Executive Director’s Page
It’s Time to Get to Work
As I write this column, I’m busy winding down my 35-year practice as
a Galveston County trial lawyer. By the time you receive this issue of
the Texas Bar Journal, I will have assumed the job as executive
director of the State Bar of Texas. I am humbled and honored that the
Board of Directors chose me for this position, and I look forward to
working with the board, President Tom Vick, President-elect Joe K.
Longley, Board Chair Rehan Alimohammad, our staff, and each of you to
further the State Bar’s mission.
As I transition from volunteer leader to staff member, I think back on
my first Texas Bar Journal column as president of the bar in
2014-2015. In it, I called for a “year of inclusion” to deepen
engagement with our members and ensure our bar remained strong and
prepared to meet tomorrow’s challenges. That was my commitment then, and
that is my commitment today and going forward.
One way I’m demonstrating that commitment is by bringing back this
Executive Director’s Page, which was a regular feature in the Bar
Journal in the 1990s. I will use this space to update you on
developments at the Texas Law Center and as a forum to answer your
questions.
As president, one of my top priorities was improving and increasing
our communications. The idea was not just to talk to you about what the
State Bar does, although we accomplish many great things for many
people. I also wanted to hear from you, our members, especially from
segments of our profession who say the State Bar doesn’t understand your
problems or represent your interests. Working together with our board
and staff, we made progress toward this goal and took concrete steps to
make your membership more valuable.
We redesigned texasbar.com to
make it more user-friendly and adaptable to mobile devices. We continued
the free CLE series for solo and small firm practitioners that started
under 2013-2014 President Lisa M. Tatum and is still going strong today.
We launched a significant new member benefit—free online legal research
through Fastcase, making us the first and only state to provide lawyers
with free access to both Casemaker and Fastcase (which have a combined
value of about $2,000 per year). We also expanded the Texas Bar Private
Insurance Exchange.
The State Bar has continued to advance under the leadership of
Presidents Allan K. DuBois, Frank Stevenson, and Tom Vick—as I am
confident it will under President-elect Longley next year and those who
follow him as president. Today, the State Bar of Texas is a national
leader in many areas, including lawyers’ assistance programs, young
lawyer associations, and efforts to encourage pro bono services to
military veterans and the general public. Our success comes on the
shoulders of our volunteers, including the board, section and committee
leaders, CLE speakers, and countless others who donate their time and
work tirelessly for the bar. If you’re not currently volunteering for
the State Bar, consider doing so. Give me a call and we’ll find an
opportunity for you.
Still, with all our success, we can always do better. In my new role
as manager of the State Bar’s day-to-day operations, I will work to make
sure we are as efficient, transparent, and fiscally responsible as we
can be.
If you have questions, I will answer them. If you bring criticism, I
will meet it with a listening ear and an open mind. If you don’t like
what we’re doing and there’s a better way to do it, I will consider the
alternatives.
Simply put, I’m working for you. And it’s time to get to work.
Trey Apffel
Executive Director, State Bar of Texas
(512) 427-1500
trey.apffel@texasbar.com
@ApffelT on Twitter
