Bulletin May/June 2017
Featured Articles page 1 President's
Page page 4 Tortfeasors7 page 10 LegalLine page 17 Law Firm Security
President’s
Page
A
My Last President's Page
s we near the end of the TCBA’s current fiscal year which ends June 30, I am reflecting on what we have accomplished since I was handed the gavel as President last July 1. It has been a busy year, and successful in many regards, although not all of by Robert G. West my plans got realized. We began the Bar year well with a presentation by then incoming State Bar of Texas President Frank Stevenson about the programs and activities of the State Bar. Frank reminded us that he still calls Fort Worth his home town and that he was installed in the State Bar convention in Fort Worth last June. Frank has become a good friend to me and the Tarrant County Bar during the past two years as he served as President-Elect and then as President, and I quickly admit that he is much more literate and entertaining than I am when writing monthly columns! The largest challenge faced by the TCBA during the past year was the retirement of Trisha Graham as our Executive Director after 25 years of outstanding service to our Association and its members, and the accompanying departure of Joe Graham as the best volunteer assistant that TCBA has ever had! The Association honored Trisha and Joe with a tremendous retirement reception on Thursday, April 6, organized by our Celebration Chairman Janna Clarke and her committee. Trisha and Joe each received plaques as Honorary Lifetime Members of TCBA, as well as many other honorary and tangible gifts of appreciation from their numerous admirers. Trisha submitted her retirement notice to the Board of Directors last fall, well in advance of her effective retirement date at the end of the current fiscal year on June 30. An Executive Director Search Committee chaired by PresidentElect Nick Bettinger was appointed by the Board in December, intentionally including representatives from the Tarrant County Bar Foundation and the Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association. The Search Committee reviewed a number of resumes before narrowing their focus to two finalist prospects, who were then personally interviewed in early March. The result of that search was the selection and hiring of Megan Moser Cooley as TCBA’s new Executive Director. Most of you probably already know Megan. After graduating with honors from University of Texas at Austin in 1997
with a B.A. in Government, Megan attended Baylor University School of Law to earn her J.D. in 2000. She then worked as a litigation attorney in the Fort Worth office of Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP for 14 years from September 2000 until June 2014. Megan then worked the past three years as TCBA’s Pro Bono Programs Director to administer the Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans program and the Tarrant County Volunteer Attorneys Service program, for which she received several state-wide honors for her hard work and successful program results. From her outstanding work as Pro Bono Programs Director, Megan was well known to the Search Committee members and the Association’s officers and directors as a well-trained, energetic, and dedicated employee of the Association who is already familiar with the structure, programs, budget, members, and staff of the Association, which has allowed Megan to quickly step into the large shoes (and work boots!) left by Trisha Graham. Megan began serving as Acting Executive Director on April 10 and will serve in that capacity until the end of June, and she then will become the Executive Director of the TCBA, the Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, and the Tarrant County Bar Foundation as of July 1, 2017, at the beginning of the Association’s new fiscal and program year. The primary goal that the Board of Directors has expressed to new Executive Director Megan Cooley is to take the TCBA to “the next level” of service to our members, the legal profession in Tarrant County, and the public. July 1 is also the day after my term as President expires on June 30. Incoming President Nick Bettinger and the other officers and directors begin their terms as of July 1, and I will start fading into the sunset as Immediate Past President, replacing the fully-faded David Keltner in that position after his seven years of service to the Association as a Director for two years and then successive one year terms as Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President, President-Elect, President, and the current Immediate Past President. I commend and thank David for his years of leadership service to the TCBA. I also especially thank outgoing Directors Tawana Hayden Gray, Raul A. Canez, and Julie A. Sladek for their support and Board leadership during my year as President – all of you did your best to make me look good this year! I also give thanks to all of the Committee Chairpersons, Co-Chairpersons, and members who provided countless hours of volunteer leadership and service to the Bar Association during the past year to carry forward the mission and programs of the Association. We have a great profesContinued on page 14...
May/June 2017 ▪ TCBA BULLETIN 1
Tarrant County Bar Association
Contents
817.338.4092 ▪ Fax 817.335.9238 website: www.tarrantbar.org email: tcba@tarrantbar.org
Features 1 President's Page 4 Tortfeasors7 10 LegalLine 17 Law Firm Security Departments 1 President's Page 3 YLA Snapshot 8 100 Club 9 Calendar of Events 10 Lawyers on the Move & in the News 10 LegalLine 11 Membership Report 11 Benefits of Membership & Vendor List 12 Snippets 14 Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans 16 Judicial Profile - Judge Wayne Salvant 20 Section News 20 CLE Corner 20 Lawyer Referral & Information Service News 21 Other Association's News & Information
3
Directors
Term Ends 2017
Tawana Gray Gary L. Medlin Jason C. N. Smith Term Ends 2018
7
Advertiser's Index Deborah Adame.............................................................6 Family Access Services...................................................7 JurisFabrilis............................................................6 KoonsFuller.......................................Inside Front Cover Law Offices of Steven C. Laird, P.C............................19 LawPay..................................................................9 LexisNexis..........................................Inside Back Cover Lone Star Ag Credit......................................................18 Moses, Palmer & Howell, L.L.P.......................................3 Parker Law Firm............................................................15 Stephens Anderson & Cummings............Back Cover Texas Lawyers' Insurance Exchange.......................21 Tindall Square Office Complex..................................21 The Collie Firm.................................................................7
2 www.tarrantbar.org ▪ May/June 2017
2016-2017 Officers President...............................Robert G. West President-Elect....................Nick Bettinger Vice President...........................Lance Evans Secretary-Treasurer...................John Cayce
Cody L. Cofer Veronica C. Law Lu Pham
2016-2017 Appointed Directors Raul A. Canez Julie A. Sladek
Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association President 2017 Spring
Tennessee Walker 2017 Fall
Christopher Gee
Immediate Past President David E. Keltner
Executive Director Patricia Graham, PLS, CLAS
Ex-Officio Members State Bar of Texas, Directors Gary L. Nickelson Curtis Pritchard ABA Delegate Janna Clarke
Bar Bulletin John F. Murphy Editor H. Dennis Kelly Assistant Editor April Holland Staff Editor/Graphics/Production The Tarrant County Bar Bulletin is a monthly publication of the Tarrant County Bar Association. Articles, photos, suggestions or comments should be directed to: april@tarrantbar.org 1315 Calhoun Street ▪ Fort Worth, TX 76102-6504 Deadline for submission is the 20th day of the month, two months prior the date of the issue (e.g. March 20 for the May issue). Items for publication may be emailed to april@tarrantbar.org in Word format. Articles published in the Bar Bulletin do not necessarily re�lect the opinions of the Tarrant County Bar Association, its of�icers, or the Board of Directors. Advertisements, and feature articles should not be considered an endorsement of any service, product, program, seminar or event.
