TYLA board members Eraka Childs, Jennifer Wright, and Mary Reveles set out information at the Minority Pre-Law Symnposium

The Texas Young Lawyers Association, through its Minority Involvement Committee, participated in the St. Mary’s University School of Law Minority Pre-Law Symposium on February 18, 2006, in San Antonio. The symposium brought together minority pre-law students and local high school students, the nine Texas law schools and their faculties and administrators, as well as practicing minority attorneys, to encourage interactive discussion on the legal practice and how students can begin the steps to their own legal career. (Cont.)

Article of Interest
Should Outstanding College Athletes Have Constitutional Rights?
By Robyn Hargrove

Robyn Hargrove

Texas has a new sports hero, Vince Young. Vince has been on the cover of every newspaper in our great state, he has been on the Tonight Show, and he has provided near limitless material for office small talk. Vince has given many of us a great feeling of satisfaction and pride. Here is a guy who grew up without many opportunities, but who chose to turn away from a gang lifestyle and, instead, focus on football as a way out and up. And look at what has happened—Vince is already a legend, and he is going to have a contract for millions of dollars in his hands momentarily. Not to mention the money he can make on endorsements. This is a dream come true, and Vince’s story will, I hope, inspire many.

The interesting thing about Vince’s story, from a lawyer’s perspective, is that it comes only a few months after the Texas Supreme Court held that college athletes do not, under any circumstances, have constitutionally protected interests in intercollegiate athletics. (Cont.)

Tips for Young Lawyers
To Write Clearly
By Connie Pfeiffer -

Connie Pfeiffer

Lawyers frequently write about complex facts and abstruse legal theories. Although we need not write opaquely, we often do. In a profession where we are valued for our ability to communicate important ideas, we might work a bit harder to be understood. If we all worked harder to improve one aspect of our writing, it should be this: to write clearly, with some thoughtfulness for our readers.

Of course, this is easier said than done. We may recognize writing that is clear, direct and concise without understanding what makes it so. And we may write a sentence that is flawless grammatically and still cause our reader to work far too hard to understand our meaning. Simply telling a lawyer to write more clearly is like telling a new golfer to hit the ball squarely — without first telling her how to hold the club. We should therefore begin our effort to write more clearly by learning a few principles that will help us understand what makes writing clear. (Cont.)

Captain Brent Dishman

Eighteen employers and 200 law students participated in the 20th annual Texas Off Campus Recruitment Program held March 3, 2006, at South Texas College of Law in Houston. The program, a collaborative effort of TYLA and all nine Texas law schools, offers employers the unique opportunity to interview students from all Texas law schools at one location ... and allows students the opportunity to interview with employers that might not otherwise conduct on campus interviews at their school. This year's program had the largest number of employer participants in recent years, marking a hopeful sign for Texas' economy and the job prospects for new lawyers.

The Air Force JAG had the most significant presence at the job fair, attending as both an interviewer and an exhibitor. Captain Brent Dishman manned an information table responding to numerous inquiries from students. "Most people don't realize that you do not have to have prior military experience to be eligible to serve as a Judge Advocate," explained Dishman. The basic eligibility requirements include: attending or a graduate of an ABA-accredited law school; admitted to practice before the highest court of any state or a federal court; U.S. citizen; under the age of 35 on the day of commissioning; medically qualified prior to commissioning; and within Air Force height and weight requirements prior to commissioning.