The State Bar of Texas today announced the recipients of the 2021 Texas Minority Counsel Program awards, which honor outstanding attorneys for their impact in the areas of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. The Texas Minority Counsel Program, or TMCP, is the premier client development, networking, and continuing legal education event for attorneys … Continue Reading
Benny Agosto Jr. and Nikki Agosto donated $3 million to South Texas College of Law Houston, or STCL, to establish a diversity center at the law school. Only one donation to the law school has exceeded this amount. In recognition of the donation, the new center will be named the Benny Agosto Jr. Diversity Center … Continue Reading
The Tarrant County Bar Association will host a conversation on LGBTQ awareness and inclusion as part of its SIDE Bar (Striving for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity inside the Bar) Conversation Series at noon CDT on June 24 via Zoom.… Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors will meet June 16 and 17 at the Austin Marriott Downtown, 304 E. Cesar Chavez St., in Austin. Members and the public may attend in person to provide comment to the board by filling out a speaker card at the beginning of the meetings and submitting it … Continue Reading
The Tarrant County Bar Association’s Diversity Committee will host a discussion titled “Is Your Diversity & Inclusion Program Falling Short?” from noon to 1 p.m. on April 29. Guest speakers Kenya Woodruff, a partner in and deputy general counsel to Katten Muchin Rosenman, and Brian Newby, managing partner in Cantey Hanger, will lead the discussion … Continue Reading
The Austin Bar Association will hold an Equity Summit from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 14, 2021, via Zoom. The event is free and open to the public. The event will include a mindfulness exercise and panels on implicit bias, the roots of racism in Austin, the Tim Cole Act, how to reduce … Continue Reading
The Tarrant County Bar Association Diversity Committee will host a panel of law students to discuss diversity and inclusion at noon on March 25. The panel discussion is free and open to the public. As part of the SIDE (Striving for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity inside the) Bar Conversation Series, the law student-led discussion will … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors held its quarterly meeting on January 22. Below is a synopsis of reports and updates the board received. To watch the full meeting, please go to the State Bar’s YouTube page. The agenda and meeting materials can be found here. The Committee on Disciplinary Rules and Referenda … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors will meet for its next quarterly meeting at 9 a.m. CST on January 22. Among items on the agenda, the board will receive: an update from the Committee on Disciplinary Rules and Referenda on the upcoming 2021 Rules Vote and committee activities; a report from the Discipline & … Continue Reading
Come bring your cup of coffee and join TMCP 2020 on October 28-30, virtually! Isabel Wilkerson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, will be the conference’s keynote speaker on October 30. Register here. Participants can earn up to 6.75 MCLE hours, including 2 ethics hours. Caste is a New … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas will host a CLE webinar titled “An SBOT Focus on Diversity Listening Session” from noon to 1:15 p.m. CDT October 28. In this moderated panel discussion, Texas lawyers and bar leaders will discuss the impact of systemic racism and recent events on the legal community; the role of the State … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: The State Bar of Texas sent the following message to members on September 25. The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors held its quarterly meeting today by videoconference. Highlights of the meeting appear below. You can watch video of the meeting at youtube.com/statebaroftexas and read the agenda and meeting materials here. Referendum … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors will receive an update from President Larry McDougal on the Presidential Diversity Plan as well as the Presidential Task Force on Criminal Court Proceedings among other items at the board’s quarterly meeting set to begin at 9 a.m. CDT September 25. Items on the agenda also include … Continue Reading
The “Lady Justice: Women of the Court” podcast will feature Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman, Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Rhonda Wood, Chief Justice Bridget McCormack of Michigan, and Justice Beth Walker of West Virginia. In a press release, Justice Guzman describes the podcast as “an exciting opportunity to enhance the public’s understanding about the … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: The State Bar of Texas sent the following message to members on September 10. The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors met September 10 to follow up on items pending from the July 27 special-called board meeting. Task Force and Workgroup Rosters The board approved rosters for two groups created at the … Continue Reading
The Tarrant County Bar Association Diversity Committee, alongside the L. Clifford Davis Legal Association and Black Women Lawyers Association, will host a conversation on how to talk about race and racism. “The R Word: How to Talk About Race and Racism” will be held at noon on August 24. The conversation is part of the … Continue Reading
The Harris County Law Library will offer a virtual 19th Amendment Centennial Symposium from 2 to 4 p.m. on August 18. The “Votes for Texas Women” event will focus on the history of women’s suffrage and the importance of inclusion in law and government. Registration is open and free to all. “We are thrilled to offer … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: The following message was sent to all members today. The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors held a special meeting on July 27 to discuss and consider action regarding online commentary made by State Bar of Texas President Larry McDougal and other directors. The board heard from 61 speakers and accepted hundreds … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors will hold a special meeting at 9 a.m. CDT Monday, July 27. Among items on the agenda, the board will accept comments, discuss, and consider possible action regarding online commentary made by State Bar of Texas President Larry McDougal and other officers and directors. The board also … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: The 10 Texas law school deans have issued a joint statement condemning racism and remembering Houstonian George Floyd. It is reprinted in full below. To the Texas legal community: Each of us is the dean of one of the 10 Texas law schools. At first glance, our 10 schools might be considered a … Continue Reading
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 … Continue Reading
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 … Continue Reading
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 … Continue Reading
In March 2019, three Texas lawyers sued the State Bar of Texas claiming that under Janus v. AFSCME (2018), it is unconstitutional for an attorney to be required to join the State Bar of Texas in order to practice law. The plaintiffs also challenge bar programs that they claim exceed the bar’s “core regulatory functions.” … Continue Reading
