A $10,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation will help Texas Appleseed develop a plain language packet for pro se defendants in debt collection lawsuits. The information will educate them about the court process, making it easier to participate in the lawsuit. Texas Appleseed will release a report with findings and final language recommendations for … Continue Reading
The Texas Supreme Court named Harriet Miers, a partner in Locke Lord in Dallas and Washington, D.C., as the new chair of the Texas Access to Justice Commission, effective January 1, 2022. Harry Reasoner, who has served as chair for 12 years, will serve as chair emeritus.… 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
Free legal resources are available to low-income individuals affected by flooding and other conditions created by Hurricane Nicholas. The State Bar of Texas’s toll-free disaster legal services hotline—800-504-7030—puts callers in touch with legal aid providers in their areas who can help with: Replacement of important legal documents lost or destroyed in the disaster; Life, medical, … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas will not seek rehearing of a 5th Circuit Court of Appeals panel opinion that upheld the constitutionality of most challenged State Bar activities and left intact the structure of the mandatory bar. State Bar leaders announced the decision after the bar’s Board of Directors met Monday to consult outside counsel … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors will meet June 16 and 17 at the Austin Marriott Downtown, 304 E. Cesar Chavez St., in Austin. Members and the public may attend in person to provide comment to the board by filling out a speaker card at the beginning of the meetings and submitting it … Continue Reading
Several legal services organizations are sponsoring a free online CLE to teach Texas attorneys how to assist with FEMA appeals. The program, FEMA Appeals 101: How to do a Common FEMA Appeal, will take place at noon on April 9 via Zoom. It is designed for pro bono attorneys interested in helping those affected by … 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
The State Bar of Texas, the American Bar Association, and legal aid providers across the state remind Texans that a toll-free legal assistance hotline is available to low-income individuals and families affected by the Texas winter storm that began February 11. The hotline—800-504-7030—is available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese and connects low-income individuals affected by … 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
Editor’s note: The following message was sent to all members on February 5, 2021. 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 Supreme Court … Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas has partnered with Paladin, a justice tech company, to create a statewide online portal designed to help lawyers find volunteer opportunities and assist Texans with their legal needs. Through the free statewide portal at pbtx.joinpaladin.com, volunteer lawyers and law students have a centralized location to search and sign up for pro … Continue Reading
The Texas Opportunity & Justice Incubator (TOJI) has a new director and is building on its successes as it prepares to accept its sixth cohort of attorneys. Joshua Weaver, an attorney and entrepreneur, took the helm of the State Bar of Texas program, which expands access to justice opportunities by helping Texas lawyers build sustainable … Continue Reading
Texans struggling to pay rent and facing possible eviction can turn to a new website — Stop TX Eviction — to find a step-by-step tool kit designed to help them understand the eviction process and their rights. The website, stoptxeviction.org, is available in English and Spanish. There, renters can: Obtain important documents to give a landlord … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: State Bar President Larry McDougal sent the following message to all members on Thursday. Dear Member, The COVID-19 pandemic has touched every part of our lives, affecting our families, our mental and physical well-being, and our economy. Millions of Texans have lost their jobs or had their incomes impacted by the economic fallout. … Continue Reading
The Texas Access to Justice Foundation and the State Bar of Texas Hispanic Issues Section will host a fundraiser on September 16 to raise funds for access to justice. The event will be a virtual Lawteria (think Loteria) featuring celebrity callers such as Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman and other other prominent Hispanic lawyers … Continue Reading
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 … Continue Reading
Legal Aid of Northwest Texas’s 20th annual Women’s Advocacy Awards event will continue virtually on June 24 with honorees Chief Justice Nathan Hecht and Amy Yeager of Children’s Health. The online event runs 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. and is free. Chief Hecht, who is accepting the Champion of Justice Award on behalf of the Supreme … Continue Reading
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas will host its 20th Annual Women’s Advocacy Awards in two online events featuring conversations with four Texas legal all stars. On June 11, former State Bar of Texas President Harriet Miers, Locke Lord LLP partner and former counsel to President George W. Bush, and Shonn Evans … Continue Reading
Editor’s Note: The State Bar of Texas is providing this collection of important links, blog posts, and media stories to keep its members and the public informed of the latest news and resources related to the novel coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the legal community. Important links State Bar of Texas Coronavirus Legal Resources … Continue Reading
Editor’s Note: The State Bar of Texas is providing this collection of important links, blog posts, and media stories to keep its members and the public informed of the latest news and resources related to the novel coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the legal community. Important links State Bar of Texas Coronavirus Legal Resources … Continue Reading
Attorneys living within a 100-mile radius of Beaumont, Waco, Laredo, El Paso, Weatherford, or Lubbock and who are willing to pick up two pro bono cases from the state’s legal aid providers are eligible for a 4.5-hour online CLE on “Family Law Essentials” without charge. The CLE—Family Law Essentials: Giving Back to Your Community—is made … Continue Reading
Editor’s Note: The State Bar of Texas is providing this collection of important links, blog posts, and media stories to keep its members and the public informed of the latest news and resources related to the novel coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the legal community. Important links State Bar of Texas Coronavirus Legal Resources … Continue Reading
Editor’s Note: The State Bar of Texas is providing this collection of important links, blog posts, and media stories to keep its members and the public informed of the latest news and resources related to the novel coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the legal community. Important links State Bar of Texas Coronavirus Legal Resources … Continue Reading
