Discussion with Sandra Avila Ramirez, First Latina Judge of the 98th Civil District Court

Discussion with the Third Court of Appeals

In the next episode of Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar Association, sits down with all six justices of Texas' Third Court of Appeals. For the first time in the state's history, the Third Court of Appeals is comprised of all women. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/C06POZy3KxM

Getting to Know Kristi Taylor & the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health

In the next episode of Stop the Stigma, we sit down with Kristi Taylor, executive director of the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health (JCMH). Formed by a joint order of the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 2018, the commission's mission is to develop, implement, and coordinate policies to improve courts' interactions with individuals with mental health needs, substance use disorders, and intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD).There are 30 adult mental health courts and nine juvenile mental health courts in Texas: https://www.texasjcmh.gov/programs-and-initiatives/mental-health-courts/Please check out these important tools and resources from the commission:JCMH Bench Books - https://www.texasjcmh.gov/publications/bench-books-code-book/ [https://www.texasjcmh.gov/publications/bench-books-code-book/] JCMH Summit - https://www.texasjcmh.gov/programs-and-initiatives/conferences-meetings/summit/2025-jcmh-summit/ [https://www.texasjcmh.gov/programs-and-initiatives/conferences-meetings/summit/2025-jcmh-summit/] JCMH Treatment Courts Collaborative - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g4xkl42v3g [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g4xkl42v3g] TBRI - https://child.tcu.edu/about-us/tbri/#sthash.sWJPGGbM.dpbs [https://child.tcu.edu/about-us/tbri/#sthash.sWJPGGbM.dpbs] Handle with Care Program - https://minaretfoundation.com/handle-with-care-texas-toolkit/ [https://minaretfoundation.com/handle-with-care-texas-toolkit/] Yolanda Lewis/Dr. Jule Kaplow presentation - https://youtu.be/Bq7AD20V7ck [https://youtu.be/Bq7AD20V7ck] Christi Center - https://youtu.be/Bq7AD20V7ck [https://youtu.be/Bq7AD20V7ck] Watch and subscribe on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zbQ7QHiDFwI [https://youtu.be/zbQ7QHiDFwI]

Addiction is Not a Moral Failing with Kurt Metscher

Kurt Metscher is a 36-year-old family law attorney in Austin. His addiction challenges started in high school, first with marijuana, then amphetamines. After an incident in college, he entered treatment. Initially planning to return to his addiction once his probation was over, he gradually found himself enjoying the sober way of life.He wants people, particularly law firms and partners, to understand that addiction is not a moral failing and that a lawyer in recovery is perhaps better equipped to handle the stressors of the profession than a lawyer who has never struggled with addiction.Find an AA meeting: https://austinaa.org/meetings/From Slate, "Why Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Death Is So Scary":"One truism of addiction science is that long-term abuse rewires your brain and changes its chemistry, which is why triggers (or “associated stimuli,” in scientific parlance) are major risk factors for relapse. But these changes can be reversed over time. Walking past the apartment where my dealer used to live didn’t make me want to score; it made me feel as if I was in a phantasmagoria of two crosshatched worlds—but I was the only person who could see both realities. None of my colleagues at MIT, no one in the science writing community I lean on for professional advice and support, none of the people who’ve worked on my books has ever seen me slip into that other world."https://slate.com/technology/2014/02/philip-seymour-hoffmans-drug-death-the-science-of-addiction-recovery-and-relapse.html

Discussion with Sandra Avila Ramirez, First Latina Judge of the 98th Civil District Court

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar talks to Sandra Avila Ramirez, First Latina Judge of the 98th Civil District Court. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SReZ7uu8KUQ

Discussion with Pete Gallego, Former U.S. Congressman

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Pete Gallego, former U.S. Congressman. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Oj7WVRIELhQ