What Was She Thinking?

Perhaps some of you in the San Antonio legal community haven't yet heard about the local attorney busted for marijuana possession as she tried to enter the Bexar County Courthouse. The punchline to this story: She claims she was holding it for a client. (Note that the E-N article calls her a defense attorney, but her State Bar web page lists her primary practice areas as labor law and construction.)

High-profile defense attorney Regina Criswell was arrested Thursday after courthouse officials reported finding a bag of marijuana and a chrome pipe in her purse. Her defense, according to the Sheriff's Office: The items belong to a client.

Criswell, 50, told a security guard that she knew the marijuana and paraphernalia were in her purse and that she was holding it for a client, said Deputy Ino Badillo, a spokesman for the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. Badillo said the items were discovered at a screening station at an entrance of the courthouse.

Walking through a security checkpoint with pot on you isn't too smart, no matter what your profession. But for a lawyer to hold contraband for a client is even more foolish. Local blog Strange in San Antonio also notes the "lack of good judgment, at the very least," while Man O' Law just calls this stunt "pretty stupid."

Criswell, by the way, is the attorney who recently won $175,000 for a UTSA professor whose research notes got trashed when they cleaned out his lab, but the federal judge tossed that verdict. She plans to appeal the judge's decision to overturn that award.

And yes, she's a St. Mary's grad.

Don't Forget

Another San Antonio Young Lawyers Association luncheon coming up this Tuesday at Paesano's at Lincoln Heights (near the Alamo Quarry Market).

This month's CLE speaker is James Ehler of the State Bar of Texas Chief Disciplinary Counsel . He will discuss How to Avoid a Grievance and What to Do When You Get One.

Sponsoring the SAYLA Scramble

If you want to be a sponsor for the 2009 Scramble & Summer Barbecue, presented by the San Antonio Young Lawyers Association, you better act soon. While the golf tournament isn't until June 12, the sponsorship deadline is fast approaching. The event is a fundraiser for the San Antonio Young Lawyers Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas.

The tournament includes 18 holes of golf at the Silverhorn Golf Club, use of a cart, balls, a chance at prizes, and a barbecue dinner, and costs $100 per golfer. Sponsorship packages include the event title, golf balls, holes, and tee boxes or greens. Organizers note that the entry and sponsorship fees are 20 percent less than last year.

In order for sponsors to get listed in the June issue of the Subpoena newsletter, they must submit their registration and payments by May 20.

Judge Lamberth Says Judicial Nomination System Is Broken

S.A. native Royce C. Lamberth, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, , who spoke to the San Antonio Bar Association in February, returned to the Alamo City this weekend (he and his wife have family here).

The judge spoke at the Bar Association's Law Day luncheon (my thanks again to Burns & Black P.L.L.C. for sponsoring the table where I sat; one of the attorneys there gave James A. Rodriguez some tickets, and he brought me and another classmate).

With the impending retirement of Supreme Court Justice David Souter on lawyers' minds, Judge Lamberth spoke about how the judicial nomination process is broken:

• He said he was disgusted by how some politicians criticized nominees for the U.S. Attorney General's office positions because of clients they had represented.
• The judge noted that his confirmation in 1987 took six months; today there are some judicial nominees who have been waiting two or four years.
• He said these partisan attacks come from both sides of the aisle, and each side needs to acknowledge that the other side has a point about the partisanship.
• The judge said that the appointment of the most qualified candidates should be the goal of all Americans.
• He added that this country needs the best and brightest; judge who will set aside their personal views and apply the law and the Constitution.
• The judge said he's very impressed by President Obama's first three judicial nominations (to the Second, Fourth, and Seventh circuits).
• He acknowledged the tradition of senatorial courtesy in signing off on the president's judicial nominations, but said that tradition is not absolute.
• Judge Lamberth said that during the nomination hearings, special interest groups feed questions to their senators and attend the hearings to make sure the senators stick to the script.
• He noted that the federal judiciary now has more than sixty vacancies--and twenty-two of them are considered judicial emergencies because of the excessive workload placed on their fellow judges.
• He also mentioned one person unsuccessfully nominated to a judgeship during the Bush administration who asked the President not to resubmit her nomination because the process was so demeaning.

