Posted inNewsTexas Center for Legal Ethics

Mike Hatchell receives 2025 Chief Justice Jack Pope Professionalism Award

By Will Korn on

Mike Hatchell is the recipient of the 2025 Chief Justice Jack Pope Professionalism Award, presented by the Texas Center for Legal Ethics. Hatchell was honored during the 30th annual Texas Supreme Court Historical Society’s John Hemphill Dinner on September 5 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin.

Each year, the center presents the Pope Award to a judge or attorney who personifies the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in appellate law. The award is named for former Supreme Court of Texas Chief Justice Jack Pope, one of the center’s founders and the award’s first recipient in 2009, according to a press release.

“Mike Hatchell is widely regarded as the dean of the Texas appellate bar—not only for his pioneering role when few appellate specialists existed, but for the standard of excellence, craftsmanship, and integrity he has set throughout his career,” 2012 Pope Award recipient and Houston appellate attorney Kevin Dubose said in a press release. “As a young lawyer, I watched him speak at CLEs and hoped one day I might grow up to be like Mike Hatchell. I’m still waiting for that to happen.”

Hatchell, counsel to Haynes & Boone in Austin, has served as lead counsel in over 400 appeals, according to a press release. He is a member of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, serves on the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee, and was the 2015 recipient of the Texas Bar Foundation’s Gregory S. Coleman Outstanding Appellate Lawyer Award.

For more information about the center, go to legalethicstexas.com.

Posted inNewsUncategorized

State Bar of Texas Executive Committee to meet September 4

By Rebecca Johnson on

The State Bar of Texas Executive Committee will meet at 10 a.m. CDT on September 4 at the Texas Law Center in Austin. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed live on the State Bar of Texas YouTube page. 

The agenda can be viewed here. The meeting materials are available here. 

Among other agenda items, the committee will hear updates on budget preparations for fiscal year 2026-2027 and a report from the Nominations and Elections Subcommittee. 

Those who wish to address the Executive Committee in-person during this meeting should fill out a speaker card at the beginning of the meeting and submit it to a staff member onsite. To sign up to speak remotely during the meeting, please email boardofdirectors@texasbar.com or call 512-427-1400 or 800-204-2222 (toll free) before 5 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, September 3. Please provide the agenda item number you wish to speak on. 

Written comments regarding agenda items must be received by 5 p.m. CDT on Friday, August 29, 2025, for timely distribution to the Executive Committee members before the meeting. Please submit written comments by email to boardofdirectors@texasbar.com and indicate the agenda item you are referring to. 

Posted inEducation

Texans’ continued commitment provides a brighter future to children who experience foster care

By Rob Hofmann on

During World War I, my great-grandfather left his ranch in Edwards County traveling 150 miles toward San Antonio. He was on a mission to send his 16-year-old daughter by train another 300 miles to Denton and what is now Texas Woman’s University (TWU). Before boarding, he handed her the first $100 bill she’d ever seen to cover every cost until returning at Christmas. It was a bittersweet goodbye, but the frontier needed teachers. My grandmother became a great one.

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Posted inGuest Blog

Ethical AI integration for Texas attorneys: a practical guide to confidentiality, data privacy, and export controls

By Bamdad Shams on

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Attorneys should consult the relevant rules and seek specific guidance as needed.

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in Texas legal practice is transforming research, drafting, and client service. While AI offers meaningful efficiencies, its use brings heightened ethical and legal responsibilities—especially regarding client confidentiality, data privacy, and compliance with U.S. export controls. This guide offers Texas attorneys clear, actionable steps to integrate AI ethically and lawfully, in line with the latest State Bar of Texas guidance and regulatory developments.

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Posted inNews

Texas Board of Legal Specialization appoints Tammy Moon new board chair

By Will Korn on

The Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) announced the appointment of Tammy Moon as 2025-2026 chair of its board of directors. Joining her on the board are State Bar of Texas Past President Cindy V. Tisdale and G. Scott Fiddler.

“I am honored to step into the role of board chair and to build upon the strong foundation laid by my predecessors,” Moon said in a press release. “In this leadership position, I am committed to guiding the board’s strategic vision and fostering collaboration among our members.”

Moon, a partner in Schlanger Silver in Houston, previously founded the Simien Moon Law Firm and has more than 27 years of experience practicing family, probate, and child welfare law.

