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Is this the place I call for a tour of the Texas Supreme Court or the
Texas Law Center?
Yes, the Archives department conducts tours of the the Texas Supreme Court
and the Texas Law Center by appointment only. The educational tours last
approximately 30 minutes each and can be done separately or together. Contact
the Archives Department for more information or to book a tour.
Who was the first woman to pass the bar exam in Texas?
Hortense Ward (1875 - 1944) of Houston, Texas was licensed Aug. 30, 1910
and is believed to be the first woman to take and pass the bar exam in Texas.
For information about other "firsts" in the legal profession, contact the
Archives department.
When did membership into the State Bar of Texas become mandatory?
In 1939, when the State Bar of Texas was formally created by an act of the
Texas Legislature, (known as House Bill No. 74, the State Bar Act of 1939
of the 46th Legislature passed the Texas House as amended on February 22,
1939, passed the Senate, with amendments, on April 5, 1939, and after the
House concurred with the Senate amendments on April 6, 1939, Gov. W. Lee
O'Daniel signed the bill into law on April 19, 1939), all lawyers wishing
to practice law in Texas had to become members of the State Bar of Texas.
For more information about the history of the State Bar of Texas, contact
the Archives department.
What records does the State Bar of Texas maintain in its Archives?
The Archives houses the permanently valuable records of the State Bar of
Texas and the Texas Bar Association. These records include Board of Directors
minutes and meeting records, records of the departments of the State Bar
of Texas, including but not limited to records of the office of Executive
Director, Membership, Communications, Professional Development, and Governmental
Relations. The Archives also houses the morgue files of the Texas Bar Journal,
the magazine published by the State Bar of Texas since 1938. The Archives
also maintains the collections of the Texas Bar Historical Foundation. These
collections include materials relating to the history of the Bench and Bar
in Texas. For information regarding conducting research, call the Archives
department.
How do I find biographical information about an attorney from (fill in
the year)?
The Archives receives hundreds of questions just like this, from people
looking for information about attorneys from the distant past (like the
mid to late 1800's) and the not so distant past (like the mid 1980's). The
Archives maintains a number of different resources for locating information
about attorneys from all over the state from any given time. Primary resource
material includes biographical material maintained in over 15,000 biographical
files and membership records regarding deceased attorneys. Secondary resources
include information from legal directories dating back to the 19th century
and memorials published in the Texas Bar Journal. Contact the Archives department
for inquiries into biographical material on Texas lawyers.
For more information, contact the Archives Department:
512-427-1463 or 1-800-204-2222
Hank Bass, Archivist, ext. 1310
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