If you are a solo attorney, you need to have a designated backup attorney, if for no other reason than to enable you to take a true vacation now and again. Of course, doing so can also make sure that your client’s interests are protected in case of an unforeseen circumstance such as an illness
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State Bar board to meet January 24 in Austin

The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors will meet at 9 a.m. on January 24 at the Texas Law Center in Austin. The meeting is open to the public and will be broadcast live on the State Bar of Texas YouTube channel.
The meeting agenda is available here. Among the agenda items,…
Vicki D. Blanton to serve as 2025 Dallas Bar Association president

The Dallas Bar Association (DBA) will host the inauguration of its 116th president, Vicki D. Blanton, on January 25 at the Dallas Omni Hotel. Blanton, assistant vice president and senior legal counsel for AT&T Inc., has been on the DBA Board of Directors for many years and has served on a variety of DBA committees…
Sponsored Content: Billing Language Samples and Strategies for Attorneys
State Bar of Texas Podcast: Breaking barriers—the 100-year legacy of women on the Supreme Court of Texas

In this episode of the State Bar of Texas Podcast, host Rocky Dhir welcomes Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod and Sharon Sandle to learn how Texas became the first state to have an all-woman high court in the United States. They discuss the surprising series of events that led to the appointment of female judges, the…
Texas Young Lawyers Association receives $45,000 grant from Texas Bar Foundation

The Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) received a $45,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation to create a website aimed at educating prospective law students on the law school process from start to finish, according to a press release.
Expected to launch this spring, the website will break down barriers faced by nontraditional and first-time…
Reynaldo Anaya Valencia named president and dean of South Texas College of Law Houston
Reynaldo “Rey” Anaya Valencia has been named president and dean of South Texas College of Law Houston, according to a press release. Valencia will assume his new role in July 2025.
Interim President and Dean Jeff Rensberger will continue to lead the law school through the spring academic semester and work to ensure a smooth…
ABA Hispanic commission announces inaugural Impacto Award
Betty Balli Torres, executive director of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, and civil rights attorney Danny Ortega are the 2025 recipients of the inaugural Impacto Award, sponsored by the American Bar Association Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities.
The award will be presented January 31 at the Diversity Awards Reception during the ABA…
South Texas College of Law Houston wins national brief writing award for sixth time
South Texas College of Law Houston’s team of three recent graduates won the 2024 Scribes Brief-Writing Award by the American Society of Legal Writers, according to a press release. This marks the sixth time STCL Houston has won the award.
The winning team was composed of Joshua Fojtik (’23), of Hicks Thomas in Houston; Madelyn…
Justice Jimmy Blacklock appointed 28th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas

Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Jimmy Blacklock as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas on January 6, and appointed James P. Sullivan as the court’s Place 2 justice, filling Blacklock’s previous spot, according to a press release.
Blacklock becomes the court’s 28th chief justice, replacing former Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht, who retired at…