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

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