Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Young Lawyers Committee of the Bankruptcy Section of the State Bar of Texas. We are the focal point for young bankruptcy professionals throughout Texas to connect and share resources that are useful in everyday practice. Involvement in our committee is a great way to become actively involved in the bankruptcy community.

It is a great honor to serve as the Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee.  During my tenure as Chair, I’d like to focus on a few key issues: updating our Bylaws, fostering engagement of our members, and increasing our Committee’s exposure throughout Texas by identifying and providing opportunities for our members to publish their works, connect with other insolvency professionals, and participate as panelists or moderators at conferences and seminars.

In the spirit of these goals, here are some benefits of Committee membership:

The Committee provides a forum for collaborative learning and interaction among young professionals engaged in substantive bankruptcy law and insolvency issues, including bankruptcy attorneys, judicial law clerks, and financial professionals. We hold monthly teleconferences to address each area in which we (and our subcommittees) can make a difference in our bankruptcy community. Our Committee prides itself on inclusion and fellowship. We’d love to have you as part of our team.

Our Committee fosters better engagement with other bankruptcy professionals around the State. In addition to our monthly meetings, we host numerous receptions at major conferences throughout Texas, including the Jay L. Westbrook Bankruptcy Conference, the State Bar of Texas Bankruptcy Bench Bar Conference, and district level bench bar conferences. This year, we are actively involved in the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges as well. Additionally, each Officer on the Committee works closely with at least one officer on the Bankruptcy Law Section to assist with his or her duties and to better integrate young lawyers into Bankruptcy Law Section activities.

We promote the principle of service to the public, emphasize the importance of pro bono services, and promote inclusion and mentoring. Among other things, the Committee is actively involved in the following programs:

-  the Moneywise program, which educates high school students about budgeting, credit cards and debt;

-  the Elliot Cup, which is a moot court competition for students at law schools in the Fifth Circuit and is meant to help prepare them for the national Duberstein Moot Court Competition, now in its 27^th year; and

-  the Starting Out Right program, which educates new lawyers on bankruptcy law and practical strategies for a successful transition to the practice of law.

The Committee is open to any member of the Bankruptcy Law Section of the State Bar of Texas who is under the age of forty (40) or has been in practice less than ten (10) years. In certain cases, insolvency professionals who are not members of the Bankruptcy Law Section are also permitted to join the Committee.  Our membership is growing, and I encourage all young bankruptcy professionals to consider joining our Committee.

Lastly, I would appreciate hearing from you about how we can make the Committee more valuable to you as a member. We are only as strong as our collective inputs, so please share yours. I welcome you to contact me directly with your ideas for improving the Committee or becoming more involved. You can reach me at acarson@grayreed.com.

Thank you again for this opportunity. I look forward to serving and collaborating with you all.

Best regards,

Amber M. Carson

Chair, Young Lawyers Committee