Austin Black Lawyers Association Honors Trailblazers at 2023 Andrea Pair Bryant Legacy Luncheon

Three ABLA Members Receive Recognition

BY VELVA PRICE, Travis County District Clerk

Robynn Fletcher, Anthony “Tony” J. Nelson, and Judge Eric Shepperd were the honorees at the 2023 Austin Black Lawyers Association (ABLA) Andrea Pair Bryant Legacy Luncheon.

The trio were honored for their significant contributions to the African American legal community.

Robynn Fletcher graduated with a B.S. in chemistry from The University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from the UT School of Law. She has been a solo practitioner since 2005 with a primary focus on child welfare cases. She has advocated for hundreds of parents and children in Travis and Williamson county courts throughout her career. Fletcher is a past president of ABLA and past chair of the Court Appointed Family Advocates (CAFA) Section of the Austin Bar Association. She is currently serving as the secretary of the Austin Black Lawyers Foundation. Fletcher is a native Austinite. Her ultimate joy is spending time with her daughter and proud Girl Scout, Sydni.

Anthony “Tony” J. Nelson currently serves as the Federal Court Litigation Team Leader for the Travis County Attorney’s Office, representing Travis County and its elected officials and employees in federal court litigation matters. Nelson graduated from the University of Maryland and then UT School of Law. He started his career as an assistant attorney general in the Law Enforcement Defense Division before transitioning to private practice. He worked in the firms of Allison & Associates; Bickerstaff, Heath, Smiley, Pollan, Kever & McDaniel LLP; and Thomas, Hudson & Nelson LLP. Nelson’s community involvement includes ABLA and serving as co-chair of the Austin Bar Association’s former Diversity Committee (now the DEI Committee) since its inception. Nelson and his wife, Marie, are proud parents of two sons, Wesley and Michael; daughter-in-law, Jocelyn; and grandson, Aiden.

Judge Eric Shepperd joined the bench as judge of the Travis County Court at Law No. 2 in 2007. He earned his B.A. from Andrews University and his J.D. from UT School of Law. He served as an assistant attorney general in the Law Enforcement Defense Division with fellow honoree Tony Nelson. He then served as director of litigation for the Travis County Attorney’s Office before he was elected judge. He is a past president of both ABLA and the Austin Bar. He has also served as chair of the Red Cross of Central Texas and Austin Habitat for Humanity. In addition, he has led the

Texas Center for the Judiciary and the Austin Bar Foundation. He is board-certified in civil trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

In attendance at the Legacy Luncheon were many judges and justices from Travis County criminal and civil courts and the Third Court of Appeals. ABLA thanks our sponsors for such a successful event.

The Legacy Luncheon is named after Andrea Pair Bryant, one of the founders of ABLA, who was always a “woman with a mission” and an iconic figure who held a deep passion for law, the arts, and volunteerism. AL

L-R): ABLA President Ciara Parks with award winners Judge Eric Shepperd, Robynn Fletcher, and Anthony “Tony” J. Nelson.