Executive Director’s Page
State Bar Update
July means summer is in full swing, another State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting is in the books, and a new bar year is under way. Here’s a quick look at what’s going on at the State Bar.
2019 Annual Meeting
Thank you to all of our attendees, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors,
volunteers, and staff who made the 2019 Annual Meeting a success.
Attorneys gathered June 13-14 in Austin for two days of networking
events and CLE sessions produced by State Bar sections, including
updates on the 86th Texas Legislature. I continue to believe that our
Annual Meeting is the best place to reacquaint with old colleagues,
compare notes, and share war stories while hearing some of the finest
CLE on the market.
Milestones
During the Annual Meeting, we celebrated the 80th anniversary of the
State Bar’s creation in 1939 and honored a new class of 50-year lawyers
for their service to our profession.
New Leadership
The Annual Meeting always includes a changing of the guard of State Bar
leadership. Randy Sorrels, of Houston, was sworn in as president, and
Jerry C. Alexander, of Dallas, became chair of the board of directors.
Larry P. McDougal Sr., of Richmond, whom lawyers elected in April, was
sworn in as president-elect and will serve in that role for a year
before becoming president in June 2020.
Annual Meeting Coverage
Look for extensive Annual Meeting coverage in the September issue. In
the meantime, you can get a taste of the conference by listening to
the State Bar of Texas Podcast at texasbar.com/podcast.
Host Rocky Dhir and the production crew from Legal Talk Network
conducted on-site interviews with many of the speakers. I think you’ll
find these episodes informative and entertaining.
State Bar Lawsuit Update
On May 13, the State Bar of Texas laid out almost six decades of U.S.
Supreme Court precedent, establishing the constitutionality of its
structure in response to a lawsuit filed against the bar. The State
Bar’s filings explain that the bar, as an arm of the government, has a
statutory obligation to regulate the legal profession and to improve the
quality of legal services in Texas. We believe the State Bar is
fulfilling all of its statutory and constitutional obligations and that
the plaintiffs’ efforts to change decades of law is without merit. You
can read the bar’s cross-motion for summary judgment and other filings
in the case at texasbar.com/mcdonaldvlongley.
I hope you’re finding time this summer for some relaxation and time away
from the office with family and friends. If you have any questions about
the State Bar, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Trey Apffel
Executive Director, State Bar of Texas
Editor-in-Chief, Texas Bar Journal
(512) 427-1500
@ApffelT on Twitter
GOVERNANCE?INFORMATION
The
State Bar is governed by a board of directors with 46 voting members
including:
• 3 officers elected statewide by State Bar
members (president, president-elect, and immediate past president),
• 30 attorneys elected from 17 geographical districts,
• 6 public
(non-attorney) members appointed by the Supreme Court,
• 4 at-large
directors appointed by the State Bar president, and
• 3 officers
elected statewide by Texas Young Lawyers Association members (president,
president-elect, and immediate past president).
Fourteen
nonvoting, ex-officio members also serve on the board, including the
immediate past board chair and liaisons representing the judiciary,
State Bar sections, and out-of-state members.
