Austin Bar Association Podcast Network

Cameron Cano's addictions started young. He remembers drinking a case of Smirnoff Ice when he was about 10 years old. At first it was alcohol, but it eventually led to crystal meth and jail all before law school. Cameron's biggest struggle was trying to maintain his sobriety after the drug-related death of his older brother. Angry and not sure where to go or what to do, Cameron decided to go on a soul-cleansing journey on f...

Shana Faulhaber is a Dallas-based criminal defense attorney who started drinking when she was 14 years old and continued to do so as she got older. In law school and in her early career, she rationalized that alcohol was a natural part of the legal profession, so she didn’t have a problem, even as her nightly red wine habit escalated from one glass to one bottle to eventually a three-liter box. After admitting she had a problem, S...

Greg Cox is a regulatory and public law attorney. He's also someone who has chosen not to drink - a decision he says has immensely improved his life. Without alcohol, Greg says he's able to be more present as a husband and father. As a regulatory law attorney, Greg acknowledges that the wheels of government typically turn the most during cocktail hour. However, choosing not to drink has not destroyed his career. Greg says you ju...

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Deborah Wigington is judge of Comal County Court at Law No. 3 in New Braunfels. The mental health court handles both civil matters, as well as criminal referrals, related to mental health issues. The purpose of the court is to take a non-adversarial approach to helping individuals with mental health issues find resources that can help them. The court has forms to share with other courts interested i...

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In the next episode of Stop the Stigma, we talk to Paul Jacobs, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. In Paul’s own words, his addictions cost him virtually everything - his lucrative career, his marriage, and nearly his children. In his heart, he knew he was an addict, but it wasn’t until he was at his lowest point - -23 degrees below zero at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where a doctor told him his e...

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The Christi Center is a free grief counseling center in Austin, Texas. The Center has groups for Loss to Suicide, Loss to Overdose, Pregnancy and Infant Loss, Crime Victims, Teen Group, as well as a general adult group.

Featured in this episode are Ana-Christina Gonzalez, a fundraising consultant for the Christi Center; Executive and Clinical Director Jocelyn Chamra Barrera; Peer Support Coordinator ...

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - 01:00 Introduction 01:01 - 05:30 Why did you want to share your story with us? 05:31 - 10:57 How did you experience depression and what effect did it have on your practice and personal life? 10:58 - 11:42 How did you realize what you were feeling was depression? 11:43 - 13:51 How did you reenter the practice of law? 13:52 - 19:14 How do you prioritize your mental health? 19:15 - 23:22 What do you do when you find...

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar talks to Philip Arnold and Matt Garcia, chair and chair-elect of the Austin Bar LGBTQ+ Law Section. To donate to the Drag and Justice LGBTQ+ Scholarship Fundraiser, visit  https://givebutter.com/em7Ihu. To join the section, visit https://www.austinbar.org/?pg=lgbtqlaw

The section is also accepting applications for the LGBTQ+ ...

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Melissa Johnson, Immediate Past President of the San Diego Bar Association and Executive Council member of the National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP). This episode was recorded at the American Bar Association/ National Conference of Bar Presidents meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. To learn more about NCBP, visit htt...

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Samantha McCoy, an Austin attorney who successfully lobbied the United Nations to pass the first resolution addressing justice for victims of sexual violence. Please note: This episode deals with sensitive topics like sexual assault and rape. For more information about how to get involved with the organizations Samantha ...

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Justice Darlene Byrne, Judge Leigh Mathews Rodriguez, and Allison Edwards of Foster Angels about the child welfare system and the Denise Hyde Scholarship Fund. The Denise Hyde Scholarship Fund was established in 2012 to provide funding for education-related expenses for youth aging out of foster care. This year, the Aust...

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Mark Calaguas, president of the Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE) Chicago and executive councilmember of the National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP). This episode was recorded at the American Bar Association/ National Conference of Bar Presidents meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. To l...