State Bar Director Spotlight
John Charles “Charlie” Ginn
Interview by Eric Quitugua

Photo by Darrell Schuur
Hometown: Sulphur Springs
Position: Trial Lawyer with the McCraw Law Group in
McKinney
Board Member: District 1 Director since 2018, Chair
since 2020
I grew up in a family of attorneys. I may have
had moments where I wanted to be a cowboy, but my goal from early
childhood was to become a lawyer and to represent people.
I served for a brief time on the Texas Young Lawyers Association Board
before my practice took me to a new county. I was so inspired
by the work TYLA does. It is a fantastic service arm of the bar. It
provides some incredible resources for the lawyers of our state. That
was a great opportunity for me to become introduced to the work the
State Bar of Texas does for our attorneys.
The most important thing we can do as a bar is to protect our right to
self-govern. Our board has done a great job of continuing that
pursuit.
I have had the opportunity to serve for two years on the Client
Attorney Assistance Program committee. Reviewing the cases from
members of the public who have been mistreated or cheated out of either
funds or services has been both difficult and rewarding. CAAP is an
outstanding benefit and service that our bar provides the public. I know
of no other profession that provides a similar benefit. That is
something that all attorneys in Texas should be proud of.
We are here to serve the bar, the public, and to ensure that the
mission statement of the State Bar of Texas is at the heart of
everything we do. We accomplish that by engaging in open
dialogue and communication. We always must continue to ask the question,
How can we be better?
We must continue to broadcast the programs, benefits, and services that
the State Bar offers. The key is to do that with genuine
communication and transparency. The State Bar of Texas can’t solve every
problem that Texas lawyers face, but the directors can make sure that
accurate information about our programs is provided to our bar.
Our committee that focuses on lawyer benefits has established
discount programs with different entities that attorneys in Texas use
every day. The Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program is one of the most
invaluable services available to our members. We also have public
members serving on our board of directors who provide an invaluable
perspective.
The top issue facing Texas attorneys in 2020 is how the practice of law
is going to be affected by COVID-19. Every practice has been
affected by the changes in our world. Our board must continue to meet
the challenge of preserving the programs and benefits that have already
been established. We also need to ensure that we are listening to the
needs of our lawyers.TBJ