TMCP Frequently Asked Questions

Counsel Connections

• What are TMCP Counsel Connections?

• How do I submit my resume to be considered for the Counsel Connections?

• What does the "pre-selection process" mean?

• When will I find out if I have been selected for a Counsel Connections meeting?

• Can I be notified about my meeting(s) before the pre-selection email is sent out?

• If I have not been pre-selected for a Counsel Connection or I missed the deadline to upload my resume, will I still be able to participate in the meetings?

• How can I find out which companies will be interviewing at the program?

• If I am not pre-selected for a meeting, what other opportunities will I have to network with in-house counsel?

• I am in-house counsel and want to participate in the Counsel Connections at the program. Does it cost more to only participate as a Counsel Connections organization than attend the entire conference?
  

General TMCP Information

• Does a law firm need to be certified as a minority-owned or woman-owned firm in order to participate?

• At the conference, I may miss a CLE topic that I am interested in because I am scheduled for a Counsel Connection meeting or I will be attending another track. How can I view the additional presentations that I may miss?

• What are the "Save the Date" receptions?

• How do I get involved with TMCP?

Sponsorship

• How do I register as a sponsor?

• My firm/organization wants to sponsor the TMCP but doesn't know which attorneys we are sending yet. Should I wait to register until we have all registration information completed?

Counsel Connections are brief meetings between law firm attendees and representatives from corporate and government legal departments to discuss potential outside counsel opportunities. They are held as 15-minute sessions during the conference at times selected by the corporate representative. Although the TMCP is an excellent opportunity to network and form new business relationships, the conference is not a job fair, nor is there any guarantee that work will be given or received as a result of Counsel Connections. We provide opportunities for diverse outside counsel to discuss their practice areas with corporate/government representatives. This introduction could be the first step for lawyers and their firms to be considered for future work.

After you have completed your conference registration, including the Counsel Connections portion, you will be sent an email receipt that includes a link to upload your resume to our online database. When visiting this link, be sure that you are logged in as the registrant on TexasBarCLE.com (note: this is different than TexasBar.com). Upload (1) a personal résumé and (2) a firm résumé, including a narrative description of your firm's practice, area(s) of expertise, and all office locations. If your personal résumé already includes this information, you may omit the firm résumé.

Pre-selection gives the Counsel Connections organizations an opportunity to select attorneys prior to the conference to ensure that they meet outside counsel with the skill sets that are needed by their organization – either now or in the future. The representatives from the companies who will be conducting interviews access résumés online and submit their selected candidates to the Office of Minority Affairs for scheduling.

If you indicated that you would like to participate in the Counsel Connections when you registered and you provided your email address, you will receive an email one week prior to the program. If you are pre-selected for a meeting, your email will include the date and time of your interview(s), interviewing corporation(s), and name of interviewer(s).

No. This information is not available prior to one week before the program. After the early registration deadline, the Counsel Connections corporations review resumes from the online database and make selections on individuals or firms they would like to meet. The Office of Minority Affairs must then schedule and coordinate each meeting. The information is sent to you, the registrants, as soon as it is available.

To best facilitate a match between law firm attendees’ areas of expertise and a company’s outside counsel hiring interests, the Counsel Connections process is pre-selection only and there will not be on-site sign-ups at the conference. Those who miss the résumé submission deadline or are not pre-selected have opportunities to network with in-house counsel at the conference through the various events including the dine-arounds, wellness networking events, receptions, and Networking Through Service project.

A list of interviewing is available on the TMCP website at www.TexasBar.com/TMCP. This list is updated weekly as more companies sign up to interview.

The TMCP has many networking events such as dine-arounds, wellness networking events, and receptions, which allow participants to dine together in small groups at nearby restaurants.

No, there is no additional cost to participate as a Counsel Connections organization. Corporations and government agencies interested in participating in the Counsel Connections should complete and submit the TMCP Counsel Connection Form. This form signs up the company. Corporations participating in the TMCP Counsel Connections receive complimentary conference registrations (up to two) for the representatives conducting the Counsel Connections. Submit a completed Counsel Connections form to receive a code to claim the complimentary conference registrations.

No. All attorneys are eligible to attend the TMCP and participate in the Counsel Connections. There is no certification requirement for this program.

You are free to go back and forth between tracks throughout the day. Additionally, online videos of the presentations & PDFs of the course materials will be available to registrants 6-8 weeks after the course. Provide us your e-mail address when registering and we'll alert you when these benefits are available and how to access them. (Note: Presentation lengths may vary from that which was advertised.) There's no extra charge; as a registrant, you're already entitled!

"Save the Date" receptions are held in each major city during the months leading up to the annual conference. These receptions give attendees an opportunity to learn more about TMCP and its mission of increased diversity in the legal profession. The receptions are free to attend and provide an excellent opportunity to network with other legal professionals in your area.

Complete the TMCP Steering Committee Interest Form found on www.texasbar.com/tmcp. The form becomes available in November and is often open through mid-December. Due to a growing interest in this program, there are a limited number of spots available on the TMCP Steering Committee. Many of the members earned their position on the Steering Committee through their hard work and leadership skills demonstrated serving on a City Committee. Serving on a City Committee allows you to play an instrumental role in promoting the TMCP program in your local area and planning a "Save the Date" Reception in your city. Steering Committee members are selected between December and January of each year.

TMCP offers sponsorship levels ranging from $1,000-$20,000, all of which include varying numbers of complimentary registrations. To register as a sponsor, simply complete the sponsorship form found in the TMCP Sponsorship Opportunities Brochure online at www.TexasBar.com/TMCP and return to our office via fax, email or mail. Once your sponsorship form is received, we will contact you with additional instructions and information on submitting individual attendees.

Sponsorship registrations can be taken at any time. Companies do not need to submit all registration information at the same time. Once you have notified our office of your intent to sponsor, we will send you deadlines for all other registration materials.

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