PRESIDENT'S COLUMN KENNON WOOTEN, SCOTT DOUGLASS & McCONNICO
A Year In Review Looking Back on the 2020-21 Bar Year
W
hen we look back on 2020-21, all of us will have stories about how life as we knew it changed. We endured a pandemic. As a result, many of us learned how to do our jobs from home, and many of us lost friends and loved ones. In the wake of inflammatory rhetoric surrounding COVID-19, we witnessed a surge of anti-Asian racism. In the wake of George Floyd’s death in May 2020, we witnessed increased awareness and action in relation to racism and antiracism. In February 2021, we experienced Winter Storm Uri and associated power outages, water shortages, and property damage. And, between July 2020 and May 2021, we said goodbye to several local legal legends, including William (“Bill”) Hilgers, Roy Minton, Lloyd Lochridge, and Broadus Spivey. These are just a few of the things that impacted us and, in some instances, changed our lives forever. When preparing to serve as Austin Bar Association president during the 2020-21 bar year, I knew there was no way to predict how the unprecedented year would unfold and that there was no playbook for how to maintain our strength and well-being as an organization and as individuals. But I also knew that our organization is comprised of remarkable, resilient people who can weather almost any storm and who have the sensitivity and 6
AUSTINLAWYER | JUNE 2021
skills required to help others in times of need. Thanks to the dedication and diligence of our board, committees, sections, and staff members, the 2020-21 bar year has been marked by productivity and progress for the Austin Bar. I am grateful for everything we accomplished together. This article spotlights a few of those accomplishments. CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION Thanks to Zoom, the Austin Bar pivoted readily to virtual CLE programming during the pandemic and offered more than 70 hours of free CLE credit to its members. When our annual Bench Bar Conference had to be rescheduled due to the pandemic, Amanda Arriaga and Justice Chari Kelly coordinated Couch Bar, a fun virtual event with innovative programming. Arriaga stepped up again later in the year to coordinate a free CLE program geared toward government lawyers. And, after regrouping, the Bench Bar Committee—chaired by Rob Frazer, ALJ Megan Honey Johnson, Amy Meredith, Maitreya Tomlinson, Judge Kim Williams, and Judge Gisela Triana—hosted a successful, virtual Bench Bar Conference in September 2020. PRO BONO INITIATIVES Through monthly meetings of stakeholders in the legal-services community, the Pro Bono Committee—chaired by Bill Christian, Caitlin Haney Johnston, and ALJ Johnson—helped connect attorneys and paralegals with pro bono opportunities through the unique challenges presented by the pandemic and Winter Storm Uri. The Austin Bar also hosted a CLE program to teach lawyers how
Thanks to Zoom, the Austin Bar pivoted readily to virtual CLE programming during the pandemic and offered more than 70 hours of free CLE credit to its members. to further family reunification for children in immigration custody. LAWYER WELL-BEING Our Lawyer Well-Being Committee—chaired by Danielle Ahlrich and Diana Reinhart—coordinated multiple virtual programs designed to foster our well-being and keep us connected with each other despite social distancing necessitated by the pandemic. Thanks to Rachel McKenna, these programs included the new Cooking with the Judiciary series, through which local judges taught Austin Bar members how to cook delicious dishes. Beyond the online programming, committee members ensured that this publication regularly included articles focused on issues relating
to mental health and overall well-being. During a tumultuous time that tested all of us, the Lawyer Well-Being Committee provided much-needed awareness and comfort. VIRTUAL GALA For the first time ever, we had a virtual gala for the Austin Bar Foundation. Our gala chairs—Arriaga, Elliot Beck, and Mary-Ellen Wyatt—confronted the task of transitioning to the virtual realm with bravery, creativity, and determination. In keeping with the Austin Bar’s focus on equity this year, the theme of the gala was “Around the World,” celebrating our diversity and illustrating the idea that, despite our differences, we are all connected and all part