YLA
Snapshot
Tennessee Walker, President TCYLA
A
Event Recaps
pril was a big month for TCYLA. Our annual Spring Fiesta event was held on Thursday, April 13 at Joe T. Garcia’s. Margaritas, live music, and good company added up to a great time had by all. Thanks to young lawyers past and present who joined us at Spring Fiesta. Also, one final thanks to Trisha Graham for being TCYLA’s guiding hand for as long as I can remember. We did not plan it this way, but it worked out that Spring Fiesta was held on Trisha’s last official day as Executive Director of the TCBA. Hopefully Spring Fiesta was a party worthy of being Trisha’s swan song. The TCYLA Family Picnic was held on Sunday, April 9 in conjunction with a TCU baseball game. It was a fun event for our members and their families. A special thanks to TCYLA board member Clark Rucker for donating his time to cook up delicious burgers on his flat top.
site (www.tcyla.org). If you have an opening that you would like to publicize to our membership, please contact Andrea Palmer at apalmer@andersonriddle.com. Andrea will make sure your job opening is posted. We will also try to circulate job opening in our monthly membership newsletter. g
Upcoming Event(s) … Check Them Out on Our NEW WEBSITE
TCYLA will be volunteering at the Tarrant Area Food Bank on the evening of May 23. To find out more information about this event or to volunteer to help with the event, visit our new website at www.tcyla.org. Volunteer spots are limited to 30, so do not procrastinate. Other May events include our monthly member happy hour on May 11 and our monthly CLE luncheon at Reata on May 23. Check out that new website at www.tcyla.org for more information on these and other TCYLA events.
Need an Associate? Think TCYLA
TCYLA’s membership is comprised of talented human capital that could help your law firm. Several local firms have recently inquired with TCYLA leadership about filling associate attorney positions. In response to this need, TCYLA is in the process of setting up a job postings link on the new web-
May/June 2017 ▪ TCBA BULLETIN 3
Written by Perry Cockerell
“I
t was the best show in seven years. There are really remarkable performers in the Tarrant County Bar and many of them are in the show,” said Bob West, President of the Tarrant County Bar Association on Saturday, March 25 at the Fort Worth Community Center after the conclusion of the seventh performance of Tarrant Tortfeasors. The conclusion of Tarrant Tortfeasor’s 7 represents the end of an era as Director Rick Sehgal finishes his seven-year tour and turns over the direction of the play to Chris Trout. Sehgal is moving on to spend more time at home because he and his wife have a new baby. “I did all seven shows. I love the show,” he said. The Saturday night performance consisted of 17 Tarrant County attorneys performing 15 skits including three musical numbers to a crowd in excess of 160. Strong performances by long standing talent shows that Tarrant County lawyer skills are not limited to just the courtroom. In Pro Hac Vice Judge Courtney Key experienced unusual courtroom attire by David Keller, playing Kiwi, an attorney from New Zealand dressed in a Dr. Seuss hat with Mickey Mouse gloves, who reassures the court that the attire is common where he came from. Marshall Jacobini played a client who is “vaping,” inhaling nicotine in the courtroom. Kevin Clark and Chris Trout in The Bossy Bailiff featured Shannon Pritchard as the bailiff who runs the courtroom, uses the judge’s parking spot at the courthouse, frequently interrupts the opening arguments, overrules the judge, and places the judge under arrest for contempt of court. Kimmy Stoner played a witness testifying at the trial. Ronnie Hall in Social Media 101 for Lawyers presented a lecture giving entirely wrong advice on the use of social media and was cor-
rected by attendees. The Millennial Lawyer featured Katie Copeland as a millennial lawyer using her iPhone for selfies and Facetime in court, arguing with the Judge Brad Dowell, crying, using inappropriate language to tell the judge his rules are stupid and that no one likes his court, and threatening to give a negative online review to the judge. What a Feeling was a song parody and featured Courtney Key singing to the Flashdance theme song, joined by female cast members and John Corbin, as she sang “first when there’s nothing, but a slow-tracked appeal. That you fear seems to hide deep inside your files... No I’m briefing for my life, take the passion and make it happen, cases come alive.” After the skit Corbin said that Tarrant Tortfeasors has “been an adventure in acting kills. You know how to make a fool of yourself on stage. If you are an introvert before the show you are an extrovert now.” In the Craig’s List Lawyer, second year man David Frisbee played a lawyer who advertised on Craig’s List and was willing to barter for his legal services while also looking for Onegative blood from potential clients Chris Trout and Kathi Hogan. He agreed to accept a television set for his fee, to be delivered to the courtroom. “It was a perfect skit for me,” Frisbee said. Brad Dowell and Ronnie Hall performed a duet of Bobby Darin’s More about an excessive legal fee statement. “More than the greatest fee the world has known, my billing by the hour to you will grow, more than the flat fee that I tried to sell, you can believe I’m going straight to hell … and you can be sure no one else will charge you more.” After the song Dowell reminded the audience at intermission “the more you drink the funnier we are.” The Most Notable Attorneys Gala involved four attorneys invited to an awards dinner sponsored by Legal-
April 2017 ▪ TCBA BULLETIN 23
zoom and put on by their former disgruntled, clients, who gave them dubious awards. Kevin Clark played “The Fort Worth Frog” in a video short showing a lighter side to advertising in contrast to harder approaches such as Bryan E. Wilson and his You Tube ad for “The Law Hawk.” This skit had the biggest laughs during the show as Clark delivered a softer tone to public advertising and delivered his lines naturally as if the skit was unscripted. “I loved it. I love the character and the hat was interesting; I couldn’t see. And it was a nice friendly alternative,” said Clark afterwards. The Phantom featured a former defeated judge (played by Ronnie Hall) who returns to his court as the “Phantom of the Courtroom” and sits in the gallery to watch the new judge preside over his former court. The new judge attempts to have the former judge removed from the courtroom. The bailiff, "Christine," was played by Kathi Hogan. “The Phantom of the Courtroom cannot leave. He can’t be free,” Hall sang. The Phantom judge frequently interrupted the new judge with songs from the Phantom musical until he and Christine finally depart to share their love and one lifetime. In The Stand In, the criminal defendant (played by Adam Arrington) complained of his attorney and tells Judge David Keller how he can put on the black robe and “show him how it’s done.” The judge excused himself while the criminal defendant put on the judicial robe and presides over the rest of Keller’s docket, handing out sentences to clients represented by his former counsel, before Keller returns and finds out his court has been hijacked. In The Grievance Committee, two sexist male attorneys (played by Brad Dowell and Chris Trout) along with one undercover female attorney (Dana Manry) showed favoritism toward a male attorney while handing out a tougher sentence to a female attorney who engaged in less serious misconduct. They learn that Manry was sent by the State Bar’s chief disciplinary counsel to investigate them, only to learn that “none of
