Kelsey Erickson, general counsel to Sen. Kirk Watson, and Katy Aldredge, capitol director for Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, are this year’s recipients of the James Madison Award presented by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Erickson and Aldredge were chosen for their efforts to create and pass legislation that makes important repairs to Texas’ open … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas’ Membership Department was informed in August 2019 of the deaths of these members. We join the officers and directors of the State Bar in expressing our deepest sympathy.… Continue Reading
Blake Hawthorne, clerk of the court for the Texas Supreme Court, will be honored with the Kathleen McCree Lewis Award for Appellate Justice by the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers in April 2020. Hawthorne is being recognized by the group for his trailblazing work in transforming court records to electronic format, said Houston lawyer Kevin … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Appellate Section and the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society celebrated its Texas Appellate Hall of Fame 2019 inductees during an Advanced Civil Appellate Seminar in Austin on September 5. The award recognizes judges, attorneys, and court personnel who have made significant contributions to appellate law and who are no longer … Continue Reading
The Dallas Bar Association dedicated its 29th house for Habitat for Humanity on August 24. The DBA began building homes for Habitat in 1991 and is the longest running whole-house sponsor in Dallas. Volunteer attorneys work on the Habitat projects with the central theme being “no commitment of time or money is too small; every … Continue Reading
San Antonio attorney and State Bar of Texas Past President Allan K. DuBois will receive the inaugural Community Champion Award from the San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Awareness, or SACADA, on October 31.… Continue Reading
TexasBarCLE is offering a free half-hour presentation about the impact of addictions and mental health impairments on the lives of attorneys. “What Lawyers Need to Know about Depression and Suicide” will be held from 12:30 to 1 p.m. September 10 via live webcast (the video will be available to watch for credit through August 31, … Continue Reading
Check out our editorial staff’s September must-reads for a dive into new laws passed during the 86th Texas Legislature, highlights from this year’s State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, and a deep dive into mental health issues affecting the practice of law. And don’t forget to read the latest in Movers and Shakers, Memorials, and … Continue Reading
The Committee on Disciplinary Rules and Referenda will meet at 10:30 a.m. September 3 at the Texas Law Center in Austin. Among other agenda items, the committee is scheduled to discuss and take possible action on proposed lawyer advertising rules. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person and can also listen to … Continue Reading
The State Bar Board of Directors Nominations and Elections Subcommittee voted today to recommend Pablo Almaguer of Edinburg and Sylvia Borunda Firth of El Paso as nominees for 2020-2021 State Bar of Texas president-elect, after interviewing six potential nominees in Austin. The Board of Directors will consider the recommendations at its next meeting, on September 20 … Continue Reading
Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law started its fall semester with its first female dean in law school history. Joan R.M. Bullock was approved by the Texas Southern University Board of Regents at a meeting in June and officially assumed her role as dean of the law school in July. She will replace … Continue Reading
The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, an initiative of the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, is hosting 11 free legal clinics for county residents who meet financial guidelines. The clinics, which will be held throughout September, will offer legal advice and consultation in civil matters.… Continue Reading
The University of Houston Board of Regents unanimously authorized funds for the construction of a building to replace the University of Houston Law Center’s current 50-year-old location on August 23, 2019. Funds from private contributions and state and university support totaling $78 million have been set aside for the new law school building. A funding … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Entertainment and Sports Law Section, or TESLAW, announced that nominations for the Cindi Lazzari Artist Advocate Award are open now until 11:59 p.m. CDT on October 1. The award is named for the late Cindi Lazzari, a leading Texas attorney who went far beyond the call of duty in her efforts … Continue Reading
Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Ruth Ruggero Hughs as the secretary of state of Texas on August 19, 2019. She replaces outgoing Secretary of State David Whitley.… Continue Reading
The American Bar Endowment, or ABE, is now accepting applications for the 2020 Opportunity Grant Program. Grants go to support the development or expansion of new innovative, boots-on-the-ground programs and projects that serve the immediate and critical needs of the public and the legal profession. “Each year we look forward to supporting underserved communities through … Continue Reading
Pflugerville Councilman and Chamberlain McHaney attorney Rudy K. Metayer will be honored as an outstanding alumnus of the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin on September 20. Metayer, who earned his executive master in public leadership at the school in 2016, will receive the 2019 Rising Leader Award. The … Continue Reading
The Legal Services Corporation, or LSC, will award Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas $296,224 through its Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant. Designed to encourage and expand pro bono efforts that serve low-income clients, the grant will help Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas expand its Driver’s License Restoration Project with pro bono volunteers. Those attorneys will … Continue Reading
The Mexican-American Bar Association of Texas Foundation, or MABATx Foundation, will host its 14th annual Scholarship Luncheon benefiting Hispanic law students on August 21 at the C. Baldwin Curio Collection by Hilton (the former Downtown DoubleTree Houston). Scholarships will be awarded to law students from each of Houston’s three law schools (South Texas College of … Continue Reading
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, or TRLA, attorneys will be available to provide free civil legal services to low-income survivors and relatives of victims of the El Paso mass shooting. Those needing help can call the TRLA disaster hotline at 866-757-1570 or go to the El Paso office at 1331 Texas Ave. from 8 a.m. to … Continue Reading
Laura Bellegie Sharp, a partner in the Sharp Firm in Austin, was elected to a three-year term on the American Bar Association Board of Governors during the 2019 ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California, in August.… Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas’ Membership Department was informed in July 2019 of the deaths of these members. We join the officers and directors of the State Bar in expressing our deepest sympathy.… Continue Reading
The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, an initiative of the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, is hosting free legal clinics for county residents who meet financial guidelines. The clinics, which will be held throughout August, will offer legal advice and consultation in civil matters.… Continue Reading
