Join Us on Jan. 28, 2021 for the Austin Bar Foundation Virtual Gala

The 18th Annual Austin Bar Foundation Gala will be held virtually on Thurs., Jan. 28, 2021 from 6–8 p.m. The theme of the gala is “Around the World,” celebrating our diversity and illustrating the idea that, despite our differences, we are all connected and all part of the human race. The event is being chaired by Amanda Arriaga, Elliott Beck, and Mary Ellen King.

Rest assured that this virtual gala will be a far cry from an ordinary Zoom meeting! Guests are encouraged to stay home—or gather in small groups if they feel safe doing so—to enjoy the event. A Spotify playlist of world music will be provided, and everyone is encouraged (but certainly not required) to wear clothing that reflects his or her ethnic heritage.

Guests will be able to purchase a basic ticket for $50, providing access to the live stream link on a specially designed platform. Guests will also be able to upgrade to the Party Box for $100 to include extra festive touches, such as flowers, champagne flutes, and more. Finally, for $150, guest will get a Party Box plus a signature cocktail kit from local business HipStirs, which has designed a delicious beverage specifically for the gala.

In keeping with our theme and the Austin Bar’s emphasis on equity, we are partnering with local restaurants to provide diverse meal options. Restaurants offering discounts and delivery for Austin Bar Gala guests will include Beyond Boards ATX, Buenos Aires Café, Hecho en Mexico, Juliet Italian Kitchen, Phantasma Kitchen, Lechuza Tacos, and The Garden at Ellera. Purchasing a meal from these restaurants is optional, but we hope to support our local restaurant community by bringing them business during this difficult time.

A virtual photo booth will be available, and the evening's live-streamed program will honor our esteemed award winners. In addition, an interactive auction. An interactive auction—complete with an auctioneer to lead the bidding—will feature items such as vacations in Winter Park, CO; skiing in Jackson Hole, WY; a Charleston culinary experience with historic carriage tour; and a Camp Blanco weekend getaway.

Ticket holders will have the opportunity to purchase jewelry in advance at a discount from Laura Elizabeth Jewelry. Wear your jewelry during the Gala and tag @LauraElizabeth on Instagram to be entered into a drawing to win a suite of Laura Elizabeth jewelry.

Please don’t delay—visit austinbar.murad.com today to purchase tickets or become a sponsor. More details about the event, including a preview of the auction items and a link to purchase jewelry, can also be found at austinbar.murad.com.

Proceeds from the Gala benefit the Austin Bar Foundation. The Foundation supports programs of the Austin Bar such as the Veterans Assistance Programs, the Self-Represented Litigant Project, Austin Adoption Day, and the CANLAW Clinic. In addition, the Foundation offers the Justice Mack Kidd Fund to confidentially assist attorneys suffering from depression or related mental illness get the help and support they need. This year's Fund-a-Need auction will directly benefit the Austin Bar Foundation's grant program. Since its inception in 2012, approximately $20,000 has been given annually, with almost $168,600 being awarded to date, to area legal-related programs. Through the grant program, the Foundation furthers its mission to improve public awareness of the legal system, the administration of justice, and the delivery of legal service. Past recipients include CASA of Travis County, American Gateways, Volunteer Legal Services, Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts, Austin Community Law Center, Austin Classical Guitar’s juvenile justice program, Texas Fair Defense Fund, Texas Rio Grande Legal Services, and many others.

The highlight of the event will be the recognition of several special award winners. The awards are given to Austin lawyers and judges who have excelled in their professions and service to their communities.

The Foundation is pleased to announce this year’s award recipients.

DISTINGUISHED LAWYER AWARD

The Distinguished Lawyer Award recognizes the dedication and hard work of attorneys who have practiced law for 30 years or more and have significantly contributed to the legal profession and the greater community.

Betty Blackwell

Betty Blackwell

Betty Blackwell is a native Austinite, graduating from Westlake High School in 1974 as the salutatorian, then attending Texas A&M University where she graduated summa cum laude after only three years. In 1980, she graduated from the University of Texas School of Law with honors. She went into private practice handling exclusively criminal defense cases. She is board certified in criminal law and co-wrote the three-volume treatise Texas Criminal Forms and Trial Manual for Thomson Reuters. Among her many professional activities, she has been the chair of the board of directors of the Capital Area Private Defender Service since 2014. She is the past-president of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the past-chair of the Commission for Lawyer Discipline. In 2017, she was inducted into the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Hall of Fame.

Bill Jones

Bill Jones

Bill Jones owns The Jones Firm, a public law and government relations firm in Austin, and is co-managing partner in a start-up company, AFCI Texas.

He practiced law in Houston for 15 years in a litigation practice including trial and appellate work in state and federal courts of all levels involving complex business litigation. Jones served as General Counsel to the Office of the Governor of the State of Texas for Governor Rick Perry before serving as a partner with the Austin office of Locke Liddell & Sapp, practicing in government relations and commercial litigation. Jones then served as a partner with the Austin office of Vinson & Elkins, practicing in public law.

He is chairman emeritus of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, where he served as a regent for eight years. He also served for eight years as a governor-appointed commissioner on the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission. He currently serves as secretary of the Texas Association of Business, which is an advocacy group dedicated to promoting the interest of business in Texas.

Jones earned his JD from Baylor Law School in 1985, and his B.S. from Texas A&M University in 1981. He has served on the Texas A&M University Former Students Association board and the Baylor Law School Alumni board. Jones served as Texas Young Lawyers Association president and served on the Texas State Bar executive board. He also served on the Federal Judicial Selection Committee, an appointment by Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz for the purpose of selecting federal district judges and United States Attorneys in Texas.

