Editor’s note: The following message was sent to all members today.
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors held a special meeting on July 27 to discuss and consider action regarding online commentary made by State Bar of Texas President Larry McDougal and other directors.
The board heard from 61 speakers and accepted hundreds of letters from attorneys and members of the public before approving the following actions: Continue Reading
The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, a joint initiative of the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, and local Dallas law firms are hosting virtual clinics every week in August. Continue Reading
Editor’s Note: In this blog series, we are getting to know the members of the Texas Young Lawyers Association Board of Directors. TYLA, commonly called the “public service arm” of the State Bar of Texas, works to facilitate the administration of justice, foster respect for the law, and advance the role of the legal profession in serving the public. All TYLA programs are accomplished through the volunteer efforts of its board and committee members, with the cooperation of local affiliate young lawyers associations. Learn more at tyla.org.
Name: Michael Gaston-Bell
Firm: Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Area of Law You Practice: Labor and Employment, Litigation
Position Held in TYLA: Director, District 5, Place 4
Continue Reading
The University of Houston Law Center is launching the first military justice clinic that has law students, under the supervision of faculty and experienced military defense attorneys, represent service members facing criminal charges.
Maj. Jason Marquez, clinical adjunct professor at UH Law Center and a 21-year veteran of the armed forces, will lead the military justice clinic. He currently serves as the deputy regional defense counsel for the Southwest region of the U.S. Army Reserve’s Trial Defense Service.
Access to Justice 7: Transforming Legal Incubators and Law Practices, hosted by Concord Law School at Purdue University Global, will be held virtually at 10:30 a.m. CDT on Friday.
The free event will feature best practices for leveraging technology and marketing tactics to reach untapped markets in dire need. It will also provide pedagogy for coaching lawyers to build financially successful, affordable, and accessible law practices in the new economy.
The Houston Volunteer Lawyers will serve low-income Baytown residents with free legal consultations. Qualifying individuals will receive one-on-one legal advice and counsel by appointment over the phone and screening for continued legal representation.
Appointments take place Fridays from 2 to 5 p.m. and every third Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
Legal issues covered in the appointments include family law, consumer issues, wills and probate, property law, tax law, HIV/AIDS, and veterans benefits, as well as other civil legal problems.
Those interested in seeking consultation from the Houston Volunteer Lawyers can submit an application online at makejusticehappen.org or call 713-228-0735. Applicants are required to provide identification and proof of income. Some exceptions to residence and income requirements may apply to special groups such as veterans. Translators and other accommodation requests can be made by calling 713-228-0735 or emailing info@hvlp.org.
The consultations are made possible through grant funding from United Way of Greater Baytown Area & Chambers County.
For more information, go to makejusticehappen.org or call 713-228-0735.
The Dallas Bar Association will host a virtual town hall to discuss race relations and policing in Dallas from noon to 1 p.m. on July 31.
Panelists at the forum include Dallas Chief of Police Reneé Hall; Tonya McClary, director of the Office of Community Police Oversight Monitor; Pastor Richie Butler, of St. Luke Community United Methodist Church; Rob Crain, of Crain Brogdon Rogers; and moderator Amy M. Stewart, of Stewart Law Group.
Texas Supreme Court Justice Paul W. Green has announced that he plans to retire on August 31, 2020. Green has served on the Supreme Court since January 2005.
Green is second in seniority on the court, having been elected in November 2004 after 10 years on the 4th Court of Appeals in San Antonio. Green’s term is set to expire on December 31, 2022; Gov. Greg Abbott will choose his successor.
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors will hold a special meeting at 9 a.m. CDT Monday, July 27.
Among items on the agenda, the board will accept comments, discuss, and consider possible action regarding online commentary made by State Bar of Texas President Larry McDougal and other officers and directors. The board also will discuss the creation of a State Bar of Texas Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
To view the agenda click here. The meeting will be streamed live on the State Bar’s Facebook page—facebook.com/statebaroftexas. Continue Reading
The Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program will present “Well-Being for Law Students and Grads Studying for the Bar Exam,” from noon to 1 p.m. CDT on July 29.
The webinar can be viewed on Zoom and will be recorded for later viewings. Additionally, TLAP recently produced a program for law students and graduates dealing with anxiety during the COVID-19 isolation that can be viewed here.