Final judgment issued in McDonald mandatory bar challenge

U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel has issued a final judgment in the McDonald lawsuit challenging the mandatory bar.

In September, the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors approved changes to bar rules and policies following a U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals panel opinion in the case.

The final judgment enjoins the State Bar from “using Plaintiffs’ mandatory dues to support lobbying or legislative activities (including such activities by the Texas Access to Justice Commission) seeking substantive changes to Texas law unrelated to regulating the legal profession or improving the quality of legal services.”

The Fifth Circuit opinion upheld the constitutionality of the majority of the bar’s challenged activities. Plaintiffs have since filed a petition for writ of certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Go here to see all the filings in the case and find a summary of similar litigation against other mandatory bars.