American Bar Association Launches Pilot Program to Help Afghan Legal Professionals

The American Bar Association (ABA) has launched a pilot program to help Afghan judges, lawyers, and prosecutors resume their careers in America after fleeing Afghanistan during or after the August 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops and the Taliban’s return to power. The ABA Afghan Legal Professionals Scholarship & Mentoring Pilot Program has partnered with 18 law schools in the U.S. …

Decriminalizing Mental Health in Travis County: Part 7

This is the final installment in a series of articles about the Travis County Forensic Mental Health Project. In its Recommendation #3, The Travis County Forensic Mental Health Project compiled a list of what it termed “quick wins”—recommendations that can be implemented relatively quickly with low costs, one-time costs, or low ongoing costs.1  Quick Wins – Low/No Cost  The first …

Third Court of Appeals Criminal Update March 2024

The following are summaries  of selected criminal opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals from August 2023. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. The subsequent history is current as of Feb. 1, 2024. DEFENSIVE ISSUES—MISTAKE OF FACT: In prosecution for failure to stop and render aid, defendant was entitled to …

Third Court of Appeals Civil Update March 2024

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals during January 2024. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. Subsequent histories are current as of Feb. 7, 2024.  ORIGINAL PROCEEDING: Court grants relief where trial court denied discovery of plaintiff’s medical history.  In re Westside Roofing, …

Federal Civil Update March 2024

The following are summaries of opinions issued by the Fifth Circuit in January 2024. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. TRADEMARK: Antique Rolex watches with added diamonds, modified bezels, or replaced bands did not qualify for refurbishment exception to trademark infringement. Rolex Watch USA, Inc. v. BeckerTime, L.L.C., No. 22-10866, 2024 …

Introducing AYLA’s Freshquire Program – A Community for New Lawyers

The first years of legal practice can be intimidating and isolating, especially for lawyers in small/solo firms or offices without other young lawyers. Imposter syndrome is extremely common, and AYLA wants to do something to help!  The Freshquire program was started thanks to a grant from the Texas Young Lawyers Association. The program provides a community for lawyers in their …

March 2024 Briefs

Congratulations to Jackson Walker Austin partner Ali Abazari, who has been named a “leader in environmental law” by Lawdragon. Abazari’s practice focuses on environmental permitting and compliance assistance, defense of environmental enforcement actions, and environmental aspects of real estate and corporate transactions. He obtained his J.D. from Oklahoma City University School of Law, his LL.M. from Tulane University Law School, …

Entre Nous: The Bogeyman of Justice

The opinions expressed in Entre Nous are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Austin Bar Association membership or the Austin Bar Association board of directors. Every culture has its scary legends, usually designed to frighten children into behaving as adults wish—or face horrible consequences. Fear of unnatural and unknowable forces has dominated the …

Bending the Rules: Texas Access to Justice Commission Recommends Allowing Paraprofessionals to Provide Limited Legal Representation

In October 2022, the Texas Supreme Court directed the Texas Access to Justice Commission (TAJC) to study existing rules and recommend actions that would accomplish two goals: 1. Allow qualified non-attorneys to provide limited legal services directly to low-income Texans; and 2. Allow non-attorneys to have economic interests in entities that provide legal services to low-income Texans while preserving attorneys’ …