During the COVID-19 pandemic, a county jail outside of Amarillo sent a letter soliciting help. As a result of the new pandemic regulations, the entire prison library had been shut down, and the inmates no longer had access to books—one of their few solaces. So the Amarillo County jail contacted a nonprofit organization started by Austin activists, the Inside Books …
Nominations for AYLA Board Positions Now Open
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 …
AYLA Teams Up with YMCA to Serve Parents and Children
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 …
AYLA Guest Column – Revolutionizing Child Protection: The Birth of a Beacon for Change
In the early 1990s, the realm of child protection was a disjointed labyrinth of communication that left both children and the community vulnerable to the horrors of child abuse. The system comprised a convoluted web of agencies, marked by a lack of comprehensive training and woeful communication. This patchwork approach posed a dire threat to the safety of children within …
AYLA Wins Four ABA Awards of Achievement
The Austin Young Lawyers Association won four 2023 American Bar Association (ABA) awards – the most of any organization this year. AYLA won Most Outstanding Single Project – Service to the Bar for the 2022 Family Fall Festival. For Texas District 25, AYLA also won Service to the Public – Local Level – Division C for the 2022 Crawfish Boil …
Floyd Real Estate Wins AYLA Sponsor Award
Floyd Real Estate, LLC has been awarded AYLA’s 2023 Sponsor Award! Floyd Real Estate is owned by AYLA sustaining members Dave Floyd and Sara Foskitt. In addition to being attorneys, they are both also real estate brokers. Floyd and Foskitt have both served on many different AYLA committees, taken part in the inaugural class of the AYLA/Austin Bar Leadership Academy, …
Applications Are Open for the 2024 AYLA/Austin Bar Leadership Academy!
The AYLA/Austin Bar Leadership Academy assists Austin-area lawyers in making a difference in our community and in service to the Bar. A class of lawyers from the Austin Bar and AYLA will be selected from applications submitted by lawyers of all areas of practice, firm size, and levels of experience. The Leadership Academy will begin with a retreat on Jan. …
Law-Related Education Committee Program Seeks Volunteers
The Austin Bar/AYLA Law-Related Education Committee invites you to volunteer your time and voice to make a difference with middle-school students! In partnership with Austin-area middle-school districts, the committee is seeking judges and attorneys to present one-hour lessons based on the book series Taming Texas. The lessons teach seventh-grade students how the state’s court system fits into the larger picture …
24th Annual AYLA Evening with the Judiciary
The Austin Young Lawyers Association held its 24th annual Evening with the Judiciary at the Austin Club on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. Each year, this reception provides AYLA members with an opportunity to share an evening of great food and even better conversation with local, state, and federal judges. AYLA members who took advantage of this opportunity were treated to …
AYLA GUEST COLUMN: First-Time Homebuying 101
BY BONNIE NEEL, CANOPY MORTGAGE LLC Bonnie Neel is a licensed Residential Mortgage Loan Officer in California, Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas. NMLS# 1613742. I tell all my first-time homebuyers that a mortgage is essentially made up of four categories. If you play video games, it’s helpful to think of these categories as your player stats: How you …