A Word from Your President-Elect, Amanda Taylor
It is officially summertime in Texas, and Austin is a great place to enjoy it! This time of year, I relish the opportunity to spend more time more time outdoors, whether it be on one of Austin’s many great patio decks, tubing down the Guadalupe River, walking around Lady Bird Lake, playing with my dog Wrigley, or listening to live music at an outdoor venue. Summer is also the season when our hectic schedules (hopefully!) slow down a bit, allowing us to enjoy more of these activities with friends and family. In that vein, summer also marks the end of our TCWLA year, and gives our new Board time to gear up for the start of our activities again next September.
I am very honored to be your Board President for the up- coming TCWLA year! I hope that you will attend our June 16 meeting to officially vote on the slate of Board members for next year, and to discuss any ideas or feedback that you have about our organization. We have already started working on some ideas for next year, and all of your input will be appreciated. For starters, we will be re-vamping our website over the summer, and we look forward to providing you a more informative and user- friendly site in the Fall. We are also making plans to host at least one half-day CLE next year, in addition to continuing our monthly CLE and net- working lunches. Additionally, we are collecting ideas for an evening event, giving our members a chance to catch-up, share a glass of wine, and hear an interesting presentation.
In past years, Board Presidents have selected a theme for the upcoming year. My theme is, “Let’s Connect!” In our profession, it is easy to become so busy that we don’t devote adequate time to maintaining existing connections and establishing new ones. Even in our electronic world of instant communication, we can fall into this rut. However, the fellowship and support that comes from having a broad network of friends and fellow attorneys is an invaluable re- source to all of us, and despite our busy schedules, we should commit time to developing it! For me, TCWLA has provided an amazing vehicle of both connecting to people that I otherwise would not have met and of staying in touch with friends who I regularly see at TCWLA functions. Often times, one of these leads to the other! I sincerely hope that, during our 2010-2011 TCWLA Year, you will join me in making and keeping lasting connections amongst our fabulous group of members! Better yet, if you have friends and co-workers who are not already TCWLA members, bring them with you to one of our upcoming events, and extend our circle of connections out even further!
If I can ever be of any service to you, please just reach out and connect with me! I am available at (512) 472-5997 or amandat@hts-law.com. If I have not already, I look for- ward to meeting you in the upcoming year!
Warmest regards,
Amanda Taylor
2010-2011 Board President
TCWLA Awards Luncheon Honors Those who Give So Much
TCWLA’s Annual Awards Luncheon was a huge success on May 13. We filled the halls of the down- town Hilton and raised $5,000.00 more than in years past. The moneys raised go directly to benefit the recipients of future TCWLA’s grants, awards, and scholar- ships. Mary Gordon Spence of KUT-fame emceed the lunch and entertained the masses with her special brand of home- spun humor. The awards presentation gave us all the opportunity to meet and to honor those who dedicate their professional lives to improv- ing the lives of others both in the nonprofit world and as an integral part of the practice of law.
The outstanding pro- grams that received grants this year were:
Advocacy, Inc, Austin Children’s
Shelter, American Gateways, Capital Area AIDS Project, Center
for Child
Protection,
Texas Civil
Rights
Project,
Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid,
SAHELI ,
Volunteer Legal Services.
2010 Award winners included:
Public Interest— Andrea March Contribution to Minority Community— Kate Lincoln- Goldfinch Government Service—
Rosemary Lehmberg Pro Bono—Mary Evelyn McNamara Litigation—
Julie Springer Transactional— Laurie Pompa Criminal Justice— Judge Nancy Hohen-
Linda Phan accepts the grant for SAHELI
garten
Outstanding Achieve- ment—Martha Dickie Outstanding Firm— TSTA
President’s Award— Tracy Kasparek
2010 Ferris-Cisneros Scholarship Recipient was:
Adriana Rodriguez.
The awards are possible because of the financial and in-kind giving by our generous sponsors.
Summer Break
TCWLA is taking a summer break after our June meeting. The Board will continue to work to on improving our website and getting Fall activities coordinated, but there will be no newsletters or meetings until September. You can expect new board members, CLE topics and exciting events to come. Please continue to email us with questions over the Summer at tcwlaorg@.gmail.com. In the meantime, stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, and enjoy the Summer sun. We look forward to returning to you refreshed in the Fall.
Austin Lawyers Support Group
A monthly education and support group for lawyers, judges and law students seeking help or support while healing from depression, addiction, job stress, anxiety and other mental health issues.
Sharyn Reynolds, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic and Weavings Wellness Group in Austin will be discussing the benefits of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction to improve health and well being in the midst of a chaotic world.
Meetings are Confidential And held monthly on the last Thursday of each month For more information call TLAP at 800-343-8527
Austin Bar Association
816 Congress Ave.
3rd Floor, Longhorn Room
Exit elevator bank, turn right, double glass doors on left
Free parking (under the building, enter on 9th)
Changes to MCLE Regulations and Accreditation Standards
Changes to the MCLE Regulations and Accreditation Standards for CLE Activities, which become effective June 2010 and June 2011, affect how attorneys will meet MCLE requirements.
Currently, every active member of the State Bar must complete a minimum of 15 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) during each MCLE compliance year. Of the minimum 15 hours, at least 10 of the hours must be earned by attending “Participatory” CLE activities that have been MCLE accredited. Five of the hours can be completed in the form of self-study activities that would include reading, viewing audio/videos, or attending non-accredited educational activities.
Beginning June 1, 2010, the definition of “participatory” will no longer be the focus of, or a requirement for Accreditation of CLE activities. Instead the focus of “Accredited CLE” will be on content of a CLE activity, and not on delivery method. CLE sponsors will be able to receive accreditation for downloadable CLE activities, such as podcasts and other non- interactive audio/video programs and members of the State Bar will have a variety of new options for compliance with MCLE requirements.
Members of the State Bar will still be required to complete 15 hours of CLE each year, but beginning June 1, 2011, a minimum of 12 of the 15 hours must be completed through attendance at “Accredited CLE” activities in order to be in compliance with MCLE requirements. Accredited CLE will include accredited teleconferences, webcasts, satellite, on- demand/online CLE (streaming audio/video presentations) and accredited downloadable CLE activities that have been recorded from live seminars. The remaining 3 hours of CLE may be completed through self-study.
For more information, go to the State Bar website:
http://www.texasbar.com/Template.cfm?Section=Minimum_Continuing_Legal_Ed
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