Myth No. 1 of music licensing: Just because you are not making money on a project, does not mean you can use music for free. Austin lawyer Amy E. Mitchell, of Amy E. Mitchell PLLC, and Roanna Gillespie, a music supervisor at WOW Sounds, educated the South By Southwest audience during a panel titled “Music … Continue Reading
The Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers are seeking volunteers to judge the preliminary rounds of the National Trial Competition. The top 30 law school teams from across the country will compete in the mock trial competition in San Antonio on March 28 and 29. Judges are needed for the … Continue Reading
Researchers and legal scholars at a SXSW panel warned that machine-learning technologies are exploding the scope of media manipulation, prompting society wide concerns. Experts on a panel titled “AI-Powered Media Manipulation and its Consequences” highlighted various manipulation techniques powered by artificial intelligence, such as “Deepfake,” a term used for a technique that synthesizes images of … Continue Reading
What are the general policies businesses should follow when interacting through virtual assistants and chatbots? A recent panel at South by Southwest in Austin discussed best practices, current laws, and upcoming legislation that will affect how companies do business. “The law is the tortoise and technology is the hare,” said Hannah Taylor, counsel to Frankfurt … Continue Reading
A private attorney, a federal prosecutor, and a legal scholar tackled the challenges of combatting invasive online crimes such as sextortion, doxxing, and cyberstalking during a South by Southwest panel titled “When the Internet Turns Violent and Abusive.” Mona Sedky, a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section, … Continue Reading
The harvesting of data via artificial intelligence, biometrics technology, and digital data collection is currently outpacing laws regulating its use according to a recent panel at the South by Southwest Conference & Festivals taking place in Austin this week. Myriad information is created through many means, such as posting to or having profiles on social … Continue Reading
A Texas police detective is issuing a warning that scammers are attempting to use the legal profession as a tool to bilk money from people who may be unfamiliar with the justice system. George Schilter, a detective in the criminal investigations division of the Webster Police Department and a licensed Texas lawyer, wrote to the … Continue Reading
Editor’s Note: The following notice was originally published in the March 2019 issue of the Texas Bar Journal. To All State Bar of Texas Members: Your annual State Bar of Texas membership dues are due on June 1 of each year. If you are an emeritus member of the State Bar, only section dues, if … Continue Reading
K&L Gates’ offices in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston are among the firm’s locations around the globe celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8.… Continue Reading
Two hundred and sixty-six attorneys and 35 paralegals were certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, or TBLS, during its annual induction ceremony at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin on March 1. The freshly certified attorneys and paralegals represented myriad areas, including family law, criminal law, and oil and … Continue Reading
The Houston Bar Association named Mindy G. Davidson as its new executive director. She succeeds longtime executive director Kay Sim, who retired March 1. “I am inspired by the commitment of the HBA staff to serving the needs of the Houston-area lawyers and our community,” Davidson said in a news release. “It is an honor … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas’ Membership Department was informed in February 2019 of the deaths of these members. We join the officers and directors of the State Bar in expressing our deepest sympathy.… Continue Reading
Edna W. Garza-Guerra, a litigation paralegal with Walsh McGurk Cordova Nixon in McAllen, will serve as the 2019-2020 State Bar of Texas Paralegal Division president-elect. She joined the division in 2011 and has served as a sub-chair for its CLE committee, helping to generate 53 free CLE hours for District 15, and on its board … Continue Reading
The team from Bishop Lynch High beat more than 25 high school teams to win the final round of the Texas High School Mock Trial Competition on Saturday, March 2, at the George Allen Sr. Courthouse in Dallas. The teams argued a hypothetical criminal court case that was written by local attorneys from the Dallas … Continue Reading
The Texas Bar Foundation named Dallas attorney Talmage Boston as its 2019 Terry Lee Grantham Memorial Award recipient. Boston will be honored and presented with the award on June 14 at the Texas Bar Foundation Annual Dinner at the JW Marriott in Austin. Texas Tech University School of Law—Grantham’s alma mater—will receive $5,000 for student … Continue Reading
The Galveston County Bar Association and the Houston Bar Foundation’s Veterans Legal Initiative are sponsoring a free legal clinic for veterans on Saturday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to noon. Veterans and spouses of deceased attorneys can receive one-on-one advice and counsel from volunteer attorneys in family law, wills and probate, consumer law, real estate … Continue Reading
A Texas attorney’s duty to maintain competence in the practice of law includes knowing about relevant technology, according to a new Texas Supreme Court order. The court, in Misc. Docket No. 19-9016, amended Paragraph 8 of the comment to Rule 1.01 of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, which deals with competent and diligent … Continue Reading
Need a head start on the Texas Bar Journal before your copy arrives in the mail? We’ve got you covered. Check out our editorial staff’s top picks for a look at discovery related features and the state of the judiciary in Texas. And don’t forget to read Movers and Shakers, Disciplinary Actions, and Memorials.… Continue Reading
It is a timeless and eternal verity that we all cherish our children and seek to ensure their overall well-being in every facet of their lives and stage of development. No sacrifice is too great to achieve that paramount aim. In the context of family law and the dissolution of marriage where children are involved, … Continue Reading
The Cochran Firm in Dallas kicked off its inaugural High School Black History Cooking Competition to celebrate Black History Month and the soul food traditions of African Americans. Select culinary programs from Dallas area high schools participated and six finalists crafted meals on February 19 at Cedar Hill High School.… Continue Reading
Governor Greg Abbott announced Thursday he has appointed former 14th Court of Appeals Justice Brett Busby to the Texas Supreme Court for a term set to expire on December 31, 2020. Busby’s appointment, which is subject to Senate confirmation, follows the retirement of Justice Phil Johnson in December. Read the governor’s announcement.… Continue Reading
The Committee on Disciplinary Rules and Referenda (CDRR) will continue to accept public comments concerning the proposed lawyer advertising rules through March 1, 2019. You can submit comments here. Interested in law firm trade names? Take the CDRR’s poll. The CDRR is responsible for overseeing the initial process for proposing a change or addition to … Continue Reading
Get your tickets to watch the Dallas Mavericks against the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 p.m. on April 1. Stick around after the game as each person who purchases through this Law Night promotion will be able to access the court post-game to attempt a free throw! For every advanced ticket purchased, a $2 donation will … Continue Reading
