This year, the nominations need to be submitted by Friday, March 2, 2012.  They will be presented at the March 10 Board Meeting and voted on at the May 19 meeting. The awards will be presented at the Annual Dinner on Saturday, June 23, 2012, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The chairpersons for these awards are:

Lawyer of the Year:
Curt Fenley
Fenley & Bate, LLP
PO Box 450 224 E. Lufkin Avenue
Lufkin, TX 75902-0450
United States
Telephone: (936) 634-3346
Email: cfenley@fenley-bate.com

Jurist of the Year: 
Tim “Ty” Griesenbeck
Plunkett & Gibson, Inc.
Renaissance Plaza, Suite 1100
70 N.E. Loop 410
San Antonio, TX 78216
Telephone: (210) 734-7092
Email: griesenbeckt@plunkett-gibson.com

Champion of the 7th Amendment:
Patricia Alvarez
The Alvarez Law Firm PC
415 Shiloh, Ste. A
Laredo, TX 78045
United States
Telephone: (956) 722-6601
Email: palvarez@thealvarezlawfirm.com

 Download the Annual Awards Criteria here.

Hon. Jim Parsons came up with the idea to chronicle the history by speaking to several members who were instrumental in the founding of TEX-ABOTA in 1991. Chief among those members is Bob  Vial, who served as Chairman from 1991-1995.

Buckalew Media, of Austin, was hired to write, produce and shoot the video.  All of it was shot at the Santa Fe CLE Roundup in Santa Fe, NM in June, 2011.  Sen. Robert Duncan was kind enough to participate from his Austin office.

We believe there are many uses for this video, which runs just over 14 minutes.  If you would like a copy for your chapter, contact Cay Dickson at tex-abota@abota.org. The cost is $6.50 per tape, plus shipping.

Late July saw 31 teachers from most all parts of the state,, and two from Arkansas, travel to Austin for two-and-a-half days of legal education unlike anything they had experienced before. (See the teachers’ comments here).

Gerry Goldstein, David Halpern, Eric Nichols.

The Teachers’ Law School concept was conceived in Austin and launched in the summer of 2009. Since then, TLS has grown in popularity both inside and outside the Lone Star State and now claims a spot amid ABOTA National’s array of youth education programs.

Gerry Goldstein and Eric Nichols were presenters, as well as
adversaries of the highest order in the Yearning for Zion cases in
Eldorado and San Angelo. Nichols led the state’s prosecution of all
defendants and just won conviction of Warren Jeffs. Goldstein is a nationally respected crim defense atty from San Antonio. Together at TLS, they exemplified civility through their mutual respect for one another.

In April 2011, the Colorado Chapter launched its first TLS to Denver-area educators and “TLS-Y2 Rocky Mountain Style” is in the works. Other teachers’ law schools are in development in California, Florida and ABOTA’s newest regional organization, East ABOTA.

As with the first and second years of TLS, Texas social studies and government teachers made application to attend TLS-Y3.

As in years past, the teachers were treated to an all expense-paid legal education that included food, lodging, and travel expenses. For the first time ever, TLS played host to guests, as the Arkansas Chapter of ABOTA sought admission for two of its teachers.

Hon. Cathy Cochran addresses the teachers.

Joining TEX-ABOTA in generously sponsoring the teachers were the members of the Austin, Bryan-College Station, Corpus, Dallas, East Texas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, and Waco chapters.

This year’s faculty included 16 of the state’s premier lawyers and judges, including the Honorable Wallace Jefferson, Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, nationally renowned defense attorney, Gerry Goldstein, the Honorable Cathy Cochran of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, and ethics expert, Chuck Herring.

Planning for the fourth year of the program is underway. Mark your calendars and get your chapters fired up to sponsor teachers to represent your areas. TLS-Y4 will take place at the Texas Law Center in Austin, July 12-14, 2012.

David Halpern

For more information or to find out how your chapter can help the program, email David Halpern at David.Halpern@oag.state.tx.us.

The Houstonian   111 North Post Oak

6:30-7:30 – Cocktails
7:30-10:30 – Program, new member introduction

RSVP to tex-abota@abota.org 

Over a three-day period, thirty teachers will take part in presentations, roundtables, and breakout sessions. The Teachers’ Law school will feature the best and brightest members of the Texas bench and bar who live and work with the law and who will share the practical realities of systems that protect all Americans. It is hoped that this emphasis on teaching law to all students will spark an interest in the legal profession.

Teachers must be recommended by a chapter of ABOTA and need to complete an application to be submitted for acceptance, based on available space.

Participant Application2011 (download here)

Participants will be provided two nights in an Austin hotel, round trip travel to Austin, all meals, and all materials.

You’ll find a tremendous amount of information that can help chapter leaders and members in revitalizing your chapter, suggestions for events to have, handling publicity and other topics of interest.

The recipients of the 2010 Annual Awards were honored during the evening. They are:  Dick Sayles, Dallas, Trial Lawyer of the Year;  Hon. Ed Kinkeade,  U.S. District Judge in the Northern District of Texas,  from Dallas, Jurist of The Year and Jan Miller, from Austin, was elected Champion of the 7th Amendment.  She is the  Director Law-Related Education Communications Division, State Bar of Texas and Executive Director, Law Focused Education.  Jan has been a tremendous help to the Teachers Law School program.

Rod Phelan, President of the Dallas chapter, introduced Dick Sayles and presented the “legal eagle” trophy to him.   Steve Harrison, of Waco, introduced Judge Kinkeade and presented a beautiful plaque to him.  Martha Dickie, of Austin, presented a plaque to Jan Miller.

Champion of the 7th Amendment replaces the Journalist of The Year Award.

Earlier in the evening, the members had been treated to two video presentations.  The first was an overview of the Teacher’s Law School program this past year.  It was very well received and gave the members a much better idea of what the program can and does do.

The second viewing was called “What ABOTA Does“.  It was recorded at the Leadership Conference in Palm Springs last year and features some of ABOTA’s most well-known members as they provide information on the many facets of ABOTA.

Both videos were well received and if you would like to order one for your chapter, please contact the ABOTA National office in Dallas at (214) 871-7523 or (800) 932-2682.

Teachers who are chosen to participate in the program will be provided two nights in an Austin hotel, round trip travel to Austin, all meals, and all materials.

Those eligible to attend include middle school and high school educators involved in teaching government, law classes and law magnet programs across the state.
Previous participants may apply, but will only be accepted if space is available.

A $50 holding fee must accompany the application packet. Fees will be returned for those applicants who are not selected to attend.

TEX-ABOTA is proud to support the Teachers’ Law School and we encourage each of our 16 chapters to join us by contributing to the sponsorship of one or more of the attendees.

Download the  2012 TLS Participant Application Form for a teacher in your chapter’s area.

For more information, contact David Halpern at David.Halpern@oag.state.tx.us