Biography

Judge Bemporad has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Texas in the San Antonio Division since 2012. He was the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Texas from 2007–12. He previously served as Deputy Federal Public Defender from 1998–2007, as a Supervisory Assistant Federal Public Defender from 1993–98 and as an Assistant Federal Public Defender from 1990–93. From 1988 to 1990, he clerked for United States District Judge Edward C. Prado.

Judge Bemporad recently served on the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions for the District Judges Association of the Fifth Circuit, assisting in the preparation of Pattern Jury Instructions (Criminal Cases) (2015 ed.). Judge Bemporad served the U.S. Courts as the appellate representative to the Office of Defender Services Training Expert Panel, as co-chair of the Defender Supreme Court Resource & Assistance Panel and as Defender Liaison to the Judicial Conference Criminal Law Committee.

He also previously served as co-chair of the National Association of Federal Defenders Amicus Committee, as Fifth Circuit vice-chair of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Amicus Committee, and as a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Judge Bemporad also co-founded and has served for many years as regular faculty of the Federal Judicial Center’s Appellate Writing Workshop.

• Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Presidents Award, 2007, 2010, 2012
• National Outstanding Assistant Federal Defender, National Association of Federal Defenders, 2002
• University of Texas, Phi Beta Kappa, 1988

Books

• An Introduction to Federal Sentencing (1st through 13th editions).  This publication, formerly titled An Introduction to Federal Guideline Sentencing, was originally prepared on behalf of Federal Public Defenders nationwide and published by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. The Introduction has been reprinted in whole or part in many legal treatises, manuals, and magazines. Large portions of the Introduction were included in Volume II of Defending a Federal Criminal Case, published by the Federal Defenders of San Diego in 2010.

Articles in a Periodical

• “Supreme Court Vacancy? Rehnquist Is the Real Story of the Supreme Court’s 2004 Criminal Cases” Voice for the Defense (Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Sept. 2005)
• With Sarah P. Kelly, Novel Issues, Futile Issues, and Appellate Advocacy: The Troubling Lessons of Bousley v. United States, 35 St. Mary’s L.J. 93 (2003)

Biography

Ballesteros serves as the Cybersecurity Advisor for the Capitol Region of Texas, for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA). Prior to that he served the State of Texas, as the State Cybersecurity Coordinator and Chairman of the Texas Cybersecurity Council, at the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR), pursuant to Texas Government Code, Section 2054.511 and 512, where his primary charge was to “oversee cyber matters” for the State of Texas.

Prior to joining the DIR, Ballesteros‘ career spanned several industries, including: academia; financial services; private consulting; and public utilities. Of note, his prior professional roles included the following: Information Security Officer for the Alamo Colleges District, Information Security Officer (ISO) at Jefferson Bank; Information Security Consultant at Omnikron Systems, Inc; Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems and Security (CISS) at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU); Director of the Center for Information Assurance Management and Leadership at OLLU; and Information Systems Auditor for CPS Energy.

Academically, Ballesteros holds several degrees and professional certifications pertaining to cybersecurity, law, management information systems, and risk management. He holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Computer Information Systems and Security (CISS) from OLLU; an NSA/DHS designated Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE). Additionally, Ernesto completed his legal education at St. Mary’s University School of Law, where he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD). Lastly, Ballesteros is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), and CompTIA Security+ professional.

Biography

Aaron M. Barton is a Member at Branscomb Law in the firm’s Real Estate Group. Aaron has been practicing in the area of real estate law for over a decade, representing businesses, title companies, developers, lenders, and individuals in a wide variety of business, financing, leasing, and real estate transactions.

Prior to joining Branscomb Law, Aaron also represented title insurers and businesses in real estate litigation matters. This experience has assisted Aaron in delivering legal services to his clients with an eye to avoiding litigation, and structuring transactions to better protect clients in the event a dispute arises in the future.

Aaron has been a practicing faculty member at St. Mary’s University School of Law since 2012, and graduated from the School of Law in 2007. Aaron enjoys giving back to the Law School by sharing his knowledge and practical expertise with the law students to prepare them for practicing in the “real world.”

• Texas Super Lawyer (Real Estate), Thomson Reuters, 2022

Presentations

• Purchase and Sale of Commercial Real Property (TX), LexisNexis Practical Guidance Practice Note (2021)

Biography

Coltharp’s (J.D. ’97) areas of interest include criminal law and procedure, punishment and incarceration policy, sentencing la and procedure, legal history, capital punishment, and appellate advocacy, and evidence. She has presented on these subjects nationally. In addition, she has been interviewed and quoted both locally and nationally about the immigration crime and punishment on the southern border.

Before coming to St. Mary’s, Coltharp served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Phil Hardberger, of the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals, and then to United States District Court Judge Edward Prado. She then moved to the Federal Public Defender’s Office, where she worked as appellate counsel and eventually became First Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Texas. She served on the National Defenders’ Supreme Court Advocacy Assistance Program and was co-chair of the National Association of Defender Services Amicus Committee. In both capacities, she has drafted briefs and contributed substantial work to many significant cases argued in the Supreme Court.

Coltharp has taught courses in legal research and writing, Texas Criminal Procedure, Criminal Evidence, and Constitutional Criminal Procedure. Her current scholarship is focused on judicial prejudice assessments for ineffective assistance of counsel.

Biography

Ciolli is a past President of the Virgin Islands Bar Association. He currently serves as Senior Law Clerk and Special Assistant to the Chief Justice of the Virgin Islands. He remains active in both the Virgin Islands Bar Association as well as the American Bar Association, where he serves as one of the Virgin Islands delegates to the ABA House of Delegates. He also serves on the Executive Council of the National Conference of Bar Presidents.

Biography

Conlon has been managing compliance issues with in-house legal departments for over 20 years. He began his career in international telecom navigating Foreign Corrupt Practices Act issues. After the Enron accounting scandal, Conlon built compliance programs at 3Com, Underwriters Laboratories and Integrated DNA Technologies with a focus on developing internal controls. He has developed and delivered compliance training all over the world.

More recently, Conlon has managed export compliance issues with controlled technology and managed the privacy issues of minors. At ACT, Conlon manages the Legal Department’s extern program and its Intellectual Property program.