Free legal assistance available to South Texas survivors impacted by March storms

By Rebecca Johnson on June 16, 2025

SOUTH TEXAS — Free legal resources are available from Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) to low-income individuals affected by the March 24-26 storms and flooding in four Texas counties included in the federal disaster declaration May 21. These counties include Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy.

Eligible survivors who sustained disaster-caused damage may qualify for FEMA assistance, including assistance with displacement, temporary housing, basic home repair costs, personal property loss, or other disaster-caused needs.

Survivors can seek help from TRLA for applying for FEMA assistance or appeals, landlord-tenant matters, disaster unemployment, replacing lost documents, and issues related to public benefits.

For more information, read the press release.

Posted inPodcast

Inside the State Bar: A Presidential Perspective

By State Bar of Texas Staff on June 13, 2025

In this episode of the State Bar of Texas Podcast, host Rocky Dhir welcomes State Bar of Texas Immediate Past President Cindy Tisdale, President Steve Benesh, and President-elect Santos Vargas to learn more about their efforts for fellow lawyers and their desire to address unmet needs in the profession throughout the state. They also discuss the history of the State Bar of Texas, explain the current structure and operation of the organization as a whole, and share how Texas legal professionals can get more involved in bar programs.

Posted inUncategorized

State Bar of Texas Board of Directors to meet June 18-19 in San Antonio

By Rebecca Johnson on June 12, 2025

The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors will meet on June 18-19 at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort in San Antonio. The meetings are open to the public and will be broadcast live on the State Bar of Texas YouTube channel.

June 18 Board Meeting

The final meeting of the board for the 2024-2025 bar year will begin at 1 p.m. View the agenda here and the consent agenda here. Among the agenda items, the board will consider and discuss approval of Houston CDC Regional office space lease and consider and discuss approval of updated performance measures based on 2025-2030 State Bar of Texas Strategic Plan.

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. CDT on Tuesday, June 17. Please provide the agenda item number you wish to speak on. Written comments regarding agenda items must be received by 5 p.m. CDT on Friday, June 13, 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.

June 19 Board Meeting

The first meeting of the board for the 2025-2026 bar year will begin at 9 a.m. View the agenda here. Among the agenda items, the board will swear in new Chair Britney E. Harrison, as well as new State Bar President-elect G. David Smith. The board also will welcome incoming directors, liaisons, and section representatives.

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. CDT on Wednesday, June 18. Please provide the agenda item number you wish to speak on. Written comments regarding agenda items must be received by 5 p.m. CDT on Friday, June 13, 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 inUncategorized

San Antonio to host 2025 State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting

By Rebecca Johnson on May 29, 2025

The 2025 State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting will take place June 19-20 at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort in San Antonio. The event offers two full days of continuing legal education and networking opportunities for attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

Keynote speakers include:

Hon. Wallace B. Jefferson, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas (retired), of Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP, will deliver the keynote address at the Bar Leaders Recognition Luncheon on June 19, which will include a commemoration of the legal history and significance of Juneteenth National Independence Day.

Hon. Jimmy Blacklock, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, will deliver the keynote address at the Bench Bar Breakfast on June 20.

Hon. Nathan L. Hecht, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas (retired), of Jackson Walker, and Hon. Priscilla Richman, judge of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, will participate in a moderated discussion at the General Session Luncheon on June 20.

For full details, read the press release.

Posted inUncategorized

Daniella Landers sworn in as 2025-2026 HBA president

By Will Korn on May 21, 2025

Daniella Landers was sworn in as the 2025-2026 president of the Houston Bar Association (HBA) during the HBA’s annual dinner on May 15. Landers, who succeeds Immediate Past President David Harrell, is the first African American woman to serve as HBA president in the organization’s 155-year history, according to a press release.

In her address to HBA members, Landers laid out her presidential initiatives focused on the core components: people, service, and collaboration. Landers also highlighted several projects she has planned for the bar year, including: increasing membership through various programs to include a new section for solo practitioners and small law firms, as well as incentives for local and affinity bar members; inviting HBA members to participate in two dedicated service days during the fall and spring, focused on giving back through events organized in collaboration with HBA committees and local partner organizations; providing opportunities to network and collaborate with allies and partners in the legal, business, and political communities; and serving as an educational platform to ensure members are well-informed of the issues and key developments impacting their practices, according to a press release.

