TYLA eNews, April 2007

Throughout history a wide variety events have been declared as signs of the apocalypse. Everything from wars, plagues, pestilence, and even Houston Astro Brad Ausmus going 5 for 5 in a single game have all been so declared.

My personal favorite was the first dance on the Baylor campus in 1996. I attended the dance in anxious anticipation of the coming end. Like so many other “signs” the dance proceeded start to finish without any cataclysmic event. (Cont.)

Feature TYLA Affiliate

The Dallas Association of Young Lawyers
By Jennifer Evans Morris


*Laura Benitez Geisler*

The Dallas Association of Young Lawyers new President Laura Benitez Geisler has been busy at work since taking office on January 1, 2007. Laura has been busy implementing her innovative pet project, Mentor Match, and has been encouraging the DAYL Leadership Class with their class project IMPACT DISD.

Mentor Match is an exciting DAYL program that pairs experienced attorneys in a variety of fields with less experienced attorneys in need of mentoring. Any DAYL member may sign up to become a mentee on the Mentor Match website. Mentees may search a database of accomplished attorneys in the greater Dallas metroplex, customizing their searches according to a number of criteria, including practice area, years of practice, firm size, age, and other considerations. (Cont.)

Meet the Affiliates

If your affiliate has an upcoming event that you would like featured in eNews, please forward the information to Bree Trevino or contact eNews Co-Chairs Kendyl Hanks or Brad Allen.

Feature TYLA Project

New and Improved Judicial Directory
By Clay Scheitzach

Ever need to know the phone number, address, or local rules of a particular court? With the elections last fall and numerous new judges taking the bench, many of us are no longer 100% sure who is on what bench, or even more importantly, who the court coordinator is for the particular court.

Alas, TYLA to the rescue once again. After a slight hiatus, TYLA is pleased to announce the launch of the completely re-designed Judicial Directory. (Cont.)

Tips for Young Lawyers

Clash of the Titans: E-Discovery Faces Off Against Emerging Technologies
By David Moncure

What is free yet could be worth $20 million? What is discussed within the confines of one's home yet broadcast to the world? What is loved by most middle school students yet loathed by most senior citizens? Instant messaging (“IM”), blogs, VoIP, MySpace, YouTube: the list goes on and on. As corporate America and technology have evolved, so has the law. First letters, then email, then IM: the content remains the same, but the medium continuously evolves, as does the law.

Most, if not all, of you have heard about the recent amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (the “Rules”). Effective December 1, 2006, the Rules not only began officially to address electronically stored information (“ESI”), but the Rules also began an unprecedented clash between law and technology. (Cont.)

Article of Interest

“It's lewd, lascivious, salacious, outrageous!”
What Constitutes Extreme and Outrageous Behavior in the Workplace?
By Kevin G. Cain

Managing the work environment, from a legal perspective, can be a daunting task. A delicate balance must often be maintained between ideological extremes. Take for instance the differences between political correctness and what is often termed the “good ol' boys” environment. One theory says, “Do your work any way you want and let the chips fall where they may.” The other subscribes to doing your work after you ensure that nobody could be offended by your work. One side chides, “Suck it up and get your work done,” while the other side responds, “I'll be glad to do that as soon as you take your hand off my knee.” Managing and surviving within this diverse work environment with employees who range from Chromagnum man to Susan B. Anthony is a constant battle. The legal problems that arise from this diversity are as old as the workplace itself. (Cont.)

ABA/YLD Update

Don't miss this rare opportunity to combine bar service with international travel! Join the ABA Young Lawyers Division for the joint Spring Conference between the ABA YLD and the Young Bar Association of Montréal to be held in beautiful Montréal on May 3-5, 2007. This will be the first time in twenty years that the ABA YLD has held its conference in Montréal. Therefore, the YLD is pulling out all the stops to make sure it is a conference to remember. And, with a beautiful, friendly, and historic city like Montréal, and the participation of the Young Bar Association of Montréal and its outstanding leadership and members, the conference is certain to be a once in a young lawyer life-time event. (Cont.)

If you have any questions about ABA/YLD conferences or projects, please contact: Kimberly Burke, ABA/YLD District 25 Representative at, or Amy Davis Benavides, ABA /YLD District 26 Representative at.

