Posted inNews

Terry O. Tottenham receives Austin Bar Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award

By Will Korn on

Former State Bar of Texas President Terry O. Tottenham received the Austin Bar Foundation’s (ABF) Lifetime Achievement Award during the ABF’s “Teams for Tot” celebration on November 5 in Austin. Tottenham, of counsel to Norton Rose Fulbright in Austin, was honored for his career-long achievements and legal contributions, specifically his focus on improving the lives of and providing legal access for veterans. Funds from the event were dedicated to the ABF and its Veterans Legal Assistance Program.

The ABF started the Veterans Legal Assistance Program in 2010, following in the footsteps of Tottenham, who helped initiate the Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans program that is modeled after a program started by the Houston Bar Association in 2008. For more information about the ABF, go to austinbar.org.

Photo: From left to right: Texas Access to Justice Foundation Treasurer and former State Bar of Texas President Roland Johnson, former State Bar of Texas President Richard Pena, State Bar of Texas President Santos Vargas, former State Bar of Texas President Terry O. Tottenham, former State Bar of Texas President Martha Dickie, former State Bar of Texas President Bill Whitehurst, State Bar of Texas Executive Director and former State Bar of Texas President Trey Apffel, and State Bar of Texas Immediate Past President Steve Benesh, during the “Teams for Tot” celebration on November 5 at the Austin office of Norton Rose Fulbright. Photo courtesy of the Austin Bar Foundation

Posted inMentoring

Mentoring in the Legal Profession: Lessons from Ben Franklin, Ernest Shackleton, and, most importantly, a witness 

By Bobbi Reilly Sheahan on

When I ask you who your mentors are, who comes to mind first? A law professor? A parent? A former boss? Unsurprisingly, my mentors have included all of these, but my definition of a mentor also includes people whose examples have become a part of who I am, even if I never had the opportunity to meet them. Firms, local bar associations, and professional associations may have formal mentoring programs, which can be very worthwhile, but you can start today on a much smaller, more personal scale, in person or online. I try to learn from every colleague, client, opposing attorney, and judge, as well as from every book I read.  

Think of it as recruiting a little help to be better at what you’re already doing. And I am not just talking about learning more about a substantive legal topic—it could be organization, or how to use a particular app, or how to manage time and stress. You may think that lawyers are too busy and overwhelmed with the actual practice of law to think about these topics, but that thinking leads to missed opportunities, including the opportunity to learn how to be a little less overwhelmed.

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Posted inAccess to JusticeNews

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid awarded $1.8 million from Texas Access to Justice Foundation for legal aid for flood survivors

By Will Korn on

The Texas Access to Justice Foundation (TAJF), one of the largest state-based funding sources for civil legal aid, announced $1.8 million in funding for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TLRA) to provide legal services to Texans impacted by the July Texas flooding, according to a press release. Funding was provided by the Texas Legislature, the Fulbright & Jaworski Foundation, and the “Stand With Santos” campaign, an initiative led by State Bar of Texas President Santos Vargas to raise support for legal aid disaster relief from the legal community.

“So many people suffered devastating losses of life and property in the July Fourth Hill Country storms, and as lawyers we are committed to helping them the best way we can—by meeting their legal needs and supporting organizations that do the same,” Vargas said in a press release. “Through the Stand With Santos campaign, the State Bar is challenging all Texas lawyers to give money or pledge pro bono hours to support extending access to justice to more Texans, and we are proud to partner with the Texas Access to Justice Foundation in this effort.”

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Posted inBusinessEstate Planning

Estate planning for business owners

By Teresa Schiller on

The day-to-day requirements of running a business—including a law practice—keep owners busy. But taking some time to plan for an emergency or ownership change can pay off.  If an owner stops running the business, will it close, or will it continue to run? Who will run it?  Here are some tips to plan for what happens to the business, as well as family members and key employees, in the event of an owner’s death, incapacity, or other life change.

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Posted inNews

Dallas Bar Association hosts e-clinics in November

By Eric Quitugua on

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 November 5, November 12, and November 19, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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

Posted inNewsTexas Supreme Court

Supreme Court of Texas seeks comments on proposed changes to Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure

By Will Korn on

The Supreme Court of Texas is inviting public comments on proposed amendments to Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure 9, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, and 64, as set forth in this order.

In Misc. Dkt. No. 25-9092, the Court sets forth a plan to eliminate the Court’s practice of requesting merits briefs before granting a petition for review, effective January 1, 2026.

