Bar Leaders Conference Kicks Off the Bar Year
By: Cameron Cox, Attorney, Sawko & Burroughs, P.C.

The 2011 Bar Leaders Conference, held this year in Houston, contained a unique aroma of service to the Bar with the flavor of giving back to the community. The Conference blended all local affiliates and leaders, allowing them to coordinate and develop successful initiatives for the upcoming year.

DAYL Continues to Let Freedom Run 10 Years After 9/11
By: Jason Jobe

The 11th Annual Freedom Run 5K and Bill Carollo One Mile Walk, organized by the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, will take place on the evening of Thursday, September 8th beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Dallas City Hall Plaza. The first Freedom Run was organized by the Dallas Associations of Young Lawyers in the weeks after 9/11. Ten years later, the Freedom Run continues to provide an annual opportunity for the citizens of DFW, and beyond, to unite in tribute to the heroes and victims of that tragic day and to honor the continued sacrifices that our police officers and first responders make on a daily basis.

Win Bragging Rights for your Local Affiliate!
By: Kristy Piazza

Hopefully you have heard about Partnering for Pro Bono, an innovative new project to encourage and facilitate pro bono work between in-house counsel and law firm lawyers. After registering at www.tyla.org/partneringforprobono, in-house counsel lawyers are matched with law firm lawyers and the newly-formed team selects a case from the website.

Legislative Update – Texas Enacts Additional Tort Reform
By: Robert Booth, Attorney, Mills Shirley LLP

In December 2010, on the eve of the 82nd Legislative Session, Governor Perry proposed more tort reform, the centerpiece being a British-style “loser pays” rule that would require the losing party to pick up the other side’s legal costs. For his efforts, Governor Perry received a glowing editorial endorsement in the Wall Street Journal. However, many small businesses opposed the reforms because it would hamper their ability to enforce rights against their bigger brethren. Additionally, some lawyers, still reeling from the 2003 tort reform and a downturn in the legal market, were less than enthusiastic over the prospect of legislation calling for the client and attorney to be jointly and severally liable for losing in court.

Texas Supreme Court Issues Opinion Holding That Parties Can Seek Expanded Judicial Review Of Arbitration Awards In Texas Under TAA
By:  David F. Johnson

One of the main concerns that litigants have about arbitration is that there is very little appellate review. The fear of a “run-away” arbitrator with no real judicial review of an award has resulted in parties taking out arbitration clauses and inserting jury waiver clauses in their contracts. But a recent Texas Supreme Court opinion alleviates some of the judicial review concerns that have stigmatized arbitration and may once more make arbitration a more attractive alternative to the public justice system.

Benefits and Opportunities
By: Anita Barksdale
 
Do you want to rub elbows with young lawyers from across the country and around the world? Do you just need any legitimate excuse available to take your family on a fabulous trip? If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, then you should attend the next meeting of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (“ABA YLD”), which will be held from October 13th through the 15th at the ABA’s 2011 Fall Conference in Seattle, Washington.

August 19, 2011
TYLA Minority Scholarship applications and brochures mailed to all participating Texas ABA-accredited law schools

August 26, 2011
TYLA Deadline to receive grant applications for the 2011-2012 Local Affiliate Grant Program

August 29, 2011
TYLA Deadline to receive first committee report