One of my proudest professional accomplishments is being board-certified in criminal law. There are many types of board certifications and professional recognitions for trial work, but three of the most popular in Texas are the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS), the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA), and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).  While each has different

Congratulations to David Armbrust for his inclusion in Austin Business Journal’s inaugural Power Players list, which recognizes individuals who have notable influence in their industry. Armbrust is the founding partner of Armbrust & Brown and practices administrative, environmental, land use, and real estate law. Congratulations to Kelly Caperton Fischer on her promotion to partner in Goranson Bain Ausley’s Austin office.

Texas law historically has not specifically prohibited discrimination on the basis of hairstyle and texture, despite regular public outcries against such discrimination in practice. Civil rights practitioners, finding Texas law unhelpful, would regularly look to federal anti-discrimination laws to try to remedy instances of hairstyle and texture discrimination. Unfortunately, without a strong state prohibition, this kind of discrimination appeared to

AYLA hosted its Holiday Program in partnership with the YMCA on Dec. 3, 2023. AYLA was able to provide for 96 families and more than 200 children!  AYLA’s Holiday Program is an annual event for underprivileged families in the Austin community. AYLA collects donations of toys, gifts, and funds for the event, which offers parents an opportunity to “shop” for

Are you interested in running for a position on AYLA’s 2024-25 board of directors? If so, now is the time to apply! Nomination forms are now available on AYLA’s website, and may be submitted through March 1, 2024.  Serving as a director on the AYLA board is a great way to gain leadership experience, shape the local legal community, and

The following are summaries of opinions issued by the Fifth Circuit in October 2023. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. FIRST AMENDMENT: All State Bar speech supported by mandatory dues must be directly related to regulating the legal profession or improving the quality of legal services. Boudreaux v. La. State Bar

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals during November and December 2023. The summaries are overviews; please review the entire opinions. Subsequent histories are current as of Jan. 9, 2024.  FAMILY LAW: Court reverses modification order entered without evidence.  Abila v. Miller, No. 03-22-00452-CV(Tex. App.—Austin Dec. 21, 2023, no pet. h.).  In

The following are summaries of selected criminal opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals from July 2023. The summaries are overviews; please review the entire opinions. Subsequent histories are current as of Jan. 3, 2024. JURISDICTION—APPEALABLE ORDERS BY THE STATE: Appellate court lacked jurisdiction to review trial court order granting in part defendant’s motion in limine.  State v. Nassour,

On Jan. 1, 2024, the Travis County Commissioners’ Court’s new schedule of fees to be charged for services rendered by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and Travis County constables in 2024 went into effect. See Texas Local Gov’t Code  §§ 118.131. The 2024 fees are as follows: Service of Process:   • Citation (County and District Court): $85 • Citation

The National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP)has selected Richard Pena as the winner of its 2024 Fellows Award. This marks the first time a former Austin Bar president has won this distinguished award, and only the second time a bar president from Texas has won. (James Sales of the Houston Bar Association, who subsequently served as State Bar of Texas