you sexist pigs will be practicing law anytime soon.” Chris Troutt gave tribute or rather a roast at the funeral for fictional deceased attorney Paul Jake McKee in The Lawyer Eulogy even to the point of pouring water in his ashes and objecting to his motion for continuance. Trout said afterwards in jest: “I was the star as always but I’m willing to share the spotlight. It’s a joy to work the shifts. A lot of it is for a good cause.” Courtney Key applied to be Donald Trump’s legal counsel in The Trump Lawyer. When handed a stack of executive orders ranging from wiretapping the Obamas to arresting the cast of Saturday Night Live, she approves none of them, only to be seduced by the black robe for an appointment to the Supreme Court. Once it was learned she was born in Hawaii, she was ineligible because of a Trump executive order banning Hawaii as a state. Katie Copeland led the finale in Like a Lawyer. Katie was cast as a Madonna lookalike who sings and is joined in the final number by the entire cast line dancing in black suits and throwing money singing, “I made it through law school, somehow I made it through, didn’t know how little I knew ‘til my client got sued … Like a lawyer – Pay! Trying her first case, like a Fort Worth lawyer, bring your lawsuit, I’ll be your ace.…” Director Rick Segal thanked Tricia Graham and reminded the audience that she wanted a play “where we did not cuss and did not embarrass her. But we did both.” Patti Gearhart Turner, President of the Tarrant County Bar Foundation, said that Tarrant Tortfeasors 7 raised over $25,000 in sponsorships. “The volunteers of Tarrant Tortfeasors, including the director, writers, cast, crew, and tech staff, have spent hundreds of hours writing skits and practicing their performances for the Tortfeasors 7 show. Over the past seven years, Tortfeasor’s performances have netted over $141,000 for the Tarrant County Bar Foundation.” The funds raised by Tarrant Tortfeasors underwrites the foundation’s community service programs and pro bono legal clinics. Those clinics are offered by Tarrant County attorneys through Tarrant Volunteer Attorney Services (TVAS) and Texas Lawyers for Texas Veteran’s (TLTV) clinics. g
Thank You to Our Sponsors for
PRODUCER SPONSOR State Bar of Texas Texas A&M University School of Law Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC DIRECTOR SPONSOR Mattie Peterson Compton Dispute Resolution Services of North Texas, Inc. Dowell, Pham & Harrison, LLP Hurr Law Office P.C. Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP McDonald Sanders PC Rik Sehgal Thompson & Knight, LLP Patti & Randy Turner Justin Wilks ACTOR SPONSOR The Barrows Firm PC & Juris Fabrilis
6 www.tarrantbar.org ▪ May/June 2017
Harris, Finley & Bogle, P.C. Haynes and Boone, L.L.P. Patricia Graham & Aleed Rivera Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association Waldron Companies Robert West STAGE HAND SPONSOR Neal W. Adams Perry J. Cockerell The Colaneri Firm, P.C. Decker Jones, P.C. Jon C. Gallini The Law Office of Antoinette Bone, PLLC The Medlin Law Firm, PLLC Rick Ward PROP SPONSOR Moore Family Law
Thursday, May 4, 2017 8am - 4pm
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Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building
Thank You to Our Door Prize Donors Sundance Square Date Night for 2 Kelly Hart & Hallman
Massage Envy (1 hour) gift card
Wine Basket Trio Bryan & Shauna Wright
Starbucks ($25) gift card
Prince Lebanese Grill Dinner for 2 TCU Baseball game tickets Dutch’s gift card
Gourmet/wine gift basket 12 Bundtlets Nothing Bundt Cakes (Camp Bowie) Mary Kay Basket Marissa Diaz-Sims, Mary Kay Consultant
Amazon ($25) gift card Thank you to Corner Bakery & Uno Pizzeria for providing the food.
To make an appointment visit: https://ww2.greatpartners.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/83581
GRIEVANCE DEFENSE
Family Access Services is now providing Supervised Visitation Supervised Visitation Services and Services and Monitored Exchanges in Tarrant County and Surrounding areas. Our goal,Exchanges as a neutral third-party, is Monitored “Helping Families Maintain a Healthy & Safe Interaction.”
"Helping Families Maintain a Healthy & Safe Interaction"
When your license, livelihood, and reputation are at stake
GRIFFIN W. COLLIE 2514 BOLL STREET DALLAS, TEXAS 75204 214.484.4323 PHONE www.grievancedefensefortworth.com
Family Access Services Phone: 512-387-1932 www.familyaccessservices.com
May/June 2017 ▪ TCBA BULLETIN 7
Members of the 2016-2017
100 Club
Adams Lynch & Loftin P.C. Albert Neely & Kuhlmann LLP Allmand Law Firm, PLLC Anderson & Riddle, LLP Baker Monroe PLLC Barlow Garsek & Simon, LLP Blaies & Hightower, L.L.P. Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, PC Brackett & Ellis, P.C. Broude Smith & Jennings PC Brown, Dean, Wiseman, Proctor, Hart & Howell LLP Brown Pruitt Wambsganss Ferrill & Dean, P.C. Bruner & Pappas LLP Cantey Hanger LLP City Attorney's Office-City of Fort Worth Cook Children’s Health Care System Curnutt & Hafer, L.L.P. Dawson Parrish, PC Decker Jones, P.C. Dowell, Pham & Harrison, LLP Edison, McDowell & Hetherington, LLP Forshey & Prostok, L.L.P. Friedman, Suder & Cooke Gordon & Sykes, LLP Griffith, Jay & Michel, LLP Harris, Finley & Bogle, P.C. Haynes and Boone, L.L.P. Holland Johns & Penny LLP Jackson Walker, L.L.P. Jim Ross & Associates Joshua Graham & Associates, PLLC Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP
KoonsFuller, P.C. Lacy Lyster Malone & Steppick, PLLC Law, Snakard & Gambill, P.C. Lively & Associates, LLP Loe, Warren, Rosenfield, Kaitcer, Hibbs, Windsor, Lawrence & Wolffarth, PC McDonald Sanders Law Firm Mellina & Larson, P.C. Moses, Palmer & Howell, L.L.P. Murphy Mahon Keffler Farrier, LLP Naman Howell Smith & Lee, PLLC Noteboom Law Firm Padfield & Stout, LLP Paup, Shutt & Associates, P.C. Pope, Hardwicke, Christie, Schell, Kelly & Ray, L.L.P. Second Court of Appeals Stephens, Anderson & Cummings Suzanne I.Calvert & Associates Tarrant County CDA's Office Taylor, Olson, Adkins, Sralla & Elam, L.L.P. The Berenson Firm P.C. The Blum Firm, P.C. Thompson & Knight, LLP Underwood Law Firm Varghese Summersett, PLLC Wallach & Andrews, P.C. Watson Caraway Midkiff & Luningham L.L.P Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC Whitley Penn, LLP Wick Phillips Winstead PC The Wolf Law Firm, P.C.