Take Note

The 32nd Annual 2006/2007 National Trial Competition, co-sponsored by TYLA and the American College of Trial Lawyers, was held between March 29th and 31st in Houston, Texas. The country's preeminent mock trial competition began earlier this year with 147 law schools participating in regional


Karin Crump and David Beck with the winning team Chicago-Kent College of Law

competitions throughout the United States . The regional competitions produced 26 law school teams—including one from the University of Houston Law Center and one from St. Mary's University School of Law—that were invited to the national NTC competition in Houston. (Cont.)

AWARDS Of ACHIEVEMENT
Each year TYLA Affiliates can highlight their local achievements by participating in TYLA's Statewide Awards of Achievement Competition and the ABA-YLD's National Awards of Achievement Competition.
Applications for the state competition are due April 16, 2007. Applications for the national competition are due June 8, 2007 . Both competitions use the ABA-YLD forms, which can be found online.

Don't Miss the 2007 Federal Practice Seminar!
Learn to litigate your case in federal court by attending this year's Federal Practice Seminar. Speakers will walk you through the initial stages of the suit all the way up to the appellate level. Additionally, you will receive practical tips from our esteemed panel of Judges currently serving in the four Federal District Courts of Texas. Not only will you obtain the educational requirements for all District Courts in Texas , but also be able to register for the Electronic Case Filing System. This course offers 7.5 MCLE credit hours (includes 2 hour ethics).
To see the brochure, follow this link: http://www.texasbarcle.com/materials/Programs/1435/Brochure.pdf

2007 Annual Meeting
Join us in San Antonio June 21-22, 2007, for the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting. This year's Annual Meeting offers value, convenience, and excellent CLE.

In addition to admission to all CLE programs, the Annual Meeting registration packages include all MCLE materials on a flash drive as well as breakfast and lunch each day. Don't miss our fantastic keynote speakers. Best-selling author John Grisham will offer remarks during the Thursday luncheon. Grisham has generously donated the honorarium for his presentation, allowing a $20,000 grant to be made to the Texas Access to Justice Commission's Summer Internship Program. At the Bench Bar Breakfast on Friday, New York University School of Law Professor Noah Feldman will discuss constitutional issues involving the relationship between law and religion. Richard Ben-Veniste and Douglas W. Kmiec tackle “Striking the Right Balance Between Liberty and Security” during this year's highly anticipated Litigation Section-sponsored debate and luncheon on Friday.

Register online today!

Upcoming Events

April 18th, 2007: TYLA will co-sponsor a panel discussion on Judicial
Independence with the Texas League of Women Voters, which will be aired on PBS station KLRU in San Antonio. Panelists include Former Texas Supreme Court Justices Craig Enoch and Bob Gammage, as well as U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez.

April 23, 2007: Monday from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, the Texas Young Lawyers Association, in conjunction with the Austin Young Lawyers Association is proud to present an encore Texas Capitol presentation of They Had a Dream Too: Young Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. (Cont.)

April 30, 2007: Law Day Ceremony - Texas Law Center

May 18, 2007: Live Seminar - Federal Practice Seminar
Houston, Double Tree Hotel Downtown, 400 Dallas Street
Phone: 713-759-0202
To Register: Call 1-800-204-2222 x1574
Or go online to http://www.texasbarcle.com
The seminar will also be available by video as follows:
Dallas June 29, 2007
Tyler July 13, 2007
El Paso July 20, 2007

TYLA Annual Report 2006

Want to know how TYLA is serving its members and the community? Then be sure to read the 2006 annual report, which details the activities of TYLA during the 2005-2006 Bar year. Click here for a copy or call 800-204-2222 x 1529 and we'll send you a copy.

Get Involved and Sign Up Today!

If you want to be involved as an active volunteer in TYLA, now is the best time. The new Bar year is just getting underway, and you can get in on the ground floor and really help shape the work of our public or member service committees of your choice. Visit our website to find out more about TYLA committees and their focus .. then sign up online!

Please note: if you signed up for a committee prior to June 2006, you will need to sign up for your committees again. Committee memberships are reset
each year on June 1.