AUSTIN YOUNG LAWYERS ASSOCIATION
AY LA PRESIDENT’S COLUMN SANDY BAYNE, BAYNE LAW
Together, We’ve Made it a Great Year
A
s another bar year comes to a close, I want to express my utmost gratitude to our board of directors, staff (Debbie Kelly, I’m talking to you!) and all of our members for completing a successful year. I am in awe of the generosity, dedication, tenacity, and passion of our board members. We are so fortunate to have such a hard-working team, dedicated to the service of our community. We have had a lot of laughs, great Docket Calls, informative CLEs, inspiring board meetings, and impactful community service events. Undoubtedly, this year will be remembered for the global pandemic and the interruption it caused around the world. Despite the difficult challenges that closing down the world posed, many of our leaders have risen to the occasion. Most importantly, our community has, for the most part, performed in solidarity the asks and measures recommended by the experts to help mitigate the expanse of this disaster. In our effort to do our part in battling COVID-19, many of AYLA’s seminal events and our most successful fundraisers had to be postponed. However, thanks to the creativity of Austin Bar Treasurer Amanda Arriaga and Justice Chari Kelly, we were able to conceive and create 20
AUSTINLAWYER | JUNE 2020
“Couch Bar” with the Austin Bar Association. Surprisingly, we had our highest attendance ever, albeit online, with over 400 attorneys and judges attending. Our ability to quickly pivot and engage our members in such a novel and successful way demonstrates our resilience and resolve. Prior to the pandemic, AYLA was able to provide a tremendous amount of community service. Thanks to our generous sponsors and altruistic members, we spent hours volunteering this year at the following organizations: The Green Corn Project, Austin Pets Alive, BookSpring, The SAFE Alliance, Center for Child Protection, Kids in a (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) AYLA Day of Service volunteers gathered to make birthday boxes for the Center for Child Protection. AYLA President Sandy Bayne and AYLA board member Johnathan Stone New Groove, Central Texas Food Bank, Coats at the Fresh Start Initiative: Juvenile Record Sealing Legal Clinic. Attorneys attending the Fresh Start Initiative: Juvenile Record Sealing Training CLE. for Kids, Community First Village, and the YMCA of East Austin. was provided by AYLA and while Hilgers House, we have not yet Our annual tailgate, chaired the children were being enterbeen able to move in due to the by Franklin Hopkins and his tained, their loved ones were able pandemic. However, I am hopeful dedicated committee, was more to select a gift for each child, and excited for many memories successful than ever, raising over while AYLA volunteers wrapped to come in our new home. $10,000. These funds were used the gifts in festive paper. I look forward to staying very to buy toys for over 200 children It is so delightful to witness involved with my AYLA family for our holiday program and to the excitement and gratitude of and to seeing our organization purchase birthday boxes for the the children and their parents at thrive. It has been nothing Center for Child Protection. this event. I must give an enorless than an honor to serve as At our holiday program, the mous thanks to our volunteers president this year. I look forward children participated in fun activand donors who are so loyal in to the year ahead and with our ities including face painting, holtheir support to AYLA and our incoming president, David King, iday crafts, a bounce house, and projects. We are eternally grateful inAUSTIN charge. ILAWYER know AYLA will be AL AL even a magic show performed by for your generosity. in great hands. Austin Bar Past-President Adam While we are thrilled to finally Schramek and his assistant, have the City of Austin’s approval Justice Chari Kelly. A “toy store” to move into our new home at
