Meet the TYLA Board

PRESIDENT
Cori A. Harbour, El Paso

CHAIR
C.E. Rhodes, Houston

VICE PRESIDENT
Natalie Cobb Koehler, Meridian

SECRETARY
David C. Courreges, Austin

TREASURER
Jeff Chandler, San Angelo

PRESIDENT-ELECT
Jennifer Evans Morris, Dallas

CHAIR-ELECT
David Anderson, Dallas

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Sylvia A. Cardona, San Antonio

DIRECTORS

Jeffrey A. Armstrong, Waco
Hector A. Beltrán, El Paso
Robert E. Booth, Galveston
Natasha L. Brooks, Midland
Kelly L. Burris, Dallas
J. Brett Busby, Houston
Alfonso Cabañas, San Antonio
M. Vittoria "Giugi" Carminati, Houston
Kelly-Ann F. Clarke, Galveston
Adrienne M. Clements, Fort Worth
David C. Courreges, Austin (Secretary)
Michael E. Deadman, San Angelo
Geoff A. Gannaway, Houston
Israel Garcia, San Antonio
Don Jones, Corpus Christi
Sarah Kownacki, Dallas
Keith L. Krueger, College Station
J.P. LeCompte, Denton
Alyssa J. Long, San Antonio
John Massouh, Amarillo
Jennifer Evans Morris, Dallas (President-elect)
Erin O'Driscoll, Houston
Chike Okpara, Austin
Connie H. Pfeiffer, Houston
Kristy Sims Piazza, Plano
Donato D. Ramos, Jr., Laredo
Jaime S. Rangel, Corpus Christi
Ken Riney, Dallas
Jobe Rodgers, Lubbock
Shivali Sharma, Texarkana
Paul Tu, Houston
Brooke Ulrickson, Fort Worth
Rebecca Vela, McAllen
Clint Woods, Beaumont

LIAISONS

Justice Paul W. Green, Texas Supreme Court

Clint Harbour, Access To Justice

Kirby D. Hopkins, ABA YLD District 25

Chip Brooker, ABA YLD District 26

Dean Donald J. Guter, Law School

Jessica Alexander, Law Student

STAFF OFFICE

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 12487
Austin 78711-2487
Physical Address:
1414 Colorado, 4th Floor
Austin 78701
(800) 204-2222, ext. 1529
(512) 427-1529
fax: (512) 427-4117

Tracy Brown, Director
Bree Trevino, Project Coordinator
Michelle Palacios, Office Manager

Editor's Column

Calling All Local Affiliates – We Want You!
By Brooke Ulrickson

TYLA local affiliates do so much around the State and we would like to hear more from you. As my former boss at Dewalt used to say, “If you don't toot your own horn, no one else will.” So, please toot your own horn. So often we hear about the great projects from some of our larger affiliates (which we want to continue), but we know there is so much more going on around the State. For example, in Galveston the young lawyers association provided three college scholarships at their annual Law Day Celebration. This would make a great e-news Local Affiliate article and these are easy to submit; just email TYLA, Ken Riney at Ken.Riney@hsblaw.com, Kristi Piazza at kristy@koonsfuller.com or myself at bulrickson@browndean.com. (Cont.)

Top Story

Celebrate Pro Bono
By Clint Harbour

Texas Lawyers, Legal Services Programs and Pro Bono Projects are gearing up to celebrate National Pro Bono week, October 25-31. The Celebrate Pro Bono campaign is a nationwide effort to showcase the great difference that pro bono lawyers make to the nation, its system of justice, its communities and - most of all - to the clients they serve. The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service created this new initiative in response to the increasing need for pro bono services during these harsh economic times. The unprecedented need for free legal services demands an unprecedented response from the lawyers of Texas. (Cont.)

 

Feature TYLA Affiliate

A Constitution Day Celebration
By Shivali Sharma

A week of dreary, stormy weather did not stop hundreds of Texarkana high school students from bobbing their heads to the opening soundtrack of the They Had A Dream Too: Young Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement video presented during Texarkana's Constitution Day Celebration. The students gasped in shock when viewing original images and footage documenting the struggle of the civil rights movement. They listened closely to first hand accounts of racism and victory in the fight against it from the mouths of those who were young adults during the movement. After learning about the Little Rock Nine, Brown v. Board of Education, and the Greensboro Four, the students smiled with motivation as they realized the success of the movement was bolstered by young adults, and that they too could make a difference in the next change they wanted to see in their country. The video was watched by all Liberty-Eylau High School students and all Texas High School government students. (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 Kristy Piazza, Ken Riney or Brooke Ulrickson.

