Together, We’ve Made it a Great Year

AYLA PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

BY SANDY BAYNE, BAYNE LAW

As 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

AYLA Day of Service volunteers gathered to make birthday boxes for the Center for Child Protection.

Attorneys attending the Fresh Start Initiative: Juvenile Record Sealing Training CLE.

AYLA President Sandy Bayne and AYLA board member Johnathan Stone at the Fresh Start Initiative: Juvenile Record Sealing Legal Clinic.

“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 New Groove, Central Texas Food Bank, Coats for Kids, Community First Village, and the YMCA of East Austin.

Our annual tailgate, chaired by Franklin Hopkins and his dedicated committee, was more successful than ever, raising over $10,000. These funds were used to buy toys for over 200 children for our holiday program and to purchase birthday boxes for the Center for Child Protection.

At our holiday program, the children participated in fun activities including face painting, holiday crafts, a bounce house, and even a magic show performed by Austin Bar Past-President Adam Schramek and his assistant, Justice Chari Kelly. A “toy store” was provided by AYLA and while the children were being entertained, their loved ones were able to select a gift for each child, while AYLA volunteers wrapped the gifts in festive paper.

It is so delightful to witness the excitement and gratitude of the children and their parents at this event. I must give an enormous thanks to our volunteers and donors who are so loyal in their support to AYLA and our projects. We are eternally grateful for your generosity.

While we are thrilled to finally have the City of Austin’s approval to move into our new home at Hilgers House, we have not yet been able to move in due to the pandemic. However, I am hopeful and excited for many memories to come in our new home.

I look forward to staying very involved with my AYLA family and to seeing our organization thrive. It has been nothing less than an honor to serve as president this year. I look forward to the year ahead and with our incoming president, David King, in charge. I know AYLA will be in great hands. AL