AYLA: Leadership Academy Hosts Orientation, First Class Meeting

Class Members Treated to Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Texas Supreme Court

The 2023 AYLA/Austin Bar Leadership Academy kicked off on January 13 with an orientation. The class had the privilege of hearing from Austin Bar President Amanda Arriaga, AYLA President Blair Leake, Justice Chari Kelly, Councilman Rudy Metayer, Judge Karin Crump, and Judge Eric Shepperd on their leadership experiences and how they have become leaders in the Austin legal community. The class got to know more about one another and their leadership styles through the Enneagram test. The class also had the opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Texas Supreme Court, led by Justice Debra Lehrmann. The day was wrapped up with a happy hour at Scholz Garten.

This year’s Leadership Academy class is made up of 30 local attorneys from all different areas of practice, firm size, backgrounds, and levels of experience. The class will culminate with the organization of a class project. Be on the lookout for their project later this year!

On January 25, the class members held their first class meeting at the federal courthouse, where they got to hear from Nadia Bettac and Mary-Ellen King, the co-chairs of the Austin Bar Foundation Gala committee, on the im- portance of getting involved with the Bar and how the funds raised from the Gala support our legal community and the Austin community as a whole. The class also heard from Judge Robert Pitman, who spoke about the importance of a legal community, leading with character, and answering the call to leadership. He encouraged everyone to connect with other colleagues, support our peers and team members, and be modest about our work.

The 2023 Leadership Academy class includes 30 local attorneys from all different areas of practice, firm size, backgrounds and levels of experience.