austinbar.org JUNE 2016 | VOLUME 25, NUMBER 5
Law Day Reception Honors Award Winners
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he Austin Bar held a Law Day reception on May 3, 2016, on the Terrace at 816 Congress. The event marked the national celebration of Law Day and was attended by approximately 70 people. Law Day is held annually to celebrate the role of law in our society and to cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal profession. This year’s theme was Miranda: More Than Words, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case, Miranda v. Arizona. Student winners of the Law Day poster and essay contests were in attendance to receive their awards and special recognition. The students were asked to illustrate or write an essay on “Why should all people be treated fairly even if they are suspected of wrongdoing?” Abigail Scharf, a kindergarten student at Northwest Elementary in Pflugerville, won first place in the kindergarten – 2nd grade age category. Her poster, titled “Give People Another Chance” also won 2nd place in the State Bar of Texas’ Law Day poster contest. Noor Rami Ahmed, a third grade student at Northwest Elementary, won in the 3rd – 5th grade age category for her poster titled “Being Treated Fairly is in the Bill of Rights.” Third place essay winner, Leanna Gonzales, a senior member of the Akins High School Legal Eagles team, won $100 for her essay. Omar Trejo, also a senior from the Akins
the career achievements of Regina Rogoff, former Executive Director of Legal Aid of Central Texas. This year’s recipient was Susan Miller, Deputy Chief of the Civil Medicaid Fraud Division at the Office of the Attorney General of Texas. Miller is a passionately dedicated public servant who ensures all credible, actionable allegations of fraud are pursued to a just and fair resolution for the State’s Medicaid program. She is a role model and mentor for many young attorneys. In every professional endeavor, her decision-making process begins and ends with what is best for the State and its citizens who are dependent upon the Medicaid program for assistance.
PROFESSIONALISM AWARD
TOP: (from left) Judge Eric Shepperd honors Bar Award winners: Susan Miller and Jim McCormack BOTTOM: (from left) Student award winners Jyoti Luu, Omar Trejo, Leanna Gonzales, and Abigal Scharf
High School Legal Eagles team, won $250 for his second place essay. The winning essay came from Bowie
High School junior, Jyoti Luu. Luu received $500 for her efforts. (Read Luu’s essay, The Preservation of Our Liberties on page 9.) Austin Bar President Judge Eric Shepperd presented the following Austin Bar Association Awards:
REGINA ROGOFF AWARD This annual award from the Austin Bar Association recognizes outstanding public sector service and serves as a lasting tribute to
The Austin Bar Association, in partnership with the Texas Center for Legal Ethics, annually presents this award to honor an Austin attorney who best exemplifies, by conduct and character, truly professional traits; who others in the bar seek to emulate and who all in the bar admire. This year’s Professionalism Award winner was Jim McCormack. McCormack is a past chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Ethics Exchange. An expert in legal ethics and malpractice issues, he is the former General Counsel and Chief Disciplinary Counsel of the State Bar of Texas, and he served as a member of the State Bar’s Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct Committee, which is charged with recommending amendments to the Texas ethics rules. He has taught professional responsibility as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of continued on page 8