To be eligible for the 100 Club, any law firm, government agency, law school, or corporate legal department that has four or more attorneys and attains 100% TCBA membership compliance for the 2016-2017 bar year qualifies for the “100 Club.” The firms/organizations listed (above) have already paid their membership dues and qualify for 100 Club membership for the new bar year. Any firm/or-
ganization that qualifies in the future will have its name published in every issue of the Bar Bulletin for this bar year. TCBA is proud of the participation of these law firms and other groups! The new bar year began on July 1, if you have not paid your renewal invoice, contact our Membership Director Sandy Tilley at 817.338.4092 or email her at sandy@tarrantbar.org. g
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May 2017
Calendar of Events
Corporate Counsel Section Luncheon 12pm, TCBA Office "Live to Give" Blood Drive 8am-4pm, Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building Women Attorneys Section 5:00pm, Blue Mesa Law Day Awards Dinner 6:30pm, Fort Worth Club Coorporate Counsel Section Luncheon 12pm, City Club LegalLine 6pm, TCBA Office Real Estate Law Section Luncheon 12pm, Petroleum Club Transition to Practice Luncheon 12pm, TCBA Office Women Attorneys Section "Spring Into Summer" 5:30pm, Kent & Co. Wines Tax & Estate Planning Section Luncheon 11:30am, Petroleum Club Last Tuesday CLE 1pm, TCBA Office Labor & Employment Law Section Luncheon 12pm, Petroleum Club LegalLine 6pm, TCBA Office Memorial Day Holiday TCBA Office Closed
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June 2017
Coorporate Counsel Section Luncheon 12pm, TCBA Office Energy Section Luncheon 12pm, Fort Worth Club Docket Call Social 5pm, Legal Draft Beer LegalLine 6pm, TCBA Office Brown Bag Seminar Series "Legislative Update" 12:30pm, TCBA Office Construction Law Section Luncheon 12pm, TCBA Office Bankruptcy Law Section Luncheon 12pm, Fort Worth Club Past President's Luncheon 11:30am, City Club LegalLine 6pm, TCBA Office Last Tuesday CLE 1pm, TCBA Office
May/June 2017 â–ª TCBA BULLETIN 9
Lawyers on the Move & Michael James Grover announces that he has left Probate Court #2 and has returned to private practice in Grapevine. His new address is 1200 S. Main Street, Suite 1000, Grapevine, Texas 76051. He can be reached by phone at 817.760.0654 or by email at mike@mikegroverlaw.com. J. Michael McBride, P.C. has moved to a new location at 6420 Southwest Blvd., Suite 112, Fort Worth, TX 761093929. He can be reached by phone at 817.877.1824 or by email at jmm@mcbridelegal.com. Kathryn Sullivan announces that her law office has moved to a new location at 2501 Parkview Drive, Suite 316D, Fort
in the News
Worth, TX 76102-5824. She can be reached by phone at 817.768.2156 or email at ksullivan@sullivanlawtexas.com. Whitney L. Vaughan has announced that she has joined the firm of Hoppes & Cutrer, LLC. Hew new address is 959 W. Glade Rd., Hurst, Texas 76054. She can be reached by phone at 817.283.3999 or by email at Whitney@ hoppescutrer.com. Bridgepoint Consulting has named Kenneth Kase Conte as Director of its Turnaround & Restructuring practice in Dallas. You can reach Bridgepoint Consulting at 972.824.9167. g
LegalLine 817.335.1239
Feel Good About Being a Lawyer at LegalLine Written by: Judge Michael Hrabal, County Court at Law #3
T
here’s an old joke: Your ex-spouse and your lawyer fall off a bridge into a raging white water river. You can only save one. The big question: Do you go to a movie or home to watch TV? Unfortunately, some people don’t think much of lawyers. At least not until they need one. Even with all we know about lawyers and their role in creating and protecting democracy, writing the national anthem and resolving issues, it is sometimes hard to explain why we studied to enter this profession. Admittedly some law school students confess they were interested in earning a huge salary. Some may have been looking for a spouse. But the best and most repeated reason for studying law can be boiled down to “I want to help people.” The law is a labyrinth. Rules of Procedure and Evidence can sometimes overshadow the substantive. But most lawyers believe, at the end of the day, what they are doing is helping people. Jerry Seinfeld suggested that lawyers were the only people who had “read the instructions under the top of the box” for the game of life. In many ways that may be true. Many laymen fail
10 www.tarrantbar.org ▪ May/June 2017
or refuse to read the instructions. Some may have read them and simply do not understand them. But lawyers have undertaken the task of reading, understanding and applying the law (the rules) and try to use them to help people advance or protect their interests. Those who have completed law school can provide their opinion on the law to the vast majority who may have never even looked under the box top. Information that lawyers take for granted is simply unknown to a majority of our fellow citizens. Listen in to a group of friends discussing what constitutes “common law marriage” and few can actually recite the three simple elements every law student knows are required. Leaving LegalLine after an evening of providing insight to even one person who has not had the opportunity or lacks the context to understand the “rules” is an enormously gratifying experience. Information we take for granted can seem like mystic runes to the vast majority of people. Why not take the opportunity to share your legal knowledge with someone in need. You will leave the TCBA building feeling proud to be a lawyer and happy to have helped another. g
Membership Report
Stay CONNECTED to Us
The Tarrant County Bar Association Welcome it's New Members Attorneys Shannon Callaway Joseph Horn John Nohinek Frances Smith Students Kaitlyn Pound Dale Wigington
Tarrant County Bar Association - Fort Worth Tarrant County Volunteer Attorney Services Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans - Tarrant County Chapter
@TarrantBar
@TLTVinTarrant
@TVASFW
Associates Chris Hamilton Lisa Baird
W
Benefits of Membership
