Two BHDA attorneys were featured speakers at the recent 24^th Annual Changing Face of Water Law Course that was held February 22-24, 2023, in San Antonio. Emily Willms Rogers, managing partner, and leader of the Firm’s water law practice presented an overview of the PUC’s management of water-related matters. Kimberly Grinnan Kelley, an associate in the Firm’s water law practice, covered the basics of water law during her presentation. Both Ms. Rogers and Ms. Kelley frequently speak and write about topics related to Texas water law.

The program was presented by TexasBarCLE and co-sponsored by the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Section and the Real Estate, Probate & Trust Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Kimberly Grinnan Kelley, an attorney in the Firm’s water law group, will present at the upcoming Water Law Seminar presented by the Texas Water Conservation Association (TWCA) and the Texas Rural Water association (TRWA). This year’s event will be held virtually on January 21-22, 2021.

Ms. Kelley, who is a frequent speaker on water law topics, will provide a case law update (with co-presenter Lauren Thomas) at 11:00 am on Friday, January 22.

For more information on the 2021 TRWA/TWCA Water Law Seminar, please click here.

BHDA water law attorney Kimberly Grinnan Kelley has been accepted to the Barbara Jordan American Inn of Court. The American Inns of Court is a professional association composed of lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals who regularly meet for networking, discussion and mentoring opportunities. Individual Inns are established locally with their own criteria for membership. The Barbara Jordan Inn of Court was presented its charter by 5th Circuit Chief Judge Carl E. Steward during a ceremony in Austin on April 14, 2016.

BHDA attorney Kimberly Grinnan Kelley will speak on September 3^rd at the 15th Annual Advanced Texas Administrative Law Seminar presented by UT Law CLE.

Ms. Kelley’s presentation, Open Government Update, will provide details on the Public Information Act and Open Meetings Act, including lessons learned about maintaining transparency in the time of coronavirus.

To view the event schedule or register for this year’s seminar, click here.

Kimberly Grinnan Kelley, an attorney in the firm’s water law group, will present at the upcoming Texas Water Conservation Association’s (TWCA) Virtual Mid-Year Conference.

Ms. Kelley, and co-presenter Lauren Thomas, will provide a case law update, which will be held during this Friday’s conference session.

Ms. Kelley is a frequent speaker on water law topics, speaking earlier this year at the 2020 Changing Face of Water Law Course. Additionally, she co-authored (with firm managing partner Emily Willms Rogers) the article “Court of Federal Claims Finds U.S. Liable for Taking After Hurricane Harvey,” which was published this spring in the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation’s Water Law Newsletter.

For more information about TWCA or this year’s mid-year conference, please visit their website at twca.org.

The Firm’s managing partner and water law attorney Emily W. Rogers served as the co-director of the 2020 Changing Face of Water Law Course, which was held in San Antonio last week. Ms. Rogers was also a featured speaker, presenting on “Key Water Related Legal Issues for Landowners.”

Kimberly Grinnan Kelley, an associate in the Firm’s water law practice group, was also among the speakers at this year’s program. Ms. Kelley’s presentation was titled “Case Law Update.”

2020 marked the twenty-first year of the conference, which is co-sponsored by the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Section and the Real Estate, Probate & Trust Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.

What happens when a customer is dissatisfied with a code official’s decision? This presentation discusses the procedures for handling an administrative appeal of the code official’s decision, including boards of adjustment, building code board of review, and similar city-created regulatory bodies. Kimberly also discusses steps that code officials can take to make their decisions less likely to be overturned.

This Public Information Act suit involves the issue of whether the City of Dallas acted within its legal right by relying on the attorney-client privilege as a “compelling reason” for withholding information in response to a PIA request past the required 10 day time frame for requesting an open records determination.

The case has made its way to the Supreme Court of Texas – with opening oral arguments taking place earlier this month. Associate Kimberly Grinnan was able to attend the opening oral arguments, and we’d like to share some of what she heard.