All in all, it was an interesting speech, and I hope Judge Lamberth comes back to town soon for another talk.

May Subpoena is Out

You can read the May issue of the Subpoena, the official newsletter of the San Antonio Bar Association, online. Back issues are available here.

The Hour Approaches ...

Candidates who sat for the February Texas Bar exam are bound to be getting a little antsy right now. Although the Texas Board of Law Examiners says it will release the results on Friday, they usually post the names of those who passed the Bar sometime in the afternoon of the day before the scheduled release. That means that all day long, bar takers will be glued to their computers, hitting the web browser's REFRESH button as they stare at the entry page of the BLE website, watching the hit counter increase as they wait for the pass list to show up.

That's what I and my classmates did last November, all morning that Thursday before the results were posted that afternoon. Everyone was updating their Facebook status as the seconds slowed to a crawl.

I was still working in my old law clerk position in the legal department of a local nonprofit corporation. Unfortunately for me, I had a CLE to attend that afternoon--the local chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel's Ethics Follies--and I expressed my frustration over being out of the loop on Facebook. My friend Ralph Perez sent me a text message, promising to notify me once the results came out. I also asked one of the lawyers with us for the event if I could borrow her iPhone later on (no Internet on the cell phone I had) so I could check the results when they came out.

As I sat in the shadowed balcony of the Empire Theater watching the show, I kept glancing at my phone, but it remained dark. Finally, at 2:43:41 p.m., my phone buzzed with a text message ...

It was from Ralph. It was three words: "You passed buddy!!!"

I clenched my fist in triumph and silently mouthed "Yes!" Then I quietly asked the lawyer for her phone--I didn't want to say anything about this to anyone until I confirmed it for myself. So I called up the BLE website, found the results list for the July 2008 exam, and clicked on the H section. Sure enough, my name was on it!

I quietly told my coworkers--my fellow attorneys--that I passed. I then checked the list for my friends' names, as the congratulatory checks flowed in and out of my phone. At the next break, I called my parents and my girlfriend. I have to confess, the rest of the program kind of washed over me as I basked in the relief of not having to endure the bar exam again.

Later that evening, as my friends and I compared notes and realized that there were several friends whom we didn't see on the list, I felt bad for those who didn't pass. Many of those who weren't on the list took the bar for the second time in February. I also know folks taking the bar for the first time. Either way, I hope they all see their names on that list tomorrow afternoon.

April SAYLA Luncheon

It's that time again: This month's San Antonio Young Lawyers Association luncheon will take place Tuesday at the usual venue, Paesano's at Lincoln Heights (near the Alamo Quarry Market).

In addition to the meal, attendees receive a 0.75-hour CLE on the False Claims Act, with Dan Hargrove speaking on this subject.

April Subpoena is Up

The April 2009 issue of the Subpoena, the official newsletter of the San Antonio Bar Association, has been posted online. Back issues of the Subpoena can be found here.

Peacemaker Awards

I attended the Peacemakers Awards Gala on Friday, thanks to San Antonio attorney Michael Black of Burns & Black P.L.L.C.. His firm paid for a table at the event and one of the attorneys there gave my co-blogger James Rodriguez some tickets to the awards banquet, and I tagged along. We shared the table with attorney Ted Lee of the intellectual property firm Gun & Lee P.C., along with some members of the St. Mary's School of Law Student Bar Foundation.

The event, of course, benefits the San Antonio Bar Foundation, and this 2009 its 25th year of existence. The point of the evening (other than eating, drinking, and socializing) was to announce the 2009 Flight of Peace Peacemaker Awards:

• Peacemaker Award: San Antonio Food Bank
  
• Carolyn Thurmond Community Service Award: Thomas J. Smith
  
• Business Community Service Award: Richard H. "Rick" Cavender
  
• Outstanding School Peer Mediation Program Award: Encino Park Elementary School

There were several judges in attendance, and I saw a bunch of people I knew from the San Antonio Young Lawyers Association, the Bexar County Women's Bar Association, , a few classmates I graduated with and some of my professors, along with some other local lawyers , including Nancy Shivers of Shivers & Shivers and mediator Dan Naranjo. All in all, it was a fun evening.

