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With 20 committees, it's EASY for like-minded members to share interests!
In fact, serving as a member of one of the various committees offers tremendous opportunities for growth. For example, attorneys can:
• PARTICIPATE in the development and maintenance of SABA's webpage (Computer & Technology committee)
• WORK with judges and other attorneys to improve the efficiency and performance of the county court system, gaining valuable knowledge while doing so. (County Courts committee)
• HELP plan and organize the annual Judge Anees A. Semaan Criminal Law seminar. (Criminal Law & Procedure committee)
• PARTICIPATE in the development of local rules (District Courts committee)
• HEAR and decide fee disputes between attorneys and clients (Fee Dispute committee)
• SERVE as an investigator and advocate for fellow attorneys involved with disputes with physicians (Medical-Legal Liason committee)
• INVESTIGATE and prosecute complaints against individuals practicing law without a license (Unauthorized Practice of Law committee)
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Click on a committee to read more...
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The District Courts committee strives to improve the quality of practice of the district courts in Bexar County by addressing issues of concern to the judiciary and the attorneys who practice in District Court. This committee currently is working with judges and other attorneys to determine whether to revise the local rules in the light of new changes in the Rules of Civil Procedure. The District Courts committee meets on the first Thursday of each month at noon, usually at the SABA offices. Please contact the chair for more information. A copy of each meeting's agenda is also available upon request from the chair.
Co-chair: Justice Phylis Speedlin
The Community Justice Program expands access to and enhances the quality of justice in civil cases for low-income residents of San Antonio. The San Antonio Bar Association and other local bar groups are partnering with the Texas Supreme Court's Texas Access to Justice Commission, Texas Rural Legal Aid, Inc., St. Mary's Law School, paralegal professionals and the public to bring legal services and night court to neighborhood locations. Each month, on the 2nd Tuesday night from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., beginning on October 8, 2002, the Community Justice Program will sponsor a neighborhood legal service clinic. The Carver Academy, located on the East side of the city, has been selected as the first community site. Additional locations will be selected in the future with the goal of serving all areas of San Antonio.
Volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and law students from San Antonio will interview applicants and provide on site advice on civil legal matters at the neighborhood clinic. Applicants will be screened for eligibility for pro bono legal services based upon Federal Poverty Guidelines. Eligible applicants will be matched with attorneys who have agreed to accept pro bono cases for representation. Cases will include family, consumer, employment, housing, landlord-tenant, simple wills, probate, and bankruptcy matters.
In addition, assistance will be provided for individuals representing themselves in uncontested divorce, conservatorship and paternity matters.
Finally, uncontested or agreed pro bono matters will be finalized before a Civil District Judge at the neighborhood clinic site. These court services will be coordinated with Bexar County District Clerk's Office to allow court files to be taken to neighborhood clinic sites.
To volunteer, call Amanda Buckert of the San Antonio Bar Association at 210.227.8822 x24.
Jonathan Yedor
210.366.0900
The Community Relations committee's goal is to educate the public and to build public trust in the legal profession. This committee acts as a liaison between attorneys and the public in several ways. First, the committee maintains a Speakers' Bureau that consists of various topics that may be of interest to the community or profession, and attorneys who are willing to speak on these topics. The committee also assists various groups in finding particular speakers. Not only are attorneys given an opportunity to speak and make contacts with community organizations, but the committee also publicizes these speeches. Second, the committee has established a Media Response Team to develop a relationship with members of the media and to inform them about the activities and efforts of the Bar Association and its members. The Media Response Team provides the media with contacts in the legal profession for commentary on legal issues, responds to inaccurate media reporting, encourages public service and charitable- and community-oriented projects in the legal community, and then publicizes these positive endeavors.
Co-Chair: Judge Larry Noll
210.335.2831
The Continuing Legal Education committee monitors the continuing legal education needs of lawyers, sponsors and coordinates monthly CLE programs as well as the programs for the Bench Bar Conference and Anatomy of a Civil Trial seminar. It also disseminates information concerning all CLE programs taking place in Bexar County. Individual members are responsible for developing ideas and speakers for future CLE programs and organizing the monthly programs.
Chair: Steven B. Treu
The County Courts committee assists with the management of the county court system, and works with various judges and attorneys to improve its performance and efficiency in both civil and criminal matters. For example, in the past year, this committee has assisted in developing two auxiliary courts to handle excess cases and guilty pleas, and recently assisted in implementing a new dismissal docket. In the upcoming year, the committee plans to work with the Bexar County legislative delegation to lobby the legislature to approve three new county courts for Bexar County. The committee has recently included a survey in the Subpoena to gather advice from Bar Association members on improving the county court system, and also hopes to coordinate with the district attorney's office to improve the efficiency of misdemeanor filings.
Co-Chair: John Convery
The Criminal Law and Procedure committee promotes the criminal law practice and the education of criminal law attorneys (both defense attorneys and prosecutors). This committee's main project is planning and presenting the annual Judge Anees A. Semaan Criminal Law Seminar, which is designed to present practical and useful information to prosecutors, defense attorneys, and the criminal court judiciary. Additionally, the committee sponsors the annual Pat Henley Happy Hour where attendees can socialize and honor the memories of the unique and flamboyant Mr. Henley, an inductee into the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Hall of Fame.
