2025

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.

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals during March 2025. The summaries are an overview; please review the entire opinion. Subsequent histories are current as of April 9, 2025. 

The following is a summary of a selected criminal opinion issued by the Third Court of Appeals from November 2024. The summary is an overview; please review the entire opinion. The subsequent history is current as of April 4, 2025.

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Fifth Circuit in March 2025. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. 

Being a Taurus, spring has always been my favorite season. As I write this column, the wildflowers are out in full force with bluebonnets leading the charge. It is a season of renewal, growth, and a push to finish projects that need to wrap before summer sets in. AYLA has enjoyed a busy spring full of inspiring CLEs, service projects, and community.

The term woo-woo is defined as “dubiously or outlandishly mystical, supernatural, or unscientific” and while I like good supernatural fiction, I stick to science and facts otherwise. So, it was with bit of skepticism that I followed fellow committee member Corrine Smith’s suggestion for a wellness event: sound bath.