Austin Bar Member Richard Pena Named 2024 NCBP Fellow

The National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP)has selected Richard Pena as the winner of its 2024 Fellows Award. This marks the first time a former Austin Bar president has won this distinguished award, and only the second time a bar president from Texas has won. (James Sales of the Houston Bar Association, who subsequently served as State Bar of Texas …

Travis County Service and Filing Fees Updated for 2024

On Jan. 1, 2024, the Travis County Commissioners’ Court’s new schedule of fees to be charged for services rendered by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and Travis County constables in 2024 went into effect. See Texas Local Gov’t Code  §§ 118.131. The 2024 fees are as follows: Service of Process:   • Citation (County and District Court): $85 • Citation …

Nominations for AYLA Board Positions Now Open

Are you interested in running for a position on AYLA’s 2024-25 board of directors? If so, now is the time to apply! Nomination forms are now available on AYLA’s website, and may be submitted through March 1, 2024.  Serving as a director on the AYLA board is a great way to gain leadership experience, shape the local legal community, and …

AYLA Teams Up with YMCA to Serve Parents and Children

AYLA hosted its Holiday Program in partnership with the YMCA on Dec. 3, 2023. AYLA was able to provide for 96 families and more than 200 children!  AYLA’s Holiday Program is an annual event for underprivileged families in the Austin community. AYLA collects donations of toys, gifts, and funds for the event, which offers parents an opportunity to “shop” for …

February 2024 Briefs

Congratulations to David Armbrust for his inclusion in Austin Business Journal’s inaugural Power Players list, which recognizes individuals who have notable influence in their industry. Armbrust is the founding partner of Armbrust & Brown and practices administrative, environmental, land use, and real estate law. Congratulations to Kelly Caperton Fischer on her promotion to partner in Goranson Bain Ausley’s Austin office. …

NJC Names Judge Maya Guerra Gamble a “Courageous Judge”

Judge of the 459th District Court and Austin Bar Treasurer Maya Guerra Gamble was named one of The National Judicial College (NJC)’s “60 Courageous Judges.” The NJC’s Courageous Judges Awards “honor 60 judges, present and past, from courts in the United States and abroad, who have demonstrated courage in upholding the rule of law and providing justice for all.”1 Nominations …

Austin Bar Board of Directors Open for Nominations!

If you are interested in running for a position as a director or officer of the Austin Bar Association, please fill out and submit this form by Feb. 25. Officer positions are one-year term; 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 …

ABLA Scholarship Applications Now Open

The Austin Black Lawyers Association (ABLA) Foundation, Inc., is looking for high-school seniors to apply for its Virgil C. Lott Scholarship for 2024. This scholarship is open to current high-school seniors in Central Texas who exhibit leadership, community service, good scholastic standing, extracurricular involvement, and financial need. Applications may be submitted online here. Please email any questions to: Foundation@austinblacklawyers.org. To …

Austin City Council Begins Efforts to Ban Construction of Windowless Apartment Buildings

Windowless bedrooms are illegal. Right?  The issue is apparently not so cut-and-dry, much to the dismay of thousands of university students living in downtown Austin. Due to certain loopholes found in the 2021 International Building Code, the code that the City of Austin follows, so-called “luxury” student apartments can legally exclude windows from their apartment bedrooms. As per the Code, …

Gen Z-er Here: I’m an Avid Listener of the Council of Firsts Podcast

Austin Bar Foundation Chair Amanda Arriaga was the featured guest of a fireside chat on Oct. 16 at Hilgers House. The focus of the chat was Amanda’s initiative as president of the Austin Bar, “Council of Firsts,” which later became the name of her podcast, and her support for diverse “firsts” in the Austin legal community. I originally came across …