March 2024

The Austin Bar Foundation is now accepting applications for grants from Central Texas nonprofits and public interest organizations that provide DEI-related services. Applications are due by May 1 at 4 p.m. The form may be accessed here and mailed or delivered by hand to 712 W. 16th St, Austin, TX, 78701. Proposed projects should provide DEI-related services that: Funding may be provided

With spring coming, we are reminded of the many projects that we have unfinished, both personally and professionally. Everything from closet organization to writing that CLE article looms before you. But how do you tackle it? Here are some tips that I have found motivating to spring myself out of a funk and into action: Break Things Into Time Chunks

More than 500 guests attended the fairytale-themed Austin Bar Foundation Gala on Jan. 27, 2024, at the Four Seasons in downtown Austin. The $234,089 raised at this year’s Gala is the most ever. Members of the legal community arrived in their black-tie best, while others took advantage of the Gala’s theme, such as AYLA President Sarah Harp, who dressed in

Halfway into February, most of us who made resolutions regarding health and fitness have fallen off the wagon. As attorneys, we are constantly told that the level of stress we are under is not good for our minds or bodies. We are told that we can call TLAP to speak to a counselor if needed. But, as we all know,

The American Bar Association (ABA) has launched a pilot program to help Afghan judges, lawyers, and prosecutors resume their careers in America after fleeing Afghanistan during or after the August 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops and the Taliban’s return to power. The ABA Afghan Legal Professionals Scholarship & Mentoring Pilot Program has partnered with 18 law schools in the U.S.

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

In a private preference poll, members of the Austin Bar rated the candidates in Travis County’s three contested judicial elections.  The three candidates for the 353rd Judicial District judgeship, the two candidates for Travis County District Attorney, and the three candidates for Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 will appear on the ballot in the March primary. The purpose of

In an effort to close the equity gap among students in Texas K-12 schools, a new law has been rolling out statewide since May of 2023 year that will help more Black and Latino students enroll in advanced-placement (AP) math classes. The “opt-in” law will automatically enroll high-testing students in advanced math classes, where they will have the opportunity to

This is the final installment in a series of articles about the Travis County Forensic Mental Health Project. In its Recommendation #3, The Travis County Forensic Mental Health Project compiled a list of what it termed “quick wins”—recommendations that can be implemented relatively quickly with low costs, one-time costs, or low ongoing costs.1  Quick Wins – Low/No Cost  The first

The following are summaries  of selected criminal opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals from August 2023. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. The subsequent history is current as of Feb. 1, 2024. DEFENSIVE ISSUES—MISTAKE OF FACT: In prosecution for failure to stop and render aid, defendant was entitled to