The Houston Young Lawyers Association, in collaboration with the New York State Bar Young Lawyers Section, the University of Houston Law Center, and the San Antonio, Austin, and Fort Bend young lawyers associations hosted a webinar panel discussion moderated by Anna DeMaggio, senior counsel to Orion, on international law and the war in Ukraine on July 25. The panel consisted of international law experts from Ukraine, specifically, Mykola Gnatovskyy, judge of the European Court of Human Rights; Mariia Bezdieniezhna, legal adviser to the Ukraine Embassy; Alexander Gudko, senior associate of Covington & Burling in New York; and Anton Korynevych, ambassador of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
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State Bar of Texas Podcast: What really happens after a trial—taking a closer look at post-conviction law with professor Lee Kovarsky
In this episode of the State Bar of Texas Podcast, host Rocky Dhir welcomes attorney and professor Lee Kovarsky to talk about post-conviction law. There is no way to truly prepare a client for life following a criminal conviction, and the aftermath of a defendant’s guilty verdict can be incredibly complex. Kovarsky discusses nuances in this area of the law to help attorneys understand processes and needs for clients navigating this segment of our justice system.
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State Bar of Texas Executive Committee to meet September 5
The State Bar of Texas Executive Committee will meet at 10 a.m. CDT on September 5 at the Texas Law Center in Austin. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed live on the State Bar of Texas YouTube page.
The agenda can be viewed here. The meeting materials are available here.
Among other agenda items, the committee will consider referring the Supreme Court of Texas’ preliminary approval of rules governing licensed legal paraprofessionals and licensed court-access assistants to the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors’ Administration Committee for consideration of possible comments as requested by the court and to be reported to and considered by the board at its next meeting.
Those who wish to address the Executive Committee in-person during this 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, please email boardofdirectors@texasbar.com or call 512-427-1713 or 800-204-2222 (toll free) before 5 p.m. CDT on September 4. Please provide the agenda item number you wish to speak on.
Supreme Court of Texas issues order on 2024 rules referendum
The Supreme Court of Texas has issued final approval and adoption of amendments to Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct 1.08, 1.09, 3.09, 4.03, 5.01, and 5.05; of new Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct 1.10 and 1.18; and of new Texas Rule of Disciplinary Procedure 13.05. The rules are effective October 1, 2024.
Regarding the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, the court also adopted new and amended interpretive comments, certain renumbering amendments, and amendments to the “Terminology” section, effective October 1, 2024.
The court rejected proposed new or amended Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct 1.00, 8.05, and 8.06.
The proposed amendments were approved in April 2024 by the State Bar of Texas membership as part of the 2024 rules referendum.
Read the court order here.
Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program hosts free legal clinics in September
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 September. Continue Reading
Mexican-American Bar Association of Texas Foundation awards law students
The Mexican-American Bar Association of Texas Foundation’s 19th annual Scholarship Luncheon took place August 21, 2024, at the C. Baldwin Curio Collection by Hilton. Scholarships are awarded to outstanding law students from each of the three Houston-based law schools who “exemplify leadership, commitment, justice, and equality within the Hispanic community and beyond.” Continue Reading
Texas Tech and St. Mary’s win at this year’s ABA Competitions
Texas Tech University School of Law and St. Mary’s University School of Law were named the 2023-2024 ABA Competitions Co-Champions by the American Bar Association.
Champions are recognized by the ABA for earning the most total points in the Law Student Division’s Arbitration Competition, Negotiation Competition, Client Counseling Competition, Representation in Mediation Competition, and National Appellate Advocacy Competition. Continue Reading
Supreme Court of Texas order preliminarily approves rules governing licensed legal paraprofessionals, court-access assistants
The Supreme Court of Texas issued an order on August 6 preliminarily approving rules governing licensed legal paraprofessionals and licensed court-access assistants and inviting public comments.
The court’s new and amended rules would allow licensed paraprofessionals to represent low-income individuals facing certain issues in the areas of family law, estate planning and probate law, and consumer debt law, as well as in justice court cases. The rules also would allow licensed court-access assistants sponsored by approved legal assistance organizations to represent low-income individuals in justice court.
Comments to the court regarding the new and amended rules should be submitted in writing to rulescomments@txcourts.gov by November 1. The court anticipates the rules will take effect on December 1.
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors is expected to consider providing comments on the proposed rules as requested by the court at its meeting on September 27 in Lubbock. The board is accepting public comments by email at boardofdirectors@texasbar.com as it considers its recommendations on the court’s proposed rules.
State Bar of Texas Past President Harrison dies at 77
State Bar of Texas Past President Guy N. Harrison, 77, of Longview, died August 4.
He received his J.D. in 1974 from Southern Methodist University School of Law and began his service to the State Bar of Texas in the 1990s. He was a member of the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors from 1995 to 1998, the State Bar of Texas Executive Committee from 1996 to 1999, and then chaired the Board of Directors from 1997 to 1998. In 2000, Harrison received a State Bar of Texas Presidential Citation for his work in reviewing and streamlining the structure of the bar’s committees. Harrison served as State Bar of Texas president from 2002 to 2003.
Beginning in 2002, Harrison spent three years as one of the inaugural commissioners of the Texas Access to Justice Commission. A life fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, he spent six years as a member of the foundation’s board of directors. He was later appointed to the Texas Commission for Lawyer Discipline in 2009 and served six years as a board member, including a year as chair from 2014 to 2015.
Harrison was active in his community as a board member, officer, and president of the Crisman School in his hometown of Longview, dedicated to providing the best possible education for students with special needs and learning disabilities.
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