Article of Interest
Legislative Summary of bills affecting the Texas civil justice system
By
The Austin Bar Association's Legislative Committee
The following is a summary of bills currently under consideration by the 81 st Texas Legislature that may potentially affect the Texas civil justice system. The information below is compiled by the Austin Bar Association's Legislative Committee which is chaired by David E. Chamberlain and Tom Forbes. If you are interested in learning more about these or other pieces of legislation, additional information can be found at www.capitol.state.tx.us.
(Cont.)
ABA DELEGATE APPLICATIONS SOUGHT
The Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas has adopted a procedure to ensure diversity in the State Bar's delegation to the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association. The House of Delegates is the policy making body of the ABA . Members serve two-year terms and no person may serve as a delegate of the State Bar for more than six consecutive years.
A special committee, chaired by Immediate Past President Gib Walton of Houston, will nominate a slate of persons to produce a delegation with various types of practices, from all sizes and geographic locations of firms, and with ethnic backgrounds reflective of the Bar's membership. Appointments, which will include the President-elect, President-elect designee and the President of the State Bar, will be approved by the Board of Directors. The deadline for receipt of applications is by 5:00 p.m. on April 1, 2009.
If you are interested in serving as a delegate of the State Bar of Texas to the ABA House of Delegates, please contact Candiss Held for additional information at (512) 427-1463 or 1-800/204-2222, ext. 1416. To apply, send a letter of interest and resume to the Special Committee to Nominate ABA Delegates, c/o Candiss Held, State Bar of Texas , P. O. Box 12487, Austin, TX 78711. If you have any questions about ABA YLD conferences or projects, please contact: Kirby D. Hopkins, ABA YLD District 25 Representative or Chris Rogers, ABA YLD District 26 Representative through these email links.
Upcoming Events
March 5-6
2009 State Bar of Texas International Law Section 21st Annual Institute, Hyatt Regency, Houston. Please click here to view the brochure.
March 6
TYLA Texas Off-Campus Recruitment Program. Please click here to view the brochure.
March 16
TYLA deadline to receive completed nomination forms for the Minority At-Large Director Place 1 election.
March 20
TYLA notice of ABA/YLD District 26 Representative election mailed to all ABA/YLD District 26 affiliate presidents
March 25-28
TYLA National Trial Competition, San Antonio
Take Note
The National Trial Competition
The Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers are proud to host the 34th Annual National Trial Competition, which will be held in the great city of San Antonio, Texas. The competition is the preeminent mock trial competition in the country. This year we have 152 law schools, approximately 300 teams, competing in fourteen regional competitions across the nation. The two winning teams from each regional competition will advance to the national rounds and will come to San Antonio to compete in this prestigious mock trial tournament on March 26-28, 2009. (Cont.)
Texas Legislature Convenes
On Tuesday, January 13th, legislators gathered in Austin for the start of the 81st regular session of the Texas Legislature. On Friday, January 16th, the first edition of the State Bar's legislative enewsletter, the Friday Update, was distributed to subscribers. The free service provides summaries of legislation potentially affecting the legal profession and links to relevant bills. The State Bar is prohibited by a U.S. Supreme Court decision and Section 81.034 of the State Bar Act from lobbying on most issues, but works to keep its members informed. If you subscribed to the Friday Update during the last session, you will automatically receive the new Friday Update . If your email address has changed or you haven't subscribed previously, please visit www.texasbar.com/fridayupdate.
Save the Date!
HYLA's 2009 Bench/Bar Conference will take place aboard the Carnival Ecstasy from March 26-30. Don't miss out on your chance to earn almost an entire year of CLE credit while mingling with members of the judiciary. Space is limited to ensure an optimal networking experience, so make your reservation now! This event is open to everyone, not just HYLA members. More information is available on HYLA's website, please click here.
Hurricane Ike Response Continues
The storm may be gone, but the need for volunteers and donations to provide legal services to victims of Hurricane Ike continues. Please see the State Bar of Texas's 2008 Hurricane Response page for details on hurricane relief efforts and resources, including information on donations and volunteer opportunities. The State Bar of Texas has a disaster hotline, (800) 504-7030, to help assist with basic legal questions following a disaster. Hundreds of attorney volunteers are needed to help answer basic legal questions of those affected. Read more.