hy be a member of the Tarrant County Bar Association? Besides wonderful networking opportunities and camaraderie in the legal community, membership has other benefits such as: 1. The TCBA has eighteen Substantive Law Sections offering CLE and networking with members interested in the same areas of law. 2. Reduced rates on CLE (Brown Bags, Luncheons, Section Meetings, Last Tuesday CLE). 3. Reduced rates on room rental at the TCBA Bar Center. 4. Monthly Bar Bulletin (by email or mail) and updates on upcoming events by e-mail. 5. Community Service Opportunities through the Foundation: LegalLine, Texas Lawyers for Texas VeteransTarrant County Chapter, Tarrant County Volunteer Attorney Services; and through community service committees: People’s Law School, Annual Food Drive, Blood Drive, Elder Law Committee, and others. 6. Reduced rates on advertising in the Bar Bulletin and on the TCBA website. 7. Mentoring or being mentored through the Transition to Practice program. 8. Reduced rates on office supplies, UPS, shredding documents, the Fort Worth Zoo, and more. 9. The all-important fun networking opportunities. So the next time someone asks you why join the TCBA, please let them know. We thank you for your continued membership. This Bar Association is great because of its members like YOU! If you have any questions regarding your membership, please contact Sandy at the bar office at 817.338.4092 or by email at sandy@tarrantbar.org. g
Member Benefits Vendor List
TCBA members may take advantage of discounts provided by the following vendors: ABA Retirement Funds Program provides full-service 401(k) plans to benefit the legal community. To learn more, contact local rep. Jacob Millican at 817.451.5020 or visit www.abaretirement.com. AMO Office Supply offers TCBA members the lowest price guaranteed on office supplies, with next-day delivery and free shipping! Call 800.420.6421. Falcon Litigation Solutions offers discounts on copying, litigation displays, trial boards, etc. Call 817.870.0330. Fort Worth JSB Co., Inc., offers a 10% discount to TCBA members on printed material - business cards, letterhead, envelopes, business forms, brochures, flyers, and more. For a quote, call 817.577.0572. Fort Worth Zoo discount tickets - $9.50 adult, $6.50 for child or senior. For tickets, contact sandy@tarrantbar.org or 817.338.4092. If mailing or charging tickets, add 50 cents. Texas Rangers Baseball discount tickets are available by going to www.texasrangers.com/tickets, selecting a game and entering the coupon code. Contact Sherry Jones for the coupon code by email at sherry@tarrantbar.org. UPS - TCBA has signed an agreement with UPS for TCBA members to receive discounts on shipping. The discounts vary according to the type of shipment, so check out UPS for your needs at www.ups.com or 1.800.PICK.UPS. For IT Help: Juris Fabrilis - Cool Tools for Lawyers offers members discounted rates on web-based tools to help you manage your law practice. 817.481.1573 ext. 101. For Shredding and Document Disposal: Magic Shred is a secure shredding business that shreds your documents on-site. Magic Shred offers a 10% discount to TCBA members. Call the TCBA office for details. Expanco is N.A.I.D. AAA-Certified document-destruction service offering 40% off to TCBA members. Call the TCBA office for details. g
May/June 2017 ▪ TCBA BULLETIN 11
Snippets
Civil and Criminal by Judge Bob McCoy
g
Co-Editor Lin Morrisett Associate Judge Probate Court No. 2
County Criminal Court No. 3
EDITOR OPPORTUNITY! Lin Morrisett is retiring and I am looking for a co-editor. If interested, please contact me, Bob McCoy, at 817.884.2595.
WHO’S THAT STREET NAMED AFTER?
Taylor Street. General Zachary Taylor (1784–1850) was in command during the Mexican War 1846–1848 and was 12th President of the U.S. in 1849–1850. Ch. S. Taylor was a cosigner of the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836. Col. Holman Taylor suggested the location for Camp Bowie in 1917. Tom Taylor was a member of the first permanent police force in 1887. —From Werner Magnus, Who was Hulen? An Attempt to Find the Origins of Street Names in Fort Worth.
ASK JUDGE BOB
Judge Bob, can a “taking” be premised on inaction or negligent conduct? Because inaction cannot give rise to a taking, we cannot consider any alleged failure to take further steps to control flooding, such as the failure to complete the Pate Plan. Because a taking cannot be premised on negligent conduct, we must limit our consideration to affirmative conduct the County was substantially certain would cause flooding to the homeowners’ properties and that would not have taken place otherwise. Harris Cty. Flood Control Dist. V. Kerr, 499 S.W.3d 793 (Tex. 2016).
2. Fourth Amendment Seizure
A Fourth Amendment seizure occurs when there is application of physical force or, where such is absent a submission to an assertion of authority. The test to determine whether a person has been detained is objective and does not rely on the subjective belief of the detainee or the police. Furr v. State, 499 S.W.3d 872 (Tex. Crim. App. 2016).
3. Deferred Adjudication Probation
The trial court has discretion to revoke community supervision when a preponderance of the evidence supports the violation of a condition of [the defendant’s] community supervision. Under the preponderance standard, the State must prove that the greater weight of the credible evidence would create a reasonable belief that the defendant has violated a condition of probation. Houston-Randle v. State, 499 S.W.3d 912 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2016).
4. Re-Opening Testimony
MOSES’ AND RAMSES’ MONTHLY PARAPROSDAKIAN (a
The Court of Criminal Appeals has intimated that article 36.02 does not apply to bench trials. In a footnote, the court noted: “On the face of it, then, it would seem that the reach of Article 36.02 would be limited to regulating the admission of evidence proffered at the jury trial itself. This is not to say, however, that the Court has never suggested it might apply in principle, at least analogously, in other criminal-law contexts.” Article 36.02 reads: “The court shall allow testimony to be introduced at any time before the argument of a cause is concluded, if it appears that it is necessary to a due administration of justice.” Swanner v. State, 499 S.W.3d 916 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2016).
Moses
5. Intoxication Manslaughter
figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous) We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public.
THE DANES’ QUOTE OF THE MONTH Ramses
If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons [will]. —James Thurber
CRIMINAL ITEMS OF INTEREST 1. Federal Law
This Court [Court of Criminal Appeals] is not bound by cases interpreting federal law. State v. Hill, 499 S.W.3d 853 (Tex. Crim. App. 2016).
12 www.tarrantbar.org ▪ May/June 2017
The State was required to prove that appellant’s intoxication, and not just his operation of a vehicle, caused the fatal result. Matamoros v. State, 500 S.W.3d 58 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2016).