Judge Tim Sulak

Judge Tim Sulak

Although there were no lawyers in his family, and only two in his boyhood hometown of West, TX, Tim Sulak set his sights on a legal career even before graduating from high school. After more than 30 years of practice as a trial lawyer, he was elected judge of the 353 rd Travis County District Court in 2010. His colleagues later elected him to serve as the Local Administrative Judge for Travis County in 2019.

Among leadership positions held by Judge Sulak, he served as chair of the Texas Bar Foundation Trustees and state co-chair of the American Bar Foundation, vice-chair of the Texas Commission for Lawyer Discipline, executive committee member of the State Bar of Texas and of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, president of the Robert W. Calvert Inn of Court, and president of the Travis County (now Austin) Bar Association. He also served on the City of Austin Ethics Review Commission. He is a recipient of the Professionalism Award from the Texas Center for Legal Ethics & Professionalism.

DAVID H. WALTER COMMUNITY EXCELLENCE AWARD

The David H. Walter Community Excellence Award is presented to an attorney or judge who has made a significant impact in the community and, at the same time, raised the profile of the legal profession.

Adam Loewy

Adam Loewy

Adam Loewy is the owner of the Loewy Law Firm. He started his firm after graduating from the University of Texas School of Law. He helps people who have been injured in motor vehicle crashes, slip and falls, dog bites, burns, and other assorted ways.

He is actively involved in all of his cases and is always available to talk or text with clients. He has been named a Texas Super Lawyer in every year of eligibility (2017-2020).

Loewy and his wife Phil are philanthropists and invest heavily in Austin charities and nonprofits. Some of their major projects include the Loewy Family Playground in Northwest Hills, the Loewy Family Commons at the Austin Center for Grief & Loss, and the Loewy Law Garden at the Central Texas Food Bank. The Loewys were especially proud to be part of the capital campaign for the Austin Bar’s Hilgers House. They have two young boys, Clayton and Lochlan, and live in Northwest Hills.

LARRY F. YORK MENTORING AWARD

The Larry F. York Mentoring Award is given to a local lawyer or judge who has demonstrated exceptional skill and generosity in mentoring younger members of the bar. Nominees must have practiced at least 10 years and have served as role models and counselors to other lawyers, distinguishing themselves as leaders of their profession while fully embracing life’s experiences.

Amanda G. Taylor

Amanda G. Taylor

Amanda G. Taylor is a board certified civil appellate lawyer who serves as the practice group leader of Butler Snow’s appellate practice group. She began her career as a law clerk and staff attorney at the Third Court of Appeals. Since moving to private practice in 2007, Taylor has built a successful practice that allows her to dive into a wide variety of complex legal issues in trial and appellate courts across the state and beyond. In the area of civil appeals, she has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America (2021), Texas Super Lawyers (2014-20), and Austin Monthly (2019-20). She won the Litigation/Appellate Attorney award from the Travis County Women Lawyers Association in 2019. Taylor served on the Austin Bar board of directors from 2015- 18, and served on the Civil Appellate Section’s governing council from 2014-20, including as its chair from 2018-19. She has volunteered her time to the Austin Bar in the Mentorship Program, the Gala committee, the Lawyer Well-Being committee, and the Holiday Baskets project. In the Travis County Women Lawyers Association, she served as president from 2010-11, has routinely volunteered as an annual mentor, and has participated in both the Color of Justice and Women’s Resource Fair programs. On behalf of the State Bar of Texas, she is a frequent author and speaker at statewide CLE conferences and serves as a member of the District 9 Grievance Committee Panel. Taylor is a fellow of the Austin Bar Foundation, TCWLF, and the State Bar. She has also been active in the Baylor Law Alumni Association, and has mentored Baylor Law students.

JOSEPH C. PARKER, JR. DIVERSITY AWARD

This award honors a firm or an individual who has led the way in bringing diversity to Austin’s legal community and who exemplifies Rev. Joseph C. Parker, Jr.’s commitment to championing the equal, ethical, and fair treatment of all people, while raising awareness of the need to diversify our legal community.

Judge Aurora Martinez Jones

Judge Aurora Martinez Jones

Aurora Martinez Jones was appointed in 2015 as the first Associate Judge to be dedicated to the child welfare dockets for the Travis County Civil District Courts. She will become the elected district judge of the 126 th Travis County District Court in January 2021. She is board certified in child welfare law and is a child welfare law specialist, certified by the National Association of Counsel for Children. Judge Martinez Jones is committed to progressive approaches for supporting the children and families who appear before her and also aims to use her court as a teaching ground for legal professionals and up-andcoming lawyers. She regularly speaks at conferences, hosts free CLEs, and actively mentors students while also providing judicial internships at both the pre-law and law student levels.

She has been a longtime member of the Austin Bar and has served on the board for local affinity bar organizations, including as the past-president of the Austin Black Lawyers Association. Judge Martinez Jones is a 2012-13 class member of LeadershipSBOT and has served on State Bar committees including the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct Committee as well as her current role on the Advertising Review Committee. Judge Martinez Jones also served on the board of directors for the Texas Young Lawyers Association. Currently, she serves on the boards of the Child Welfare Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and on the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Her work in all the professional organizations she has served has always included a focus on supporting young lawyers, creating pipelines, and providing progressive approaches to improving the practice of law while keeping sight of ethical responsibilities, access to justice, and equity and inclusion.

She is also on the board for the Austin Area Urban League and for a mentoring organization, Friends of the Children—Austin. She is the co-founder of the Child Welfare Race Equity Collaborative which helps bring the community voice into the problem-solving conversations about disparities in the statewide child welfare system. She is on the School Health Advisory Committee for a local school district and regularly hosts community and neighborhood educational meetings to help answer questions about the judiciary and child welfare issues for families.

Judge Martinez Jones and her husband, Mitchell Jones, are the proud parents of two precious little girls. AL