Editor’s note: State Bar President Joe K. Longley sent the following message to members on Friday. 

Joe K. Longley

The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors held its quarterly meeting today in Georgetown. Highlights from the meeting are provided below.

Proposed rules changes move forward
The Committee on Disciplinary Rules and Referenda (CDRR) has recommended rule change proposals pursuant to Government Code section 81.0876. The proposals relate to the following:

  • Rule 1.02 Scope and Objectives of Representation and Rule 1.16 Clients with Diminished Capacity, and
  • Rule 1.05 Confidentiality of Information

The proposed changes were published in the Texas Bar Journal and the Texas Register. The CDRR held a public hearing and solicited and considered public comments on each proposed change before voting in November to recommend the proposals to the State Bar board.

The board voted today to approve the changes and to hold them for submission to the Texas Supreme Court at a later date with other proposed rules as deemed appropriate by the board. Ultimately, the board will petition the Texas Supreme Court to order a referendum on the proposed rules as provided by section 81.0878. To read the proposed changes, go to texasbar.com/CDRR and select “Docketed Requests.”

Budget proceeds to Supreme Court
The board approved the proposed 2019-2020 fiscal year budget for presentation to the Supreme Court. For the second straight year, the proposed budget will hold total general fund expenditures to under $44 million without a reduction in State Bar programs or services.

New board chair elected
The board elected Dallas director Jerry C. Alexander as chair of the State Bar board for 2019-2020. He will be sworn in as chair at the board’s June 13 meeting in Austin.

Public member sworn in
Directors welcomed a new public member, Jeffrey W. Allison of Houston, who was appointed by the Supreme Court to a term on the board expiring in 2020. Mr. Allison is the regulatory manager for Kinder Morgan Midstream. He replaces Joe “Rice” Horkey Jr. of Lubbock, whose term had expired.

Two at-large directors appointed
The board appointed two at-large directors—Andrés E. Almanzán of El Paso and Luis M. Cardenas of Edinburg—to three-year terms beginning in June. They will replace Angelica Hernandez of Houston and Rudolph “Rudy” K. Metayer of Austin, whose terms are expiring.

Resolution presented
The board honored former 3rd Court of Appeals Justice Cindy Olson Bourland of Round Rock for her commitment to the legal profession and the rule of law and her service to the judiciary and all Texans. In addition to her work as a lawyer and a judge, Justice Bourland has been very involved in local and state bar activities, including serving as president of the Austin Young Lawyers Association.

If you have any questions about the board meeting, please let me know. For more information on the board or to read meeting agendas and materials, go to texasbar.com/board.

 

With kindest regards,

Joe K. Longley 
President, State Bar of Texas 2018-2019
Joe.Longley@texasbar.com