Austin Black Lawyers Association Honors Trailblazers at 2023 Andrea Pair Bryant Legacy Luncheon

Robynn Fletcher, Anthony “Tony” J. Nelson, and Judge Eric Shepperd were the honorees at the 2023 Austin Black Lawyers Association (ABLA) Andrea Pair Bryant Legacy Luncheon. The trio was honored for their significant contribution the African American legal community: (L-R): ABLA President Ciara Parks with award winners Judge Eric Shepperd, Robynn Fletcher, and Anthony “Tony” J. Nelson. Robynn Fletcher graduated with …

Austin Nonprofit Receives Texas Bar Foundation Grant to Develop Self-Improvement Programming for Incarcerated Girls

The Girls Empowerment Network (GEN) has received funding from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Texas Bar Foundation (TBF) to expand its Girl Connect school program to include Texas girls who are involved with the Texas juvenile justice system. Currently, Girl Connect serves girls across 84 program sites throughout Texas, including Austin. Using research-based, trauma-informed techniques, the program… Girls Empowerment …

Federal Civil Update July/August 2023

The following are summaries of opinions issued by the Fifth Circuit in May 2023. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. JURISDICTION: In an ancillary action to enforce a settlement agreement, parties could not collaterally challenge jurisdiction in the original proceeding settled and could sue only to enforce the settlement agreement. Nat’l …

More Than 300 Prequalify to Have Criminal Records Expunged at 4th Travis County Expunction Expo

The fourth Travis County Expunction Expo took place on May 20, 2023. More than 300 applicants had prequalified to have their records expunged. The expo was a joint production of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, the Travis County Attorney’s Office, and the Travis County District Clerk’s Office. Legal services were provided by the Capital Area Private Defender Service, the …

U.S. Copyright Office Launches Initiative to Examine AI Issues

The U.S. Copyright Office has launched an initiative to examine the law and policy issues presented by the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. In a policy statement published in the Federal Register on March 16, 2023, the office explains how the human-authorship requirement applies to materials containing AI-generated elements…

Meet the Austin Bar’s New President: Justice Chari Kelly

AL: What is your background? (Where you grew up, went to school, law school, etc.) CK: I grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida, just a stone’s throw from Disney World. I attended the University of Florida for undergrad, where I was in the Army ROTC program. Upon graduation, I was commissioned as a second lieutenant and received an educational delay …

Betty Balli Torres Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Texas Access to Justice Foundation (TAJF) Executive Director Betty Balli Torres received the Emily C. Jones Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Access to Justice Commission (TAJC). Torres received the award at TAJC’s Champions of Justice Gala on April 25 in Austin, in recognition of her contributions to improving Texans’ access to justice The award is named after TAJC’s first …

Third Court of Appeals Criminal Update July/August 2023

The following is a summary of a selected criminal opinion issued by the Third Court of Appeals from January 2023. The summary is an overview; please review the entire opinion. The subsequent history is current as of May 31, 2023. SEARCH AND SEIZURE – NATURE OF POLICE ENCOUNTER: Trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying DWI defendant’s motion to suppress …