The Girls Empowerment Network (GEN) has received funding from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Texas Bar Foundation (TBF) to expand its Girl Connect school program to include Texas girls who are involved with the Texas juvenile justice system. Currently, Girl Connect serves girls across 84 program sites throughout Texas, including Austin. Using research-based, trauma-informed techniques, the program… Girls Empowerment …
The fourth Travis County Expunction Expo took place on May 20, 2023. More than 300 applicants had prequalified to have their records expunged. The expo was a joint production of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, the Travis County Attorney’s Office, and the Travis County District Clerk’s Office. Legal services were provided by the Capital Area Private Defender Service, the …
We are pleased to announce that Austin Bar member attorneys will be able to receive attorney parking cards for the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility (CFCF). We have been studying the parking situation for the past several months and believe we have the space to allow for attorney parking. However, this is a pilot program to make sure …
The U.S. Copyright Office has launched an initiative to examine the law and policy issues presented by the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. In a policy statement published in the Federal Register on March 16, 2023, the office explains how the human-authorship requirement applies to materials containing AI-generated elements…
AL: What is your background? (Where you grew up, went to school, law school, etc.) CK: I grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida, just a stone’s throw from Disney World. I attended the University of Florida for undergrad, where I was in the Army ROTC program. Upon graduation, I was commissioned as a second lieutenant and received an educational delay …
Texas Access to Justice Foundation (TAJF) Executive Director Betty Balli Torres received the Emily C. Jones Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Access to Justice Commission (TAJC). Torres received the award at TAJC’s Champions of Justice Gala on April 25 in Austin, in recognition of her contributions to improving Texans’ access to justice The award is named after TAJC’s first …
Congratulations to the Austin Bar’s new president, Justice Chari Kelly of the Third Court of Appeals, who won the Outstanding Mentor Award from the Texas Young Lawyers Association! Kelly also won this year’s Mentor Award from the Austin Young Lawyers Association. Congratulations to Dominique McLeggan-Brown, attorney adviser at the U.S. Economic Development Administration! McLeggan-Brown won the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award …
Three Austin Bar Association members were recently honored by the State Bar of Texas for their writing. The “Stars of Texas Bars” presents several awards each year for outstanding articles published by local bar associations. The Austin Bar submitted articles published in Austin Lawyer between May 2022 and April 2023 to be considered for the awards. (L-R): Former State Bar of Texas …
Congratulations to Zach Daniel of Bathaee Dunne for his election to the Austin Black Lawyers Association board of directors! Daniel will serve as treasurer of ABLA. Daniel previously served as ABLA CLE Committee chair. Congratulations to Robynn Fletcher, who was elected to the Austin Black Lawyers Foundation board of directors as both secretary and trustee. Congratulations to Amber Goodwin, assistant …
Sarah Harp is an assistant attorney general with the Office of the Attorney General of Texas. She works in the Criminal Appeals Division and was formerly a law clerk with the agency. She obtained her J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma. Prior to moving to Texas, she …