Austin Bar Association Podcast Network

In the next episode of Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar Association, sits down with all six justices of Texas' Third Court of Appeals. For the first time in the state's history, the Third Court of Appeals is comprised of all women. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/C06POZy3KxM

In the next episode of Stop the Stigma, we sit down with Kristi Taylor, executive director of the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health (JCMH). Formed by a joint order of the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 2018, the commission's mission is to develop, implement, and coordinate policies to improve courts' interactions with individuals with mental health...

Kurt Metscher is a 36-year-old family law attorney in Austin. His addiction challenges started in high school, first with marijuana, then amphetamines. After an incident in college, he entered treatment. Initially planning to return to his addiction once his probation was over, he gradually found himself enjoying the sober way of life. He wants people, particularly law firms and partners, to under...

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar talks to Sandra Avila Ramirez, First Latina Judge of the 98th Civil District Court. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SReZ7uu8KUQ

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Pete Gallego, former U.S. Congressman. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Oj7WVRIELhQ

TIMESTAMPS00:00 - 01:25 Introduction01:26 - 06:49 Why did you want to share your story with us?06:50 - 24:52 Tell us about your experiences with ADHD.24:53 - 30:32 What advice would you give to a lawyer struggling with ADHD?30:33 - 40:40 Closing StatementsDavid Courreges is a former Austin Bar president and general counsel at University Federal Credit Union. Katy Sutton is a Houston-based licensed...

In the next episode of Stop the Stigma, we talk with Austin attorney Brian Tagtmeier, who has suffered from alcoholism and depression for most of his life. Today, though, he is a successful attorney because he learned to stop isolating himself and to reach out to people for help. Brian's inspiring story is also available on YouTube : https://youtu.be/7Tr66-T6RS0

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Delia Garza, Travis County Attorney and first Latina to serve on Austin City Council, as Austin Mayor Pro Tem and County Attorney. Watch and subscribe on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BAgAZF6IjOQ

Cameron Cano's addictions started young. He remembers drinking a case of Smirnoff Ice when he was about 10 years old. At first it was alcohol, but it eventually led to crystal meth and jail all before law school. Cameron's biggest struggle was trying to maintain his sobriety after the drug-related death of his older brother. Angry and not sure where to go or what to do, Cameron decided to...

In the next episode of Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, sits down with Austin attorney Pete Reid to discuss his law career, his journey to becoming an attorney, and how he created his unbiased Scottish soccer announcer alter ego and social media star, Allaster McKallaster.

Shana Faulhaber is a Dallas-based criminal defense attorney who started drinking when she was 14 years old and continued to do so as she got older. In law school and in her early career, she rationalized that alcohol was a natural part of the legal profession, so she didn’t have a problem, even as her nightly red wine habit escalated from one glass to one bottle to eventually a three-liter box. Af...

Greg Cox is a regulatory and public law attorney. He's also someone who has chosen not to drink - a decision he says has immensely improved his life. Without alcohol, Greg says he's able to be more present as a husband and father. As a regulatory law attorney, Greg acknowledges that the wheels of government typically turn the most during cocktail hour. However, choosing not to drink has not destro...

Watch and subscribe on YouTube Deborah Wigington is judge of Comal County Court at Law No. 3 in New Braunfels. The mental health court handles both civil matters, as well as criminal referrals, related to mental health issues. The purpose of the court is to take a non-adversarial approach to helping individuals with mental health issues find resources that can help them. The court has forms to sha...

Watch on YouTube In the next episode of Stop the Stigma, we talk to Paul Jacobs, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. In Paul’s own words, his addictions cost him virtually everything - his lucrative career, his marriage, and nearly his children. In his heart, he knew he was an addict, but it wasn’t until he was at his lowest point - -23 degrees below zero at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minne...

Click here to watch on YouTube . The Christi Center is a free grief counseling center in Austin, Texas. The Center has groups for Loss to Suicide, Loss to Overdose, Pregnancy and Infant Loss, Crime Victims, Teen Group, as well as a general adult group. Featured in this episode are Ana-Christina Gonzalez, a fundraising consultant for the Christi Center; Executive and Clinical Director Jocelyn Chamr...

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to with Aaron Moncibaiz, general counsel for Goodwill of Central Texas. For more information on how you can support Goodwill Central Texas, visit https://www.goodwillcentraltexas.org/

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - 01:00 Introduction 01:01 - 05:30 Why did you want to share your story with us? 05:31 - 10:57 How did you experience depression and what effect did it have on your practice and personal life? 10:58 - 11:42 How did you realize what you were feeling was depression? 11:43 - 13:51 How did you reenter the practice of law? 13:52 - 19:14 How do you prioritize your mental health? 19:15 -...

This week we revisit our interviews with the Hon. Maria Cantú Hexsel of the 53rd Civil District Court and María Amelia Calaf, partner at Botkin Chiarello Calaf.

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Gabrielle Smith, president-elect of the Travis County Women Lawyers' Association. To become members of TCWLA or learn more about the organization, visit  tcwla.org

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar talks to Philip Arnold and Matt Garcia, chair and chair-elect of the Austin Bar LGBTQ+ Law Section. To donate to the Drag and Justice LGBTQ+ Scholarship Fundraiser, visit   https://givebutter.com/em7Ihu . To join the section, visit  https://www.austinbar.org/?pg=lgbtqlaw The section is also accep...

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Melissa Johnson, Immediate Past President of the San Diego Bar Association and Executive Council member of the National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP). This episode was recorded at the American Bar Association/ National Conference of Bar Presidents meeting in Louisville, Kentucky....

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Samantha McCoy, an Austin attorney who successfully lobbied the United Nations to pass the first resolution addressing justice for victims of sexual violence. Please note: This episode deals with sensitive topics like sexual assault and rape. For more information about how to get involv...

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Justice Darlene Byrne, Judge Leigh Mathews Rodriguez, and Allison Edwards of Foster Angels about the child welfare system and the Denise Hyde Scholarship Fund. The Denise Hyde Scholarship Fund was established in 2012 to provide funding for education-related expenses for youth aging out...

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Marc Cayabyab, president of the Austin Asian American Bar Association (AAABA). To learn more about the Austin Asian American Bar Association, visit  https://austinaaba.org/ .

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Mark Calaguas, president of the Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE) Chicago and executive councilmember of the National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP). This episode was recorded at the American Bar Association/ National Conference of Bar Presidents me...