The following is a summary of a selected criminal opinion issued by the Third Court of Appeals from May 2023. The summary is an overview; please review the entire opinion. The subsequent history is current as of Oct. 1, 2023. PUNISHMENT ENHANCEMENTS – OUT-OF-STATE CONVICTIONS: Enhancement of defendant’s sentence using out-of-state conviction was legal. Smith v. State, No. 03-21-00368-CR (Tex. App.—Austin May

Inspiring dismay in litigators nationwide, in the now-infamous case of Mata v. Avianca, two New York lawyers submitted “non-existent judicial opinions with fake quotes and citations created by the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT” to the federal district court and continued to “to stand by the fake opinions after judicial orders called their existence into question.”1 The public release of ChatGPT

This is the fourth in a series of eight 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. The goal of these recommendations is to provide solutions other than jail to address mental health and substance abuse disorders in the county. Recommendation

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

In the complex labor and employment law world, the importance of workplace investigations cannot be overstated. Understanding why workplace investigations matter is fundamental for attorneys specializing in this field. These investigations have legal implications and impact the financial well-being of both employers and employees. Title VII and Financial Implications First and foremost, workplace investigations are pivotal because of Title VII