TYLA eNews, March 2008

20 Questions with the candidates for TYLA President-Elect
By Clay B. Scheitzach

Cori A. Harbour
El Paso
(view website)

Kristie Wright
Texarkana
(view website)

So you want to learn about the candidates for TYLA President-Elect, but you want more than just the typical candidate information. You say that in order to truly evaluate candidates, you need to know more than their resumes; you want to know their dirt!

While eNews is not TMZ.com, we do try to deliver what our readers want. The following candid Q&A with TYLA President-Elect candidates Cori Harbour and Kristie Wright is intended to delve deeper than the candidate brochures and official statements and provide you a small glimpse into the true personalities of these two wonderful people. (Cont.)

Feature TYLA Affiliate

Texarkana Young Lawyers Association
By Shivali Sharma

Most people think of Valentine's Day as a time when you can show appreciation for loved ones through flowers, chocolates in heart shaped boxes or a nice evening on the town. But for the women and children at the Texarkana Domestic Violence Prevention Center , Valentine's Day can be a very harsh reminder of abuse experienced by the hand of someone they love. According to the Texas Council on Family Violence, Texas domestic violence rates are especially high. In our state alone, approximately 913,000 women are battered each year. Three out of four Texans have either experienced family violence or know a friend or family member who has. And shockingly, approximately two women are killed by family violence every week in Texas. (Cont.)

Please email the TYLA office if there are any changes to your local affiliates contact information.

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 Brad Allen, Rabecca Cross or Connie Pfeiffer.

Feature TYLA Project

TYLA's Legal Guide for Alzheimer's and Long Term Care Issues
By Davis Chapman

Chances are that someone you care about is battling or has battled
Alzheimer's disease. Chances are that someone you care about is facing
or has been faced with the prospect of entering a long-term healthcare
facility. When you are faced with these types of situations, you are required to make difficult treatment decisions; be involved in numerous doctors' visits; discuss your situation with others who may not understand what you are dealing with; and you have to confront the reality of the illness and come to terms with it. You or your family can become overwhelmed by the myriad of issues that arise when being confronted with a long-term healthcare crisis. (Cont.)

Tips for Young Lawyers


Neera Chatterjee

Complicated Primary and Caucus System Opens Civic Role for Lawyers
By Neera Chatterjee

While your dance card is full, lawyers have an obligation to help clarify the Texas Two-Step primary and caucus process.

Texas has long been associated with national and international affairs, especially since our former Governor has led the country for the past seven years. But now, the country is turning to Texas voters to make a choice. Which candidate is best suited to fill the boots of our former governor and move beyond real or perceived mistakes made during his administration? (Cont.)

Article of Interest

St. Mary's Minority Pre-Law Symposium
By Israel Garcia

Each year, the Texas Young Lawyers Association, and the St. Mary's University School of Law, in conjunction with the eight other Texas law schools, sponsors a symposium for minority college and high school students from across the state of Texas who are interested in pursuing a career in the legal profession. This year's program included a lunch keynote address by Interim Dean Cantu, and a talk by TYLA President-elect Sylvia Cardona who gave an overview of TYLA and the importance of our local young lawyer associations. In addition, young lawyers served on attorney panels, participated in a mock law school class exercise, and set up a table giving away promotional TYLA goodies and pamphlets.

ABA/YLD

If you have any questions about ABA/YLD conferences or projects, please contact: Kimberly Burke, ABA/YLD District 25 Representative or Chris Rogers, ABA /YLD District 26 Representative through these email links.

Upcoming Events

March 7, 2008: Representing Unaccompanied Immigrant Children, San Antonio: ProBAR will be participating in this free training session and we would love to see TYLA members in attendance.
March 26-29, 2008: TYLA National Trial Competition, Austin:
Attorneys needed! Serve as a judge in the leading trial competition in the nation. Please contact Laura Miles-Valdez if you are in the Austin area and would like to judge on March 27th or 28th.
Bring your staff to witness! Non attorneys can volunteer to act as witnesses on March 27th or 28th. Simply email ntc@texasbar.com and request an volunteer form.
March 27, 2008: TYLA Law Focused Education Committee Vice Chair, Natasha Brooks is organizing a "They Had a Dream Too: Young Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement" presentation to take place in Midland. There will be over 200 students in attendance.

Take Note

The Texas Young Lawyer Association is adding new segments to the Ten Minute Mentor library. Ten Minute Mentor is a TYLA project that debuted in 2004 as a means for sharing concise and practical advice that is always accessible online. Since that time, it has proven its enduring appeal as one of TYLA's most successful projects. More than 50,000 people have visited the site, and we continue to average more than 2,000 segments viewed each month. You can visit the site at www.tenminutementor.com.