Posted inSponsored Content

Revisiting Texas’ Mental Health Court Programs

By State Bar of Texas Staff on May 15, 2025

In this special rebroadcast of the State Bar of Texas Podcast, host Rocky Dhir welcomes Judge Brent Carr to discuss his years of service in the Tarrant County Mental Health Court and the broader efforts across Texas to support people with mental illness in the justice system. They explore programs tackling issues from sex trafficking to drug offenses, veterans’ cases, and more.

Posted inNews Pro Bono

Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters Committee announces Indigent Defense Awards winners

By Will Korn on May 12, 2025

The State Bar of Texas Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters Committee announced Texas A&M University’s Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) as the 2025 recipient of the Michael K. Moore Award for Excellence in Research or Writing in the Area of Indigent Criminal Defense. The Office of Capital and Forensic Writs (OCFW), based in Austin, is the 2025 recipient of the Warren Burnett Award.

The recipients will be formally recognized during the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting on June 19-20 at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio.

The PPRI was recognized for its 2024 report, “Justice Beyond the Cities: The State of Rural Public Defense in Texas,” a landmark study on the state of rural indigent defense in Texas. Combining rigorous data analysis with qualitative insights, the report highlights critical attorney shortages and systemic barriers faced by rural counties.

Posted inNews Pro Bono

Legal Services to the Poor in Civil Matters Committee announces Pro Bono Excellence award winners

By Will Korn on May 12, 2025

The State Bar of Texas Legal Services to the Poor in Civil Matters Committee announced its 2025 Pro Bono Excellence award winners.

Judge Roy B. Ferguson, of Houston, received the Judge Merrill Hartman Pro Bono Judge Award; Christina Yarnell, of Austin, received the Frank J. Scurlock Award; Ricardo Loza, of San Antonio, received the J. Chrys Dougherty Award; The Mexican-American Bar Association of Houston received the Pro Bono Award; Brittany Krohn, of Houston, received the Pro Bono Coordinator Award; Robert M. Caine, of Houston, received the Pro Bono Support Staff Award; and Hunton Andrews Kurth, of Dallas, received the W. Frank Newton Award.

The recipients will be formally recognized during the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting on June 19-20 at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio.

Judge Merrill Hartman Pro Bono Judge Award—Judge Roy B. Ferguson

The Judge Merrill Hartman Pro Bono Judge Award honors a sitting or retired judge who has provided exemplary pro bono service, including outreach to attorneys to increase the quantity and quality of pro bono representation; modifications to court processes to increase access to justice; advocacy on behalf of access to justice; service as a volunteer judge for pro bono clinics; or other pro bono proceedings. Judge Roy B. Ferguson was honored for his pioneering work in expanding access to justice in rural Texas, notably through the early adoption of virtual hearings during the COVID pandemic. His innovations helped eliminate barriers for low-income and self-represented litigants. A staunch advocate for pro bono service, Ferguson actively recruited attorneys statewide, ensuring that justice reaches even the most remote corners of Texas.

Posted inUncategorized

Champions of Justice Gala Benefiting Veterans Raises $1,034,918

By Rebecca Johnson on May 6, 2025

Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative gives the keynote address at this year’s gala. (Photo by Bill McCullough)

The Texas Access to Justice Commission and its co-sponsor, the State Bar of Texas, honored veterans throughout the state at the Champions of Justice Gala Benefiting Veterans last Wednesday night at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin. This year’s gala marked a record-breaking year in terms of funds raised, with over one million dollars brought in by a long list of sponsors – all to help provide civil legal services to low-income Texas veterans.

This year’s event was chaired by David R. McAtee II, senior executive vice president and general counsel for AT&T Inc., and Van H. Beckwith, executive vice president and chief legal officer at Halliburton. Supreme Court of Texas Justice Brett Busby, who is also the Court’s liaison to the Texas Access to Justice Commission, served as the master of ceremonies and throughout the evening emphasized the significant civil legal needs among veterans. All of the Supreme Court of Texas’ Justices were in attendance at this year’s gala.

The Macey and Harry M. Reasoner Access to Justice Lecture Series Keynote Speaker was Bryan Stevenson, the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization in Montgomery, Alabama. Read the news release.