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Houston Young Lawyers Association co-hosts panel discussion on international law and the war in Ukraine

The Houston Young Lawyers Association, in collaboration with the New York State Bar Young Lawyers Section, the University of Houston Law Center, and the San Antonio, Austin, and Fort Bend young lawyers associations hosted a webinar panel discussion moderated by Anna DeMaggio, senior counsel to Orion, on international law and the war in Ukraine on … Continue Reading

Texas federal court upholds DOL rule attacking FLSA tip credit

On July 6, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas issued a decision in Restaurant Law Center, et al. v. U.S. Dep’t of Labor that affirmed the validity of a recently promulgated Department of Labor, or DOL, final rule designed to regulate when employers are entitled to take a tip credit … Continue Reading

Cyberattack: It Can Happen to Your Law Practice

Cybersecurity is an important concern not only for the safety of data, but also for the protection of people. In many ways, with the internet of things and the proliferation of breaches and exploitation, cyber threats are at the forefront of what attorneys, as advisers, employees, and business owners, face. The technology we attorneys now … Continue Reading

Corporate Transparency Act beneficial ownership reporting is here

The beneficial ownership reporting requirements imposed by the Corporate Transparency Act, or CTA, are now in effect. 31 U.S.C. § 5336. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, estimates tens of millions of existing companies will be reporting soon—in addition to the two million new entities created each year and their “company applicants.” “Willful” failures … Continue Reading

Stories of Recovery: Be Compassionate

Editor’s note: TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance use or mental health issues. Call or text TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) or find more information at tlaphelps.org. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder when I was six years old. During my first year of law school, I experienced a significant … Continue Reading

Stories of Recovery: What it was like then. What it’s like now.

Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery blog series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance use or mental health issues. Call or text TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. I had my first drink when I was 16 years old, and … Continue Reading

Stories of Recovery: Life can get better

Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery blog series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance use or mental health issues. Call or text TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. I have always felt like an outsider and a loner. As a child, … Continue Reading

Change of Venue: From Court to the Stage

The story behind Night Court and its 2022 production ‘Night Court at 30 Presents Justice by the Dozen’ By Tara Taheri   Night Court is Houston’s very own all-lawyer musical theater company, which in recent years has transitioned to a public 501(c)(3) and has been approved for 2 hours of CLE ethics credits.… Continue Reading

Stories of Recovery: Just keep walking your path

Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery blog series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance use or mental health issues. Call or text TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. It is amazing how much damage can occur to your life in … Continue Reading

Latinx still making firsts

Now in the third decade of the new century, persons of color continue to break barriers. Although Texas has the second highest Latinx population in the United States, prior to 2021, it did not have a Latinx judge organization like those found in California, New York, and Illinois. That barrier was broken on May 5, … Continue Reading

Stories of Recovery: There is an army out there to help you

Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery blog series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance use or mental health issues. Call or text TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. After interviewing to move my solo practice to another firm, I celebrated … Continue Reading

Those guys have all the marks

It happens every time. A client falls in love with a trademark that is perfect for his new company. I perform a search and have to be the bearer of bad news: The field is crowded. That is, there are many variations of that perfect mark already registered to other companies, which are even in … Continue Reading

Stories of Recovery: A young lawyer’s journey to self-compassion

Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery blog series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance use or mental health issues. Call or text TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. One beautiful spring morning, I was preparing to leave my house for … Continue Reading

Opinion: Adverse Childhood Experiences in the juvenile justice system

Adverse Childhood Experiences scores are typically very high for children who find themselves in the juvenile justice system. Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACE, are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years of age).(1) ACEs are used to identify the amount of traumatic stress an individual has experienced. While it has gotten better in … Continue Reading

Across state lines—working with out-of-state co-counsel

The COVID-19 pandemic experience of shuttered courthouses, restricted travel, and work-from-home arrangements has forced law firms to reevaluate how they do business, particularly when that work is done across state lines. Whether your firm decides to work through local counsel from outside your firm or to act as local counsel for an unrelated, out-of-state firm, … Continue Reading

A Tribute to Osler McCarthy: A Life Well Lived in the Law

Editor’s Note: The following tribute was originally published by the State Bar of Texas Appellate Section and is reprinted with permission.  By Wallace B. Jefferson Chief Justice, Texas Supreme Court (Ret.) Lawyers and journalists know why today is important in the life of Texas law. The Supreme Court just issued the term’s final weekly regular … Continue Reading

A Life of Serving: Civil litigator Lloyd Lochridge is inspiring others to do pro bono work and volunteer in their communities

Lloyd Lochridge died at 103 on April 13, 2021, in Austin. His obituary can be read online here. He served as State Bar of Texas president from 1974 to 1975. In recognition of Lochridge, we are reprinting this “Legal Legends” article that was printed in the June 2018 Texas Bar Journal. By Mitchell C. Chaney … Continue Reading
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