Get to Know the 2022-23 President

PRESIDENT'S COLUMN

Meet Amanda Arriaga as She Takes the Helm at Bar

Amanda Arriaga is the general counsel and chief external relations officer of Texas CASA. She served as president of the Austin Young Lawyers Association during the 2014-15 bar year. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and The University of Texas School of Law. She was the recipient of the 40 Under 40 Award for the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 2017. She has been a frequent speaker on project management, contract management, and change management.

AUSTIN BAR: What was your first job out of law school?

ARRIAGA: I always knew my career would be in public service. I liked the idea that that if I could have a role in changing the law, I could potentially make an impact for multiple people, rather than one person at a time. My first grown-up job out of law school was as a policy advisor for Governor Rick Perry. I had clerked in the Governor’s General Counsel’s office, but, to me, the policy office was where the action was. If you were motivated and worked hard, there was always more to do.

I had many different assignments throughout the years, but the one that was constant was border affairs. I helped to establish Governor Perry’s Border Security Council and was the lead policy advisor for the Border Governors Conference. The BGC was an annual event where all of the U.S. and Mexican border governors and their staff worked together on common issues. While we didn’t always agree, the relationship-building was the real goal, and that always got accomplished.

AUSTIN BAR: What has been your career path from then?

ARRIAGA: After the Governor’s office, I spent over a decade at the Texas Department of Public Safety, focusing on many different issue areas, including overseeing contracts and HR, where I learned that administrative law is fun.

This past January, I left state government for a child welfare nonprofit organization, Texas CASA, where I serve as general counsel and chief external relations officer. This job lets me work both sides of my brain: the side that likes administrative law, and the side that likes public policy work.

AUSTIN BAR: How long have you been involved with the Austin Bar?

ARRIAGA: I joined the Austin Young Lawyers Association right out of law school. I had been part of the Student Bar Association at UT Law, so when I heard about AYLA Docket Call, I showed up to the next one that was scheduled. The first person I met was an outgoing, fun lawyer checking people in. She invited me to sit down and chat with her. A few weeks later, I saw her again at auditions for Bar & Grill. She told me that I HAD to join AYLA and help her out with some projects, and I quickly became the government lawyer representative on the AYLA board. That lawyer is Amy Welborn, and we have been friends ever since.

From left: Jacquelyn Wilson, Debbie Kelly, President Amanda Arriaga, Emily Scholten, and Nadia Bettac. These ladies worked hard to make the Austin Bar Foundation Annual Gala a success!

I served as president of the Austin Young Lawyers Association during the 2014-15 bar year. Not all AYLA presidents decide to go on to join the “Big Bar,” but I had so many ideas and experiences from the AYLA perspective that I decided I needed to join so that I could make a difference on the issues I think are important.

One of those issues involves the price of dues. I am proud to say that after raising the issue of government lawyer dues for many years, this past year, we finally created a new dues rate of $95 for all government lawyers and lawyers who work for nonprofits. I hope we will be able to recruit more members from those areas, and that the new members will receive value from the Austin Bar.

AUSTIN BAR: What excites you most about being the new president of the Austin Bar?

ARRIAGA: People who know me know that I ask a lot of questions, and I am not afraid of change. The answer that bothers me the most is “because we have always done it that way.”

We are a voluntary bar association, and you choose to be a member, so you should know where the money goes. By the end of this bar year, we will publish an annual report, and I hope that will be an ongoing report for years to come.

I have heard throughout the years that the Austin Bar can seem like a “closed” club, where only certain people are recognized, get to be featured in CLEs and articles, and get all the awards. I want to make sure that we address this, and the only way to do it is to face it head on.

I am not the kind of president that is afraid of a hard question, afraid of change, or who thinks discussion means dissent. If you have thoughts, or want to be part of the process, let me know at amanda@austinbar.org. Questions welcome.

AUSTIN BAR: Do you have a particular focus or theme for your term?

ARRIAGA: As president of the Austin Bar, I plan to bring a focus on transparency, governance, and inclusion.

Transparency: When I was researching Texas CASA, one thing I noticed is that they have reports that show that 88% of all funds they receive from state funding goes directly to the local programs to serve children in the child welfare system. I realized that I haven’t ever seen that type of document about the Austin Bar, and we should have one. We are a voluntary bar association, and you choose to be a member, so you should know where the money goes. By the end of this bar year, we will publish an annual report, and I hope that will be an ongoing report for years to come.

Governance: A focus on governance will help explain how decisions are made and will ensure that you can trust they will be made objectively. Moving forward, when we have a call for award nominations, requests for sponsorship, or call for leadership positions or presenters, there will be a form to fill out with a consistent set of questions so that we can evaluate based on standard criteria. My hope is that this will prevent any perception that “we only help our friends.” But, when those calls go out, I will need your help in getting us nominations from the people you know, who you think deserve to be recognized.

Inclusion: I was part of a committee that worked on an Equitable and Inclusive Vendor Policy last year to ensure that when the Austin Bar spends over $1,000 on a contract, we seek out diverse businesses and show our commitment to equity with our dollars. I have already heard some questions about whether the Austin Bar actually follows those policies and if anyone is ensuring that we keep our commitment to the policy.

I want to assure you that these are discussions that we have in executive committee meetings every time a purchase of that size comes up. There are times when we have a need and we can’t find that many respondents. For example, for a venue for an event as large as the gala, those will typically be in larger ballroom spaces, and there may not be an obvious HUB vendor that can hold a 600+ event. However, if we are overlooking vendors for these kinds of events, and you know of them, I want that information so we can be as competitive as possible. We are looking through all of our current contracts with a focus on being competitive and adhering to our policy. While the Austin Bar may have relationships with vendors that have been made over time, no contract is owed to a vendor in perpetuity, and we wouldn’t be very good lawyers if we allowed for that.

I have also gotten feedback that since many of the Austin Bar events have a cost to attend, it could seem to exclude those that can’t afford it. I agree that we should have more events like AYLA, where you are invited to participate because you are a member, without an additional charge. One thing I have talked about with our executive director and the new executive committee, is how can we better add value to our members. We are discussing holding additional events, some of which I hope will be family friendly. Keep an eye out for some sort of cocktail party this fall. Don’t worry, there won’t be any speeches, awards, or high school photos. Instead, it would be a time for us to just gather as a group, at a low-key, no-pressure party. Think more boots and jeans than black tie and boots.

AUSTIN BAR: What challenges, if any, do you believe we face as an organization and how will you address them?

ARRIAGA: One challenge that we still have is a lack of meeting space for our sections and committees. When the Austin Bar Foundation purchased the Hilgers House, there was a promise to turn the current garage into a technology conference center. However, because of the pandemic and the supply chain shortage, and now increased costs as a result of the supply chain shortage, that has yet to come to fruition.

I know that we owe the sections a solution to that problem. One potential solution that some of you know and like is the ability to have meetings and CLE virtually. I am not the only person who likes the freedom of being able to login one minute before the start time, and still wear my pajama pants.

However, while we begin the planning process for the renovation, we are also actively looking at signing contracts with new facilities around town (with parking) that can hold our large events and are available for use.

If you have an upcoming event that needs space, please reach out to me or our events manager, Chase Brunson, at chase@austinbar.org. If you have or know of a location that you would be willing to rent out for our Austin Bar events, please reach out to Chase or me with that information as well.

AUSTIN BAR: Tell us a hobby or little-known fact about yourself.

ARRIAGA: As part of my research for the last Austin Bar gala, I found my high school letterman jacket. I lettered in dance and mock trial. So, some things never change. AL