On August 8, the Texas State Bar Environmental & Natural Resources Law Section's (ENRLS) Membership elected Principal Lisa Dyar (Austin) as Chair during its 37th Annual Texas Environmental Superconference. ENRLS supports and provides resources to environmental and natural resource lawyers in the state and promotes these areas of practice to law students and new lawyers in Texas.
ENRLS runs programming, including the Texas Environmental Superconference, which B&D sponsors annually, as well as the annual Changing Face of Water Law Conference, and an annual symposium to bring together current practitioners with scholars and emerging thought leaders. The Section also publishes the Texas Environmental Law Journal in conjunction with law students at the University of Texas School of Law.
Supporting law students at Texas law schools is at the core of the ENRLS mission. The Section sponsors students interested in environmental and energy law with scholarships and internships with Texas regulators. ENRLS also helps connect law students with environmental practitioners through programs with as many accredited Texas law schools as possible each year.
"Lisa's leadership, deep expertise in environmental law, and unwavering commitment to the legal community, particularly in Texas, make her uniquely suited for this role. Her election as Chair is well-deserved and a proud moment for B&D. We're excited to have one of our own advance the environmental bar across the state," said Austin Office Managing Principal Bina Reddy.
As Chair, Lisa will lead ENRLS, overseeing a council of six officers, nine executive committee members, and eight committees. Principal Mike Vitris serves on the Council's Executive Committee, and Of Counsel Amber Ahmed was recently elected as the Council's Vice Chair.
Lisa counsels clients on a wide range of environmental law matters, including compliance, permitting, enforcement, litigation, acquisitions, auditing, and rulemaking. She frequently assists clients in obtaining permit authorizations through Texas' contested case hearing process. Beyond her ENRLS leadership, Lisa is deeply engaged in the legal and broader community. She is an active member of the Austin Bar Association's Environment, Natural Resources, and Water Law Section and the Austin Bar Association's Administrative Law Section, a member of the Center for Women in Law's Ginsburg Circle, a fellow of the American Bar Association, and a volunteer with Special Olympics of Texas.