Texas Bar Journal October 2023

News From Around The Bar

From left: State Bar of Texas President Cindy Tisdale, Kim J. Askew, and incoming ABA Texas Delegate Judge Lora Livingston at the ABA Annual Meeting on August 8 in Denver. Photo courtesy of Kim J. Askew.

Judge Lora Livingston succeeds Kim J. Askew as ABA’s Texas delegate

After a maximum of nine years of service, Kim J. Askew was succeeded by retired Judge Lora Livingston as the Texas state delegate in the American Bar Association House of Delegates. Askew, a partner in DLA Piper in Dallas, is a longtime member of the house, having previously served as the delegate for the ABA Section of Litigation and the Dallas Bar Association. She continues ABA service as the delegate for the American Law Institute. “I have long supported the State Bar of Texas and worked on behalf of Texas lawyers,” Askew said in an email to the Texas Bar Journal. “Serving as the ABA Texas delegate was a continuation of my service to Texas lawyers. Plus, I enjoy being at the heart of debates on some of the major issues facing lawyers and courts.” Livingston was elected to Travis Country’s 261st District Court in 1999, becoming the first African American woman to preside over that court. She assumed the mantle of Texas’ delegate following the ABA’s 2023 Annual Meeting on August 8 in Denver. She is eligible to serve up to three, three-year terms as delegate. State delegates are elected by eligible ABA members in that state. Once elected, they become members of the ABA’s House of Delegates, the legislative and policy arm of the ABA. Delegates serve on the nominating committee that selects ABA officers and the board of governors, vote on ABA policy, and work with various state and local bars. For more information about the ABA, go to americanbar.org.

DENISE SCOFIELD, SANTOS VARGAS RECOMMENDED AS STATE BAR PRESIDENT-ELECT NOMINEES
The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors Nominations and Elections Subcommittee voted August 28 to recommend the nomination of Denise Scofield, of Houston, and Santos Vargas, of San Antonio, as candidates for 2024-2025 State Bar president-elect. If the board approves their nominations, Scofield and Vargas would appear on the ballot in April 2024 along with any certified petition candidates. Potential petition candidates can begin collecting signatures on September 1, 2023, and have until March 1, 2024, to submit their nominating petitions to the State Bar for certification. This year, the subcommittee considered candidates from metropolitan counties of the state (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Tarrant, and Travis), in compliance with State Bar rules. Nominations and Elections is a subcommittee of the State Bar board co-chaired by Immediate Past President Laura Gibson and Immediate Past Board Chair Chad Baruch.

STATE BAR OF TEXAS OFFERS ATTORNEYS FREE TOOLKIT FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING
What happens when an attorney stops practicing without warning? Health issues, unexpected deaths, and other emergencies can cause attorneys to cease practicing abruptly. Recent studies undertaken by the State Bar of Texas show such instances are on the rise and can leave attorneys’ law partners or even family members scrambling to access client documents and close practices. Now the bar is offering a free Succession Planning Toolkit to help. “The new Succession Planning Toolkit is a one-stop shop for attorneys to find everything they need to plan ahead and prevent their partners or loved ones from being left to handle everything if the unexpected happens,” State Bar of Texas President Cindy Tisdale said. Succession planning was one of the top initiatives of State Bar of Texas Immediate Past President Laura Gibson. The toolkit takes attorneys through a series of steps, beginning with designating a custodian and including managing files, closing IOLTA accounts, and more. The toolkit was created by the State Bar of Texas Law Practice Management Committee and Law Practice Management Program. To access the toolkit, go to http:www.texasbar.com/successiontoolkit.

TAJC VETERANS COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE FREE LEGAL CLINICS FOR VETERANS
The Veterans Committee of the Texas Access to Justice Commission, or TAJC, is partnering with legal service providers, bar associations, and other organizations throughout the state to provide free legal clinics for low-income Texas veterans on November 4. In recognition of Veterans Day, clinics are being set up on November 4 at VA outpatient clinics and other venues. Legal issues may include family law, wills and probate, consumer law, tax law, property issues, and disability benefits, among other civil issues. The Veterans Committee is chaired by State Bar of Texas Past President Terry Tottenham (2010 to 2011) and retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Alfred Valenzuela. “Post-COVID, we are renewing our efforts to provide free civil legal services to all Texas veterans who qualify for this assistance,” Tottenham said in a press release. “The need is now more apparent than ever, and we know Texas lawyers will answer this call.” To volunteer for a veterans clinic or for more information, please email Dominga Titus at dominga.titus@texasbar.com.

SUELLEN PERRY NAMED LAW-RELATED EDUCATION TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Suellen Perry, a legal studies career and technical education instructor at Henderson High School in Henderson, has been named a Law-Related Education Teacher of the Year by the American Lawyers Alliance, a nonprofit whose mission is to promote understanding and appreciation of the law and the American legal system. Perry, a graduate of UC Berkeley School of Law, was selected based on her innovative course curriculum, which features topics such as “Principles of Law,” “Court Systems and Practices,” and dual credit criminal justice courses among several others. With her experience as a law clerk to the Hon. John Hannah, U.S. District Court judge in Tyler, as a Tyler-based assistant U.S. attorney, and as an attorney in private practice for 20 years, Perry has a background in the law that provides her students a real-world experience. In 2022, she was also named the TEX-ABOTA Champion of Civil Justice. ^TBJ