Tisdale, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, is a frequent speaker and author in the legal community. In 2023, she received the Dan Price Award from the State Bar of Texas Family Law Section for her outstanding contributions to the legal field.

“I am honored to serve on the board for the Texas Board of Legal Specialization,” Tisdale said in a press release. “I admire the work that TBLS does to help maintain Texas’ legal excellence and further Texas attorneys’ practice. I look forward to supporting its mission.”

Fiddler, a partner in Jackson Walker in Houston focused on high-stakes employment litigation, has tried nearly 60 cases, including 40 jury trials. His experience spans wage and hour class actions, non-compete and trade secret disputes, and executive terminations.

“It’s a privilege to join the TBLS board and work alongside some of the most respected legal professionals in Texas,” Fiddler said in a press release. “Board certification is a standard I’ve valued throughout my career, and I look forward to helping uphold that standard for attorneys across the state.”

For more information about TBLS, go to tbls.org.

Posted inFamily Law

Burnout prevention for family law attorneys

By Duane L. Coker on

As a young attorney, I recognized the pervasive issue of burnout within the legal profession and made a conscious decision to cultivate a different firm culture. Rejecting the traditional model of relentless work hours, I committed to prioritizing a healthy work-life balance. Today, nearly 30 years later, I can easily recognize the intrinsic link between health, happy legal professionals, and the delivery of high-quality legal services.

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Posted inNewsTexas Bar Foundation

Kenda Culpepper elected chair of the Texas Bar Foundation

By Will Korn on

Rockwall County Criminal District Attorney Kenda Culpepper was elected as the 2025-2026 chair of the Texas Bar Foundation (TBF).

“I am so incredibly honored to have been elected as chair of this prestigious organization,” Culpepper said in a press release. “The Texas Bar Foundation includes many of the most renowned lawyers in the state who also have a heart for serving their communities, victims, and those who seek critical access to justice. I am so proud to serve in an organization that is making an enormous positive impact on my entire state.”

Culpepper has also served as chair of both the State Bar of Texas Criminal Justice Section and Professionalism Committee and just recently completed her term as a section representative to the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors. Locally, she is the co-founder of both the Rockwall County Children’s Advocacy Center and the North Texas Regional Veterans Court, the first of its kind in the nation, according to a press release. She also currently serves as the president of the Rockwall Noon Rotary Club.

For more information about the TBF, go to txbf.org.

Photo courtesy of the Texas Bar Foundation.

Posted inPodcast

Landman Versus Reality: A Real Look at Oil, Power, and Property in Texas

By State Bar of Texas Staff on
State Bar of Texas Podcast

In this episode of the State Bar of Texas Podcast, host Rocky Dhir welcomes J. Bryon (Trace) Burton III, the 2024-2025 chair of the State Bar of Texas Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Section, to learn about Texas mineral rights and the laws governing oil, gas, and other natural resources truly function. The recent TV series “Landman” offers a dramatic portrayal of the politics and power dynamics of the West Texas oilfields, but what is the actual reality? The two discuss the oil industry’s portrayal on the show and examine the laws governing Texas’ natural resources and their impacts on both oil companies and landowners.

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Posted inUncategorized

Help Define the Skills and Competencies Lawyers Need Today: Participate in the Foundations 2.0 Survey

By Will Korn on

What skills do new lawyers need to succeed and serve clients effectively in today’s legal landscape? What competencies matter most as the legal profession navigates changes in technology, work environments, client expectations, and access to justice?

To answer these questions, IAALS—the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver—and the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) are conducting a national survey as part of their joint Foundations 2.0 initiative.

Recently featured in the ABA Journal, this effort builds on IAALS’ original Foundations for Practice project, which in 2014 surveyed more than 24,000 lawyers across all 50 states to identify the characteristics, skills, and abilities new lawyers need to be successful. Since then, the resulting competency model has helped shape law school curricula and informed hiring practices for legal employers across the country.

Now, IAALS and LSAC are revisiting this work to ensure the framework reflects the modern legal workplace, and they are calling on lawyers nationwide to participate.

Take the survey and help shape the future of legal education and the profession:

The survey takes about 15 to 25 minutes and is open through August 31.

Click here to take the survey

Participation is voluntary and confidential. Principal Investigator: Logan Cornett, IAALS – logan.cornett@du.edu. This study has been reviewed by the University of Denver Institutional Review Board (IRB# 2305520-1).

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