May 2025

The Administrative Law Section of the Austin Bar sponsored AYLA’s February Docket Call at Mean Eyed Cat. The cold weather did not deter Austin lawyers from venturing out to network and learn about each other’s practice areas. Huge thanks for the Admin Law Section for an awesome event!

Each year, AYLA presents three awards to honor leaders in the Travis County legal profession: The Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, the Outstanding Mentor Award, and the Liberty Bell Award.

On Saturday, March 29, AYLA hosted its 4th Annual Crawfish Boil. This award-winning event has become a staple in the Austin legal community as an opportunity to enjoy the spring weather, connect with friends and colleagues, and raise money to support the Austin Young Lawyers Foundation. 

The following are summaries of selected opinions issued by the Texas Supreme Court in March and April 2025. These summaries are prepared by court staff as a courtesy. They are not a substitute for the actual opinions. The summaries are overviews; please review the entire opinions.

The Austin Bar Association hosted its inaugural golf tournament on April 9 at Lions Municipal Golf Course. Nearly 60 players took part – players whose golfing skill ranged from beginner to experienced. 

The 2025 Austin Bar and AYLA Bench Bar Conference took place on April 11 at the Hotel Viata. Nearly 180 attendees took part in the day-long CLE presentations. Of particular note was the session put on by Third Court of Appeals Justices Chari Kelly and Rosa Lopez Theofanis, which was standing room only as they talked about 10 things that will get your case reversed.

The Austin chapters of American Inns of Court are accepting applications for the 2025-26 terms. The American Inns of Court are designed to improve the skills, professionalism, and ethics of the bench and bar.

Former Austin Bar President Richard Pena was honored for his military service in Vietnam by a Texas veterans program. The Texoma Hero Program is a joint project of U.S. Army veteran Billy Teague and HOT 107.3 FM in Sherman, Texas. The program has recognized local and regional veterans for their service since 2015.

Mr. Rogers once said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” In these uncertain times that quote rings true more than ever.

SXSW is a week-long conference and festival held in Austin each year that celebrates the convergence of film, music, tech, education, and culture. Because Hollywood A-listers tend to be the focus of the news during SXSW, I was surprised, and excited, to be invited to a technology school-safety exhibition.