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CIVIL/FAMILY CAUSE NO.: D-1-GN-23-002369; DENA SESSIONS v. ABBY ARGO, CHAMPAGNE CAMPAIGN, LLC; AMAZING REALTY, LLC, JACOB SOLIZ, GENA CARTER; KW ATX BROKER, LLC JUDGE: MAYA GUERRA GAMBLE DATES: Feb. 10 – 18, 2025 ATTORNEYS:      Plaintiff: R. Alex Conant/Walter Williams/Hayden Prosise, Amini & Conant, LLP (Austin) Defendant: Kevin F. Lee, Thompson Coe Cousins & Irons, LLP (Austin) SUMMARY: This case arises from

The Supreme Court of Texas convened Feb. 19, 2025, and heard oral arguments from two Austin Bar members. Austin Bar Member Catherine Robb, Haynes and Boone, for Respondent Paxton v. Am. Oversight Administrative Law – Public Information Act At issue is whether trial courts have jurisdiction to issue writs of mandamus against the Governor and Attorney General to compel information under the

The following is a summary of selected criminal opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals from October 2024. The summary is an overview; please review the entire opinions. The subsequent history is current as of March 7, 2024. JURY SELECTION – LIMITATIONS ON QUESTIONING: Trial court did not abuse its discretion by prohibiting defense counsel’s questions to panel regarding

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals during February 2025. The summaries are an overview; please review the entire opinion. Subsequent histories are current as of March 7, 2025.  ATTORNEY’S FEES: Court reduces fee awarded in contingent-fee lawsuit. CCR Roofing, LLC v. Garner, No. 03-23-00506-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Feb. 5, 2025, no pet.

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Fifth Circuit in February 2025. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions.  Editor’s Note: This is Jason LaFond’s final Federal Civil Update for Austin Lawyer. We sincerely appreciate his insight and tireless work in keeping our members updated on federal issues.

Hi, I’m Mary Evelyn, and I’m an adult child of an alcoholic. Recently, I was reading about Brooke Shields, with whom I thought I only had one thing in common—that we grew up in the same era. It turns out another commonality is that we grew up with alcoholism. When Brooke Shields was asked in an interview if she would

More than 500 guests attended the “Secret Garden”-themed Austin Bar Foundation Gala on Jan. 25, 2025, at the Four Seasons in downtown Austin. Members of the legal community arrived in their black-tie best. Austin Bar President Mary-Ellen King hired flower-covered stilt walkers, who posed with guests to take pictures. Attendees enjoyed an elegant pre-event cocktail hour while perusing the auction

The practice of law is a stressful profession. Lawyers face intense pressure with long hours, demanding clients, high-stakes and high-conflict deals or cases, and high professional and societal standards. As a result, the legal profession faces high rates of depression, substance use, and behavioral addictions. Chronic stress can also strain the body to the point of causing life-threatening diseases, and

The 15th Annual Austin Young Lawyers Association Day of Service on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day was tremendously successful with the help of volunteers and donors.  This local project is modeled after the national Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service, which is intended to transform Dr. King’s life and teachings into community service that helps solve social problems. There

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Fifth Circuit in January 2025. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. APPELLATE PROCEDURE: 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b) did not permit interlocutory review of pretrial ruling on proper measure of damages. Silverthorne Seismic v. Sterling Seismic Services, 125 F.4th 593 (5th Cir.