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.

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.

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.

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.

"Changes" CLE

Don't forget, on Friday the Litigation Section of the San Antonio Bar Association will present a two-hour CLE on "Changes That Could Affect Your Practice" from noon to 2 p.m. at the Palm Restaurant. From the SABA website (with links added by yours truly):

This seminar will provide a forum for attorneys to learn about and discuss what changes are being proposed by the Legislature and State Bar Litigation Section, and how such proposed changes will affect attorneys or their clients. [San Antonio state] Senator [Jeff] Wentworth has agreed to participate, subject to the Legislature’s schedule that day. Martha Dickie of Austin, Judge Ken Wise and Alistair Dawson of Houston are going to participate as speakers, while Lamont Jefferson will be the moderator, all of whom are members of the Court Administration Task Force and the State Bar Litigation Section. The charge is $10 for the CLE and lunch for members and non-members, with the Section paying the balance. All Bexar County Judges are invited free of charge.

Extreme Family Law Makeover

The Family Law Section of the San Antonio Bar Association is holding the seventh annual Extreme Family Law Makeover: Going through the Big D (and we don't mean Dallas) on Friday at The Bright Shawl near downtown.

The event will provide continuing legal education credits for talks on case law updates, ethics, temporary orders, adoption, real estate, child support, mediation, and more.

I just spoke with the paralegal for one of the organizers, and she told me there are still a few spaces left--probably less than 15 by now. She recommended that those interested in attending hand deliver their check and registration form, or fax the form and include their credit card info. Contact information is on the first page of this fax.

SAYLA and Bar Takers

Having so recently been through the experience themselves, members of the San Antonio Young Lawyers Association will be on hand Thursday evening to comiserate with those candidates who just finished taking the February Texas Bar Exam.

The Meeting and Greeting will take place at the Silo Restaurant and Bar on Austin Highway from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

For SAYLA members, the Meeting and Greeting will serve as a forum to network and reminisce. For bar takers, it's a chance to unwind after a three-day exam and maybe have a sympathetic listener buy you a drink.

See you there!

People's Law School

The People's Law School will take place this Saturday at St. Mary's University School of Law. The San Antonio Bar Foundation has been teaming up with the law school to hold a free one-day seminar on general-interest legal topics. Local attorneys will discuss legal issues such as living wills, Social Security Disability, guardinship, immigration, and bankruptcy.

This event is open to the public. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at the law school, and classes run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Law Journal Symposium

The St. Mary's Law Journal will host the 2009 Symposium on Legal Malpractice and Professional Responsibility this Friday at the Plaza Club.

There are nine speakers scheduled for the event, including keynote speaker Thomas D. Morgan, a professor at George Washington University Law School.