6. Aggravated Assault
The act of pointing a loaded gun at someone, by itself, is threatening conduct that supports a conviction for aggravated assault. Jones v. State, 500 S.W.3d 106 (Tex. App.— Houston [1st Dist.] 2016).
7. Bodily Injury
Bodily injury means “physical pain, illness, or any impairment of physical condition.” This definition encompasses even relatively minor physical contact if it constitutes more than offensive touching. Any physical pain, however minor,
will suffice to establish bodily injury. A fact finder may infer that a victim actually felt or suffered physical pain because people of common intelligence understand pain and some of the natural causes of it. Crow v. State, 500 S.W.3d 122 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2016).
CIVIL ITEMS OF INTEREST 1. (Non) Exclusion in Civil Forfeiture
Recognizing these costs, [the Supreme Court] ha[s] repeatedly declined to extend the exclusionary rule to proceedings other than criminal trials. . . . If the exclusionary rule is the “strong medicine” that its proponents claim it to be, then its use in [the criminal-law context] must be assumed to be a substantial and efficient deterrent. Given this “substantial and efficient deterrent,” any additional deterrence provided by also applying the rule in the civil-forfeiture context is marginal and “surely does not outweigh the cost to society of extending the rule to that [context].” State v. One 2004 Lincoln Navigator, 494 S.W.3d 690, 696, 697 (Tex. 2016).
2. Proceeding Outside the Presence of One Counsel
[W]hile it may be common practice to rely on the trial court or the clerk to contact the lawyers in the event of a jury note, the practice is not required or even contemplated by the rules. Because the court remains open for all purposes, there is no requirement for additional notice to the parties not in the courtroom when issues such as the proper response to a jury note are presented to the trial court for determination, and we are not willing to impose a duty upon the trial court to provide further notice to absent parties in the absence of an agreement to do so. Beldon Roofing v. Sunchase IV Homeowners, 494 S.W.3d 209, 230 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2015).
3. Health Care Liability Notice
We believe, however, that the statute does not require a plaintiff to ensure (1) that the notice and authorization form that he properly gave by certified mail, return receipt requested, as required by the statute, is correctly delivered and then (2) that the defendant actually claims the mail once it has been delivered for the tolling provision to apply. For these reasons, we conclude that for the tolling provision of [Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann.] section 74.051(c) to apply, a plaintiff need only give written notice, accompanied by the authorization form, in accordance with section 74.051, i.e., by certified mail, return receipt requested. College Station Med. Ctr. v. Kilaspa, 494 S.W.3d 307, 312 (Tex. App.— Waco 2015).
4. Non-Random Damage Award
We agree with Justice Kreger that a jury's act of awarding different damage amounts for different damage elements supports a conclusion that the jury did not randomly award damages in a case. Lane v. Martinez, 494 S.W.3d 339, 350 (Tex. App.— Eastland 2015).
5. Political Question Doctrine
Under the political question doctrine, a case presents a non-
justiciable political question when one of the following characteristics is “inextricable” from the case: (1) “a textually demonstrable constitutional commitment of the issue to a coordinate political department”; (2) “a lack of judicially discoverable and manageable standards for resolving it”; (3) “the impossibility of deciding without an initial policy determination of a kind clearly for nonjudicial discretion”; (4) “the impossibility of a court's undertaking independent resolution without expressing lack of the respect due coordinate branches of government”; (5) “an unusual need for unquestioning adherence to a political decision already made”; or (6) “the potentiality of embarrassment from multifarious pronouncements by various departments on one question.” Freeman v. Am. K-9 Detection, 494 S.W.3d 393, 400 (Tex. 2016).
6. Lay Opinion
The personal experience and knowledge of a lay witness may establish that the witness is capable, without qualification as an expert, of expressing an opinion on a subject outside the realm of common knowledge. It is only where the fact finder may not fully understand the evidence or be able to determine the fact in issue without the assistance of someone with specialized knowledge that a witness must be qualified as an expert. Health Care Serv. v. E. Tex. Med. Ctr., 495 S.W.3d 333, 338 (Tex. App—Tyler 2016).
7. Objection to Family Court Associate Judge
If one of the parties files a timely written objection to the associate judge presiding over trial, the case shall be tried by the referring judge rather than the associate judge. Thus, a trial court has no discretion to overrule a timely objection to the referral. In re Baker, 495 S.W.3d 393, 397 (Tex. App— Houston [14th Dist.] 2016).
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
Never ascribe to malice, that which can be explained by incompetence. —Hanlon’s Razor
Legal Quote of the Month
Popularity is a crime from the moment it is sought; it is only a virtue where men have it whether they will or not. —George Savile
OLD NEWS
The Electoral College has failed to elect a President on three separate occasions. In 1800, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied the Electoral College, with vote at 73 votes each. With Jefferson finally wining after six days and 36 ballots in the House of Representatives. In 1824, Andrew Jackson eventually beat John Adams, Treasury Secretary William Crawford and Speaker of the House Henry Clay in the House when none got a majority at the college. Clay subsequently became his Jackson’s Secretary of State. In 1876, Samuel J. Tilden won the popular vote and the most electors, but Republicans contested three southern states which certified both Tilden and Rutherford B. Hays as winners. A bipartisan commission created by the Congress gave Hays the nod by one electoral vote. g
May/June 2017 ▪ TCBA BULLETIN 13
...President's Page continued from page 1 sional Association!! If you are not already on a committee you should be; it is a great way to network with other attorneys with similar interests, and who can send and receive referrals of cases and clients. In addition to Nick Bettinger as the President, as a result of the TCBA elections held in March and announced in April, effective July 1 Lance Evans will be the PresidentElect, John Cayce will be the Vice President, existing Director Gary L. Medlin will become the Secretary-Treasurer, Jason C. N. Smith will start a new two-year term as an elected Director, Tennessee Walker and Susan Hutchison will join the Board as Directors for a two-year term. Existing Directors Cody L. Cofer, Veronica Chavez Law, and Lu Pham will serve another year as elected Directors. Lori Spearman and Joe Regan have been appointed by incoming President Nick Bettinger to serve as appointed Directors for a one year term. This is a strong, experienced, and enthusiastic team to lead TCBA during the coming year! During the past month TCBA has been very busy! The 7th Annual Tortfeasors lawyer and judge comedy skit show was held on March 25, and was in my opinion the best of all seven of the shows I attended. There is a lot of creative talent in that group of writers, performers, stage managers, and behind the scenes helpers! The organizational meeting of what I have been calling the “Silver Boots” attorneys was held on March 27 with good participation from our most experienced Tarrant County attorneys. A second meeting is now scheduled for Monday, June 26, at 4:30 at the Bar Office, to hopefully select a better name for this group and continue plans to provide volunteers to assist the Bar Association with mentoring and other programs and activities. If you are an attorney 55 years or older or have 25 or more years of practice you are invited to attend, and bring with you a friend who is also qualified. The 214/817 Night at the Ballpark was held Friday, April 7, with a total of about 524 patrons for this first-time event, representing the Arlington Bar Association, the Dallas Bar Association, and the Tarrant County Bar Association. The attendees included about 30 judges from Dallas County and about 20 judges from Tarrant County. We cheered the
