheon Tuesday, May 1 at 11:45
at the Omni Hotel.
Bios of the Board Candidates can be viewed on the Austin Bar Web site at
www.austinbar.org/austinboardcandidates.shtml.
A proposed amendment to the bylaws is also on the ballot. Please visit
www.austinbar.org/2007amend.shtml
for more information.
How to Make Voting Easy!
Members of the Austin Bar Association are eligible to cast their votes electronically in the upcoming board elections.
To receive an electronic ballot:
- Please ensure that the Austin Bar Association has your current e-mail address; and
- Set your spam filter so that austinbar.org is an accepted address.
If you have followed the steps above and still do not receive your electronic ballot by April 12, please
contact the Austin Bar Association at 472-0279.
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Bench Bar Registration Deadline Extended, Sign Up by Friday, April 13
Thought you missed the deadline for Bench Bar 007? Well, think again! The deadline has been extended to this Friday,
April 13. There is still time for you to sign up and take advantage of the many opportunities this year's
conference brings:
- Cooking class at Central Market - test your culinary talents and learn new techniques that will wow your family
and friends, all while visiting with local judges
- Golf tournament - play golf alongside judges and attorneys on a beautiful Barton Creek course - this tournament
is anything but sub-par
- Wine tasting at the Blanton Museum - network and discover your new favorite wine among one-of-a-kind pieces of art
- Vendor fair - visit with various companies to discover numerous ways to improve your practice
- CLE, CLE, CLE - attend general sessions on significant topics that impact all lawyers and breakout sessions on the
areas of law that most affect you and your practice
Bench Bar 007 is not an event you want to miss. Sign up today!
Click here for a full schedule and to register online.
For more information, call the Austin Bar at 472-0279.
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AYLA Government Coffee, Friday, April 13
Calling all government attorneys! Session got you down? Watched your boss work the Floor until 4 a.m.? Just realized
that your bill that will change the world hasn't made it to committee...and there's less than two months left in session?
Wondering how you are going to face Friday the 13th? Come have coffee with your friends!
You are invited to join AYLA in a coffee honoring your hard work and commitment to public service on Friday, April 13,
from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Starbucks on 9th and Congress.
All young lawyers who work in, around, or near government at any level are invited. Current members of AYLA are strongly
encouraged to invite young attorneys who are not yet a part of AYLA to attend. If you're not a member, come anyway!
Members of the AYLA board will be in attendance to provide information on how to join AYLA and what it can do for you
...and you get free coffee!
For more information, contact Amanda Arriaga at
amanda.arriaga@governor.state.tx.us,
Amy Morehouse at
Amy.Morehouse@tdi.state.tx.us,
Brian Prestwood at
Brian.Prestwood@oag.state.tx.us,
or David Courreges at
dcourreges@dbilaw.com.
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Volunteers Needed for Fine Arts Festival, April 14-15
The annual Austin Fine Arts Festival is right around the corner! AYLA members, along with their friends and
families, have assisted for the last few years, and the festival organizers have asked once again for our
assistance. This year's festival is April 14-15 and there are many volunteer opportunities available. The
greatest need is for front-gate coverage from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 14.
Perks for volunteering include free admission into the festival, an invitation to the post-event volunteer
appreciation party, and the knowledge that your volunteerism is helping to raise funds for the Austin Museum
of Art and the Blanton Museum of Art.
To learn more about the festival and to sign up for a shift, please go to
http://www.austinfineartsfestival.org/volunteer.html.
If you decide to volunteer, please contact the AYLA volunteer liaison, Kennon Peterson, at
kennon.peterson@bakerbotts.com
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Rise and Shine! Austin Bar's Breakfast with the Judiciary, April 19
Judge Priscilla Owen, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 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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Join AYLA for Bench Bar Docket Call, April 19
AYLA is joining forces with Bench Bar for its monthly Docket Call. Join them as they start to wind down the week and
kick off the Austin Bar's Bench Bar 007 conference.
Time: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Location: Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto
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Diamonds are a Bar's Best Friend - 15% Discount at Tiffany's
As some may already be aware, Tiffany & Co. has opened a store location in Austin at The Domain, and they would
like to invite all Austin Bar members to establish a business account. Need to purchase holiday gifts, birthday
presents, or awards? As an Austin Bar member, you will be eligible for a 15% discount - and there is no fee to
establish this account.
To take advantage of this opportunity and apply for a business account, please visit the Austin Bar Association
Web site at www.austinbar.org and select Tiffany & Co. or call 800-770-0800
and press 2 to speak with a Tiffany representative. To ensure the best possible service, please include
Lynley Chadwell, our business sales representative, on your application.
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Make a Difference Through New Partnership between Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas and AYLA
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas and AYLA are recruiting attorneys to be a friend and mentor to Central
Texas children beginning in the fall of 2007. The first opportunity to sign up for more information is at AYLA's
Docket Call at Scholz Garten on April 19.
Through mentoring you can change a child's life. Little Brothers and Little Sisters are:
- 75% less likely to drop out of school;
- 52% less likely to skip school;
- 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs;
- 33% less likely to be abusive; and
- 27% less likely to begin using alcohol.
"Bigs" in school typically meet with their "Little" once per week for about an hour during the school year. These
visits take place at the child's school, most often during the child's lunch hour. There are several participating
schools located throughout Austin, typically only a few minutes away from downtown.
Please contact Angie Castilleja at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas, Partnership Coordinator, at 472-5437 x229,
David Courreges at 478-5308, or Shannon Fohn at 236-9220 with the AYLA Mentoring Committee for more information.
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They Had a Dream Too Volunteers Needed
The AYLA They Had a Dream Too committee is in need of volunteers who are willing to assist with the AYLA's
encore presentation of THADT on Monday, April 23, at the Capitol. The first presentation was a great success
due to the generous support of the program's many volunteers!
If you would like to help, please contact David Courreges at dcourreges@dbilaw.com.
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Feel Good Without A Huge Time Commitment!
Volunteer Legal Services needs attorneys to volunteer as Attorney Ad Litems for missing persons served with
citation by publication in Assisted Pro Se Clinic cases. This is an easy way to help those in need and takes
very little time. And VLS makes it even easier by providing all the forms and info you will need.
Attorney ad litem duties include trying to find the missing party and testifying about search results at the
final uncontested docket hearing. Please contact Doug Lawrence for more info or to sign up at
dlawrence@vlsoct.org.
or 476-5550 ext. 305.
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Upcoming Meetings
SECTIONS:
Tuesday, April 10, Real Estate Law Section Meeting
Wednesday, April 11, Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Section Meeting
Thursday, April 12, Financial Institutions Section Meeting
Wednesday, April 18, Administrative Law Section Meeting
Thursday, April 19, Construction 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 - April 18
Time: Noon
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Proud corporate sponsors of the Austin Bar Association
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