State Bar of Texas Blog : State Bar of Texas Blog : News & Features on Lawyers & Attorneys & Legal Professionals in Austin, Dallas, Houston & TX

George "Tex" Quesada, of Dallas firm Sommerman & Quesada, L.L.P., was named the recipient of the 2012 Gene Cavin Award for Excellence in Continuing Education. Named for the State Bar's first full-time CLE director, the award is the highest honor given annually by the State Bar of Texas in the area of continuing legal education.

Quesada is a frequent speaker at Continuing Legal Education seminars. He has served on several State Bar committees, including the local Grievance Committee. He is a past president of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association. In addition, Quesada teaches Sunday school and is a long-time supporter of local charities.

Established in 1989, the Gene Cavin Award recognizes long-term participation in State Bar CLE activities, either seminars or publications.

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The State Bar of Texas Oyez, Oyez, Oh Yay! program will receive the National Association of Bar Executives NABE/LexisNexis Community & Educational Outreach Award on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012, at the NABE Annual Meeting in Chicago. The award is presented to bars and related foundations for outstanding public service and law-related education programs.

The Oyez, Oyez, Oh Yay! Civics Resources for Texas Students and Teachers is an interactive web-based program developed by the State Bar of Texas Law-Related Education Department. It is designed to assist Texas students and teachers in preparing for the new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards in government, history and citizenship.

Oyez, Oyez, Oh Yay! — a play on the chant “oyez, oyez, oyez” to call the U.S. Supreme Court to order — focuses on landmark court decisions that middle and high school students must know to be successful in their academic work and on assessment examinations. The program is an initiative of Immediate Past President Bob Black, who initiated it when he was president-elect in March 2011.

The primary component of Oyez, Oyez, Oh Yay! is a website — texasbar.com/civics — that provides resources and curriculum materials for teachers, downloadable court case summaries, multimedia resources, and links to interactive activities for students.

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Buck Files of Tyler was sworn in as president of the State Bar of Texas by Judge Cathy Cochran of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals at noon today, at the State Bar Annual Meeting in Houston. The meeting is being held at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Files is a shareholder in Bain, Files, Jarrett, Bain & Harrison, P.C. in Tyler. He is certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and criminal trial advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

Read an interview with Files that was published in the June issue of the Texas Bar Journal.

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State Bar Annual Meeting highlights in Houston today include:

- Adaptable Lawyer Legal Innovation track: Learn about the latest in social media and other legal technology, including a keynote presentation by Merrilyn Astin Tarlton on new busines models for attorneys at 1:30 p.m., Room 360ABDE.

- Texas Legal History: Explore Texas' legal history through 21 fascinating legal documents recovered and restored thanks to the efforts of the Supreme Court of Texas' Texas Court Records Preservation Task Force. 10 a.m., Room 320AB.

- Bar Leaders Recognition Luncheon featuring James A. Baker III, former U.S. Secretary of State under President George H.W. Bush. Noon-1:30 p.m., Grand Ballroom.

- Receptions: Catch up with law school buddies or section colleagues, or rub elbows with fellow writers, at receptions starting at 4 p.m. Most are in the Hilton Americas Hotel; check Page 31 of your events guide for locations.

Stay up to date on this year's Annual Meeting! Visit twitter.com/statebaroftexas and facebook.com/statebaroftexas as we live tweet and post highlights throughout the day.

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This month in the Texas Bar Journal:

A profile on Buck Files, a shareholder in Bain, Files, Jarrett, Bain & Harrison, P.C. in Tyler, who takes office as the 132nd president of the State Bar of Texas during the State Bar Annual Meeting in Houston, June 14–15. See what he has in store for the year. Page 434.

A profile on C.E. Rhodes, U.S. operations and Compliance counsel to Baker Hughes, Inc. in Houston, who takes office as president of the Texas Young Lawyers Association at the Annual Meeting. Page 474.

Legal article on the Texas Supreme Court's revisiting of the Covenants Not to Compete Act. Page 438.

Frank E. Stevenson II of Dallas becomes chair of the State Bar Board of Directors this month. Page 462.

Read the winning entries of the 2012 Texas Bar Journal Short Story Fiction Writing Contest. Finalists are listed on page 446; the winning stories begin on page 448.

A profile on retired Dallas attorney Rex Spivey's work with Habitat for Humanity International. Page 467.

Solo/Small Firm: How to Hire Well-spoken Lawyers. Page 478.

Also: Ethics Opinions, Disciplinary Actions, Memorials, and more can be found at texasbar.com/tbj.

To advertise with us or to submit a Memorial, Lawyer on the Move, letter to the editor, legal article, and more, visit our Submissions & Subscriptions page.

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Former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III, Marshawn Evans, and Richard North Patterson are just a few of the highlights of this year's State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting June 14–15 in Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

There will also be a reenactment of Texas v. White at the Historic 1910 Harris County Courthouse as well as a chance to get a glimpse of Texas' legal past through an exhibit of recently preserved historical legal documents. Oh yeah, and there's enough CLE there for you to fulfill your year's requirements!

You can win a free full registration (both Friday and Saturday; travel and lodging NOT included) by following us Twitter @statebaroftexas or liking us on Facebook (facebook.com/statebaroftexas) and then doing one of the following (or both):

For you Twitter folks out there, retweet the following phrase: "Join me at the @statebaroftexas Annual Meeting, June 14–15 in Houston! texasbar.com/annualmeeting #sbot12".

Facebook friends, leave a comment on our Facebook page telling us what you're most excited about seeing at this year's annual meeting.

You have until noon on Friday, June 8 and can tweet or comment once per day. The winner will be randomly chosen and notified by 5 p.m. that day via Twitter DM or Facebook PM, depending on how they entered.

Good luck and see you in Houston!

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