Texas Medical-Legal Partnership Coalition conference scheduled for April 16-18

By Will Korn on February 6, 2026

Hosted by Texas A&M University Health’s Institute for Healthcare Access, the Texas Medical-Legal Partnership Coalition will hold its 2026 MLP Conference on April 16-18 at the Hilton Fort Worth.

Attendees will explore real-world insights, practical tools, and forward-looking strategies that not only strengthen medical-legal partnership (MLP) but also expand access to the legal and health services that are essential to opportunity for long, healthy lives. Through interactive sessions, dynamic panels, and meaningful networking opportunities, attendees will be able to connect and engage with other practitioners, researchers, educators, policymakers, and advocates working to integrate systems that ultimately improve community well-being, according to a press release.

The conference will focus on leveraging tools and rigorous methods to measure impact, standardize practices, and ensure responsible data use; exploring the legal and financial frameworks needed to sustain and scale integrated care models, emphasizing long-term growth and ethical partnership; and highlighting innovative service delivery methods, community-driven approaches, and systemic impact beyond traditional settings, according to a press release.

For more information and to register for the conference, go to txmlpc.org/mlpconf2026.

Posted inNews State Bar Uncategorized

State Bar of Texas announces candidates for 2026-2027 president-elect

By Rebecca Johnson on February 2, 2026

At its quarterly meeting in Fort Worth Friday, the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors voted to approve Sarah Clower Keathley and Ray Thomas as candidates for 2026-2027 president-elect.

Keathley and Thomas will appear on the ballot in April 2026 along with any certified petition candidates. Presently there are no additional president-elect candidates, although members have until March 2 to submit their nominating petitions to the State Bar for certification.

Keathley and Thomas were recommended to the State Bar Board of Directors by the Nominations and Elections Subcommittee. This year, the subcommittee considered candidates from any county in the state, in compliance with State Bar rules.

For more information, including brief bios of the Keathley and Thomas, read the press release.

Posted inNews

Supreme Court of Texas Justice Brett Busby to be keynote speaker at 2026 Justice Luncheon

By Will Korn on January 27, 2026

Supreme Court of Texas Justice Brett Busby will serve as the keynote speaker for the San Antonio Legal Services Association’s (SALSA) 2026 Justice Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 8 at the Mays Family Center at the Witte Museum in San Antonio.

The Justice Luncheon is an annual event for SALSA, a corps of dedicated attorney volunteers and professional staff providing free, essential, civil legal services to low-income individuals, that serves as a fundraiser and celebration of pro bono legal work in San Antonio and the surrounding counties, according to a press release. The luncheon brings together legal, business, and community leaders committed to the vision of a community in which everyone has equal access to justice, regardless of ability to pay.

“We are honored to host Justice Busby, a true champion of access to justice, as our keynote speaker for the 2026 Justice Luncheon,” SALSA Executive Director James Martinez said in a press release. “His record of service reflects the very best of the legal profession.”

Busby currently serves as the Supreme Court of Texas’ liaison to the Texas Access to Justice Commission and Foundation. He has been a consistent advocate for increasing the availability of affordable legal services and expanding access to the justice system for all Texans.

Posted inNews State Bar Uncategorized

State Bar of Texas Board of Directors to Meet January 30 in Fort Worth

By Rebecca Johnson on January 23, 2026

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The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors will meet at 8 a.m. on January 30 at the Hilton Fort Worth in Fort Worth. The meeting is open to the public and will be broadcast live on the State Bar of Texas YouTube channel.

The agenda can be viewed here. Among the agenda items, the board will hear the announcement of candidates for chair of the 2026-2027 Board of Directors and hear comments from each of them, consider and discuss approval of the State Bar of Texas 2026-2027 proposed budget for publication in the Texas Bar Journal, and consider and discuss approval of candidates for the 2026-2027 State Bar of Texas president-elect candidacy.

Those who wish to address the board in person during the meeting should fill out a speaker card at the beginning of the meeting and submit it to a staff member onsite. To sign up to speak remotely during the meeting, email boardofdirectors@texasbar.com or call 512-427-1400 or 800-204-2222 (toll free) before 5 p.m. CST on Thursday, January 29. Please provide the agenda item number you wish to speak on.

Written comments regarding agenda items must be received by 5 p.m. CST on Monday, January 26, for timely distribution to the board before the meeting. Please submit written comments by email to boardofdirectors@texasbar.com and indicate the agenda item you are referring to.

Posted inPodcast

Beyond the algorithm: how TRAIGA will rewrite AI governance in Texas

By State Bar of Texas Staff on January 22, 2026

In this episode of the State Bar of Texas Podcast, host Rocky Dhir welcomes trial lawyer Chris Schwegmann to learn about the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRAIGA), new Texas artificial intelligence (AI) legislation effective January 1, 2026. TRAIGA aims to regulate the development and deployment of AI systems in the state to address issues such as discrimination, intentional harm, illegal sexual content, and the use of biometric data. The two discuss the nuances of TRAIGA legislation and its implications for the practice of law.

Posted inSponsored Content

Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program hosts free legal clinics in January

By Eric Quitugua on January 6, 2026

The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, an initiative of the Dallas Bar Association, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, and local lawyers, is hosting free virtual and in-person legal clinics for eligible Dallas County residents throughout January.

Posted inNews

Dallas Bar Association hosts e-clinics in January

By Eric Quitugua on January 6, 2026

Volunteer attorneys will be available to answer legal questions on Wednesdays in January through the Dallas Bar Association’s LegalLine E-Clinic. The clinics are free of cost to participants.

A volunteer attorney will call a participant for up to 15 minutes of legal advice. No attorney-client relationship will be established. Individuals may receive referrals to local, legal, or social service agencies.

Calls from the clinic will remain anonymous. Participants should expect a call from an unknown number labeled “No Caller ID” or something similar. To participate, an online form is available at https://shorturl.at/borO4. Registration for e-clinics closes at noon on the Tuesday prior.

Clinics are scheduled for January 7, January 14, January 21, and January 28, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information, go to dallasbar.org/?pg=LawyerReferralService.

Posted inFifth Circuit Court of Appeals News

Fifth Circuit adopts rule changes

By Will Korn on January 5, 2026

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit adopted amendments to its rules in December 2025.

The approved amendment are as follows:

FIFTH CIRCUIT RULE 25.2.1

Electronic Filing. All cases will be assigned to the court’s electronic filing system. Counsel must register as Filing Users under Rule 25.2.3 and comply with the court’s electronic filing standards, posted separately on the court’s website, www.ca5.uscourts.gov, unless excused for good cause. Non-incarcerated pro se litigants may request the clerk’s permission to register as a Filing User, in civil cases only, under such conditions as the clerk may authorize.

Filing Users must submit all briefs, motions, and petitions for rehearing in PDF text (not scanned), format and only when directed by the clerk, in paper format. Whenever possible, other documents, e.g., record excerpts, etc., should be submitted in PDF text format, and only when directed by the clerk, in paper format. All paper filings must be identical to the electronic file(s).

The court received no comments on the proposed amendment, and the amended rule went into effect on December 1, 2025.

Additionally, the court adopted the following changes to local rules to conform with the December 1, 2025, changes to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure: