AYLA President’s Column: So This is the New Year

With August and September comes a new school year and a new bar year! AYLA has lots in store as always, and we are excited to build on its legacy of excellent community service, professionalism, and fun. This new bar year is especially significant for me both personally and professionally, as the beginning of my term as AYLA president coincides …

Austin Bar & AYLA Presidents’ Awards 2023-24

Nadia Bettac (R) won the Austin Bar President’s Award of Merit for her efforts in planning the 2024 Austin Bar Foundation Gala. Leslie Boykin (R) won the Austin Bar’s Outstanding Director Award. Alex Conant (R) won the AYLA Volunteer of the Year Award. Ben Evans (R) won the AYLA President’s Award of Merit. Jillian French (R) won the AYLA Outstanding …

Night at the Library Gala Supports CCP

Austin Bar/AYLA Leadership Academy Class of 2024 Fundraiser Blends Legal and Literary to Raise Money for Center for Child Protection On May 10, 2024, at the Central Public Library downtown, scores of attorneys, friends, family, and community members gathered for a gala fundraiser in support of the Center for Child Protection (CCP), organized by this year’s Leadership Academy. The Austin …

Meet AYLA’s Incoming President Emily Morris

Emily Morris is corporate counsel at PowerSchool, which develops educational software for school systems. Morris is a graduate of Tulane University Law School and received her bachelor’s in marketing from Louisiana State University. During her time there, she also attended the University of Copenhagen to study international corporate law. Morris is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Texas …

AYLA Hosts “Trust & Estate Law Basics” CLE

On Tuesday, April 9, 2024, AYLA held a CLE on “Trust & Estate Law Basics,” presented by Melissa Pina, VP, Trust & Estates Officer, Cadence Bank.  The CLE provided attendees with an overview of considerations of which every attorney should have a basic understanding in serving clients. These included the importance of having a will; potential information needed when building …

Ask Not What AYLA Does, Ask What AYLA Does Not Do

One of the questions I am most often asked when talking to and about the legal community is, “What does AYLA do?” It was the first question my distant cousin asked when I shared the news that I would be president of the organization and it is always the top question prospective members have—and rightfully so, when learning about AYLA. …

9th Annual Diversity Bar Mixer a Success

On Thursday, March 21, attorneys from various local bar associations converged at the Vince Young Steakhouse for AYLA’s ninth annual Diversity Bar Mixer.  Attorneys from AYLA, the Austin Bar LGBTQ+ Section, the Austin Asian American Bar Association, the Austin Black Lawyers Association, the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin, the South Asian Bar Association of Austin, the Austin Bar Association, and …

AYLA Honors Award Winners

The AYLA board of directors has recognized members of our community for three prestigious awards. These local winners will be submitted to the Texas Young Lawyers Association as nominees for the corresponding statewide awards. The Mentor Award recognizes an attorney who has consistently demonstrated a commitment to mentoring young lawyers in the legal community. This year’s winner is Sam Denton. The …

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 …