Austin Bar member Kristina Baehr and her family recently won a case arising out of toxic mold in their home. Baehr is a trial attorney and the founder of Just Well Law, PLLC, which specializes in representing people exposed to toxic environments. She founded her firm as a result of her experience living in a mold-infested home. Before that, she

A prison speech-and-debate program has relaunched in Houston after a three-and-a-half-year hiatus. The Houston chapter of the Rikers Debate Project (RDP) will return to the Harris County Jail to teach inmates how to effectively argue. The Houston chapter was founded in 2019 by Caitlin Halpern, a commercial litigation associate at a Houston law firm. Halpern is a former public defender

The Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism has released statistics on hate crimes and extremism movements in Texas, along with recommendations on how to address such crimes and movements. In 2022, there were 212 antisemitic incidents, up from 112 in 2021, according to “Hate in the Lone Star State: Extremism & Antisemitism in Texas.”1 In 2021 and 2022, there were two

In October 2022, the Texas Supreme Court directed the Texas Access to Justice Commission (TAJC) to study existing rules and recommend actions that would accomplish two goals: 1. Allow qualified non-attorneys to provide limited legal services directly to low-income Texans; and 2. Allow non-attorneys to have economic interests in entities that provide legal services to low-income Texans while preserving attorneys’

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

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.

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

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

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

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