Prominent Texas judges among speakers at ABA Midyear Meeting

Mayor Annise D. Parker, State Sen. Rodney Ellis and prominent judges from Texas are among several high-profile speakers who will address attendees of the 2015 American Bar Association Midyear Meeting, Feb. 4-9, in Houston. Parker will welcome to Houston the ABA House of Delegates, the association's policy-making body, on Feb. 9 session at the Lanier Grand Ballroom of Hilton Americas Hotel. Parker's welcome remarks will open the session at 8:30 a.m. Five Texas judges Eva M. Guzman of the Texas Supreme Court, Jerry E. Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Ricardo H. Hinojosa of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and Jane Bland of the Texas First Court of Appeals will participate in a discussion on the state of the Texas judiciary at 12:15 p.m. on Feb. 6 at the Austin Room (Third Floor) of the Four Seasons Hotel. The panel will address challenges such as court funding, access to justice, adequacy of court staffing and the judicial selection process, among issues. In another program, Ellis and Chief Public Defender Alex Bunin will examine the progress of the public defender office established in 2011 in Harris County, the last major urban county in the country to get a public defender program. As part of the all-day ABA Indigent Defense Summit, Ellis and Bunin will speak at 1:30 p.m. at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. With almost 760 top-quality legal programs and events, and presentations by the country's foremost law experts and speakers, the ABA Midyear Meeting is the nation's premier gathering of legal professionals. Online registration for news reporters is easier than ever. Credential guidelines are at www.americanbar.org/news/media-credentials.html. Among other programs of local interest: Thursday, Feb. 5 "Welcome Reception and Hispanic Home Buyers Video Launch" The ABA will debut a public service video about the home-buying process. The video, available in Spanish and English, educates Hispanic first-time homebuyers about the key legal elements and implications of buying a home. Also, speakers will explore how the Latino community was affected by the foreclosure crisis and will address future initiatives to promote understanding of owning real estate. Friday, Feb. 6 "Age of Innocence? A Look at Recent Immigration Cases Involving the Child Status Protection Act, Deferred Action and Unaccompanied Minors in Removal Proceedings" - Texas lawyers and not-for-profit agencies saw unique challenges last year in assisting unaccompanied minors at the U.S. border, and immigration courts have seen a significant increase in these unaccompanied minors in removal proceedings. A panel of experts will discuss these issues and their causes, share insights and experiences and offer suggestions for practitioners representing children in immigration cases. "Lawyers Working to End Poverty: A Conversation with Local Experts and National Advocates" - Local advocates, legal aid providers, pro bono attorneys, social service providers, politicians and others will discuss efforts to combat poverty in Houston. What issues are most pressing in Houston? What can lawyers do to assist with antipoverty efforts? What can the ABA do to promote and assist local efforts? Homelessness and poverty experts will also discuss best practices and model programs from across the country. Saturday, Feb. 7 "Executive Action in Immigration Law, Pros and Cons" - Experts, including President Thomas A. Saenz of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Professor Michael A. Olivas of the University of Houston Law Center, will explore President Obama's recent executive decision to provide temporary legal status to certain undocumented immigrants. Among other topics, the panel will address the constitutional law aspects of the order and look at the litigation of cases filed against the executive action. Published: Wed, Feb 04, 2015