A Message from the Chapter President

The San Antonio Chapter of the Federal Bar Association is located within Bexar County and the surrounding area including Atascosa, Bandera, Caldwell, Comal, Frio, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, and Wilson Counties. The chapter has served the San Antonio area since it was chartered in 1964. The second largest chapter in the 5th Circuit, the San Antonio Chapter has more than 400 members from private practice, government agencies, military branches, local law schools and local courts. The chapter serves its members through monthly luncheons, Federal Practice Seminars, Supreme Court Swearing In Ceremonies, and many other programs. Below you will find a listing of the chapter officers. If you have not already done so, I invite you to join the Federal Bar Association and San Antonio Chapter. I also encourage you to visit the chapter's Web site at www.fedbarsatx.org for more information about chapter activities and events.

Hon. Pamela Mathy
San Antonio Chapter President

back to the top

Recent Events

June 13, 2007
June 2007 Monthly Luncheon:
"The Federal Defender Program Over Three Decades"
Featuring Hon. Lucien Campbell, Federal Public Defender, Western District of Texas
Time: Noon (Registration opens at approximately 11:40 a.m.)
Location: Quarry Golf Course Clubhouse
444 East Basse Road, San Antonio, TX 78209
CLE: Approved for 0.75 MCLE participatory credits from the State Bar of Texas

September 14, 2007
Federal Court Practice Seminar
Time: Seminar, 8:00 am; First presentation, 8:30 a.m.; Swearing-In Ceremony for those approved for admission to the bar of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, 3:00 pm
Location: Adrian A. Spears Federal Judicial Training Center, 643 East Durango Blvd., San Antonio, TX (immediately west of the John H. Wood, Jr. United States Courthouse and directly across from the front door to the courthouse).
Lunch: Box lunch will be provided
CLE: 5 MCLE hours, including 1 hour of ethics credit for attendance at the full seminar
Registration: Contact J. Todd Hedgepeth, Chapter President, 2007-2008, 210-270-7158 (work), jhedgepeth@fulbright.com by September 6, 2007

For Those Taking the Course to Gain Admission to Practice in theU.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas:
            A court admission ceremony is planned to follow completion of the seminar for those attendees who have fulfilled the other requirements for admission to the bar of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.
        Perhaps to state the obvious, the FBA does not make any decisions on whether an attorney is approved for admission to bar of the Court.  Among other things, the Court’s Admission Committee requires a written application for admission to practice by the Court, perhaps supported by specified materials, and tendering the admissions fee to the District Clerk. 
            The FBA requires a very brief written application to attend the Federal Practice course, perhaps accompanied by an application to join the FBA, and payment of the required course fee, payable to the FBA.   The FBA’s application materials and course fee are separate from any applications and fees tendered to the Clerk of Court.
            ALL questions you have about whether you may be admitted to practice to the bar of the Court must be directed to the proper contact in the District Clerk’s Office (210-472-6550, ext. 222).  NO questions that you have about whether you may be admitted to practice to the bar of the Court can or will be answered by the FBA!
           
Course Objectives
            Attendance at this seminar will:
(a) satisfy one of the requirements for admission to practice before the Western District of Texas,
            (b) provide you with CLE credit, and
            (c) introduce you to the San Antonio Chapter of the FBA.
           
About the FBA
            The FBA is a national legal organization with local chapters.  The San Antonio Chapter of the FBA is one of the larger FBA chapters.
            The San Antonio Chapter hosts luncheon meetings generally on the second Wednesday of every (except, by tradition, in July) at which prominent speakers present information on topics of interest to attorneys who practice federal law.  We typically meet at the Quarry Golf Course Clubhouse,444 E. Basse Road,San Antonio,TX78209.  Speakers at past monthly luncheons have included: the Director of the FBI; the Clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court; Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, District Courts in Texas, Magistrate Judges, Bankruptcy Judges and the Court of Military Appeals; Clerk of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas; law professors and recognized experts in the key practice areas in federal court, including civil rights, criminal law, bankruptcy, employment, antitrust, tax, immigration, appellate, and intellectual property law. 
            In addition to registering for the seminar, you are invited to become a member of the San Antonio Chapter of the FBA (membership form enclosed), if you are not already a member.  If you become a member, one year of FBA membership dues will be added to the seminar registration price as indicated on the enclosed registration form.  As you will see, the FBA offers you a discount for joining at this time.

Course Registration Procedure, Deadline, and Costs
            Please deliver your: (1) check reflecting proper payment, discussed further below, (2) seminar registration form, and (3) FBA membership application, if applicable, in the manner set below so that it received no later than Thursday, September 6, 2007.  The deadline helps us arrange for the proper number of CDs containing the course materials, order food, and make other arrangements.

You may:
            (a) mail your form(s) and check, made payable to the Federal Bar Association, San Antonio Chapter to the San Antonio Chapter’s post office box [ P.O. Box  460878, San Antonio, TX 78246] ; or
            (b) hand-deliver your form(s) and check, made payable to the Federal Bar Association, San Antonio Chapter, directly to the office the current Chapter President (Chapter President from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 is J. Todd Hedgepeth, attorney at law, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. , 300 Convent, Suite 2200, San Antonio, TX 78205).
            Whichever way you elect, your form(s) and check must be RECEIVED no later thanThursday, September 6, 2007.  This deadline helps us order the proper number of CDs containing the course materials, order food, and make other arrangements.
            Make your check payable (no cash or credit cards please) to the FEDERAL BAR ASSOCIATION, San Antonio Chapter.
            Registrations or checks received after Thursday, September 6,  2007, incur an additional $25 administrative fee.   Again, the date of receipt, not the date of any post mark controls.
            Refund requests made afterSeptember 6, 2007,incur a $25 administrative fee.
            If you have not done so already, please point your Internet browser to the Chapter web site, www.fedbarsatx.org, and send an e-mail to indicate your intent to register for the course.  Preliminary web site registration allows us to plan for your attendance when making arrangements for the seminar (e.g., ordering course materials and food) while the "snail mail" registration and course fee is wending its way to us.  Also, your e-mail, in time and date order, will be used to govern our decisions on which completed applications (and checks) to accept if we must cap registration due to the fire code and room capacity.

Note About Course Materials
   The course materials for the seminar will be provided on CDs rather than hard copy notebooks.  If you wish to review the materials while the speakers are making their presentations, please bring your laptop computer to the seminar.  Although in the past there have been sufficient electrical outlets and power strips in the meeting room for those requiring one, you may wish to make sure that your laptop battery is fully charged. 
            We hope you enjoy the seminar!