top of page
AdobeStock_576807716.jpeg

2025 CENTRAL TEXAS FEDERAL
BENCH BAR CONFERENCE PROGRAM

7:45-8:30am

Registration
Continental Breakfast

8:30-9:45am

9:45-9:50am

9:50-10:00am

10:00-10:45am

Welcome
- Hon. Robert Pitman, U.S. District Judge, Austin 
- Hon. Kirk Watson, Mayor of Austin

Plenary 1
Standing Orders

- Brian Nash, Morrison Foerster (Moderator)
- Hon. Leon Schydlower, U.S. District Judge, El Paso
- Hon. Alan Albright, U.S. District Judge, Waco and Austin
- Hon. Jason Pulliam, U.S. District Judge, San Antonio 
- Hon. Derek Gilliland, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Waco 

 

BREAK

Breakout 1
Loper Bright: Impacts on Federal Practice
- Professor Tara Grove, U.T. School of Law
- Scott Keller, Lehotsky Keller Cohn

Breakout 2
Depositions: Preparing for Them and Using Them at Trial
- Trey Duck, Nix Patterson (Moderator)
- Hon. David Alan Ezra, Senior U.S. District Judge, San Antonio and Austin
- Zack C. Ewing, Kirkland & Ellis
- Stephen B. Crain, Bracewell
- Jessica Underwood, Nix Patterson

 

Presentation of the J. Stephen Ravel Award

10:45-11:00am

BREAK

11:00-11:45am

Breakout 3
The Fourth Amendment and Digital Data: Developments
for Civil and Criminal Lawyers

- Hon. Richard B. Farrer, U.S. Magistrate Judge, San Antonio (Moderator)
- Hon. Henry J. Bemporad, U.S. Magistrate Judge, San Antonio
- Hon. Andy Austin, U.S. Magistrate Judge (Ret.), Austin 

Breakout 4
Remember the Local Rules? Law Clerks’ Advice and Observations

- Hon. Mark Lane, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Austin (Moderator)
- Sarah Holland, Law Clerk for the Hon. Robert Pitman
- Andrea Houston, Law Clerk for the Hon. Mark Lane 
- Hannah Miller, Law Clerk for the Hon. Betsy Chestney
- Mark Scott, Law Clerk for the Hon. Derek Gilliland

11:45-12:00am

BREAK

12:00-1:15pm

Lunch
State of the Western District of Texas

- Chief Judge Alia Moses, Chief U.S. District Judge, Del Rio
Plenary 2
Access to Justice: A Call to Action

- Liane Noble, Vinson & Elkins, Austin (Moderator)
- Hon. Brett Busby, Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, Liaison to the 
   Texas Access to Justice Commission 
- Alisa DeLuna, Executive Director of Volunteer Legal Services of Central
   Texas
- Gabriella McDonald, Deputy Director of Texas Appleseed
- Betty Balli Torres, Executive Director of Texas Access to Justice
   Foundation

1:15-1:30pm

BREAK

1:30-2:30pm

Plenary 3
Psychology of Jury Trials

- Hon. Robert Pitman, U.S. District Judge, Austin (Moderator)
- Professor Bob Duke, U.T., Co-Host of Two Guys on Your Head
- Professor Mike Golden, U.T. School of Law
- Shayna S. Cook, Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum

2:30-2:45pm

2:45-3:30pm

BREAK

Breakout 5
Employment Law Update: SCOTUS, Fifth Circuit, Executive Orders, and More

- Hon. Elizabeth S. (“Betsy”) Chestney, U.S. Magistrate Judge, San Antonio (Moderator)
- Andy McSwain, Beard Kultgen Brophy Bostwick & Dickson
- Julie A. Springer, Weisbart Springer Storm Hatchitt

Breakout 6
Telling the Story: Tips for Crafting the Narrative in IP Cases

- Hon. Susan Hightower, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Austin
- Leah Bhimani Buratti, Botkin Chiarello Calaf

3:30-3:45pm

3:45-4:30pm

Breakout 7
Modern Communication Platforms in E-Discovery

- Hon. Xavier Rodriguez, U.S. District Judge, San Antonio
- Hon. Dustin Howell, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Austin
- Andrea D’Ambra, Norton Rose Fulbright

Breakout 8
Bankruptcy Law: A Primer for Civil Lawyers

- Jennifer F. Wertz, Jackson Walker
- Natalie Friend Wilson, Langley & Banack

BREAK

4:30-6:00pm

Networking Reception/Happy Hour

bottom of page