TYLA eNews, February 2007

The Law really is a jealous mistress. She demands all of your time and all of your attention. That leads to problems . – Louis Muldrow

Lawyers are “can do” people. Our work schedules are stringent and we are constantly behind yet for some reason we refuse to turn away new clients. The end result? More and more time at the office and more work brought home from the office. I'm no doctor but somehow this seems unhealthy. My answer to this endless stress cycle was simple. I placed a call to my old high school buddy who was practicing law in Katy, Texas, and tossed out the age old line, “let's get the band back together.” He immediately jumped on board. (Cont.)

Feature TYLA Affiliate

The San Antonio Young Lawyers Association


David Evans

Under the leadership of President Bryan Lopez and Immediate Past President Kristal Cordova, 2006 was a tremendous year for SAYLA. With any luck and a lot of hard work, 2007 will be just as exciting and relevant for SAYLA's membership. Like many affiliates, SAYLA's success depends upon keeping its members informed through a monthly newsletter, The Docket Call. Editor Kathy Kang unfailingly edits each month with help from SAYLA Secretary Sam Houston, who keeps the minutes (and everyone in check) at SAYLA's monthly board meetings. (Cont.)

Meet the Affiliates

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 Kendyl Hanks or Brad Allen.

Feature TYLA Project

The National Trial Competition Is Coming To Houston

We all know that some of the best trial lawyers in the country are right here in Texas . In less than two months, some of the best future trial lawyers will be in Houston and are looking for your assistance.

Each year, the Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers host the National Trial Competition. The competition is the preeminent mock trial competition in the country and is open to all ABA accredited law schools in the United States. (Cont.)

Tips for Young Lawyers

Attention New Lawyers -- This is for you!

You have your law license: now what? The Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) and Texas Bar CLE have the answer: The New Lawyer Course. This will be the fourth time that this popular course has been presented for newly licensed attorneys. The course will be held live on March 1, 2007 at the Sheraton Brookhollow Hotel in Houston. This course offers many general sessions about negotiations, ethics, client communications, and dealing with difficult opposing counsel. For those who want to start their own law practices, the course will offer break-out sessions for that particular topic. (Cont.)

Article of Interest

What Every Texas Attorney Should Know About Franchise Law
by Robert A. Lauer


Robert A. Lauer

Introduction
Ask the average person about franchising, and McDonald's and Subway come to mind. However, franchising is not just about fast food (think everything from Marriott to Blockbuster to Keller Williams Realty to Curves). From a business perspective, franchising is: (a) an alternative method of distribution of products and services; (b) a way to grow a business under a common brand name using the time, money and effort of third parties who are not employees or agents; and (c) an alternative to the capital markets. (Cont.)

Take Note

The following slate of officer candidates was approved by the TYLA board of directors on January 21st at the quarterly board meeting in El Paso:

President-Elect: Cheryl Camin (Dallas) and Sylvia Cardona (San
Antonio)
Chair-Elect: Christy Albano (McKinney) and Clay Scheitzach (Dallas)
Vice-President: Cori Harbour (El Paso) and Jamey Secrest (Temple)
Secretary: Jennifer Morris (Dallas) and C.E. Rhodes (Houston)
Treasurer: Kelly-Ann Clarke (Galveston) and Chad Ellis (Richmond)

Under TYLA bylaws, this year's president-elect candidates were required to be from large cities in Texas. President-elect candidates are elected from the general membership of TYLA. They may begin outside campaigning on March 1, 2007, and will be featured in the March issue of the eNews.

The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors has announced that the candidates for State Bar of Texas President-elect are Mark Osborn (El Paso) and Harper Estes (Midland).

Are You A Candidate for One of the Minority At-Large Director Positions?

For the past three 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.)

Upcoming Events

February 1, 2007: TYLA Legal Guide for Cancer Patients roll-out from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm in McKinney. The presentation will be at the First Baptist Church in McKinney, (1615 W. Louisiana St.), and will be in conjunction with the Guardian Wings Of Care, Inc. TYLA members and the general public are welcome to attend.
February 1-2, 2007: Bankruptcy Litigation: Pretrial Practice and Procedure Workshop Center for American and International Law, Plano, TX. Click here for the conference overview.
February 8-10, 2007: ABA/YLD Mid-Year Conference, Miami
Please go to http://www.abanet.org/midyear/2007 for more information.
March 1-2, 2007: New Lawyer CLE and Practice Skills for New Lawyers in Houston at the Sheraton.
March 2, 2007: TYLA Off Campus Recruitment Program at South Texas College of Law.
March 28-31, 2007: TYLA hosts its Annual National Trial Competition in Houston at the Hilton Americas.
April 30, 2007: Law Day Ceremony - Texas Law Center

TYLA Annual Report 2006

Want to know how TYLA is serving its members and the community? Then be sure to read the 2006 annual report, which details the activities of TYLA during the 2005-2006 Bar year. Click here for a copy or call 800-204-2222 x 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 2006, you will need to sign up for your committees again. Committee memberships are reset
each year on June 1.