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2015–16 BAR YEAR September 2015 Volume 24, Number 7 www.AustinBar.org
Features #AUSTINBARINACTION: Judge Kennedy.......... 1 Austin Bar Membership Offer............................ 5 Austin Bar 100 Club Membership........................7 Austin Bar Achievements By the Numbers.............8 Austin Bar Foundation & LGBT Bar Scholarship....10 Judge Byrne Receives National Award....................12 Gloria Leal Honored by State Hispanic Bar.........16 Gala Award Nominations/A-List Diversity Firms....17 AAABA’s Attorneys in the Arts...............................19 Travis County Courts Campaign Update..............20
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Judge Brenda Kennedy Named Presiding Judge of Travis County Criminal Courts By Nancy Gray, Austin Bar Association
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Departments President’s Column............................................ 4 Opening Statement.......................................... 11 3rd Court of Appeals Update........................... 14 Briefs............................................................... 23 AYLA............................................................... 24 Entre Nous....................................................... 28 Upcoming Events............................................ 30 Classifieds /Ad Index........................................ 31
T
he Honorable Brenda Kennedy became presiding judge of the Travis County Criminal Courts in January, 2015. Elected by her fellow criminal court judges for a four-year term, she carries the administrative and policy responsibilities on their behalf. Judge Elisabeth Earle, presiding judge of Travis County Court at Law No. 7, had this to say about Judge Kennedy: I have been extremely fortunate to have known and worked with Judge Kennedy for over 20 years. As an assistant county attorney in the mid 90s, I was assigned to her court as a young prosecutor and greatly benefited from her mentorship. In 2002, when she decided to seek the District Court bench, I was honored to follow in her footsteps, being elected judge of the County Court at
Law bench she was vacating. Judge Kennedy is not only an outstanding jurist, but a much-valued colleague and a dear friend. We are fortunate to benefit from Judge Kennedy’s legal expertise and her dedication to bettering the criminal justice system in Travis County. Following her graduation from continued on page 6