Adapting in a Time of Crisis

BY D. TODD SMITH, SMITH LAW GROUP

PRESIDENT'S COLUMN

What a difference a month makes. When I last sat down to write this column, “COVID-19,” “coronavirus,” and “social distancing” had not yet made their way into our everyday vocabularies. The stock market was up, and unemployment was low. The first U.S. coronavirus death had just occurred in Washington state.

What we are experiencing as I write this month’s installment is unprecedented in American history. Stay-at-home orders issued to curb the virus’s spread and avoid overloading our health care system have brought the economy to its knees. Massive layoffs are occurring across industries. Courthouses have been closed and jury trials have been postponed. The Texas Supreme Court has issued several emergency orders, extending statutes of limitations, abating residential eviction proceedings, and clarifying possession schedules in family law cases.

The pandemic is transforming the legal industry. Technophobes are being forced to adapt. Lawyers are working from home by necessity, not by choice, and are finding new ways to serve their clients. Courts are holding hearings over Zoom and broadcasting publicly on YouTube, keeping their dockets moving and the courts open. I can’t imagine where we would be if the Texas Supreme Court had not mandated e-filing on a statewide basis just a few years ago.

The Austin Bar Association has adapted too. Since the virus took hold, we have dedicated a page on our website to relevant news, updates, and resources and are updating it daily. We are offering new members half-off regular dues with a deferred payment option. Unable to hold live events, we are increasing our online CLE offerings and are scheduling webinars tailored to issues we anticipate the pandemic will bring to the forefront. Presentations will cover domestic violence, bankruptcy, landlord-tenant matters, employment relationships, legislative updates, and technology tips. Pro bono needs will abound in the coming months, and the Austin Bar is doing its best to anticipate and address those needs proactively.

While fallout from the pandemic presents a tremendous opportunity for us to help others, we should not neglect ourselves. Working from home can be wonderful, but it can also be very difficult when combined with maintaining a household and caring for our families. Those who experience depression or addiction have had their normal coping mechanisms curtailed or taken away. Keep the faith—we will get through this—but don’t forget to take care of yourself as well.

What does the future look like? Our lives and practices will undoubtedly change, perhaps in some ways for the better. We’ll better appreciate things we might have taken for granted before—coffee or lunch with a friend, working out at the gym, date night out with a spouse or partner, or attending a sporting event.

Lawyers are resilient. Our job is to rise up and lead. It’s time to fulfill our role once again and show the world how to persevere. AL

D. Todd Smith

D. Todd Smith of Smith Law Group is president of the Austin Bar Association.