Texas Rangers to their first win of the 2017 season, including the first grand slam homerun that I have ever witnessed in person! Based on the tremendous turnout this year, I expect that this event will be held again next year. The annual People’s Law School was held on Saturday afternoon, April 22, at Texas A&M School of Law, and had a record number of attendees for its nine offered topics of general interest to the public. Bench Bar Conference XXIV was held on the last weekend of April at the Hilton Lakefront Resort in Rockwall, with over 100 pre-registered. I love to attend the Bench Bar Conference because of the deep friendships I have made there with a multitude of Tarrant County lawyers that I otherwise would never have met! Those friendships are priceless! An upcoming highlight of the Bar Year is the annual Law Day Awards Dinner to be held on Tuesday, May 9, at the Fort Worth Club, starting with a reception at 6:30 followed by dinner at 7:00 and then the awards. A full article on this year’s award winners was in the April issue of the Bar Bulletin, but include Mattie Peterson Compton as the recipient of the Blackstone Award, Judge Dana Womack (now retired) as the recipient of the Silver Gavel Award, Mack Ed Swindle as the recipient of the Professionalism Award, Vincent P. Circelli as recipient of the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, and Kenneth L. McAlister as the recipient of the Outstanding Mentor Award. If you read this Bar Bulletin in early May when you first receive it, you will still have time to make your reservation to attend the Law Day Dinner to honor these distinguished recipients. These are the attorneys and judges who reinforce the high reputation that the Tarrant County legal community has established over many years, and of which you are a beneficiary. In conclusion for this President’s Page and this Bar year which will soon end on June 30, I am very proud to have been chosen by you TCBA members to serve as your President for a year. It has been a highlight of my legal career, and it has provided me with many personal friendships and memorable moments that I will cherish forever. Thank you! g
Bob West
Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans
Tarrant County Chapter
Upcoming TLTV Clinics Friday, May 19, 2017 University of Texas at Arlington
Friday, June 16, 2017 Texas Wesleyan University
Friday, July 21, 2017 Tarrant County Bar Association
If you are interested in volunteering for a TLTV clinic, please contact Megan Cooley at megan@tarrantbar.org or 817.338.4092. g
14 www.tarrantbar.org ▪ May/June 2017
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JudicialProfile
by Perry Cockerell
Judge Wayne Salvant
G
rowing up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Judge Wayne Salvant, Tarrant County Criminal District Court No. 2 never imagined he would end up in Fort Worth, Texas. Born, raised and educated in Louisiana and Mississippi, he described his life growing up as “living a life like Tom Sawyer. We swam in the Gulf and had beach parties after high
school functions.” His family lived in a segregated neighborhood of Pass Christian, Miss. His father supervised the laundry center of the local Veterans Administration Hospital and his mother was a homemaker who took care of Salvant and his older sister. Both went to private schools. His family expected much from him and wanted a better life for them. After graduating from Randolph High School in 1964 he earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from Southern University, Baton Rouge, La., in 1968. While in college he met his wife Beverly. After graduation they departed to Chicago where they were married before a Chicago Justice of the Peace, and he took a job with the Continental Illinois National Bank. But life changed quickly as after only a few months on the job and the Vietnam War escalating he was reclassified 1A and ordered to report for a physical. “I knew I was going to be drafted but thought it would be better for me to go in as an officer. I’d like to be the one directing the others to take that hill.” After seeing a black Marine officer leave the recruiting station in his uniform he selected the United States Marine Corps. “I liked how the Marines talked - the esprit de corps - and I liked the uniform. The program was ten weeks at Quantico, Virginia. They didn’t tell me how hard it was going to be.” After basic training he was sent to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and then forward deployed to Okinawa in preparation for Vietnam. By October 1969 Second Lieutenant Wayne Salvant was stationed along the Demilitarized Zone in Vietnam in charge of the 9th Motor Transportation Battalion, Logistics operation. After Vietnam, he spent his final year in the Marines at Marine Corps Base 29 Palms, California. “It is the largest Marine Corps base we have.” His wife followed him to California and obtained her teaching certificate.
16 www.tarrantbar.org ▪ May/June 2017
After the service he attended Southern University Law School and received his law degree in 1974. After law school he interviewed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and was offered a job in Fort Worth. He later learned that the District Attorney in Baton Rouge wanted to hire him. He never looked back and has enjoyed his career in Fort Worth. “We thought this was a good place to raise a family. It was large enough to be a city and small enough to feel like living in a town. I could have gone to Washington D.C., but this was better and I never regretted it.” For three years the future judge served as an investigating attorney for the SEC cracking down on fraud occurring in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. “Bond fraud was a big issue in Oklahoma. There were a lot of military bases closings and city leaders trying to bring jobs back by issuing bonds for the construction of industries at these bases. One company that built tire rims was approved and the city municipal bond authority issued bonds to pay for the construction of the factory. The bonds were sold on the market, and there was enough money to pay coupons for one year. The company took the money made from the sale of these bonds and disappeared. No factory. One of the perpetrators of this fraud was found living in Beverly Hills in a mansion. The bond counsel had verified that the company and owners were legitimate. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.” In 1977 the Judge shared law offices with Don Fleming and John White in a general practice. After three years in 1980 they went on their own, and he successfully practiced through 1995 before being tapped by Governor George W. Bush to his present position. In office for over twenty-two years he has been reelected with only two opponents along the way. His advice to young lawyers is to “be prepared. Know the law and be respectful. You need to be prompt and courteous to adversaries. If you do, then the judges will be appreciative.” The Judge expects older lawyers “to act the same way; don’t argue with the court. At the end of the day try the case the way it should be tried.” The Judge recalls that when he practiced law, he always wanted to win but he knew “that if the judge was fair, win or lose, he could accept the results. I wanted the judge to be impartial and that’s what I try to be.” Now in the role of impartial arbiter, the Judge has to carefully weigh each case and the defendant’s involvement. “Not all cases are necessarily probation cases,” he said.
