AYLA is excited to announce that we have been honored with two awards from the Texas Young Lawyers Association!
We won first place in the Service to the Public Category for our “How to Pick a Jury Without a Lawyer in JP & Municipal Court” video series. This project was made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Texas Bar Foundation, as well as the participation of Justice of the Peace for Precinct 3 Judge Sylvia Holmes and her courtroom. This series also would not have come to fruition without the help of Jenna Malsbary, Travis County District Clerk Velva Price, John Boone, Austin McElroy, Sarah Harp, Rachael Jones, Emily Morris, Ben Evans, and Samantha McCoy. The final project can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/juryprep.
This video series was also included in the list of projects considered in AYLA’s second award, which was first place in the Comprehensive Award of Achievement for a Large City. This award considers various projects put on by a young lawyers program throughout the bar year. The projects we included in the application for consideration were:
“How to Pick a Jury Without a Lawyer in JP & Municipal Court” video series.
Freshquires – Law Di Gras. This CLE event was hosted by the Freshquires program and was held to educate young lawyers on ethics and to celebrate Mardi Gras. The event was sponsored by Amini Conant and Cain & Skarnulis. The honorable Judge Patrick Keel gave an enthusiastic presentation to young attorneys who were also able to enjoy some crawfish and King cake.
15th AYLA Day of Service on MLK Day. The goal of this annual project is to bring the legal community together to serve the local community in honor of Dr. King. This year, AYLA was able to coordinate service with 10 different local nonprofit organizations with more than 68 volunteers from the Austin legal community. The organizations included: Austin Humane Society, GenerationServe, SAFE, Center for Child Protection, We Are Blood, Any Baby Can, Casa Marianella, Austin Diaper Bank, Central Texas Food Bank, and Austin Allies. There were 14 individuals who were able to donate whole blood for the We Are Blood drive, which equals 42 potential lives saved. This event also donated more than $775 in items for the Center For Child Protection birthday box initiatives.
4th Annual Crawfish Boil. The goal of this annual event is to raise money for the Austin Young Lawyers Association Foundation. The event was professionally catered by Louisiana Wild and was hosted in an oak-covered park near downtown Austin. More than 150 attendees enjoyed fresh food, live music, and libations. Through sponsorships and ticket sales, the project raised more than $17,000.
Tailgate Fundraiser. Tailgate for a Cause was held on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. This year the tailgate raised funds for the Partnerships for Children’s Holiday Wishes Program. The Holiday Wishes Program provides toys for children who are connected to Child Protective Services during the holiday season. AYLA exceeded our fundraising goal and raised approximately $11,000 for this program. We were provided with a list of toys to purchase for the wrapping party on Dec. 8 at the Partnerships for Children location, which AYLA members also attended. In addition to the Holiday Wishes gifts, we were able to purchase items for the Rainbow Room located in the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services offices. The Rainbow Room stocks everything from toiletries and clothing to car seats for children who are victims of abuse or neglect. We are proud to have met a direct and substantial need in the Austin community for families with a connection to the legal system.
Thank you to the committee leads, members, sponsors, and volunteers who made these events possible and a success. It is an honor that our hard work was recognized by TYLA.