Our upcoming taping sessions will be in:

Dallas at the Adolphus Hotel on March 27, 2008 from 9am to 4pm.
Houston at the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting on June 26, 2008 from 9am to 5pm.

If you are interested in presenting a topic, please contact Connie Pfeiffer (Houston); David Courreges (Austin); or Chris Rogers (Dallas).

Are You A Candidate for One of the Minority At-Large Director Positions?
By C.E. Rhodes

For the past four years, I have had the pleasure of serving on the Texas Young Lawyers Association (“TYLA”) Board of Directors as one of the four Minority At-Large Directors. As Minority-At Large Directors, we have several goals that we strive to meet each year. For example, we seek to facilitate and encourage minorities to enter the legal profession, and promote increased participation by minority lawyers in the activities, programs, and projects of the TYLA and the State Bar of Texas. (Cont.)

Support Pro Bono Legal Services and Let Everyone Know It!

The Texas Young Lawyers Association needs your help to support and promote free legal services for indigent Texans by purchasing a specialty license plate. The license plate proudly states that you support "Justice for All" and can be purchased for only $30.00 per year.
$25.00 from the purchase of each plate will be deposited into an account
supporting legal services to the poor. If you would like that plate personalized, you can get your plate for $70.00 per year. To purchase your plate today, simply fill out an application and send your check, payable to the Texas Department of Transportation, to the following address:
Vehicle Titles and Registration Division (SPB)
Texas Department of Transportation
Austin, TX 78779-0001

The State Bar of Texas President-elect Candidates Nominated
Candidates for 2008-2009 State Bar of Texas president-elect are Claude Ducloux of Austin and Roland K. Johnson of Fort Worth. Votes can be cast either via paper ballot or voting online from April 2- May 1. Learn more about the candidates.

Make New Connections with Texas Bar Circle
Join the world's first social and professional network by a bar association, exclusively for Texas lawyers. Reconnect with colleagues, find jobs, explore opportunities, and have fun. The power of Texas Bar Circle is in the connections you will make. Join today at www.TexasBarCircle.com.

Member Benefits Program
Are you looking for ways to save money in 2008? Start the New Year off with exclusive money-saving offers from the State Bar of Texas Member Benefits Program. Bar members are eligible for discounts on products and services including car rental, clothing, computer hardware and software, office supplies, and more. For details on the State Bar Member Benefits Program, visit www.texasbar.com/benefits.

2008 Annual Meeting
George R. Brown Convention Center and Hilton Americas

Your Registration Includes:

Admission to all CLE programs
A flash drive that contains all CLE materials
Admission to all Annual Meeting sponsored breakfasts and luncheons: Thursday's continental breakfast, the Bar Leaders Recognition Luncheon, the Bench Bar Breakfast, and the General Session Luncheon

Don't Miss These Exciting Educational Events!

Bench Bar Breakfast and CLE – This seminar features The Art of Oral Advocacy with speaker David Frederick (who has argued 21 cases in front of the U. S. Supreme Court) and How Television Impacts Jurors with communications guru Marty Kaplan.
Future of the Profession CLE – Learn from the experts what is in store for the future of the legal profession. This track includes a panel discussion, The Future of Texas Cities, with San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, and Houston Mayor Bill White.
Joint CLE tracks by the Business Law and Corporate Counsel Sections
Section-sponsored CLE with top-notch speakers from a variety of legal practice areas
Diversity Forum – A lively discussion about the issues facing minority and women attorneys and how law firms, corporations, and the State Bar of Texas are addressing these concerns.
General Session Luncheon and Debate – This luncheon offers the opportunity to bid farewell to State Bar President Gib Walton, welcome Incoming President Harper Estes, and listen to a Litigation Section sponsored debate about immigration Mark Krikorian, David A. Martin, and Cecilia Munoz.
Open Government Seminar sponsored by the State Bar of Texas Public Affairs Committee

Remember the Social Aspect!

Enjoy a variety of receptions sponsored by law schools and sections.
Dance the night away at the black tie optional Presidents' Gala featuring live music from the 10-piece show band, The Rockets.
Celebrate a successful year at the TYLA Annual Meeting/Reception.

Register Now! www.texasbar.com/annualmeeting.

TYLA Annual Report 2007
Want to know how TYLA is serving its members and the community? Then be sure to read the 2007 annual report, which details the activities of TYLA during the 2006-2007 Bar year. Click here for a copy or call 800-204-2222, ext. 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 2007, you will need to sign up for your committees again. Committee memberships are reset each year on June 1.

Top Story

20 Questions with the candidates for TYLA President-Elect
By Clay B. Scheitzach

Top Story

20 Questions with the candidates for TYLA President-Elect By Clay B. Scheitzach

20 Questions with the candidates for TYLA President-Elect
By Clay B. Scheitzach