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The 2025 Austin Bar and AYLA Bench Bar Conference took place on April 11 at the Hotel Viata.
Nearly 180 attendees took part in the day-long CLE presentations. Of particular note was the session put on by Third Court of Appeals Justices Chari Kelly and Rosa Lopez Theofanis, which was standing room only as they talked about 10 things that will get your case reversed.
There were several breakout sessions, so attendees could choose to attend whichever track was more pertinent to them.
In the afternoon, attendees took a break from the law to enjoy an ice cream social sponsored by Howry Breen and Herman, as well as take part in the Lawyer Olympics. Teams of 10 rotated around stations for Jenga, Connect Four, Cornhole, and Axe Throwing (using plastic axes and a bristled plastic target).
Overall, the burnt-orange team, which included Judge Maya Guerra Gamble, Judge Leigh Mathews Rodriguez, and Scott Brutocao, won the most games. This is the second year in a row that Judge Guerra Gamble has been on the winning team.
The conference’s final session –an ethics panel discussing how to deal with difficult clients – featured Jonathan Smaby, executive director of the Texas Center for Legal Ethics.
After the conference was over, attendees gathered for a happy hour, as well as the awards program.
AYLA President Emily Morris presented the Mentor Award to former Austin Bar President Kennon Wooten; the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award to Samantha McCoy; and the Liberty Bell Award to Debbie Tate from the Texas Advocacy Project and formerly the Center for Child Protection.
After that, Austin Bar President-Elect Maitreya Tomlinson presented the Regina Rogoff Pro Bono Award to Meghan Kempf; the Joseph C. Parker Jr. Diversity Award to Judge Maya Guerra Gamble and the Hon. Rudy Metayer; the Larry F. York Mentoring Award to Sara Foskitt; and the Professionalism Award to Michelle Cheng.
Thank you to everyone who attended, and thank you to all our vendors, corporate sponsors, and supporters! We’ll see you next year!
Past Austin Bar President Kennon Wooten tries her hand at cornhole.
Past Austin Bar President Jo Ann Merica stoically hurls an axe at the target.
Austin Bar Secretary Judge Maya Guerra Gamble watches intently as her beanbag sails toward the cornhole goal.
Judge Maria Cantu Hexsel nervously places a Jenga block atop the tower.
2025 Professionalism Award winner Michelle Cheng watches as her axe heads toward the target.