September 2024

The Austin Bar Association is proud to recognize our 2024 Austin Bar 100 Club members!  The following firms, government agencies, organizations/schools, and corporate legal departments have 100 percent membership in the Austin Bar. The Austin Bar 100 Club is a distinguished membership that reflects a commitment to the advancement of the legal profession and involvement in the community. The Austin

Before the fall of the Roman Empire, the poet Juvenal wrote a series of 16 satirical poems in five books, appropriately called the “Satires.” His essays had titles like “What Room is there For Genius?” and “The Dishonest and Dishonorable,” in which Juvenal commented on the foibles of society, covering everything from politics, power and social engagement. In his lament

The Austin Bar Foundation recently showed its gratitude for the service of outgoing directors Blair Dancy, Lowell Keig, and Hon. Todd Wong. Dancy has served on the Foundation’s board since 2020, most recently as treasurer. Keig has served on the board since 2016, most recently as vice chair. Judge Wong has served on the board since 2020. The Austin Bar

Trigger warning: This is all true. This is my real family and life. I hope you never need to utilize any of the tips I’m going to give you in this series. 2023, for me, was merely 2020 Part 3–the worst sequel of all time. On Nov. 18, 2023, I logged on to my firm Facebook page and saw a

The Texas Supreme Court recently granted review of an insurance dispute that could have far reaching, broadening impacts on the current state of the law in Texas as it relates to the duty to defend. The ruling from the trial court and the Court of Appeals blurred the distinction between defense and indemnity, as well as the distinction between expenses

In testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on July 9, 2024, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht laid out his ideas to make the civil justice system accessible for all Americans.1 Current methods for increasing access to justice fall into two categories: pro bono publico and legal aid services. But even with Texas’ 114,000 lawyers providing

The Texas Supreme Court issued an order1 on June 25, 2024, seeking public comment on the adoption of a new examination for individuals seeking admission to the Texas Bar. The Texas Board of Law Examiners (BLE) has recommended the adoption of the NextGen Bar Examination, which would replace  Texas’ current bar exam, the Universal Bar Exam (UBE). Like the UBE,

Jason Snell and the Snell Law Firm obtained a final judgment from the Texas Supreme Court in favor of their client, who was awarded more than $16 million under the Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act. Justice Boyd delivered the opinion of the Court, joined by Justices Hecht, Devine, Busby, Bland, and Huddle. Justice Young filed a dissenting opinion, which Justice

The winners of this year’s Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association (TCWLA) Scholarship Fund program were announced at a Hilgers House event. In addition to the TCWLA Scholarship Fund’s annual Ann Forman and Mary Cooper scholarships, two new scholarships, named in honor of Judges Orlinda Naranjo and Lora Livingston, were also awarded. The Lora Livingston Scholarship is awarded to a woman

Austin Bar member Judge Julie Kocurek participated in a panel discussion at the University of North Texas–Dallas to endorse a bill by U.S. Senator John Cornyn to improve judicial safety. Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht; Judge Kocurek’s son, Will; and Sen. Cornyn himself also participated in the panel discussion, along with other Texas judges, who discussed threats aimed