State Bar Of Texas Podcast

Happy New Year! To ring in 2022, host Rocky Dhir welcomes Warren W. Harris and Kirsten Castañeda to look back at 2021 appellate law happenings and explore the lessons to be learned. Warren and Kirsten discuss topics from their recent appellate law articles for the Texas Bar Journal and offer guidance for attorneys on current issues.  Warren W. Harris is a partner in Bracewell in Houston, where he heads the firm’s Appellate Practice Group.  Kirsten Castañeda is an attorney with Alexander Dobose Jefferson LLC.   Special thanks to our sponsor, Clio.

Every lawyer hopes to present themselves as poised and intelligent, but some struggle to put their best foot forward when engaging clients or fellow professionals online, especially in video communications. Elisabeth Steele is here to help! Host Rocky Dhir welcomes Elisabeth to walk lawyers through the elements of effective virtual presence and communication. She shares tips on: cultivating connection and authenticity for your audience; setting up a workspace that minimizes distractions; and, enhancing your credibility and authority in online interactions.  Elisabeth Steele Hutchison is a faculty specialist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center for Teaching Excellence. She coaches attorneys, faculty, and remote leaders to communicate well on video. Special thanks to our sponsor, Clio.

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.

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 technology could prevent circumstances similar to those that led to the recent 5th Circuit case. D. Todd Smith is an attorney and civil appellate specialist at Butler Snow LLP. Special thanks to our sponsor, Clio.

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 shareholder at Brackett & Ellis, P.C., and has practiced in the area of commercial and intellectual property litigation for over 20 years. Craig Stone is Senior Counsel, Intellectual Property at Phillips 66 Company. Special thanks to our sponsor, Clio.  

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.

As newly sworn in president of the State Bar of Texas, Sylvia Borunda Firth discusses her goals for the coming year and her hopes for furthering diversity and inclusion for future generations of lawyers.

Judge Maricela Moore outlines the challenges of reopening Texas courthouses and what measures are being taken to ensure the safety of those involved.

Judge Emily Miskel discusses Texas’ approach to remote proceedings and explains why we may see permanent changes to courts, even after COVID restrictions are lifted throughout the state.

2021-22 president-elect candidates Sara Dysart and Laura Gibson chat with Rocky Dhir about their backgrounds, experience, and goals for the presidency.

Rocky Dhir talks with Rod Ponton and Judge Roy Ferguson about their viral “Cat Lawyer” experience.

Lewis Kinard and Claude Ducloux offer in-depth information on the proposed rule changes State Bar of Texas members will see on the 2021 ballot.

Penny Robe, the current course director for the State Bar of Texas’ law practice management CLEs, offers insights on succession planning for lawyers.

UNT Dallas professor Michael Maslanka offers insights into how COVID-era changes in legal practice and education have created new possibilities for the future of law.

Richard Pena and Terry Tottenham, both lawyers, veterans, and former presidents of the State Bar of Texas, discuss the great work done by the TLTV since its start ten years ago.

Kelli Fuqua unpacks the ADA considerations employers need to be mindful of as their employees continue to work in the midst of the pandemic.

Sharon Sandle unveils the State Bar’s new website dedicated to helping Texas legal professionals find the tools they need to practice law with ease.

Elizabeth Rogers shares highlights from her panel on privacy risks attorneys need to be aware of when using web-based tools for the practice of law.

Nik Sallie Franklin shares highlights from her presentation on lawyer wellness.

New TYLA president Britney Harrison discusses her platform and new projects planned for the coming year.