Comments regarding the proposed amendments should be submitted in writing to rulescomments@txcourts.gov by December 23, 2025. The Court will issue an order finalizing the amendments after the close of the comment period. The Court may change the rules in response to public comments.

The Court expects the amendments to take effect on January 1, 2026, and to apply fully to any proceeding in the Court if the petition for review, original proceeding, or certified question is filed in the Court on or after that date. If a petition for review, original proceeding, or certified question is filed in the Court before January 1, 2026, then the former rules apply in all respects, unless otherwise ordered by the Court.

Posted inNews

Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program hosts free legal clinics in November

By Eric Quitugua on

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 November.

All virtual clinics run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.:

  • DVAP; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; and St. Mary’s University School of Law—Thursday, November 6
  • DVAP, Goldman Sachs, and Toyota—Friday, November 7
  • DVAP and Haynes and Boone—Thursday, November 13
  • DVAP, DLA Piper, and SMU Dedman School of Law—Thursday, November 20

DVAP will host the following in-person clinic:

  • South Dallas Clinic; Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 2922 Martin Luther King Blvd., Dallas. Sponsored by DVAP; SMU Dedman School of Law; and Weil, Gotshal & Manges—Tuesday, November 11, at 5 p.m.

For virtual clinics, Dallas County residents are asked to apply for free legal assistance through the online form available at https://tinyurl.com/DVAPClinic. After the form is completed, applicants can expect a phone call from an attorney through an unknown number labeled “No Caller ID” or something similar.For information about the legal clinics, go to dallasvolunteerattorneyprogram.org. For free legal assistance any time, contact the DBA’s Lawyer Referral Service at DallasLRS.org. For media inquiries about the legal clinics, contact DVAP Director Michelle Alden at aldenm@lanwt.org.

Posted inAccess to JusticeNews

Texas Access to Justice Foundation presents Access to Justice Awards

By Will Korn on

Greenberg Traurig and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs received the 2025 Access to Justice Awards from the Texas Access to Justice Foundation (TAJF) during a luncheon co-hosted by the foundation and the Supreme Court of Texas on October 20 at the AT&T Hotel Conference Center in Austin.

The luncheon was held to address the growing need for expanded access to civil legal aid across the state and recognized the commitment of partners who work to ensure that all Texans—regardless of income—can navigate the justice system. “Legal aid provides more than just legal help. It offers peace of mind, stability, and a path forward for families facing hardship,” said TAJF Executive Director Betty Balli Torres in a press release. “Thanks to the dedication of [these] honorees, more Texans have the support they need to face legal challenges and move toward a more secure future.” TAJF Treasurer Roland Johnson and Supreme Court of Texas Justice Brett Busby, the court’s liaison to the TAJF and the Texas Access to Justice Commission, presented the awards. They both praised the TAJF’s and the recipients’ continued dedication to access to justice.

Greenberg Traurig has co-sponsored a post-graduate fellowship program with the TAJF for 15 years, according to a press release. The Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs has worked with the TAJF since the COVID-19 pandemic on housing stabilization legal services essential to keeping Texans housed. The event also featured presentations from grantees who shared personal examples of the day-to-day impact of legal aid in communities across Texas. Speakers included Robert Doggett of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Kay Caballero of Family Legal Services of the South Plains, and Zoe Dobkin, a fellow at Texas Legal Services Center. For more information about the TAJF, go to teajf.org. 

PHOTO (from left): Texas Access to Justice Foundation Treasurer Roland Johnson, Supreme Court of Texas Justice and TAJF liaison Brett Busby, TAJF Executive Director Betty Balli Torres, and State Bar of Texas President Santos Vargas during the TAJF Access to Justice Luncheon on October 20. Photo courtesy of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation.

Posted inNewsState Bar

Former State Bar of Texas president G. Thomas Vick Jr. receives distinction from Austin College

By Will Korn on

Former State Bar of Texas President G. Thomas Vick Jr. was named a Distinguished Alumnus of Austin College in Sherman during a dinner held on October 17. Vick, a 1977 graduate of Austin College, served as president of the State Bar of Texas from 2017 to 2018.

Vick also served as chair of the Texas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees from 2013 to 2014; on the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors from 2005 to 2008, and on the Texas Access to Justice Commission from 2006 to 2009. He has received numerous awards and recognitions from the State Bar of Texas and other legal associations around Texas and the nation.

A partner in VickCarney in Weatherford, Vick received a J.D. in 1981 from South Texas College of Law Houston.

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