Congratulations to Ali Andrews, who has joined as senior counsel in Jackson Walker’s Austin tax practice. Andrews was previously chief of the Tax Litigation Division of the Office of the Texas Attorney General. Andrews’ practice focuses on state and local tax disputes, state tax audits, unemployment taxes, equal taxation, multi-state tax planning, as well as litigation regarding tax liabilities, unemployment

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

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

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

At the Oct. 5 annual conference of the National Association of Women Judges, 299th District Court Judge and Austin Bar member Karen Sage was sworn in as president. Sage was sworn in by retired Third Court of Appeals Justice Bea Ann Smith. According to the NAWJ announcement, Sage is the first Texan president of the organization in 20 years. NAWJ’s

Judge Elisabeth Earle, who presides over Travis County Court at Law #7, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the Texas Bar Foundation. Earle has served as presiding judge since January 2003. Earle also founded the county’s DWI Court in 2008 and continues to also serve as its presiding judge. The court’s mission is to enhance public safety

Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas (VLS) has announced the winners of its 2023 pro bono awards. The Susan P. Burton Award is given annually to a volunteer attorney who has been licensed for five years or less and who has demonstrated exemplary pro bono service. The winner of the 2023 Susan P. Burton Award is Kara L. O’Shaughnessy with

The Austin Bar is happy to introduce our new intern, Jillian Garza! Garza is currently an undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Austin and is on track to graduate in 2025. She is attending UT on a full scholarship and is pursuing a B.S. in political communication with a minor in communication and social change. Garza says she

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.

Former Austin Bar and State Bar of Texas President Richard Pena has been named one of the most influential Hispanics in law by the American Bar Association (ABA). In celebration of Hispanic/Latino/a/x Heritage Month in September, the ABA Center for Diversity and Inclusion released a list honoring 21 Hispanic activists and trailblazers in the legal profession across the nation. Included