Legal advertising has become more and more sophisticated in our tech-driven age, and the State Bar of Texas’ advertising review department is striving to become equally sophisticated in giving lawyers speedy, straightforward feedback on ad compliance. Rocky Dhir welcomes Gene Major to learn all about the department’s new advertising review portal, which is now available for all State Bar members. Gene Major is the attorney compliance division director and director of advertising review for the State Bar of Texas. Special thanks to our sponsor, Clio ..read more

E-filing systems are quicker and more efficient, but there is certainly still room for human error, as was seen in a recent case heard by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans— a lawyer who had agreed to use e-filing later missed a motion for summary judgment that landed in his spam folder, leading to his failure to respond to the motion in time and, ultimately, to the court tossing the lawsuit. What does all this have to do with Texas lawyers? Rocky Dhir welcomes D. Todd Smith to talk through the functions of automated certificates of service in the state and how this technolog ..read more

We may not give much thought to how trademark laws affect our daily lives, but the Lanham Act has played a huge role in protecting us as consumers. How? Rocky Dhir welcomes intellectual property experts Joe Cleveland and Craig Stone to discuss the evolution of trademark law and its functions in our economy. They also honor Texas Congressman Fritz Lanham’s contributions to this area of the law and explain how his namesake Act has promoted trust and reliability in United States commerce and inspired other countries to model their laws after its statutes. Joe Cleveland is a director and sharehold ..read more

The Texas Bar Journal has been striving to make sure diverse voices are represented in its pages. State Bar of Texas podcast host Rocky Dhir talks with Angelica Hernandez, a current member of the editorial board, to learn how articles are selected for the Journal and how the unique perspectives of diverse authors benefit all Texas legal professionals. Angelica Hernandez is a partner at the law firm of Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson ..read more

Sylvia Borunda Firth has been sworn in as the new president of the State Bar of Texas! Host Rocky Dhir welcomes Sylvia to discuss her hopes for the presidency, particularly her passion for diversity and inclusion. As the first Hispanic woman and first person from El Paso to ascend to the presidency, Sylvia discusses her unique campaign path, the importance of these “firsts” and the progress they represent, and then also zeros in on two specific issues: her hopes to tackle the problem of “legal deserts” in the state, and her thoughts on McDonald et al v. Sorrels et al and why a mandatory state ..read more

As Texas has lightened its COVID-related restrictions ahead of many other states, courts around the state are making plans to or have already opened their doors to resume in-person court proceedings. As this process moves forward, how are jurors, litigants, and the many other people involved kept safe? State Bar of Texas podcast host Rocky Dhir talks with Judge Maricela Moore about what her court, the George Allen Courthouse in Dallas, is doing to ensure safety and what challenges they face related to changing mandates, individual juror concerns, and many other considerations. Judge Moore also ..read more

After a year of remote court, how are judges, lawyers, and litigants doing? State Bar of Texas podcast host Rocky Dhir talks with Judge Emily Miskel, vice chair of the Texas Supreme Court’s Remote Proceedings Task Force, about the many innovations in Texas courts throughout the past year. Judge Miskel highlights the advantages of remote court and its ability to increase access to justice for many litigants, and predicts what newly established systems will remain in place in the future, even after courts fully open. Judge Emily Miskel has served as judge of the 470th district court of Collin Co ..read more

Voting for the State Bar of Texas’ president-elect candidates will take place in the month of April! Podcast host Rocky Dhir welcomes candidates Sara Dysart and Laura Gibson to learn about their backgrounds, discuss a variety of issues from diversity to COVID-19 to access to justice and more, and hear what each hopes to bring to the role of State Bar President. Members can vote either online or by paper ballot from April 1-30. Learn more at: https://www.texasbar.com. Sara Dysart is a sole practitioner in San Antonio, Texas and is certified in commercial real estate law by the Texas Board of Le ..read more

We’ve all seen it! The viral “Cat Lawyer” video brought the world a collective laugh, but, those on the screen somehow kept their cool in the midst of this absurdly humorous situation. “Cat Lawyer” himself, Rod Ponton, and returning guest Judge Roy Ferguson join State Bar of Texas podcast host Rocky Dhir to discuss their experience and talk through their thoughts on levity and dignity in the courtroom. Rod Ponton has had a distinguished 39-year legal career and is currently serving his third term as Presidio County Attorney. Judge Roy B. Ferguson presides over the 394th District Court, the lar ..read more

In 2017, the Texas Legislature amended Chapter 81 of the Government Code to create the Committee on Disciplinary Rules and Referenda, or CDRR, and to overhaul the disciplinary rule proposal process. The CDRR has proposed a number of rule changes that can be voted on by eligible members of the bar February 2- March 4. To learn more about the items on the ballot, host Rocky Dhir welcomes CDRR members Lewis Kinard and Claude Ducloux. They outline each of the eight proposed changes and explain how the CDRR identified rules in need of revision. Go to texasbar.com/rulesvote for more information ..read more