Chair: George Parker, Jr.
The Federal Courts Committee assists the federal courts in addressing the problems and challenges facing the federal judiciary, and makes recommendations for improving the federal court system and the interests of attorneys who practice in federal courts.
Chair: Gilbert Vara, Jr.
The Fee Dispute committee serves as an arbitration panel to resolve fee disputes between attorneys and their present or former clients, as well as fee disputes among attorneys. Parties who appear before the Fee Dispute Committee must submit to binding arbitration, and the committee generally resolves disputes promptly, usually in one afternoon. The committee provides an inexpensive forum where members of the public can seek resolution of a dispute concerning the fees charged by attorneys. Moreover, the activities of the committee can help to create a more favorable image of attorneys in an era where our profession is under constant attack. The committee is composed not only of attorneys, but also members of the lay public. Not only do members of the committee derive satisfaction from delivering prompt, tangible results, and from assisting individuals in resolving disputes, but members also gain valuable knowledge concerning attorney-client relations and public perceptions of attorney's fees. Members may draw upon this knowledge to educate their own clients about the nature and extent of the work performed, in an effort to diminish clients objections to their fees.
This committee reviews the operation of the JP and municipal courts and fosters communication between attorneys and the judiciary. It also works to make the court system more efficient by making recommendations for improvement.
Co-Chair: Judge Ed Prado
Co-Chair: Lori Massey
210.731.6400
The Law Day committee plans and promotes Law Day activities, which include a luncheon featuring a nationally prominent speaker and activities designed to educate the public about its rights and responsibilities under the legal system.
Chair: Al Hartman
This committee sponsors law-related education programs that are designed to increase the public's legal knowledge and inform the public of the legal issues that affect their daily lives.
Chair: Letty Gavito
The Lawyer Referral committee administers the San Antonio Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service and seeks to improve the availability and quality of legal services available from the service. The committee is currently seeking to establish comprehensive screening of the attorney applicant’s qualifications and more closely determine their areas of competency in order to provide a quality referral to those seeking assistance from the service. The Committee is also attempting at this time to secure low-cost malpractice insurance coverage on referrals made through the Lawyer Referral Service for attorneys who do not participate because of their inability to comply with the legal malpractice coverage requirement.
Chair: Reed Greene
This committee advises the Bar and Bexar County commissioners on operation of the county law library. This year's focus is providing services to pro se litigants and examining how the library can take advantage of changing technology in the world of legal research tools.
Chair: Stephen Lazor
The Medical Legal Liaison Committee is a joint committee of the San Antonio Bar Association and the Bexar County Medical Society. Comprised of attorneys and physicians, the Committee will focus on issues common to law and medicine and further deal with potential or real conflicts between members of the two organizations comprising the Committee. Committee members shall be comprised of physicians and attorneys who have an interest in medical legal affairs. The education, training, and experience of its members will enable the Committee to promote cooperation between the component societies and provide advice and assistance on common issues that may affect their members. Through its resources, the Committee may make recommendations to their respective societies in order to educate and assist healthcare and legal professionals.
Chair: Victor Negrón
210.738.8750 vnegron@kerrnegron.com
The mission of the Membership Committee of the San Antonio Bar Association is to observe trends in membership; to continually develop new and innovative ways to draw new members; and to address the static and changing needs of its current membership.
Co-Chair: Jeff Akins
The Mentor committee is implementing a program to provide experienced lawyers as mentors for beginning attorneys. The committee will also host brown bag luncheons in which judges or other attorneys will speak on a variety of topics of interest to young lawyers, such as getting around the courthouse or obtaining court appointments.
Chair: Col. Randall Parker
The Military Liaison committee promotes professional and social interaction between active-duty military legal officers and the civilian bar. The committee annually updates the roster of local Army and Air Force legal officers and personnel, provides military legal points of contact for use by civilian attorneys, and hosts a military law CLE seminar. The committee also plans a Spring social mixer to promote professional and social relationships between the military and civilian legal communities.
The Program committee is responsible for selecting speakers for the monthly Bar Association luncheons (not including the Law Day Program).
Chair: Judge Barbara Nellermoe
Vice-Chair: Pat Autry
Chair: Mark I. Unger
The Technology committee advises and assists the San Antonio Bar Association staff and board on the use of technology in the day to day operations of the bar. The committee has consulted on the concept, design, implementation and content of all of the San Antonio Bar websites and has co-developed TechLawSA, the full day CLE devoted to the use of technology in the practice of law. This program is a tri-partnership between the San Antonio Bar Association, St. Mary's Law School, and the Computer & Technology section of the State Bar of Texas.
Chair: Steve Cennamo
The Unauthorized Practice of Law committee is a committee formed by state legislation that investigates complaints by consumers and others concerning individuals who are practicing law without a license. Once a complaint is received, an individual member of the committee writes a cease-and-desist letter, conducts the investigation, and oversees any resulting litigation. Although the committee attempts to resolve complaints informally at a meeting held during the investigation, the committee does have the authority to sue these individuals and to obtain temporary and permanent injunctions. This committee does receive some state funds to aid in its investigations.
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