Nominations for Law Day Awards
TCYLA is now accepting nominations for the following awards:
The Outstanding Young Lawyer Award – recognizes one young lawyer who has demonstrated professional proficiency, service to the profession, and service to the community.
The Outstanding Mentor Award – recognizes one attorney who has consistently demonstrated a commitment to mentoring young lawyers in his or her legal community.
The Liberty Bell Award – recognizes one outstanding non-lawyer in Tarrant County who has made the most selfless contribution to his or her community to strengthen the effectiveness of the American system of Justice by instilling better understanding and appreciation of the law.
Please email nominations to Andrea Palmer by Friday, February 28, 2021.
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Texas Young Lawyers Association
Board of Directors - Open Seat
Elections for the 2021 Texas Young Lawyers Association Board of Directors is fast approaching. To run for the open District 10, Place 1 seat, a nominee will need to submit petitions containing signatures of 72 attorneys who are: 1) members of the State Bar of Texas; 2) as of June 1, 2021, are age 36 or younger OR within initial 60-month licensing period (i.e. licensed after June 1, 2016); and 3) have their principal place of business is in Ellis, Hill, Hood, Johnson, Navarro, Parker, Somervell, or Tarrant counties. The petitions must be received by 5:00 pm March 1, 2021. Email Tracy Brown (tbrown@texasbar.com), TYLA Director of Administration with any questions or to request the required forms.
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TCYLA 2021-2022 Elections
TCYLA 2021-2022 elections are approaching! All candidates for Director or Officer must be current members of TCYLA.
Officer Elections:
Elections for President-Elect and Secretary-Treasurer will take place at the Board meeting on April 7. Candidates must be current Board Members. You may nominate someone or self-nominate by email Andrea Palmer by March 5.
Director Elections:
The Nominations Committee will meet in June to propose next year’s elected slate of Directors. If you are interested in serving as a Director, please email Andrea Palmer by May 6. The Nominations Committee will present the slate at the July Board Meeting; after that meeting, the President will appoint two additional Directors. If you are interested in running and are not elected or appointed, the July Newsletter will detail petition information, which is also found in Article 8.4(b) of the TCYLA Bylaws.
All candidates are encouraged to review the TCYLA Bylaws, and keep in mind the prohibition against campaigning: “A candidate for Director of the Corporation shall not, either before or after the placing of said candidate’s name on the ballot, promote himself or herself for said position through the use of social media, mass mailings, mass electronic transmission, or mass facsimile transmissions. Furthermore, no candidate for such office will encourage anyone else to use the foregoing means to promote his or her candidacy.” Article 8.5(b).
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Wellness Project: Trivia Nights
FREE Virtual Pub Trivia with Geeks Who Drink
Thursday, February 11, 2021 | 7:00 p.m. CST
TCYLA's first virtual trivia night was a big success! Although stumped by the boy band BTS and the official languages of South Africa, "The Billable Hourz" came in 32nd out of 49 teams! We are looking forward to next month!
TCYLA is participating in Geeks Who Drink virtual trivia via Zoom as part of the Wellness Series. TCYLA will pay the registration fee through a grant from the Texas Young Lawyers Association. Join us for socially distanced fun, networking, and community! If you would like to reserve a spot for our next trivia night or have any questions, please reach out to Spencer Mainka.
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Virtual CLE Lunch
FREE CLE Webinar - February 16, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. CST
Please join us for TCYLA's upcoming webinar: Mike Ware of the Innocence Project of Texas presenting "Proving Actual Innocence by Clear and Convincing Evidence"
Mike Ware is the Executive Director of the Innocence Project of Texas. He directs the organization's investigative and legal services. He is also an adjunct professor at Texas A&M University School of Law and supervises the Texas A&M Innocence Project legal clinic, which is an Innocence Texas partner. He graduated with honors from the University of Texas with a degree in philosophy. He graduated from the University of Houston Law School in 1983, where he was research editor for the Houston Law Review and the Houston Law Review's Texas Rules of Evidence Handbook.
In 1984, Mike began private practice, specializing in criminal defense. His practice included representing police officers in criminal, civil and administrative matters as well as investigating and litigating whistleblower claims.
From July 2007 until July 2011, Mike was the Special Fields Bureau Chief for the Dallas County District Attorney's office, which included the Conviction Integrity Unit. In 2014, he received the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers' Association "Percy Foreman" Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year award.
This event will be a Zoom meeting format. After registering, you will receive an email confirmation with the Zoom meeting details and "Join Meeting" link. For questions, please contact laurensc@tarrantbar.org.
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TCBA's Diversity Committee Presents:
Book Club Discussions
on The New Jim Crow and History of Fort Worth in Black and White
Thursday, February 22, 2021 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. CST
Reading the book is not required, all are welcome.
Co-hosted by: L. Clifford Davis Legal Association and Black Women Lawyers Association
Register here.
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TCBA's Diversity Committee Presents:
SIDE Bar Conversations
"Titans of Law: Celebrating Fort Worth’s Black Legal Heavyweights"
Thursday, February 25, 2021 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. CST
Introduce the Bar to its own Black History – we have some Titans in our community. Come hear their compelling stories and Celebrate Black History Month!
Co-hosted by: L. Clifford Davis Legal Association and Black Women Lawyers Association
Register here.
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TCYLA Lawyer Contact List for
TAMU Law Students
What would you go back and tell your 1L self? Were you the first in your family to attend law school? Were you overwhelmed by all the new fields of law you discovered? Did you wish you knew more lawyers you could ask questions to and seek advice from? Help students at Texas A&M University School of Law navigate their first year of law school by participating in the TCYLA Lawyer Contact List. This list will be made available to 1Ls in the coming months as a resource for them to reach out to lawyers to learn more about various fields of law or obtain advice about law school generally.
Enter your information here. If you have any questions, please contact Spencer Mainka.
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TCYLA Volunteer Opportunity -
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County is in need of meal delivery drivers. TCYLA's community involvement committee is organizing a group to volunteer as drivers. If you would like to participate or have any questions, please reach out to John Easter.
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Fall Slow-Pitch Softball League
The TCYLA softball program was a huge success in its first year, and we’re just getting started! Do you miss seeing people in person? Do you enjoy softball, the outdoors, or would like to begin a new hobby? League play will begin around March, in a socially distanced, low-key, friendly outdoor setting. If you would like to play or have any questions, please reach out to John Easter.
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Volunteer Legal Opportunities
Phone Consult for a Veteran: Sign up here.
Volunteer for LegalLine: Most Thursdays from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Sign up here.
Volunteer with TLTV:
- Click here to submit what type of cases you could assist pro bono
- Click here to sign up to do a free phone consultation for a veteran
- Follow TLTV on social media using these links to stay in the know- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Emails
- Email Kayla Dailey for more information about ongoing volunteer opportunities.
Want to know more about volunteering with Tarrant County Volunteer Attorney Services? Click here.
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Want to be published in this newsletter?
TCYLA is incorporating members’ submissions into our monthly newsletter. This is a great way to get your name out there as well as your article! Please email Elizabeth Haslam to submit your piece and/or make further inquiries. All articles will be subject to review and approval by the TCYLA Board of Directors.
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TCYLA Member Benefits
TCYLA is beginning to offer recorded presentations and free CLEs, including a recent Wellness event featuring anxiety specialist Dr. Kathryn Soule, PhD, LPC, at TCYLA's E-Community.
While you are at the E-Community, take time to check out and update your profile in the TCYLA member directory. TCYLA's E-Community will be continually updated with new content and free CLEs throughout the year.
If you are not a member of TCYLA, you may now apply online here.
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