TYLA and Texas Lawyers for Children Need Your Help to Protect Abused and Neglected Children
By Kristy Piazza

Kristy Piazza

According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Service's 2008 Databook, over 70,500 children were confirmed victims of abuse or neglect in this state. Of these, 31,000 children were placed in foster care and over 14,000 children were placed in the permanent managing conservatorship of the state.

In Texas, children who have active court cases are provided with a court-appointed attorney and guardian ad litem to help protect their interests and well-being. For children who are placed under the permanent managing conservatorship of the state, the judge assigned to their case will review the children's living arrangements and needs every six months. However, since the initial abuse case is now concluded, in some counties these children are no longer provided with court-appointed advocates. Thus, there are abused and neglected children who are living under the permanent managing conservatorship of the state who need an attorney to ensure that their rights and interests are being protected. (Cont.)

 

State Bar Launches Mentoring Initiative

At the Bar Leaders Conference in July, State Bar of Texas President Roland Johnson introduced Transition to Practice, a mentoring initiative for local bar associations. Johnson, a shareholder in Harris, Finley & Bogle, P.C. in Fort Worth, is focusing during his term in office on preparing young lawyers for the practice of law. Transition to Practice, which is based on a successful pilot project by the Dallas Bar Association, is a structured, yearlong program that is designed to be easy to use, inexpensive, and readily adaptable to the needs of individual bar associations, law firms, or corporate or governmental law departments.

Newly licensed lawyers are matched with more experienced lawyers who volunteer to participate in the project, and the pairs attend CLE programs and meet in small groups or one-on-one. The program will guide new lawyers in many areas, including law practice management, effective client representation, pro bono opportunities, career development, and other aspects of successfully practicing law. (Cont.)

Article of Interest

Legally Speaking: But He Loves Me ...
By John G. Browning

John G. Browning

For "Susan" (not her real name) it is a relationship that could superficially be reduced to stark numbers.

Seven - the number of months she and her boyfriend "Rick" have been together.

Four - the number of visits she's made to emergency rooms following beatings at the hands of this same young man.

Three - the number of broken ribs she suffered the last time he went after her, a sudden, savage episode initiated when Rick accused Susan of flirting excessively with an ex-boyfriend at a party.

To her mother, Susan offers increasingly improbable tales of accidents.

To concerned girlfriends, she offers excuses for Rick's brutality - "it's my fault," she says, feebly protesting that "he loves me" despite the ugly, violent flare-ups that have characterized their relationship. (Cont.)

Important Dates to Remember

October 22-24
ABA YLD Fall Conference - Birmingham, Alabama

October 25-31
Clebrate Pro Bono Week - Click here for more information.

October 26
TYLA deadline to receive second committee report

November 6
Bar exam results released

November 11
Holiday - Veteran's Day (Texas Law Center closed)

November 13-14
TYLA Board of Directors meeting - Doubletree Hotel, El Paso

November 16
New Lawyers' Induction Ceremony - Frank Erwin Center, Austin

November 26-27
Holiday - Thanksgiving (Texas Law Center closed)

Take Note

View This Month's President's Opinion

Cori A. Harbour
TYLA President 2009-2010

Ten Minute Mentor has more than 20 free videos for attorneys about disaster response and recovery. Click "view index by category" and choose "disaster response." Click here for more disaster resources for attorneys.

The Texas Young Lawyers 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.

TYLA Annual Report 2008-2009
Want to know how TYLA is serving its members and the community? Then be sure to read the 2008-2009 annual report, which details the activities of TYLA during the 2008-2009 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 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 2009, you will need to sign up for your committees again. Committee memberships are reset each year on June 1.

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.
$22.00 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
To pay online click here.

Make New Connections with Texas Bar Circle
More than 11,000 of your peers have joined Texas Bar Circle - our social and professional network for Texas lawyers. Join today and reconnect with colleagues, find jobs, explore opportunities, and have fun. The power of Texas Bar Circle is in the connections you will make. Visit https://texasbar.affinitycircles.com/sbot/auth/login.

Member Benefits Program
Are you looking for ways to save this fall? Take advantage of 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 .