Editor’s Note: The State Bar of Texas is providing this collection of important links, blog posts, and media stories to keep its members and the public informed of the latest news and resources related to the novel coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the legal community.
Important links
State Bar of Texas Coronavirus Legal Resources Page — Texasbar.com/coronavirus
State Bar of Texas Coronavirus Public Resources Page — Texasbar.com/COVIDHelp
Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program Well-being Resources page — Texasbar.com/remote-well-being
Reopening Texas: A Q&A with David Coale — Dallas attorney David Coale recently discussed who has the authority to decide when Texas businesses reopen. (Subscription required) — Texas Lawyer
Texas courts zoom forward with virtual hearings — One month after the rollout of the first virtual courtroom in Texas held via Zoom, more than 8,500 separate proceedings have been held remotely. — Courthouse News Service
Meet next batch of Texas lawyers who will get new kind of swearing-in experience — Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most individuals who passed the February 2020 Texas Bar Examination and are eligible to be sworn in will do so remotely. (Subscription required) — Texas Lawyer
The coronavirus will change the legal industry’s approach to remote work—but how? — Some hope the strain of juggling bosses, clients, Zoom meetings and family will at least lead to positive changes when the current emergency comes to an end. — Law.com
Best practices for Texas lawyers negotiating over email — Texas lawyers should be acutely aware of legal developments in our state applying the familiar themes of contract law—such as offer and acceptance—to this digital landscape. (Subscription required) — Texas Lawyer
Calls spiked — then dropped. Domestic abuse survivors, at home with abusers during the pandemic, may be unable to get help. — Advocates worry that survivors are struggling to seek help because they’re stuck with their abusers at home due to stay-at-home orders. — The Texas Tribune
SXSW sued over no-refund policy after cancellation — The company that puts on Austin’s internationally acclaimed South by Southwest festival is being sued over its no-refund policy, after the annual event was canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. — Austin American-Statesman
Couple married on Zoom and officiated by district judge — Judge David Stith marries couples online as a result of coronavirus. — Corpus Christi Caller Times
Coronavirus has not stopped many cash-strapped courts from seeking fines and fees — Many courts are continuing to collect fines and fees, even as millions of Americans find themselves out of a job and less able to pay up. — The Marshall Project
Judge tells feds to abide by 20-year deal on release of detained immigrant kids — A federal judge in Los Angeles said Friday the risk of Covid-19 spreading in immigrant detention facilities requires the government to adhere to a longstanding settlement requiring prompt release of immigrant youth from custody. — Courthouse News Service
What the CARES Act means for your student loans (audio) — Part of the CARES Act includes automatic suspension of principal and interest payments on federally held student loans through Sept. 30, 2020. — NPR
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