2024

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals in March 2024. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. Subsequent histories are current as of April 9, 2024. GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY:  Court holds agency is immune from takings claim. Texas State Library & Archives Comm’n v. Westmoreland,

The Austin Bar Association has announced the 2024 winners of the Joseph C. Parker Jr. Diversity Award, the Regina Rogoff Award, the Professionalism Award, and the Larry F. York Mentoring Award. The winner of the Joseph C. Parker Jr. Diversity Award is Manuel Escobar, partner at McGinnis Lochridge. The winner of the Professionalism Award is V. Blayre Pena. The winner

“These are extraordinary times. As lawyers and as guardians of the third branch of government, we have a unique duty to lead our nation in the protection of judges, the rule of law and American democracy. The time has come to rededicate ourselves to our obligations.” This is the recent charge from American Bar Association (ABA) President Mary Smith, calling

Congratulations to Matthew “Maff” Caponi, associate at the Kaplan Law Firm, who negotiated a $55,000 settlement for his client, Eli Winkelman, in a federal lawsuit against the City of Austin. Winkelman alleged Austin police used excessive force against her when, during the protest marches of May 2020, she attempted to film police arresting another protester. Congratulations to Frank O. Carroll

In the month of March, not only do we get to witness the blooming of breathtaking wildflowers that are so unique to Texas, but we also have the opportunity to reflect on the Sixth Amendment right to counsel and the way it impacts different communities, especially those who are not citizens of the United States. I mention this because March

The AYLA board of directors has recognized members of our community for three prestigious awards. These local winners will be submitted to the Texas Young Lawyers Association as nominees for the corresponding statewide awards. The Mentor Award recognizes an attorney who has consistently demonstrated a commitment to mentoring young lawyers in the legal community. This year’s winner is Sam Denton. The

In most cases, “doing your job with your eyes closed” means you have an easy job. In another case, it literally means doing your job with your eyes closed, or blind, every day and doing it very well. From a sighted person’s perspective, a career as an attorney may not seem possible with limited or no sight. Of course, this

On Thursday, March 21, attorneys from various local bar associations converged at the Vince Young Steakhouse for AYLA’s ninth annual Diversity Bar Mixer.  Attorneys from AYLA, the Austin Bar LGBTQ+ Section, the Austin Asian American Bar Association, the Austin Black Lawyers Association, the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin, the South Asian Bar Association of Austin, the Austin Bar Association, and

Austin Lawyer recently sat down with Karl Seelbach, founding partner at Doyle & Seelbach, PLLC. Seelbach is also the co-founder of Skribe.ai, a testimony capture tool. We wanted to learn more about Seelbach: how he got into the law profession, what led him to opening his own firm, and how he manages his time as both an attorney and entrepreneur. 

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Fifth Circuit in March 2024. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. CLASS ACTIONS: Class Action Fairness Act’s local controversy exception to federal jurisdiction requires that all plaintiffs sustain their principal injuries in theforum state and nowhere else. Cheapside Mins., Ltd.