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Hurricane Cludette: Young Lawyers Ready to Assist Disaster
Victims - By Marshall Wood
Hurricane Claudette hit the Texas shoreline on Tuesday, July 15, resulting in
15 counties being declared federal disaster areas: Aransas, Bee, Brazoria, Calhoun,
DeWitt, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Jackson, Karnes, Matagorda, Refugio, San
Patricio, Victoria and Wharton. Young lawyers immediately began volunteer efforts
to help disaster victims, who can now access a free legal hotline at 1-800-504-7030.(continued)
Featured
Local Affiliate Leaders
Soldiers Who Happen to Be Texas Lawyers:
Meet Five JAG Officers
By Dan Hargrove-
In
southern Iraq, on April 4, 2003, during the first days of
combat, a Marine Corps lawyer found himself in a tight spot.
As reported in the Washington Post, Lt.Col. John Ewers,
a graduate of The Georgetown University Law Center, was
heading out on an unusual mission: looking for the father
of an injured Iraqi boy flown out on a helicopter for emergency
treatment the prior day. The last thing the 19-year veteran
was expecting was a firefight....Although most judge advocate
(JAG) officers will never see combat, Ewers’ story reveals
the dangers that many lawyers face when serving in the military.(continued)
Feature
TYLA Project
School Curriculums:
Supreme Team and We the Jury
Think
back to your high school days. Did your basic civics instruction
consist of lots of textbook reading and rote memorization?
Were there engaging, interactive, fun lessons focusing on
the Constitution or judicial branch of government? Did you
ever see a lawyer or judge in your classroom? When you thought
about the law, did you think about it in terms of its practical
applicability to your life?
Most
high school students do not receive dynamic law-focused
curriculums. The Texas Young Lawyers Association wants to
change that. Over the past several years, TYLA has developed
several interactive law-focused education curriculums that
are designed to teach students at the elementary, middle
school, and high school levels about the law and their legal
rights and responsibilities. This year TYLA’s Law Focused
Education committee will highlight two high school programs:
Supreme Team and We the Jury. (more
info)
Pre-Judgment
Garnishments -- Beware!
By Doug D'Arche -
I am constantly amazed at the number of attorneys and business people who are unaware of the availability of a pre-judgment garnishment. Many people are surprised that it is possible to freeze a bank account even though the owner of the account has not yet been served with the lawsuit. This is one reason Courts are hostile to this effective, but risky, procedure. This article gives a brief overview of the process.
(continued)
Developing
Leadership Among Young Lawyers
By Robert J. Witte -
The
Texas Young Lawyers Association, through committees such
as Lawyers as Leaders and Leadership TYLA, places great
emphasis in developing leadership among young lawyers. Regardless
of your level of practice, you should begin to take time
now to develop leadership skills, and to explore opportunities
for putting those skills to work. As you begin this pursuit,
consider the thoughts set forth below by Secretary of State
Colin Powell. We hope that this, and other resources that
you come across, will inspire you to get involved in TYLA
initiatives, and to become an uncommon leader.
(continued)
LEGISLATIVE
UPDATE:
Proposition 12 - September 13, 2003
This spring
the Texas Legislature passed a resolution that will shift
the power to decide damages in civil cases from judges and
juries to politicians. That means the legislature may be
given the authority to decide damages, instead of courts,
judges and juries.
A special election
will be held on September 13, 2003, to vote on this resolution.
Proposition 12 is required because the resolution changes
the Texas Constitution. More specifically, Proposition 12,
will strip the Open Courts provision of the Texas Constitution’s
Bill of Rights, which has been in place since 1845. The
Open Courts provision guarantees each citizen access to
the Courts.
Proposition
12 reads as follows:
“The constitutional
amendment concerning civil lawsuits against doctors and
health care providers, and other actions, authorizing the
legislature to determine limitations on non-economic damages.”
The Texas Legislature’s
joint resolution is contained in H.J.R #3. Proposition 12
requires a simple majority vote in order for the constitutional
amendment to take effect.
Next
month’s TYLA e-newsletter will contain pro and con
editorials concerning Proposition 12. Regardless of how
you feel about this issue, if passed, Proposition 12 will
have a profound impact on the Texas Civil Justice System
and the constitutional rights of all Texans. If you are
interested in submitting an editorial on Proposition 12,
please submit that editorial to Cade
Browning.
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