The Austin Bar Association is proud to recognize our 2024 Austin Bar 100 Club members! The following firms, government agencies, organizations/schools, and corporate legal departments have 100 percent membership in the Austin Bar. The Austin Bar 100 Club is a distinguished membership that reflects a commitment to the advancement of the legal profession and involvement in the community. The Austin …
Congratulations to Austin’s 50-Year Lawyers
Linda Lee Aaker Adrian G. Acevedo William R. Allensworth James M. Alsup David B. Armbrust Charles C. Bailey Norma Gonzales Baker John Thomas Barrett, Jr. Roger A. Bartlett Jack Elliott Beck Mark E. Bentley Patricia Finn Braddock Jefferson K. Brim, III Rhonda Hoehn Brink W. Stephen Brittain Barry J. Brooks Barry Broughton Myron D. Brown Thomas L. Butler John Walter …
2024 Austin Bar Foundation Grants Total $27,500
The Austin Bar Foundation is proud to annouce this year’s grant recipients! A total of $27,500 in grants were awarded to seven community organizations that provide community service. These grants are made possible by your generous contributions at the Austin Bar Foundation’s annual Gala. The 2024 Gala raised more than $234,000. Austin Community Radio Inc. “Jury Duty Community Forum” Amount …
In Memoriam: Pete Winstead
Founding shareholder of Winstead P.C. Pete Winstead died on Aug. 7, 2024, at the age of 84. Winstead received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his J.D. from The University of Texas. As a young lawyer working for the Department of Justice Tax Division in Washington D.C., he was sent to Selma, Ala., to monitor the civil rights march, …
Judges Kocurek & Hecht Endorse Judicial Safety Bill
Austin Bar member Judge Julie Kocurek participated in a panel discussion at the University of North Texas–Dallas to endorse a bill by U.S. Senator John Cornyn to improve judicial safety. Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht; Judge Kocurek’s son, Will; and Sen. Cornyn himself also participated in the panel discussion, along with other Texas judges, who discussed threats aimed …
TCWLA Scholarship Fund Announces 2024 Winners
The winners of this year’s Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association (TCWLA) Scholarship Fund program were announced at a Hilgers House event. In addition to the TCWLA Scholarship Fund’s annual Ann Forman and Mary Cooper scholarships, two new scholarships, named in honor of Judges Orlinda Naranjo and Lora Livingston, were also awarded. The Lora Livingston Scholarship is awarded to a woman …
Austin Bar Member Jason Snell Prevails Before Texas Supreme Court
Jason Snell and the Snell Law Firm obtained a final judgment from the Texas Supreme Court in favor of their client, who was awarded more than $16 million under the Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act. Justice Boyd delivered the opinion of the Court, joined by Justices Hecht, Devine, Busby, Bland, and Huddle. Justice Young filed a dissenting opinion, which Justice …
Deadline for Public Comments on New Bar Exam: Sept. 30, 2024
The Texas Supreme Court issued an order1 on June 25, 2024, seeking public comment on the adoption of a new examination for individuals seeking admission to the Texas Bar. The Texas Board of Law Examiners (BLE) has recommended the adoption of the NextGen Bar Examination, which would replace Texas’ current bar exam, the Universal Bar Exam (UBE). Like the UBE, …
Chief Justice Hecht to Senate Judiciary Committee: Make Legal Aid Funding a Priority for Society
In testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on July 9, 2024, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht laid out his ideas to make the civil justice system accessible for all Americans.1 Current methods for increasing access to justice fall into two categories: pro bono publico and legal aid services. But even with Texas’ 114,000 lawyers providing …
Ohio Casualty v. Patterson
The Texas Supreme Court recently granted review of an insurance dispute that could have far reaching, broadening impacts on the current state of the law in Texas as it relates to the duty to defend. The ruling from the trial court and the Court of Appeals blurred the distinction between defense and indemnity, as well as the distinction between expenses …