Civility and Professionalism: The Eras Tour

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 …

Third Court of Appeals Criminal Update

The following are summaries of selected criminal opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals from August 2023. The summaries are overviews; please review the entire opinions. Subsequent histories are current as of March 1, 2024. DEFENSIVE INSTRUCTIONS – CONSENT: Trial court did not err in failing to include additional factual detail in defensive instructions.  Poncio v. State, No. 03-22-00292-CR …

Third Court of Appeals Civil Update April 2024

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals during February 2024. The summaries are overviews; please review the entire opinions. Subsequent histories are current as of March 11, 2024. ATTORNEY’S FEES: Court reverses order denying attorney’s fees.  Abira Med. Laboratories, LLV v. OMH-Healthedge Holdings, Inc., No. 03-22-00176-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Feb. 13, 2024, no …

Federal Civil Update April 2024

The following are summaries of opinions issued by the Fifth Circuit in February 2024. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS: Contractual limitations provision barred federal employment discrimination claim. Harris v. FedEx Corp. Servs., Inc., 92 F.4th 286 (5th Cir. 2024). FedEx hired Harris as an account executive in …

2024-25 AYLA Board Candidates Announced

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 …

The Arduous Case of Myra Clark Gaines

With spring on the horizon, you may be anxious to finally close out that case that has been following you around for years and to do a deep clean of your inbox to regain some storage space.  For Myra Clark Gaines, it took decades before her attorneys could consider her dispute a thing of the past. In fact, she was …

TLAP Stories of Recovery: Be Compassionate

Reprinted with permission from the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program (TLAP), this article was written by an anonymous author. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges struggling with substance use or mental health issues. Call or text TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) or find more information at tlaphelps.org. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder when I was six …

Briefs April 2024

Congratulations to Jackson Walker’s Austin office, which had several attorneys included in the latest edition of Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers annual Top Women Attorneys publication: Partner Marilyn M. Brown. Brown’s practice focuses on the defense in civil litigation. Associate Alyca Riley Garrison. Garrison’s practice focuses on employee benefits. Partner Meghan Griffiths. Griffiths’ practice focuses on administrative law. Partner Amanda Neinast. …

Don’t Miss Bench Bar 2024!

Registration is now live for Bench Bar 2024 May 17, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. at Kalahari Resorts, 3001 Kalahari Blvd. Round Rock, TX 78665. The conference has been approved for 5 CLE hours and 1.25 ethics hours. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Go online to register at austinbar.org, where you can register as either an attendee with a sponsorship option …