The State Bar of Texas today announced the recipients of the 2021 Texas Minority Counsel Program awards, which honor outstanding attorneys for their impact in the areas of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. The Texas Minority Counsel Program, or TMCP, is the premier client development, networking, and continuing legal education event for attorneys … Continue Reading
The Texas Young Lawyers Association is seeking volunteers to judge the State Moot Court Competition preliminary rounds in Houston. Eight law school teams from across the state will compete in the competition on June 7 and 8. Judges are needed for the preliminary rounds as follows: Round 1 – Tuesday, June 7 at 8:30 a.m. … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors held its quarterly meeting on April 29 in El Paso. Highlights of the meeting appear below. You can watch video of the meeting at youtube.com/statebaroftexas and read the agenda and meeting materials at texasbar.com/bodmaterials. New board chair-elect The board elected Dallas district director Chad Baruch chair of the board for … Continue Reading
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
The State Bar of Texas is excited to welcome three dynamic keynote speakers for its 2022 Annual Meeting in Houston, on June 9 and 10. Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd, internationally best-selling novelist Corban Addison, and Simon Tam—an activist and bassist of The Slants, will speak separately over the two-day event held at the Marriott Marquis … Continue Reading
AUSTIN—Texas attorneys elected Cindy V. Tisdale of Granbury to be president-elect of the State Bar of Texas. Tisdale received 51.69%—11,081—of the 21,437 votes cast during the monthlong voting period that ended May 2. Her opponent, Jose “Joe” Escobedo Jr. of Edinburg, received 48.31%, or 10,356 votes. Tisdale will be sworn in as president-elect during a … Continue Reading
Dallas lawyer Chad Baruch was selected chair-elect of the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors during the board’s quarterly meeting on April 29 in El Paso. Baruch, managing shareholder at Johnston Tobey Baruch, will take office in June and will serve as chair until June 2023. Baruch was elected in 2020 to serve as … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors will hold its quarterly meeting at 9 a.m. MDT on April 29 in El Paso. Attorneys and members of the public can attend the meeting in person or watch it live on the State Bar’s YouTube channel. Public comment will be accepted in person or via Zoom or … Continue Reading
The candidates for 2022-2023 State Bar of Texas president-elect participated in live, virtual forums on March 10 and April 5. Video of the forums is available to watch on demand. Watch the March 10 forum here. Watch the April 5 forum here. Candidates Joe Escobedo Jr., of Edinburg, and Cindy V. Tisdale, of Granbury, discussed … Continue Reading
State Bar of Texas President Sylvia Borunda Firth released the following statement April 4 on the U.S. Supreme Court’s denial of certiorari in the McDonald v. Firth case regarding the mandatory bar in Texas. “We are pleased the Court continues to recognize the longstanding precedent that supports the mandatory bar structure. Thirty other states and … Continue Reading
The Texas Young Lawyers Association will host its inaugural Attorney Wellness Retreat on April 8-9 at the Westin Austin at the Domain. Attendees will learn from trained professionals about meditation, self-care, stress-reduction techniques, nutrition, and yoga. View the flyer and agenda for more information. Space is limited and registration is available on a first-come, first-served … Continue Reading
The Chief Disciplinary Counsel’s Office is required to keep disciplinary matters confidential unless they result in a public sanction or the respondent attorney elects to proceed in district court. Absent these conditions, we are unable to confirm whether a grievance exists. Once a respondent attorney elects to proceed in district court, the existence of the … Continue Reading
Fastcase and the State Bar of Texas are partnering to provide all active State Bar members free access to Fastcase’s vast collection of briefs, pleadings, motions, and orders powered by Docket Alarm within the Fastcase legal research platform. Since 2014, State Bar of Texas members have received unlimited access to Fastcase’s nationwide legal research content … Continue Reading
Texas attorneys new to the practice of law will choose between lawyers Laura Pratt of Lubbock and Courtney M. White of Amarillo for the next president-elect of the Texas Young Lawyers Association. TYLA is a department of the State Bar of Texas and commonly referred to as its “public service arm.” All Texas-licensed attorneys in … Continue Reading
Registration is now open for the 2022 State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting on June 9-10 at the Marriott Marquis-Houston. Attorneys can select their choice of courses to earn up to a year’s worth of CLE credits in two days for just one low price, hear from motivating keynote speakers, and network with other professionals. … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas announced the results of its statewide 2022 judicial poll. The results are available at texasbar.com/pollresults. At the direction of the Texas Supreme Court, the State Bar conducted a nonpartisan straw poll of contested Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals, and courts of appeals district races on the 2022 election ballot. … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday arguing the court should not take up a challenge to the mandatory bar. Plaintiffs in McDonald v. Firth have petitioned the court to take the case after a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld … Continue Reading
State Bar of Texas president-elect candidates Joe Escobedo and Cindy Tisdale will participate in live, virtual candidate forums from noon to 1 p.m. Central on March 10 and April 5. Register for March 10 Register for April 5 Submit questions for the candidates in advance by email to webmaster@texasbar.com or during the forums by using the Zoom … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors held its quarterly meeting on January 27. Highlights of the meeting appear below. You can watch video of the meeting at youtube.com/statebaroftexas and read the agenda and meeting materials at texasbar.com/bodmaterials. State Bar of Texas Budget The board approved the State Bar of Texas fiscal year 2022-2023 proposed budget … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors will meet at 9 a.m. CST on January 27. The presiding officer will be physically present at the Texas Law Center in Austin. Other directors will participate remotely according to the requirements of Texas Government Code Sec. 551.127. Attorneys and members of the public can attend the … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors filed a conditional cross-petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court in response to plaintiffs’ filing in the McDonald lawsuit challenging the mandatory bar. Plaintiffs in the case filed a petition for writ of certiorari on November 24. The bar’s conditional cross-petition argues that … Continue Reading
U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel has issued a final judgment in the McDonald lawsuit challenging the mandatory bar. In September, the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors approved changes to bar rules and policies following a U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals panel opinion in the case. The final judgment enjoins the State … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Legal Services to the Poor in Civil Matters and Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters committees are seeking nominations of deserving individuals, groups, and entities that perform exceptional work in the field of legal services to the poor. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on February 25, 2022. Recipients … Continue Reading
Plaintiffs’ attorneys in the McDonald mandatory bar challenge filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on November 24, which was docketed on November 30 (McDonald v. Firth (No. 21-800)). In September, the State Bar Board of Directors approved changes to bar rules and policies to comply with the U.S. 5th … Continue Reading
