FROM MICHAEL C. SMITH’S EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS BLOG
I am ridiculously proud to recognize my East Texas chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates for winning the large chapter of the year award last month at the National Board Meeting in Whistler, BC, Canada. (Why does ABOTA meet in Canada? Probably for the same reason Tex-ABOTA meets in Santa Fe – it’s too damn hot here). The small chapter award was taken home by the San Bernadino/Riverside chapter.
The chapter was represented at the meeting by ABOTA president Jennifer Doan of Texarkana, Curt Fenley of Nacogdoches and Jack Baldwin of Marshall. Oh, and Marshall Wood, also of Texarkana, who then forgot to bring the trophy to our fall social in Tyler last week.
The award is the outcome of several years of hard work by chapter presidents and members, and we are so, so thankful for all their work towards gaining this recognition for the good work our chapter does. I continue to plug away at ABOTA committee work, all of which I am really enjoying. Jennifer just appointed me to a workgroup at the national level looking into the effect of AI on trial practice, and at the state level I chair Tex-ABOTA’s amicus brief committee, and have been fortunate to continue to be involved in the discussion of how Texas’ business courts are going to work when they begin operation next September.