The Supreme Court of Texas has debuted new forms that allow individuals representing themselves to create a will. The forms are the result of a change in state law passed by the 84th Texas Legislature and signed by the governor. They assist a person who is single, married, widowed, or divorced and those with or without … Continue Reading
The Texas Board of Legal Specialization’s newly certified attorneys and paralegals were inducted at the annual induction ceremony on March 24 at the A&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin. “Congratulations to our newest class of board-certified attorneys. We’re honored to have them be a part of this elite class of legal specialists in … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Executive Committee will meet at 10 a.m. CST on January 10. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed live on the State Bar of Texas YouTube page. The presiding officer and executive director will be physically present at the Texas Law Center, Stewart Morris Board Room, 1414 … Continue Reading
The Grievance Oversight Committee is seeking public feedback regarding the Texas attorney disciplinary system. The committee will meet on September 16 in Austin. If you have suggestions, observations, or other input regarding the attorney grievance system and are interested in scheduling a time to meet with the committee during its September 16 meeting, please email … Continue Reading
The American Lawyers Alliance, or ALA, has named Texas Supreme Court Justice Brett Busby the 2022 recipient of its Judicial Civic Education Award. The ALA is an American Bar Association affiliate that supports law-related education, and the Judicial Civic Education Award honors judges for their work promoting civic education in their communities or states. Busby, … Continue Reading
The Grievance Oversight Committee is seeking public feedback regarding the Texas attorney disciplinary system. The committee will meet on July 23 in Houston. If you have suggestions, observations, or other input regarding the attorney grievance system and are interested in scheduling a time to meet with the committee during its July 23 meeting, please email … Continue Reading
Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht will receive the Samuel Pessarra Outstanding Jurist Award from the Texas Bar Foundation at the Texas Bar Foundation Annual Dinner on June 10 at the Marriott Marquis in Houston. The award recognizes an active federal or state judge who exudes a reputation for competency, efficiency, and … 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 Texas Supreme Court issued an order January 31, effective immediately, amending Comment 10 to Rule 7.01 of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. Comment 10 relates to advertising past success and results. Read the order here.… Continue Reading
The Texas Supreme Court issued a unanimous order Friday permitting out-of-state lawyers to provide legal services to indigent defendants arrested for certain misdemeanor offenses. The emergency order, Misc. Docket No. 22-9007, allows attorneys authorized to practice law in another U.S. jurisdiction to provide services as an employee of a public defender office or through a … Continue Reading
Megan LaVoie has been appointed Office of Court Administration administrative director effective December 1. LaVoie replaces Interim Administrative Director Mena Ramón, who has been serving in the role since August 2021 when David Slayton left the position to become vice president of court consulting services for the National Center for State Courts.… Continue Reading
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Evan Young as his appointment to the Supreme Court of Texas on November 1, 2021, to fill the seat vacated by Justice Eva Guzman when she resigned in June 2021. “Evan Young is a proven legal scholar and public servant, making him an ideal pick for the Supreme Court of Texas,” … Continue Reading
By Dylan Drummond For the past several decades, the Texas Supreme Court’s longtime public information staff attorney—Osler McCarthy—lovingly, laboriously, and manually emailed the court’s Friday orders to anyone who had asked to be added to an email distribution list he maintained. With Osler’s retirement last month, the court has now semi-automated this email notification system, … Continue Reading
Editor’s Note: The following tribute was originally published by the State Bar of Texas Appellate Section and is reprinted with permission. By Wallace B. Jefferson Chief Justice, Texas Supreme Court (Ret.) Lawyers and journalists know why today is important in the life of Texas law. The Supreme Court just issued the term’s final weekly regular … Continue Reading
Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman announced her intent to resign effective June 11, 2021, to Gov. Greg Abbott. She is the court’s senior justice, having served for 22 years.… Continue Reading
The Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday issued its 38th Emergency Order of the COVID-19 pandemic. In it, the court permits the modification or suspension of court deadlines and procedures through August 1, 2021. The order permits all courts to hold in-person proceedings, including jury trials, after the adoption of health and safety standards, but encourages … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas will present its proposed fiscal year 2021-2022 budget to the Texas Supreme Court during a virtual meeting at 2 p.m. CDT on May 10. The State Bar will live stream the meeting at youtube.com/statebaroftexas. The proposed budget can be viewed at texasbar.com/finances or by clicking here. The State Bar published the proposed … Continue Reading
The State of the Judiciary Address by Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht will be broadcast online at noon on Tuesday, March 23. To watch, tune in at the State Judiciary website at txcourts.gov/soj.… Continue Reading
The Texas Supreme Court has ordered a hearing to consider proposed disciplinary rules amendments approved by licensed Texas lawyers in the referendum that ended March 4. The hearing will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on May 4 via videoconference. It will be broadcast on the court’s YouTube channel. The amendments’ proposed effective date is … Continue Reading
The Texas Supreme Court on Friday issued an emergency order permitting out-of-state attorney to practice Texas law temporarily due to legal assistance needed by Texans recovering from the recent winter storm. The State Bar of Texas legal access division has created a web page—probonotexas.org/uri—for in-state and out-of-state attorneys who would like to volunteer their time … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: The Texas Supreme Court issued the following advisory on March 5. In the 36th emergency order issued Friday responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Texas Supreme Court has removed requirements that all but certain proceedings be remote but encourages remote trials and hearings and gives local presiding judges authority to require masks for participants and … Continue Reading
Texas lawyers approved all eight proposed amendments to Texas’ disciplinary and procedural rules in a monthlong voting process that ended March 4. The Texas Supreme Court now may adopt or reject the proposals approved by the bar’s membership. Go here for election results and visit texasbar.com/rulesvote for details on the proposed amendments. … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: The following message was sent to all members on Friday, February 12. Dear Member, This message includes updated information related to the COVID-19 pandemic and other State Bar of Texas information. We hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. Supreme Court of Texas Emergency Order The Texas Supreme … Continue Reading
The Texas judiciary announced that the state’s judges have held over one million court hearings via Zoom. The milestone was reached after more than 2,000 state judges used the platform to host virtual proceedings since the pandemic began in March 2020. The one millionth Zoom hearing was held by Johnson County Court at Law Judge … Continue Reading
