Readers and lawyers around the country are feeling the loss of author Harper Lee, who died in her sleep this morning at the age of 89. Harper’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1961. Dallas attorney Talmage Boston—who has extensively presented and written on Lee, Mockingbird, and Lee’s recently released … Continue Reading
You’ve got your closing arguments down. Now take your storytelling skills to paper and pen your passion. You’ve got 2,000 words to state your case. Dream big. There can be only one winner. Will it be you? Submit your manuscript to the Texas Bar Journal Short Story Contest by 5 p.m. March 1, 2016. To … Continue Reading
January is gone and February is here already. Which means that another issue of the Texas Bar Journal is in route to tens of thousands of attorneys spread across the Lone Star State. In addition to the reader favorites of Disciplinary Actions and Memorials, this edition examines a few hot topics within the local and … Continue Reading
To help you start the New Year on the right track (by staying up on your Texas Bar Journal reading, of course), we’ve selected our must-reads for the January issue. In addition to the reader favorites—Disciplinary Actions, Memorials, and Movers and Shakers—be sure to check out our 2015 Year in Review for caselaw updates in … Continue Reading
If you’re already in need of a break from the holiday shopping, cooking, and decorating—we have just the thing for you: the Texas Bar Journal’s top four must-read stories from its December issue (in addition to the popular Memorials, Disciplinary Actions, and Movers & Shakers). Just sit back, relax, and click on the links below. … Continue Reading
On a beautiful autumn day in November, Ed Pickett drove from his office in Liberty to the Texas Law Center in Austin with a car full of treasure. Accompanied by his wife, Sandra, Pickett arrived at the State Bar of Texas headquarters and then headed into the underground parking garage, backed into a spot near … Continue Reading
Tight on time? No worries. We’ve got you covered. Here are this month’s Texas Bar Journal must-reads: Cyber Breach Getting ready for your worst tech nightmare by Jack M. Vaughan and Eben Kaplan Law Schools Ten deans describe how their institutions are confronting the changes in legal education by Texas Law School Deans Important Work … Continue Reading
We get that Texas attorneys are busy, and some might find little time to read every issue of the Bar Journal from front-to-back. So our editorial staff has made it easier.… Continue Reading
Editor’s Note: This article coincides with the Texas Bar Journal’s feature story on law practices in small towns and rural communities, published in the July 2015 issue. Statistics on Texas lawyers reveal some interesting trends of the dispersal of the legal workforce. The state has a ratio of one attorney for every 312 citizens, and … Continue Reading
By J. Sam Thomas Editor’s Note: This featured blog post coincides with the upcoming July issue of the Texas Bar Journal, which focuses on the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is a great time to be blind. I wouldn’t exactly recommend it as a hobby, but when I think about … Continue Reading
By John G. Browning We usually don’t consider the practice of law to be a dangerous profession, nestled as we normally are behind desks. But as the articles in the upcoming September issue of the Texas Bar Journal illustrate, violence has a very real impact on the legal profession—from the legal implications of and reactions … Continue Reading
Gene Cavin was hired in 1963 to develop a program for the continuing education of Texas lawyers. “Education is to law practice as fertilizer is to agriculture.” —Lee Turner A lawyer’s legal education cannot end with passing the bar examination. It must continue for as long as he or she practices, and there is no … Continue Reading
In 1984, on the Haffjardara River in Iceland, Ralph Duggins cast a line against 30-mile-per-hour gusts, working to catch an Atlantic salmon. “I had to forget the wind and get with it pretty quickly if I was going to be able to get my fly out there,” Duggins said. It was his first time fly-fishing—and … Continue Reading
In the increasingly wired world in which we live, it comes as no shock that 72 percent of all adult Americans have a presence on at least one social networking site. But would you—and should you—be surprised if you received a Facebook friend request from a judge or if you learned that an opposing counsel … Continue Reading
Preema, a suburban housewife (whose name has been changed), allegedly earned extra spending money by acting as a “personal service provider” for male clients. Paul, her husband, was suspicious of her behavior. During their divorce proceedings, Paul’s private investigator—on stakeout at the local apartment brothel—watched Preema’s attorney arrive at her room wearing shorts, a T-shirt, … Continue Reading
Dallas attorney John G. Browning has received a 2014 Burton Award for Distinguished Achievement in Legal Writing, his law firm announced.… Continue Reading
The January Texas Bar Journal features an update on important deadlines for the Texas Bar Private Insurance Exchange, and we've released the story early here.… Continue Reading
Inside: C.E. Rhodes, Priscilla Camacho, Victor Villarreal, and Sam Houston on how they are getting the word out to students about the TYLA project What Do Lawyers Do? Plus: A look at social host liability in Texas, a new book by James L. Haley on the history of the Texas Supreme Court, a video that … Continue Reading
State Bar president-elect candidates Trey Apffel of League City, Steve Fischer of Rockport, and Larry W. Hicks of El Paso talk about the issues facing the legal profession, ethics, and the next generation of lawyers.… Continue Reading
The January issue of the Texas Bar Journal offers a "year in review" of some of the major caselaw and legislative issues that affected the legal profession in 2011.… Continue Reading
This month, the Texas Bar Journal helps you answer some of those "friendly requests for advice" you may encounter at social gatherings in its latest installment of "Party Talk." In addition, you'll find information about the Texas Young Lawyers Association's latest project, Breaking the Silence: A Path to Finding Mental Health.… Continue Reading
This month, the Texas Bar Journal looks at the different aspects of animal law and how it has evolved. In addition, you will find an update on the State Bar's Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans program since its launch last year.… Continue Reading
What legal questions are you asked in social situations? Send us your question and answer by Nov. 1 and it could appear in the December issue of the Texas Bar Journal. Email questions to tbj@texasbar.com.… Continue Reading
As part of State Bar President Bob Black's initiative on civics education, the State Bar Law-Related Education Department debuts a new online resource for Texas students and teachers -- Oyez, Oyez, Oh Yay! Civics Resources for Texas Students and Teachers. In addition, the many aspects of school law are examined in this month's issue of the Texas Bar Journal, including the high-profile issue of school finance.… Continue Reading
