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
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. Under state law, proposed...… 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
Editor’s Note: The Texas Supreme Court issued the following advisory on December 22. In an emergency order posted Tuesday, the Texas Supreme Court has extended deadlines for procedures for tenants and landlords under a statewide housing-assistance program intended to avoid evictions for tenants behind on rent. The Texas Eviction Diversion Program, announced in October, is...… Continue Reading
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors voted September 25 to petition the Supreme Court to order a vote of bar members on proposed amendments to the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, as provided by Tex. Govt. Code 81.0877. On September 29, the court issued an order...… Continue Reading
Editor’s Note: The Office of Court Administration issued the following news release on August 31. The Office of Court Administration (OCA) released its report on Jury Trials During the COVID-19 Pandemic today as required by the Supreme Court of Texas’ Twenty-Second Emergency Order Regarding the COVID-19 State of Disaster. The report contains observations from the...… Continue Reading
A task force designed to help the Texas courts system resume criminal proceedings in light of the COVID-19 pandemic won approval June 24 from the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors. The board approved the Presidential Task Force on Criminal Court Proceedings at the request of 2020-2021 State Bar President Larry McDougal, a Richmond...… Continue Reading
The Supreme Court of Texas on Monday issued its 18th Emergency Order related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The order amends existing provisions from the 17th Emergency Order issued May 26. According to a Supreme Court Advisory on the order, the notable changes are: Modifications of civil- and criminal-case deadlines and procedures extended no later than...… Continue Reading
Editor’s note: The Office of Court Administration made the following updated statement on the security breach that began impacting the judiciary on May 8. On Friday, May 8th, the Office of Court Administration (OCA), the information technology (IT) provider for the appellate courts and state judicial agencies within the Texas Judicial Branch, identified a serious...… Continue Reading
The Office of Court Administration announced Monday that a ransomware attack on Friday, May 8 caused it to disable its branch network, including websites and servers, to deal with the attack and prevent further harm. A statement on the security breach reports the network will remain disabled until the breach is remediated. In the meantime...… Continue Reading
