2 minute read
YLA Snapshot
YLA
Snapshot
Brian Singleterry 2021–2022 TCYLA President
“I feel like a turtle on top of a fence post,” said 2021 Blackstone Award winner Steven Laird at November’s Law Day Awards Luncheon. “The turtle didn’t get there by himself.” This sentiment of gratitude was expressed by all the Law Day’s award winners. Each of them—even though their list of professional achievements would fill many pages— acknowledged that they could not have achieved what they did without the help of family, friends, colleagues, and mentors.
Although I can’t say this for certain, I’d guess that many of those friends, colleagues, and mentors were found and formed through some type of bar association. Every winner’s resume showed deep involvement in the legal community. All of them served in multiple legal groups; all of them served in leadership positions; and all of them helped mentor younger lawyers. Two of them—Gregory Monroe and Katherine Hopkins—are past TCYLA Presidents.
The TCYLA strives to be a place where young lawyers can meet friends and mentors, have fun, and develop their professional identity. Here are just some of the events TCYLA has recently been involved with:
• CLE from top lawyers in the community—including a judicial panels from our Tarrant County judges. Our
January panel included Judge Pierson, Judge Gallagher, and Judge Wilkinson. We hope to host future panels with criminal and family judges.
• Happy hours and socials, which provide our members and other lawyers an opportunity to meet people and get to know people better. Our December happy hour was sponsored by the Tarrant County Business Litigation Section, mixing our members with some of the top lawyers in the County.
• Community service events, such as our December event with the Tarrant County Boys & Girls Club, helping kids make Christmas ornaments. We also have a grant from the Texas Young Lawyers Association to make
Tarrant County’s Child Protection Courts a more friendly place for kids.
• Spring Fiesta, which is TCYLA’s biggest event of the year, will happen for the first time in two years in 2022.
It always attracts TCYLA members, TCYLA alumni, lawyers, and Tarrant County judges.
It was through these types of events that I met many of my friends and mentors. Looking back on my life and career, I also know how that turtle feels. Although I’ve not accomplished anything near what Steven Laird and the other award winners have, I would not be where I am today but for the help I received along the way. So please, get involved, and I hope to see you soon! g
Members can access all free online CLE available on the TCYLA’s e-community.
If you are not a member of TCYLA, contact Lauren St. Clair at laurensc@tarrantbar.org to purchase the recording.
Topic: Business Valuations: Reliable Principles and Methods Speaker: Richard Claywell, CPA CLE: 1 hour Topic: Proving Actual Innocence by Clear and Convincing Evidence Speaker: Mike Ware, Innocence Project of Texas CLE: 1 hour
http://www.tcyla.org/
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Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association @TCYLA
The Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association is an organization for attorneys 35 years of age or younger or attorneys who have practiced law for less than 10 years.
To become a TCYLA member, please visit www.tarrantbar.org/TCYLA.
