Editor’s Note: The following notice was originally published in the March 2019 issue of the Texas Bar Journal.

To All State Bar of Texas Members:

Your annual State Bar of Texas membership dues are due on June 1 of each year. If you are an emeritus member of the State Bar, only section dues, if applicable, are due on June 1. In our continuing efforts to become more efficient and reduce costs, all membership dues and fees for fiscal year 2019-2020 will be paid online through the State Bar website (texasbar.com).

Most members of the State Bar already pay their dues and fees online using the State Bar’s website. Changing to a 100 percent online payment system will save the State Bar of Texas approximately $100,000 annually in printing and postage costs. By taking the dues/fees collection process to a 100 percent online system, the State Bar will have in place a payment process that is consistent across the board and applies to all State Bar members equally.

Members will receive their annual electronic membership dues reminder notice by email between April 15 and May 1, 2019, with a direct link to the State Bar’s secure online payment process. Members also will be sent a dues reminder notice by regular mail on or before May 1, 2019. Payments for dues and fees may be paid securely by credit card or by electronic funds transfer (EFT). There is no fee to pay by EFT. However, as in prior years, payment using a credit card will require a $5 processing fee. This $5 fee is charged to offset the amount the State Bar of Texas is required to pay to its credit card processor. Checks will no longer be accepted. Checks received without first obtaining authorization based on disability or undue hardship will be returned to sender.

Law firms using the firm billing process will have a new, secure online portal for firm coordinators this year. The online portal will allow the firm coordinators to create/change their rosters, choose which fees will be paid by the firm, and add/change section memberships or Access to Justice contributions. Payments for firm billing may be made by credit card or electronic funds transfer (EFT). There is no fee to pay by EFT. As in prior years, payment using a credit card will require a $5 processing fee for each attorney whose dues/fees are paid through the firm billing portal. This $5 is charged to offset the amount the State Bar of Texas is required to pay its credit card processor. If the firm did not participate in firm billing last year, please contact the Membership Department, and we will provide login information for the firm billing portal. Checks will no longer be accepted for firm billing payments. Checks received for firm billing payments without first obtaining authorization based on disability or undue hardship will be returned to sender.

All payment data supplied to the State Bar of Texas website is transferred using industry-standard encryption methods. Encryption is one of the most important means of providing data security for information in transit across computer networks. The State Bar does not retain member payment card data or bank information on its network servers. This information is only used to submit member payment transactions to the trusted payment network for payment card or electronic funds transfer processing.

The State Bar is required, by law, to keep an email address on file for all Texas attorneys. To update your preferred email address, log on to your My Bar Page at texasbar.com and select “Edit Contact Info” prior to April 1, 2019. If you have an email address on file and have not received any emails from the State Bar recently, please contact the Membership Department.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the Membership Department at (800) 204-2222, ext. 1383; (512) 427-1383; or by email at onlinefees@texasbar.com.