Statesman Article on George Trip

The Austin American-Statesman interviewed St. Mary's law school Assistant Professor Cheryl George and her 10-year-old son Gabriel about their trip to Washington, D.C. to promote awareness of sickle cell disease. From the Statesman article:

Last week, Gabriel, his mother and sickle cell advocates visited President Barack Obama in the Oval Office to discuss the disease.

"He was very nice and he was funny," Gabriel said of Obama. "He joked about things. He gave me a postcard and he signed it."

Professor George Goes to Washington

St. Mary's law school Assistant Professor Cheryl George and her son Gabriel recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to spread awareness about sickle cell disease--and they met the President of the United States while they were in town.

Prof. George emails that not only did they visit the offices of U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston, Rep. Barbara Lee of California, and members of Congress from Illinois and from the Virgin Islands:

But we met with President Obama for 10-15 minutes in the Oval Office. He joked with Gabriel about the gifts we gave he and his family. He was INCREDIBLY kind and took his time talking to Gabriel.

The proud mom also said the Austin American-Statesman interviewed them about the trip; we should see an article in the paper this Sunday. She said in her email about the meeting:

It was a HUGE blessing!!!

God is incredibly GOOD!!! :)

George has wanted to meet Barack Obama for more than a year, since the 10-year-old predicted Obama's election victory back in February 2008. Congrats to the George family!

Can I Get a Witness? (URGENT)

Just got this email from SAYLA president Sam Houston (minor editing and some linkage by yours truly):

The Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers are proud to host the 34th Annual National Trial Competition, which will be held in the great city of San Antonio, Texas. The competition is the preeminent mock trial competition in the country.

We need additional WITNESSES especially for tomorrow, Thursday, March 25, 2009. (Witnesses need not be licensed attorneys.) The witnesses in the competition are assigned a particular role as either a plaintiff or defense witness for the trial.

If you are interested in serving as a WITNESS in one or more of the championship rounds, please click on the following links. (Note the earlier starting time for witness preparation):

• Round 1: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 - Click Here
• Round 2: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 - Click Here
• Round 3: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday, March 27 - Click Here
• Round 4: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 27 - Click Here

If you need more information about being a witness, please contact Alyssa Long (alyssajanelong**AT**yahoo**DOT**com) or Alfonso Cabanas (licabanas**AT**hotmail**DOT**com).

Sincerely,
Texas Young Lawyers Association
San Antonio Young Lawyers Association

The competition takes place tomorrow and Friday at the Bexar County Courthouse and Bexar County Justice Center. While there are enough attorneys to serve as judges, organizers still need volunteers (lawyers or nonlawyers) to act as witnesses during the various mock trial rounds. I served as a witness in a mock trial competition in law school, and it is a lot of fun, especially if you enjoy acting. If you're interested in helping out, follow the instructions above.

ADDENDUM: It looks like the afternoon slots for both days are filled up, so c'mon, all you morning people!

ADDENDUM II: I'm not a morning person, but I signed up as a witness for the Thursday morning round. See y'all there at 8 a.m.

Traffic Ticket CLE

It's not high-profile, but plenty of attorneys take on cases involving traffic citations. And in wake of the lawyer who left her clients in the lurch because she ignored their traffic tickets, the City of San Antonio is conducting a free one-hour CLE on "Municipal Court Rules Regarding Attorney Representation of Clients with Traffic Violations." The CLE takes place at 1 p.m. in the central jury room at the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center; see the SABA website for RSVP instructions.

Counselors & Cocktails

Don't forget, Thursday is SAYLA's Counselors & Cocktails. The event will take place at The Bushnell and benefits Special Olympics Texas and the San Antonio Young Lawyers Foundation.

March 2009 Events

(UPDATED 3-16)

First, Happy Texas Independence Day! (And here's hoping that the state will soon allow the sale of fireworks to commemorate this event.)

We've got a lot going on this month on the legal scene, including some low-cost CLEs, a golf tournament, and more:

MARCH 6: The San Antonio Bar Association's Litigation Section will conduct a two-hour CLE on "Changes that Could Affect Your Practice" at the Palm Restaurant downtown. Price: just $10. That's right: just ten bucks--the section will pick up the rest of the tab.

