For many lawyers, the formative experiences of the first years of practice teach a lot that law school cannot. Also key are the in-person connections made in law school—the start of professional networking. But for many young Austin-area lawyers, those first steps were either cut short or taken away altogether by COVID-19 and its fallout.
Enter “Freshquires.” Born out of the leadership goals of Austin Bar and AYLA past presidents, and generously funded by a grant from TYLA, “Freshquires” provides community for Austin-area lawyers in their first three years of practice. The program holds monthly, attendance-capped events for newer lawyers to learn the essentials of litigation and transactional practice, often for CLE credit, and to build their networks of peers and mentors.
In September, the “Freshquires” program will be accepting a fresh crop of newly licensed or soon-to-be licensed attorneys, and will help the older Freshquires transition to new volunteer and leadership roles in AYLA. In the past three months, “Freshquires” offered the following events:
May: Mediation Roundtables
“Freshquires” celebrated Mediator May by hosting two events—one for family-law practitioners and the other for general civil practitioners. The Freshquires got one-on-one time with local mediators Amy Lambert, Charlie Bowes, Micah Royer, Hon. Patrick Keel, Mark Hawkins, and Debbie Clark, all of whom gave tips about the settlement process. They explained what makes mediations successful in differing practice areas and case contexts. Andrae Law PLLC graciously sponsored the events.
June: Pretrial & Trial Strategies from a Staff Attorney’s Perspective
The Travis County judiciary hosted the Freshquires in June, when civil-court staff attorneys Lea Downey Gallatin and Elliot Beck discussed how young lawyers can best advocate for clients and advance their cases in the Travis County court system. They also explained how best to interact with and use the help offered by court staff. Amini & Conant graciously sponsored lunch for all attendees.
July: Contract Drafting Happy Hour
July’s event heard Jared Greathouse and Buck McKinney (both of the Amini & Conant firm) discuss the basics of contract drafting. Greathouse and McKinney shared some of the keys to selecting and negotiating language for common contract clauses, and they explained principles of successful client representation and dealing with counterparties. Cain & Skarnulis PLLC graciously provided sponsorship funding, and Amini & Conant hosted a happy hour for all attendees.
If you would like to sponsor a “Freshquires” event or share your expertise with younger lawyers, please contact freshquires@gmail.com.
Freshquires at the Contract Drafting CLE held at the Amini & Conant Law Firm in July. Jared Greathouse and Buck McKinney (head of the table, L-R), both of Amini & Conant, spoke to the group.