October 2025

When he passed away in mid-September, Judge Sam Sparks was properly recognized by members of the Austin Bar for his long and distinguished service as a district judge of the Austin Division of the Western District of Texas.

We know that committees are important to organizations. Like other organizations, bar associations see the value in committees and tend to create many of them. But why are they important? And does their creation automatically enhance a bar association?

I graduated from St. Mary’s University School of Law and was sworn in to the Texas Bar in 2012. However, there are days when I still feel like I’m a baby lawyer. Especially days when I make mistakes or instantly regret saying, or not saying, something. 

For many of our clients, firms, or agencies, fall is the start of a new fiscal year. Several of us are probably instrumental in the labor required to prepare a new budget. Well, my offering to this month’s Austin Lawyer readers is to reflect on a different kind of budget–the budget for your personal energy. 

We recently sat down with AYLA member Melissa Pina to feature in our Member Spotlight.

The following are summaries of selected criminal opinions issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The summaries are overviews; please review the entire opinions. The subsequent histories are current as of September 8, 2025. Below are recent decisions from the United States Fifth Circuit of Appeals. 

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals during August 2025. The summaries are an overview; please review the entire opinion. Subsequent histories are current as of September 18, 2025. 

The following is a summary of selected criminal opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals from March 2025. The summary is an overview; please review the entire opinions. The subsequent history is current as of September 5, 2025.

Here are the Travis County and district court jury trial verdicts for the month of August 2025.

On May 29, 2025, the Supreme Court added another chapter to its evolving project of administrative law reform—this time turning its attention to federal environmental permitting. In Seven County Infrastructure Coalition et al v. Eagle County, Colorado et al, the justices ventured into the thicket of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a statute long celebrated for its environmental ideals but criticized for its procedural backlog.