Featured image for “HBAA Endows St. Edward’s University Scholarship Fund”
Feb. 09, 2024

HBAA Endows St. Edward’s University Scholarship Fund

The Hispanic Bar Association of Austin (HBAA) gave a $50,000 grant to St. Edward’s University to establish the HBAA Endowed Scholarship. The endowment will provide financial support to junior or senior students in the Pre-Law Advising Program. Students will need to demonstrate need for financial assistance, and preference is given to those who are the first in their families to
Featured image for “22nd Annual Austin Adoption Day Sees 10 Families Grow”
Feb. 09, 2024

22nd Annual Austin Adoption Day Sees 10 Families Grow

The Austin Bar co-sponsored the 22nd annual Austin Adoption Day on Nov. 9, 2023, where 10 families welcomed the children they adopted as official members of the family. Austin Adoption Day took place at the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility on Nov. 9. The cases were heard by the following judges: Justice Chari L. Kelly of the Third
Featured image for “The Denise Hyde Scholarship Fund Needs You!”
Feb. 09, 2024

The Denise Hyde Scholarship Fund Needs You!

Austin attorney Denise Hyde initiated the Adoption Day Committee for the Austin Bar Association and has been the chair of the committee since it began. While Adoption Day is a wonderful celebration for children who get adopted, the reality is that some children in the foster care system never reunite with their families or find new families, and instead “age
Featured image for “A Message from VLS’s New President: Step Into Your Discomfort”
Feb. 09, 2024

A Message from VLS’s New President: Step Into Your Discomfort

I first stepped foot into a Volunteer Legal Services (VLS) clinic more than a decade ago. I remember the long line of folks waiting outside in the summer heat at Webb Middle School and the handful of volunteers in the school cafeteria waiting to answer their questions. The task seemed impossible. There were so many people who needed help and
Featured image for “Decriminalizing Mental Health in Travis County: Part 6”
Feb. 09, 2024

Decriminalizing Mental Health in Travis County: Part 6

This is the sixth in a series of articles about the Travis County Forensic Mental Health Project. The Travis County Forensic Mental Health Project delivered its recommendations to the Travis County Commissioners in March 2023.1 The goal of these recommendations is to provide solutions other than jail to address mental health and substance abuse disorders in the county. Recommendation #5
Featured image for “Veterans Legal Assistance Program (VLAP) Welcomes Attorney Volunteers in Any Practice Area”
Feb. 09, 2024

Veterans Legal Assistance Program (VLAP) Welcomes Attorney Volunteers in Any Practice Area

The Veterans Legal Assistance Program (VLAP) would like to thank Austin Bar member Dominic Castillo, an associate at Husch Blackwell, for his work at the Dec. 11, 2023 free legal advice clinic. Castillo’s practice at Husch Blackwell focuses on healthcare regulatory compliance. His clients include individual healthcare practitioners and large national hospital systems.  But attorneys of any practice  area are
Featured image for “Responsible Data Handling in the Age of AI”
Feb. 09, 2024

Responsible Data Handling in the Age of AI

by Michael Wolman, UT Communications To mark Data Privacy Week in January, two experts on the subject from The University of Texas’s ethical AI research team Good Systems were interviewed: Sharon Strover, former chair of the Good Systems Executive Team and professor in UT’s School of Journalism and Media, and Amy Kristin Sanders, associate professor in both the School Journalism and