The following candidates are running for officer and director positions on the 2024-25 AYLA board.  The new board will take office on July 1, 2024, along with Emily Morris, who will serve as AYLA’s 2024-25 president. Morris has been on AYLA’s board since 2019 and has served as secretary, treasurer, and president-elect.  Electronic ballots will be sent to members on

Are you a little “lavender hazed” on the ethical rules around discovery, attorney-client privilege, or handling high-profile cases?  “Shake it off” and join us on April 19 at 9 a.m. for a free half-day virtual CLE, including three hours of ethics, hosted by the Robert W. Calvert American Inn of Court and the Austin Bar. Register here. The Preamble to

At the National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP) Awards luncheon on  Feb. 2, 2024, former Austin Bar and State Bar of Texas president Richard Pena was presented with the prestigious 2024 NCBP Fellows Award. Pena is the first Austin Bar president and only the second bar president from Texas to receive this prestigious award. After receiving the award, Pena addressed

During the 88th Texas Legislature, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice received $85 million to install air conditioning in its units. Currently, 31 of TDCJ’s units are fully air-conditioned and 55 are partially air-conditioned for a total of 43,572 ‘cool beds,’ according to TDCJ statistics. Since 2018, 6,948 cool beds have been built, while another 3,437 are currently under construction.

You may know Pete Reid as chair of the Austin Bar’s Business, Corporate and Tax Law Section. You may also know him from his award-winning commercials.  But you may not know his alter ego: Allaster McKallaster, angry Scottish soccer commentator, who has racked up more than 60 million views on Instagram and TikTok. McKallaster has several famous followers, including Ryan

Austin Bar member Hon. Rudy Metayer received Leadership Austin’s  2024 Outstanding Alumni Award at the organization’s Community Engagement Awards event on Feb. 23, 2024. Every year, Leadership Austin, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides leadership training, recognizes exceptional individuals who lead with a commitment to improving the community. The Outstanding Alumni Award is given in honor of Polly Scallorn, who was

The Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) recently released a report, “Solitary Confinement in Texas: A Crisis with No End,”1 in which the nonprofit calls for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to open an investigation into solitary confinement practices in Texas. An investigation is called for, the report reads, due to alleged violations of the federal Civil Rights of Institutionalized

More than $730 million was recovered in fiscal year 2023 as a result of several state agencies’ coordinated efforts to audit and investigate complaints of fraud, waste, and abuse in the Texas Medicaid program. The recently released Joint Annual Interagency Coordination Report for fiscal year 20231 details the efforts of the Texas Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General

The Austin Bar Foundation is now accepting applications for grants from Central Texas nonprofits and public interest organizations that provide DEI-related services. Applications are due by May 1 at 4 p.m. The form may be accessed here and mailed or delivered by hand to 712 W. 16th St, Austin, TX, 78701. Proposed projects should provide DEI-related services that: Funding may be provided

by Chris Roberts, The University of Texas School of Law How to improve the process of pharmaceutical patent approvals is the focus of a new study by a researcher at The University of Texas School of Law. The result could potentially save consumers billions of dollars and increase access to medications. As pharmaceutical costs rise, many consumers may find themselves