The Supreme Court of Texas convened Feb. 19, 2025, and heard oral arguments from two Austin Bar members. Austin Bar Member Catherine Robb, Haynes and Boone, for Respondent Paxton v. Am. Oversight Administrative Law – Public Information Act At issue is whether trial courts have jurisdiction to issue writs of mandamus against the Governor and Attorney General to compel information under the …
Third Court of Appeals Criminal Update April 2025
The following is a summary of selected criminal opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals from October 2024. The summary is an overview; please review the entire opinions. The subsequent history is current as of March 7, 2024. JURY SELECTION – LIMITATIONS ON QUESTIONING: Trial court did not abuse its discretio… To view the rest of this article, please …
Third Court of Appeals Civil Update April 2025
The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals during February 2025. The summaries are an overview; please review the entire opinion. Subsequent histories are current as of March 7, 2025. ATTORNEY’S FEES: Court reduces fee awarded in contingent-fee lawsuit. CCR Ro… To view the rest of this article, please log into your account …
Federal Civil Update April 2025
The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Fifth Circuit in February 2025. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. Editor’s Note: This is Jason LaFond’s final Federal Civil Update for Austin Lawyer. We sincerely appreciate his… To view the rest of this article, please log into your account …
Growing Up with Alcoholism
Hi, I’m Mary Evelyn, and I’m an adult child of an alcoholic. Recently, I was reading about Brooke Shields, with whom I thought I only had one thing in common—that we grew up in the same era. It turns out another commonality is that we grew up with alcoholism. When Brooke Shields was asked in an interview if she would …
The Austin Bar Association Endorses American Bar Association & International Academy of Trial Lawyers Statements on Rule of Law
AUSTIN, TX (April 1, 2025) – The Austin Bar Association reaffirms its nonpartisan commitment to the independence of the state and federal judiciary, as well as the rule of law as a fundamental pillar of our legal system. Attempts to discredit the rule of law erode our democracy. The Texas Lawyer’s Creed reminds us that, as lawyers, we are entrusted …
AYLA Board of Directors 2025-26 Slate of Candidates
The following candidates are running for the AYLA officers and directors positions. The new board will take office on July 1, 2025, along with Jenna Malsbary, who will serve as AYLA’s president. Malsbary has been on AYLA’s board since 2019, and has served as secretary, treasurer, and president-elect. Voting begins April 11 and concludes on May 1 at 4 p.m. …
Announcing the 2025-26 Austin Bar Board Slate of Nominees
The Austin Bar’s Nominating Committee has released its slate of nominees for the 2025-26 board of directors. Voting begins April 11 and concludes on May 1 at 4 p.m. Per the bylaws, any qualified member not receiving the nomination of the committee may be included on the ballot by submitting a written petition signed by 75 members by Thursday, April …
22nd Annual Austin Bar Foundation Gala Raises More Than $200,000
More than 500 guests attended the “Secret Garden”-themed Austin Bar Foundation Gala on Jan. 25, 2025, at the Four Seasons in downtown Austin. Members of the legal community arrived in their black-tie best. Austin Bar President Mary-Ellen King hired flower-covered stilt walkers, who posed with guests to take pictures. Attendees enjoyed an elegant pre-event cocktail hour while perusing the auction …
Texas Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers; A Resource for All of Us
The practice of law is a stressful profession. Lawyers face intense pressure with long hours, demanding clients, high-stakes and high-conflict deals or cases, and high professional and societal standards. As a result, the legal profession faces high rates of depression, substance use, and behavioral addictions. Chronic stress can also strain the body to the point of causing life-threatening diseases, and …