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 Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas is accepting public comments on two proposed ethics opinions through June 27. Proposed Opinion 20-2 (Revised) concerns whether a lawyer who represents a defendant in a criminal matter violates the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct if, after receiving tangible evidence from the lawyer’s client, the lawyer … 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
The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas is accepting public comments on another proposed ethics opinion. Proposed Opinion 20-3, which is open for comment through April 10, concerns the following: When a lawyer retained under a contingent fee agreement withdraws from the representation due to a nonconsentable conflict of interest discovered shortly after … Continue Reading
The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas is accepting public comments on two proposed ethics opinions through March 27. The first proposed opinion deals with (1) whether a staff lawyer employed by an insurance company to defend its insureds must comply with the company’s guidelines regarding the defense of such cases, and (2) what … Continue Reading
A litany of rule changes have been made and ethics opinions issued by bar associations across the country in order to catch up with the pace of social media. A South by Southwest panel covered changes regarding competence, unintentionally transmitted communications, and disappearing data.… Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas seeks to remind the public that in many cases it is a crime in Texas for a lawyer or someone representing a lawyer to contact a person for purposes of legal representation if the person has not first requested the call or personal visit. The contact is not illegal if … Continue Reading
Texas Center for Legal Ethics announced its plans for State Bar of Texas 2018 Annual Meeting where attendees can earn CLE and preview the center’s newest ethics CLE subscription-based program launching later this Fall. The subscription program aims to provide new and current TCLE members with an intuitive online resource to access continuing education courses on-demand, as … Continue Reading
A prudent lawyer would no doubt avoid communicating sensitive client information in a crowded room where bystanders would be able to hear the conversation. However, in the rapidly changing technological landscape, the reasonable steps necessary to ensure lawyer-client communications are truly private are often less intuitive. So what steps should a lawyer take before hitting … Continue Reading
On April 20, a number of local bar associations across the state will be hosting events in celebration of the Texas Day of Civility in the Law. The day was created to reaffirm the Texas Lawyer’s Creed, which calls for attorneys to conduct themselves with courtesy and professionalism toward judges, adversaries, peers, colleagues, and clients. … Continue Reading
The State Bar Office of Minority Affairs and the State Bar of Texas Diversity in the Profession Committee will host the 16th Annual Texas Minority Attorney Program on Friday, April 20 at South Texas College of Law Houston. The Texas Minority Attorney Program is a one-day live CLE seminar and networking event geared toward minority … Continue Reading
The Texas Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, and the State Bar of Texas have declared April 20 as the “Texas Day of Civility in Law.” As part of the recognition of the day, The Texas Center for Legal Ethics, or TCLE, is offering a pair of free online ethics CLEs to Texas … Continue Reading
We all know that an attorney has a duty to protect confidential client information, but it’s easy to forget that duty when posting on social media or responding to online reviews related to a lawyer’s services. The proper analysis under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct will involve Rule 1.05, which generally defines the … Continue Reading
Lawyers and judges in the Dallas legal community will reaffirm their commitment to civility and professionalism during a new program next month. The Day of Civility and Professionalism, which will be observed in all Dallas state and federal courts, on September 9 aims to encourage attorneys and those serving in the judiciary to reemphasize their … Continue Reading
Last week at the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, attorneys packed a room at the Fort Worth Convention Center to hear Judges Roy Ferguson and David Canales talk about what to do—and what not to do—to gain respect from judges. The session, Effective and Ethical Advocacy from the Judge’s Perspective, was put on by … Continue Reading
Chief Judge Carl E. Stewart of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals presented the new Barbara Jordan American Inn of Court with its charter at the federal courthouse in Austin on April 14. Stewart, president of the American Inns of Court Board of Trustees, spoke of the important role that inns of court play … Continue Reading
Most lawyers have a story of how someone or something affected them and gave them a reason to become a lawyer. What about after you became a lawyer? I have been practicing for almost 15 years and owe my career path to two attorneys who had a great impact on my career—and they do not … Continue Reading