MARCH 17: The San Antonio Young Lawyers Association's monthly luncheon will take place at the usual spot, Paesano's Lincoln Heights near the Quarry.

MARCH 19: Also courtesy of SAYLA, Counselors & Cocktails, a benefit for Special Olympics and the San Antonio Young Lawyers Foundation, at The Bushnell in Monte Vista. The event includes hors d'ouevres, open bar and silent auction.

MARCH 20: The City of San Antonio will offer a free one-hour CLE regarding "New City of San Antonio Municipal Court Rules Regarding Attorney Representation of Clients with Traffic Violations" at the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center. One of the presenters is San Antonio's presiding municipal judge and the other is the city's lead prosecutor. I wonder if this CLE was spurred by the Diana Minella ticket fiasco?

MARCH 21: The Student Bar Association at St. Mary's School of Law is hosting the Law Open golf tournament at the Republic Golf Club. Donations and sponsorships are tax dedictible, and proceeds go to the SBA and the St. Mary's Law Fund. Entry fees and other information are listed on this brochure.

MARCH 24: The Fourth Court of Appeals will hold oral arguments in Kerr County and conduct a lunchtime CLE at the Inn of the Hills Resort and Conference Center. Lunch is $12; no charge for the CLE.

MARCH 26-27: The finals of the National Trial Competition for law students will take place at the Bexar County courthouse.

MARCH 27: The St. Mary's School of Law will hold its annual Homecoming CLE and Reunion, free to all law school alumni and friends. This event will offer CLEs on several subjects--some interesting titles include Terrorism, Crime & Business, Internet Legal Research, and Rising Epidemic of Childhood Obesity as a Form of Child Abuse--as well as lunch and a reception.

MARCH 27: The San Antonio Bar Association's monthly luncheon will take place at the Plaza Club. U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez will be the guest speaker.

MARCH 27: The San Antonio Bar Foundation will hold its annual Peacemakers Awards Gala. The award winners have been picked, and they will receive recognition at this event. This year it will take place at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio on the Riverwalk. Click here for details on the Gala and ticket prices and availability.

If I missed anything, for this month, please let me know.

Help Needed at Mock Trial Finals

Law students from across the country will take part in the National Trial Competition finals next week at the Bexar County Courthouse, and the organizers still need volunteers to serve as witnesses and/or judges (judges must be licensed attorneys). The event will take place Thursday, March 26, and Friday, March 27; volunteers will be there for a half-day.

Attorneys who serve as judges become eligible for up to five CLE credit hours. To sign up as a judge or witness, click here and scroll down.

The competition is hosted by the Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Busy Week in SAYLA

Tuesday is SAYLA's March luncheon, at Paesano's as usual.

On Thursday, don't forget SAYLA's Counselors & Cocktails, at The Bushnell.

Fourth Court Hits the Road

The Fourth Court of Appeals takes its show on the road, hearing oral arguments in Kerrville on March 24--one case in the morning and two more that afternoon, at the Kerr County Courthouse.

For those in the Hill Country, or those in San Antonio interested in making the drive, the Kerr County Bar Association will host a CLE with the justices from the Fourth Court during the court's lunch break. the one-hour presentation starts at noon in the Bluebonnet Room at the Inn of the Hills Resort and Conference Center located in Kerrville.

Get there at 11:30 to eat and sign in; the CLE starts at noon. Cost is $12 for lunch; the CLE is free. Anyone interested in attending should RSVP to Brett Ferguson, the Kerr County Bar Association secretary, at bferg[at]ktc[dot]com.

American Gateways Gathering

Earlier on Thursday, I attended a get-together for American Gateways, a nonprofit that provides free and low-cost services for immigrants. The organization operates out of Austin, with a growing San Antonio presence working out of the St. Mary's Center for Legal and Social Justice, and it recently changed its name from the Political Asylum Project of Austin.

Props to International Bank of Commerce, which hosted the event at its downtown location and provides teleconferencing facilities for the Austin and San Antonio branches. I met a lot of nice folks who work in the immigration field at this function, and I hope to hear more from this group in the future.

Law Journal Editor Named

Speaking of St. Mary's, I heard the St. Mary's Law Journal named their editorial board for the next school year. I don't have it confirmed yet, so I won't post a link or mention any names, but congratulations to the new editors.