Ten Minute Mentor has more than 20 free videos for attorneys about disaster response and recovery. Click "view index by category" and choose "disaster response." Click here for more disaster resources for attorneys.
The Texas Young Lawyers Association is adding new segments to the Ten Minute Mentor library. Ten Minute Mentor is a TYLA project that debuted in 2004 as a means for sharing concise and practical advice that is always accessible online. Since that time, it has proven its enduring appeal as one of TYLA's most successful projects. More than 50,000 people have visited the site, and we continue to average more than 2,000 segments viewed each month. You can visit the site at www.tenminutementor.com.
TYLA Annual Report 2007-2008
Want to know how TYLA is serving its members and the community? Then be sure to read the 2007-2008 annual report, which details the activities of TYLA during the 2007-2008 Bar year. Click here for a copy or call 800-204-2222, ext. 1529 and we'll send you a copy.
Get Involved and Sign Up Today!
If you want to be involved as an active volunteer in TYLA visit our website to find out more about TYLA committees and their focus ... then sign up online!
Please note: if you signed up for a committee prior to June 2008, you will need to sign up for your committees again. Committee memberships are reset each year on June 1.
Support Pro Bono Legal Services and Let Everyone Know It!
The Texas Young Lawyers Association needs your help to support and promote free legal services for indigent Texans by purchasing a specialty license plate. The license plate proudly states that you support "Justice for All" and can be purchased for only $30.00 per year.
$25.00 from the purchase of each plate will be deposited into an account
supporting legal services to the poor. If you would like that plate personalized, you can get your plate for $70.00 per year. To purchase your plate today, simply fill out an application and send your check, payable to the Texas Department of Transportation, to the following address:
Vehicle Titles and Registration Division (SPB)
Texas Department of Transportation
Austin, TX 78779-0001
2009 State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting
The 2009 State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting will take place at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas on June 25-26. This conference offers you the best value and best value when it comes to CLE! Registration for one day is $150 and for two days is $245. Your fee includes all CLE and Annual Meeting-sponsored events, plus all materials on a flash drive. Don't miss speakers such as David Brooks, Dorris Kearns Goodwin, William Sessions, and Morris Dees. Online registration begins February 1 at www.texasbar.com/annualmeeting .
State Bar of Texas YouTube Video Contest Offers Chances to Win $2,500
What are the “ Ideals That Unite Us” as citizens of this country? Make a short video on the theme of the State Bar of Texas 2008-09 YouTube video contest by March 16 and you could win one of three $2,500 prizes.
Create an original video – three minutes or less – that captures your vision of the ideals that unite us as Texas citizens. Prizes will be awarded to individuals or groups in three categories:
$2,500 scholarship for under 18
$2,500 cash for 18 and over
$2,500 cash for People's Choice Award
“Everybody has a little different perspective on laws, freedom, government, and democratic principles,” said State Bar of Texas President Harper Estes of Midland . “As citizens of our democracy, what ideals do we share? We want to know what you think. Show us why we stand united.”
The contest is part of the State Bar's public education initiative on the importance of the justice system. Details are available at www.texasbar.com/texansonjustice.. Information is also posted at www.youtube.com/group/texansonjustice. Visit www.texasbar.com to view winning entries from last year's first-ever bar association YouTube contest.
The contest entry deadline is March 16.
Make New Connections with Texas Bar Circle
More than 8,000 of your peers have joined Texas Bar Circle - our social and professional network for Texas lawyers. Join today and reconnect with colleagues, find jobs, explore opportunities, and have fun. The power of Texas Bar Circle is in the connections you will make. Visit https://texasbar.affinitycircles.com/sbot/auth/login.
Member Benefits Program
Are you looking for ways to save this fall? Take advantage of exclusive money-saving offers from the State Bar of Texas Member Benefits Program. Bar members are eligible for discounts on products and services including car rental, clothing, computer hardware and software, office supplies, and more. For details on the State Bar Member Benefits Program, visit www.texasbar.com/benefits .
