The following are summaries of selected opinions issued by the Texas Supreme Court in March 2024. These summaries are prepared by court staff as a courtesy and are not a substitute for the actual opinions. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY: Governmental entity contract deemed properly executed until entity …
Travis County Women Lawyers’ Foundation to Award Approximately $90,000 in Grants
The Travis County Women Lawyers’ Foundation (TCWLF) will award approximately $90,000 in grants this year to local nonprofit organizations that provide legal services to women, children, and families. The grants will be awarded at TCWLF’s annual Grants & Awards Luncheon, co-hosted by the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association (TCWLA). This year’s luncheon will take place on Friday, April 26. Register …
Bending the Rules: Texas Access to Justice Commission Votes “No” on Allowing Limited Legal Services by Non-Attorney-Owned Entities
In October 2022, the Texas Supreme Court directed the Texas Access to Justice Commission (TAJC) to study existing rules and recommend actions that would accomplish two goals: 1. Allow qualified non-attorneys to provide limited legal services directly to low-income Texans; and 2. Allow non-attorneys to have economic interests in entities that provide legal services to low-income Texans while preserving attorneys’ …
2024-25 Austin Bar Board Candidates Announced
Electronic ballots will be distributed Friday, April 26; voting will close Friday, May 17.
Don’t Miss Bench Bar 2024!
Registration is now live for Bench Bar 2024 May 17, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. at Kalahari Resorts, 3001 Kalahari Blvd. Round Rock, TX 78665. The conference has been approved for 5 CLE hours and 1.25 ethics hours. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Go online to register at austinbar.org, where you can register as either an attendee with a sponsorship option …
Briefs April 2024
Congratulations to Jackson Walker’s Austin office, which had several attorneys included in the latest edition of Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers annual Top Women Attorneys publication: Partner Marilyn M. Brown. Brown’s practice focuses on the defense in civil litigation. Associate Alyca Riley Garrison. Garrison’s practice focuses on employee benefits. Partner Meghan Griffiths. Griffiths’ practice focuses on administrative law. Partner Amanda Neinast. …
TLAP Stories of Recovery: Be Compassionate
Reprinted with permission from the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program (TLAP), this article was written by an anonymous author. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges struggling with substance use or mental health issues. Call or text TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) or find more information at tlaphelps.org. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder when I was six …
The Arduous Case of Myra Clark Gaines
With spring on the horizon, you may be anxious to finally close out that case that has been following you around for years and to do a deep clean of your inbox to regain some storage space. For Myra Clark Gaines, it took decades before her attorneys could consider her dispute a thing of the past. In fact, she was …
2024-25 AYLA Board Candidates Announced
The following candidates are running for officer and director positions on the 2024-25 AYLA board. The new board will take office on July 1, 2024, along with Emily Morris, who will serve as AYLA’s 2024-25 president. Morris has been on AYLA’s board since 2019 and has served as secretary, treasurer, and president-elect. Electronic ballots will be sent to members on …
Federal Civil Update April 2024
The following are summaries of opinions issued by the Fifth Circuit in February 2024. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS: Contractual limitations provision barred federal employment discrimination claim. Harris v. FedEx Corp. Servs., Inc., 92 F.4th 286 (5th Cir. 2024). FedEx hired Harris as an account executive in …