"Just Hang Up" PSA's Designed to Help Senior Citizens Avoid becoming Victims of Telemarketing Scams

	(Left to Right) Scam victim Daulton Bissett, Attorney General Greg Abbott, and TYLA President David McAtee field questions from senior audience members

Texas Attorney General Gregg Abbott and TYLA President David McAtee met with senior citizens at the Conley-Guerrero senior activity center in Austin on Monday, October 4, 2004, in order to raise awareness about telemarketing scams targeted at the senior population.

Each year senior citizens lose hundreds of thousands of dollars to fradulent telemarketers. Although the Texas Attorney General investigates such complaints there is little likelihood of recovering funds once a theft has occurred. One victim (Daulton Bissett, shown above) who lost approximately $200,000 in a telemarketing scam told his story to the seniors attending the event.

In a collaborative effort to raise public awareness about this serious problem, the Office of the Attorney General and the Texas Young Lawyers Association are teaching senior citizens to ... Just Hang Up! By recruiting high-profile spokespersons that seniors will easily identify with, TYLA is launching a series of public service announcements to distribute to media markets throughout the state. The first two announcements in the series, featuring former first lady Barbara Bush and former Texas Governor Ann Richards, respectively, were unveiled at the event on Monday.

Feature TYLA Project
Lawyers As Leaders

As young lawyers, we often want to get involved in our community but simply cannot find a way to do so that fits our interest or time constraints. TYLA is starting a new program on a statewide basis to help solve this dilemma: the Lawyers as Leaders Volunteer Referral Program. This program is devoted to linking willing volunteers with nonprofit organizations that operate in their area, have compatible goals, and are in need of volunteers. Visit the Lawyers As Leaders page on the TYLA website to view the current opportunities available. (more info)

Freedom Run Shines in Dallas
By Cherie Harris -

TYLA volunteers man the water station during the DAYL Freedom Run

Thousands of people gathered in the early morning hours of September 11, 2004, in the historic West End distict of Dallas, Texas. On the third anniversary of the attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., people came from all across the state to participate in the fourth annual Freedom Run and Festival. Approximately 3,500 people attended the Freedom Run, which benefits the Dallas Police Association’s Assist the Officer (ATO) program and is the largest known event of its kind. (continued)

Top 10 Tips for Beginning Lawyers
By Patrick Keating -

Patrick Keating

This article provides suggestions for ways that recently licensed lawyers might ensure their legal practice meets their desires. Although it is styled as a “Top 10 List,” the points are not necessarily stated in their order of importance.

1. Business Development Benefits You.

Lawyers who are compensated based upon a percentage of the business they originate do not need to be told the importance of business development. For others, however, the benefits of undertaking the daunting task of developing business during the first years of practice may be less apparent. Those who work at a law firm with an established client base, who are compensated on a set salary, or who must wait years before being considered for partnership frequently fall prey to the seductive conclusion that it is not yet their responsibility to develop business.

The reality, however, is that there are substantial benefits to developing your own business, even if doing so will not immediately increase your compensation. First, many attorneys derive more satisfaction from working for clients they “brought in the door.” For some this is tied to a sense of self-sufficiency, while others feel a more personal connection with clients they originated. Second, it should come as no surprise that a lawyer who initiates the relationship with a client frequently plays a more significant role in the legal work performed for that client. Thus, newly licensed lawyers who develop business tend to more quickly receive the opportunity to perform types of legal work normally reserved for more senior attorneys. Finally, and most importantly, developing business ultimately leads to two items close to most lawyers’ heart — money and security. (continued)

UPDATE

State Bar to Hold Fall Referendum on Referral Fee and Lawyer Advertising Rules Revisions

The Texas Supreme Court issued an administrative order setting a
fall referendum on proposed restrictions on Texas lawyers dividing legal fees when a case is referred from one attorney to another lawyer not in the same firm and new amendments limiting lawyer advertising.

These amendments to the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional
Conduct will be submitted to the bar membership using electronically
transmitted ballots in addition to mailed ballots. Online voting will be from November 5 through November 14. Traditional voting will follow from November 20 through December 20.

VoTexas ... Voter Registration Drive

Over the past few months you have probably read about TYLA's efforts to educate high school seniors about voting through the VoTexas curriculum program. To kick off the election season, attorneys also held a voter registration drive at several schools involved in the curriculum. (Click here to view photos from visits at Stephen F. Austin and Lamar high schools in Houston.)

Minority Scholarship Program
Less than half the membership in the Texas Bar is made up of wome and ethnic minorities. One TYLA program designed to promote diversity within the legal profession is the Minority Scholarship Program. Texas law students within a minority population of the Bar--i.e. women and ethnic minorities--are eligible to submit an application under the program.

One student from each law school will be awarded s $1,000 scholarship to help defray the expenses of law school. Scholarships are awarded based on academic record, letters of recommendation, and financial need. The application deadline is October 29, 2004. (more info)