Mary-Ellen King is a partner at Lucosky Brookman LLP, where her practice focuses primarily on complex insurance coverage litigation, commercial litigation, business litigation, general civil litigation, and real estate litigation. King takes the reins as president of the Austin Bar on July 1, 2024. Austin Lawyer recently interviewed her about her plans for the upcoming bar year. AL: What are …
Remembering Lyndsey Vicknair
Austin Bar member Lyndsey Captain Vicknair passed away on June 15, 2024, during a shooting at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock. Vicknair was born on Dec. 31, 1990, to Bobby and Lena Captain. She was a beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter, and friend. She is survived by her husband of seven years, Kevin Vicknair, and their young children: …
Mental Health Concerns Among Military Veterans Highlight Need for Legal Assistance
Recent studies have underscored the pressing mental health concerns facing military veterans, revealing a strong correlation between psychological struggles and the need for legal assistance. Veterans are disproportionately affected by mental health issues such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety, often stemming from their service experiences. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reports that about 20 percent of veterans who …
Bending the Rules: Utah’s Experiment with Non-Lawyer Entities Providing Legal Services
At a January 2024 meeting of the Texas Access to Justice Commission, the commission voted against a recommendation to create a pilot program that would have allowed non-attorney ownership of entities licensed to provide limited legal services tolow-income Texans. The topic of nonlawyer ownership in legal entities has been a topic of growing interest in recent years. Currently, Texas Disciplinary …
District & County Court Update June 2024
Editor’s Note: A monthly update on jury trials in Travis County will be circulated in Bar Code and posted in the Austin Bar app. Lucy’s Kitchen #2 LLC v. Taylor Plaza, LLC Cause No.: D-1-GN-19-006920 Judge: Hon. Jessica Mangrum, 200th Civil District Court Trial Date(s): April 1 – 3, 2024 Attorneys: Plaintiff: Russell Frost, Law Office of Russell Frost, PLLC …
Texas Supreme Court Update June 2024
The following are summaries of selected opinions issued by the Texas Supreme Court in May 2024. These summaries are prepared by court staff as a courtesy and are not a substitute for the actual opinions. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. JURISDICTION – Timely service requirement is jurisdictional prerequisite for suits …
AYLA Hosts “Trust & Estate Law Basics” CLE
On Tuesday, April 9, 2024, AYLA held a CLE on “Trust & Estate Law Basics,” presented by Melissa Pina, VP, Trust & Estates Officer, Cadence Bank. The CLE provided attendees with an overview of considerations of which every attorney should have a basic understanding in serving clients. These included the importance of having a will; potential information needed when building …
Welcome to the New Austin Bar & AYLA Directors
New Austin Bar Directors New AYLA Directors
Congratulations to the Bench Bar Award Winners!
(L-R): Austin Bar President Justice Chari Kelly, Regina Rogoff Award winnerRaymond Winter, Larry F. York Mentoring Award winner Judge Jan Soifer,Professionalism Award winner V. Blayre Pena, and Joseph C. Parker, Jr. Diversity Award winner Manuel Escobar. (L-R): AYLA President Sarah Harp, Mentor Award winner Sam Denton, Outstanding Young Lawyer Award winner Nora Picasso Uvalle, and Austin Bar President Justice Chari …
State Bar Names Austin Lawyer Best Overall Newsletter
The Austin Bar Association is proud to announce that Austin Lawyer has been named the Best Overall Newsletter for Division III by the State Bar of Texas! Additionally, the “Decriminalizing Mental Health in Travis County” series was named Best Series of Articles – General Interest for Division III. This seven-part series was published between July 2023 and February 2024 and …