Law Student Scholarships
The Texas City Attorneys Association (TCAA) is an affiliate of the Texas Municipal League and was formed to promote, encourage, and advance the professional development of municipal attorneys throughout the State of Texas. One of TCAA’s primary roles is to provide its members with the highest quality continuing education through its conferences and seminars. TCAA also aims to expose law students to the municipal law practice area.
To this end, the TCAA Board invites law students attending ABA-accredited law schools to submit an application for a scholarship to attend the Riley Fletcher Basic Municipal Law Seminar (held in February in even numbered years) or the TCAA Fall Seminar (held annually in the fall). Each scholarship will cover conference registration fees. Transportation, meals (not provided as part of the conference), and lodging are the responsibility of the scholarship recipient, but through a generous donation by the Bojorquez Law Firm, scholarship recipients may be eligible for up to $300 stipend to defray these costs. You can find more information here. Scholarship recipients will be exposed to various facets of municipal law and will have an opportunity to interact with TCAA board members and municipal law attorneys from across the State of Texas.
Riley Fletcher Basic Municipal Law Seminar Scholarship Application
Fall Conference Scholarship Application
Questions about the TCAA Municipal Law Conference Scholarships may be directed to [email protected].
Art L. Pertile, III Memorial Scholarship
At its October 2024 board meeting, the TCAA Board of Directors approved the creation of the Art L. Pertile, III Scholarship in honor of Art Pertile.
Art represented governmental entities and public officials exclusively for almost 40 years. He began his legal career in 1986 as an Assistant City Attorney with the Waco City Attorney’s Office. He also served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Houston, Texas and as an Assistant City Attorney with the City of Houston. Art was appointed City Attorney for the City of Waco in February of 1996. In November of 2007 he joined Olson & Olson L.L.P. where he continued his municipal practice and became an owner/partner of the firm until shortly before he retired. Art served as President of the International Municipal Lawyers Association, served on the Texas Municipal League and Texas State Bar Government Lawyers Board of Directors, and served as a past president of the Texas City Attorneys Association. In addition, Art was a mentor and a role model for many municipal attorneys.
As recognition for his tireless work in the public sector, Art received numerous awards, including the “Outstanding Mentor Award” from the Texas City Attorneys Association; the “Marvin Glink Award” from the International Municipal Lawyers Association (for mentoring young lawyers and public service); and the “U.S. Williams Jr. Excellence In Service Award” from the Texas Association of Black City Councilmembers and Mayors.
In Art’s honor, TCAA will provide one scholarship to a TCAA active member to attend an IMLA Annual Conference. The scholarship recipient will receive a reimbursement of up to $2,500 for expenses that the recipient’s city or law firm would have otherwise provided for attendance at the conference, including registration, travel, meals, and lodging at the conference hotel. The winner will be drawn from lots. Winners from previous years, including recipients of the Susan C. Rocha Memorial Scholarship, are not eligible.
To apply, send an email indicating your interest along with your full name and contact information to [email protected]. The deadline to apply for the drawing is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 9, 2025.
The scholarship is generously funded by Art’s friends. If you would like to make a donation to the scholarship please click here.
Susan C. Rocha Memorial Scholarship
TCAA, in conjunction with the International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA), is proud to continue the Susan C. Rocha Memorial Scholarships for the 2025 IMLA Annual Conference.
In Susan’s memory, TCAA will provide four scholarships to in-house city or assistant city attorneys to the 2025 IMLA Annual Conference. Two will be from the eight largest cities (Arlington, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, or San Antonio), and two will be from the remaining cities. The conference will be in New Orleans, Louisiana October 17 through October 21, 2025. For more details about the conference, go to http://www.imla.org/events/conferences#news.
The winners will receive up to a $2,000 reimbursement for expenses that your city would have otherwise provided for attendance at the conference, including registration, travel, meals, and lodging at the conference hotel. The winners will be drawn from lots. There can only be one winner per city, and winners from previous years are not eligible.
To apply, send an email indicating your interest along with your full name and contact information to [email protected]. The deadline to apply for the drawing is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 9, 2025.
Susan Rocha served as an assistant city attorney for the City of San Antonio early in her career, and went on to be a trailblazer in municipal law. She served as president of both the Texas City Attorneys Association and the International Municipal Lawyers Association, and was a mentor and role model for many attorneys in the field due to her hard work, many achievements, and – of course- irrepressible personality.