An Open Letter of Gratitude

It is with immense gratitude that I write to announce that I will retire from service as associate judge for the District Courts of Travis County on May 31, 2024. I have enjoyed my service on the bench as an associate judge in Travis County and, before that, as the first associate judge for the Child Protection Court of Central …

DOJ Announces White-Collar Whistleblower Rewards Program, Sentencing Enhancements for Corporate Misuse of AI

At the American Bar Association’s 39th National Institute on White Collar Crime, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced the formation of a Department of Justice (DOJ)-run rewards program for whistleblowers.  “The premise is simple,” Monaco said during her remarks in San Francisco on March 7, 2024. “If an individual helps DOJ discover significant corporate or financial misconduct—otherwise unknown to …

Third Court of Appeals Criminal Update May 2024

The following are summaries of selected criminal opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals in October 2023.  The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. Subsequent histories are current as of April 1, 2024. BURDEN OF PROOF – DUE DILIGENCE: Trial co… To view the rest of this article, please log into …

Third Court of Appeals Civil Update May 2024

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals in March 2024. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. Subsequent histories are current as of April 9, 2024. GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY:  Court holds agency is immune from takings claim. Texas State Library & Archives Comm’n v. Westmoreland, …

Texas Supreme Court Update May 2024

The following are summaries of selected opinions issued by the Texas Supreme Court  in March 2024. These summaries are prepared by court staff as a courtesy and are not a substitute for the actual opinions. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY: Governmental entity contract deemed properly executed until entity …

Federal Civil Court Update May 2024

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Fifth Circuit in March 2024. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. CLASS ACTIONS: Class Action Fairness Act’s local controversy exception to federal jurisdiction requires that all plaintiffs sustain their principal injuries in theforum state and nowhere else. Cheapside Mins., Ltd. …

Meet Attorney & Tech Entrepreneur Karl Seelbach

Austin Lawyer recently sat down with Karl Seelbach, founding partner at Doyle & Seelbach, PLLC. Seelbach is also the co-founder of Skribe.ai, a testimony capture tool. We wanted to learn more about Seelbach: how he got into the law profession, what led him to opening his own firm, and how he manages his time as both an attorney and entrepreneur.  …

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 …

Could You Do Your Job With Your Eyes Closed?

In most cases, “doing your job with your eyes closed” means you have an easy job. In another case, it literally means doing your job with your eyes closed, or blind, every day and doing it very well. From a sighted person’s perspective, a career as an attorney may not seem possible with limited or no sight. Of course, this …