Congratulations to Austin Bar member and former Austin Mayor Steve Adler, who has joined Fritz Byrne PLLC as partner. Adler will handle eminent-domain cases for the firm while also maintaining his teaching positions at St. Edward’s University, UT’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, and Huston-Tillotson University. Congratulations to Austin Bar member Rep. Lulu Flores, who won the Texas …
2024 Austin Bar Foundation Gala Award Winners Announced
The Austin Bar Association and Austin Bar Foundation are proud to announce the winners of the 2024 Distinguished Lawyer and David H. Walter Community Excellence awards! Edna Ramón Butts, Marcy Hogan Greer, and Randy Howry have won Distinguished Lawyer awards, and Jeff Edwards has won the David H. Walter Community Excellence Award. The Distinguished Lawyer Award recognizes the dedication and …
UT Study Finds Hospital Systems Can Artificially Inflate Prices
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin found that a hospital system with a single IT platform can easily collude with rival hospital systems to keep prices above competitive levels. In the study, McCombs School of Business Associate Professor Hüseyin Tanriverdi found that a hospital system with a single IT platform: A hospital system with a single IT platform …
Study Recommends New Standards for Public Defender Felony Caseloads
Is 14 hours enough for a public defender (PD) to handle a felony case? “No,” is the conclusion of a new study sponsored by the Rand Corporation. In 1973, the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals determined that a PD can handle a yearly maximum of 150 felony cases, 400 misdemeanors, 200 mental health cases, 200 juvenile …
Austin Police to Begin Releasing Monthly Data Reports
The Austin Police Department (APD) will soon start releasing a monthly report that includes number of arrests, instances of use of force, officer staffing, and overtime use. Currently known only as the APD Open Policing Data Release, the monthly release was requested by Austin City Councilmember Chito Vela, and was approved on Sept. 14. “What we’re doing today is bringing …
American Bar Association Names Richard Pena Among Influential Hispanic Activists and Legal Trailblazers
Former Austin Bar and State Bar of Texas President Richard Pena has been named one of the most influential Hispanics in law by the American Bar Association (ABA). In celebration of Hispanic/Latino/a/x Heritage Month in September, the ABA Center for Diversity and Inclusion released a list honoring 21 Hispanic activists and trailblazers in the legal profession across the nation. Included …
Applications Are Open for the 2024 AYLA/Austin Bar Leadership Academy!
The AYLA/Austin Bar Leadership Academy assists Austin-area lawyers in making a difference in our community and in service to the Bar. A class of lawyers from the Austin Bar and AYLA will be selected from applications submitted by lawyers of all areas of practice, firm size, and levels of experience. The Leadership Academy will begin with a retreat on Jan. …
Introducing Jillian Garza, the Austin Bar’s New Intern
The Austin Bar is happy to introduce our new intern, Jillian Garza! Garza is currently an undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Austin and is on track to graduate in 2025. She is attending UT on a full scholarship and is pursuing a B.S. in political communication with a minor in communication and social change. Garza says she …
VLS Recognizes Outstanding Attorneys with Pro Bono Awards
Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas (VLS) has announced the winners of its 2023 pro bono awards. The Susan P. Burton Award is given annually to a volunteer attorney who has been licensed for five years or less and who has demonstrated exemplary pro bono service. The winner of the 2023 Susan P. Burton Award is Kara L. O’Shaughnessy with …
Judge Elisabeth Earle Elected to Texas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees
Judge Elisabeth Earle, who presides over Travis County Court at Law #7, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the Texas Bar Foundation. Earle has served as presiding judge since January 2003. Earle also founded the county’s DWI Court in 2008 and continues to also serve as its presiding judge. The court’s mission is to enhance public safety …