The Houston Bar Foundation, or HBF, has received a $500,000 grant from CenterPoint Energy to provide pro se litigant assistance to thousands of Harris County residents, according to a press release. “CenterPoint Energy takes its responsibility to be a good corporate citizen seriously,” CenterPoint Energy Executive Vice President and General Counsel Monica Karuturi said in … Continue Reading
The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, an initiative of the Dallas Bar Association, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, and local lawyers, is hosting free virtual and in-person legal clinics for eligible Dallas County residents throughout March.… Continue Reading
Volunteer attorneys will be available to answer legal questions on Wednesdays in March through the Dallas Bar Association’s LegalLine E-Clinic. The clinics, which run from 4 to 8 p.m., are free of cost. A volunteer attorney will call a participant for up to 15 minutes of legal advice. No attorney-client relationship will be established. Individuals … Continue Reading
The First Court of Appeals in Houston is warning the public that scammers are calling community members claiming to be an officer on behalf of a justice of the court. The scammers claim the community member missed jury duty and must pay money to avoid having a warrant issued for their arrest. The First Court … Continue Reading
The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, an initiative of the Dallas Bar Association, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, and local lawyers, is hosting free virtual and in-person legal clinics for eligible Dallas County residents throughout February.… Continue Reading
Bill Mateja, a partner in Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton in Dallas, was inaugurated as the 115th president of the Dallas Bar Association, or DBA, on January 20, according to a press release. Mateja, whose practice focuses on white-collar defense and corporate investigations, has been on the DBA Board of Directors for many years and … Continue Reading
Austin attorney and former State Bar of Texas President Richard Pena has been named the National Conference of Bar Presidents 2024 Fellow, according to a press release. Pena, who served as State Bar of Texas president from 1998 to 1999, is the second Texas-based attorney to receive the award. The late James B. Sales, who … Continue Reading
The Texas Access to Justice Commission met December 15 to consider the report from the commission’s Access to Legal Services Working Group. After accepting public comment and discussion among the commissioners, the commission voted to approve the following recommendations from the working group’s report: Authorize Supreme Court of Texas-licensed (1) paraprofessionals to represent and assist … Continue Reading
The Access to Legal Services Working Group will present its final report on potential regulatory reforms designed to improve access to justice for low-income Texans during a meeting December 15 in Austin, according to an announcement Wednesday from the Texas Access to Justice Commission. The working group was formed after the Supreme Court of Texas … Continue Reading
The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas is accepting public comments on the following proposed ethics opinions: Proposed Opinion 2023-5 (comment deadline (1/26/24): Through an employment agreement between a law firm and its lawyers: May the law firm impose a minimum departure notice period for lawyers who wish to depart the law … Continue Reading
Baylor Law School announced it will open a new family law clinic beginning in fall 2024. The clinic aims to provide vital support to pro se litigants in navigating the complexities of family law cases, focusing on divorce and matters affecting parent-child relationships, according to a press release. Created with financial assistance from the Texas … Continue Reading
The Texas Advocacy Project, or TAP, announced it has received a $20,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation, or TBF, according to a press release. The grant, which will be distributed over a 12-month period, will be used to enhance TAP’s capacity to connect with the legal community and expand pro bono legal assistance to … Continue Reading
Texas veterans are invited to participate in Texas Veterans Legal Aid Week, a statewide effort in honor of Veterans Day coordinated by the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, or TAJF, and legal aid programs across the state. During the week of November 4-11, legal aid programs, local bar associations, law schools, and pro bono private … Continue Reading
South Texas College of Law Houston Vice President and Associate Dean for Experiential Education Catherine Greene Burnett will receive the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award, given by the Association of American Law Schools Section on Pro Bono and Access to Justice, on January 4, 2024, in Washington, D.C. during the association’s 2024 Annual Meeting. Burnett created STCL’s … Continue Reading
The Dallas Bar Association, or DBA, announced the Dallas-based WFAA-TV team of Tanya Eiserer, Rick Rysso, and Mark Smith as the 2023 Stephen Philbin Award grand prize winner during the DBA’s Fellows Luncheon on October 25. The team’s entry, titled “Broken Trust,” discovered that the small town of Onalaska, Texas, was the epicenter of a … Continue Reading
The Texas Bar Foundation, or TBF, awarded $807,673 in grants to 51 nonprofit organizations during the fall 2023 grant cycle, according to a press release. “The lives of Texans in need of assistance will be improved thanks to the generosity of the Texas Bar Foundation fellows,” TBF Board of Trustees Chair Geffrey W. Anderson said … Continue Reading
The Texas Access to Justice Foundation, or TAJF, and the Texas Access to Justice Commission honored Texas senators and representatives with the Legislative Hero Award for their contributions to improving access to justice for Texans during the 88th legislative session at a luncheon on October 31. The TAJF and the Texas Access to Justice Commission … Continue Reading
The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, an initiative of the Dallas Bar Association, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, and local lawyers, is hosting free virtual and in-person legal clinics for eligible Dallas County residents throughout November.… Continue Reading
Amy Starnes, director of public affairs for the Supreme Court of Texas, received the Anne Charles Excellence Award during the 2023 National Association of Bar Professionals, or NABE, Communication Workshop held October 3-6 in Park City, Utah. The award, one of the highest honors of the NABE Communications Section, is presented to a member of … Continue Reading
The Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas is accepting public comments on the following proposed ethics opinion: Proposed Opinion 2023-4 (comment deadline 12/18/2023): Do the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct permit a lawyer to offer legal services under a subscription service fee model in which the client pays a monthly fee … Continue Reading
The Texas Access to Justice Commission, or TAJC, announced April Faith-Slaker as its new executive director and director of the Legal Access Department of the State Bar of Texas. She will take office in late October 2023. “The Commission is pleased to report that the selection of Ms. Faith-Slaker resulted from an extensive, nationwide search … Continue Reading
The Supreme Court of Texas reappointed former Justice Deborah Hankinson to a new three-year term as chair of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, or TAJF. “It’s a profound privilege to continue my service as the board chair for the Foundation, where I will continue to guide the organization in its mission of equal justice … Continue Reading
The Dallas Bar Association, or DBA, is celebrating its 150th anniversary, marking a century and a half of dedication to the legal profession, justice, and the Dallas community. Established in 1873, the DBA has been a cornerstone of legal excellence, promoting the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and legal expertise. Since its formation, it has … Continue Reading
Volunteer attorneys will answer legal questions for free during the Dallas Bar Association’s LegalLine E-Clinic throughout October every Wednesday. Clinics run online from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Volunteer attorneys will call participants to provide up to 15 minutes of free legal advice. Lawyers will remain anonymous. They may also provide referrals to local, legal, … Continue Reading