“A judge has to weigh the facts as presented. Many defendants in his court come from difficult circumstances involving drugs and crime that occurred while the defendants were minors. Later when they become involved in more serious crimes, the Judge has to determine fair sentences and consider mitigating circumstances.” “Some defendants agree to plead guilty to a lesser term in order to avoid life imprisonment. Some others might attempt to mitigate their behavior by showing their lack of involve-
ment, but all these factors have to be weighed by the court in assessing punishment,” he said. A criminal defendant once told the court: “I heard you are a fair judge.” That meant a lot to Judge Salvant. “I don’t favor the State or the Defense. I’m fair to both. That’s what I try to do my whole career and that’s what I plan to continue to do.” Judge Salvant and Beverly have four children and seven grandchildren. g
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our network, PC, email, and many applications have one critical element in common: they are only as secure as the passwords you created for them. Security researchers have consistently found (and data dumps from breaches have documented) that a majority of people re-use the same password for many, if not most, applications. A single insecure website that exposes your password in a data breach could be all an attacker needs to gain access to many accounts critical to your practice and/or your personal life. How can you protect yourself? Start with a trusted password manager application, such as 1Password or Keychain on Mac OS. A password manager provides a secure way to store and find all your passwords and only requires you to remember a master passphrase to gain access. Basic password managers work with a single computer, encrypting passwords on your hard drive; more sophisticated versions allow you to securely share your passwords between multiple computers and devices, including mobile phones and tablets. When you first set up your password manager, you will need to choose a strong but memorable passphrase. A passphrase is basically a stronger, more complicated password. Strong passphrases have the following characteristics: • Contain both upper and lowercase letters • Have digits and punctuation symbols as well as letters • Contain at least 12 or more letters, numbers, or symbols (the longer the better) • Are not a word in any language, slang, dialect, or jargon • Are not based on any personal information such as names of family or pets, or important dates As you create new accounts for sites you visit or applications you use, add a new entry in your password manager. Name the entry after the site, include your username, and use the password manager to generate a password. Most will let you choose the length and complexity of the password
to meet any rules imposed by the site, such as allowed special characters. Some accounts may require you to provide answers to security questions to reset a forgotten password. Unfortunately, most sites ask the exact same questions and may not adequately protect the answers. If the account requires you to answer security questions, use the password manager to generate your responses, as well. Remember to include the security question in the password entry (for example “First pet’s name: 3TFhJzbNdnYN1SMXW7q4”). Another step you can take to protect your critical systems is to enable multi-factor authentication (also known as MFA or two-factor authentication). MFA is available on many sites and protects you by requiring both your password and a code to access your account. The access code is typically texted to you or provided by an app on your phone, such as Google Authenticator, and changes with each use. Without access to both your phone and your password, an attacker is prevented from gaining access to your account. In short, it’s very important to remember that your accounts are only as strong as the passwords you created for them. A trusted password manager is a great way to organize, secure, and diversify your passwords. Lastly, in cases where even stronger security is required for your systems, enabling multi-factor authentication may just be your saving grace. LawPay is proud to be the preferred payment partner of more than 35,000 law firms, providing attorneys with a simple, secure, and online way to accept credit cards in their practice. The LawPay platform was designed specifically to separate earned and unearned payments, giving attorneys peace of mind that their credit card transactions are always handled correctly. Members of the Tarrant County Bar Association typically save 20-25% off standard credit card fees. To learn more, call (866) 376-0950 or visit https://lawpay.com/tcba/. g
May/June 2017 ▪ TCBA BULLETIN 17
Steve Laird
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l aw
O ffi ces
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S t e v e n C . L a i r d, P. C . 817.531.3000
1119 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, FORT WORTH, TX 76104
www.texlawyers.com
Section
T
Criminal Law, Chair - Brad Clark 817.332.7739, fwlawyer@swbell.net
News
he new bar year will begin on July 1, 2017 so it is time to elect new section officers. If anyone is interested in becoming a section chair or an officer, please contact either your current section chair, or me, Sherry Jones, at the bar office at 817.338.4092 or sherry@tarrantbar.org.
Energy Law, Chair - Lisa Lumley 817.238.8985, lisa@lisalumleylaw.com Environmental Law, Chair - Cheryl Coon 817.882.7620, ccoon@shannongracey.com Fort Worth Business & Estate, Chair - Stuart Isgur sisgur1@ft.newyorklife.com
Alternative Dispute Resolution, Chair - Dan Paret 817.338.4888, dparet@me.com
Intellectual Property Law, Chair - Jeff Williams 817.225.6561, jeff@williamsiplaw.com
Appellate Law, Chair - Jody Sanders 817.878.3523, jody.sanders@kellyhart.com
International & Immigration Law, Chair - Veronica Garza 817.289.2809, veronica@garzaandmortenlaw.com
Bankruptcy Law, Chair - Katherine Hopkins 817.878.9377, katherine.hopkins@kellyhart.com
Labor & Employment Law, Chair - Walt Taylor 817.770.4343, taylorlawfirmdfw@gmail.com
Business Litigation, Chair - Rollie Schafer 817.877.8189, rschafer@shannongracey.com
Real Estate Law, Chair - Beth Thurman 817.332.2500, beth.thurman@kellyhart.com
Collaborative Law, Chair - Kate Smith 817.479.0562, katesmithesq@msn.com
Solo and Small Firm, Chair - Carter Hampton 817.877.4202, clhampton@hamptonlawonline.com
Construction Law, Chair - Cara Kennemer 817.885.7529, cara.kennemner@uwlaw.com
Tax & Estate Planning, Chair - Rob Schmid 817.335.5000, rob@normanestatelaw.com
Corporate Counsel, Chair - Tom Ryder 817.349.8409, tom@lacylyster.com
Women Attorneys, Chair - Rachel Hale 214.289.1420, rachel@hr-lawgroup.com
CLECorner
Upcoming Brown Bag Seminar Series Friday, June 9 "Legislative Update"
3 hours of CLE credit requested Registration Form coming soon g
Destination CLE: Cozumel We are planning another Destination CLE trip to Cozumel. If you are interested, contact Sherry Jones at 817.338.4092 or by email at sherry@ tarrantbar.org. g
Sherry Jones Associate Executive Director
Lawyer Referral & Information Service News
I
f you or another attorney you know are interested in joining our Referral Service, please send an email to either sandy@tarrantbar.org or carolina@tarrantbar.org. As of March 13, 2017 we have brought in a total of $105,197.00 for the 2016-2017 Bar year. Thank you to the following attorneys who made it possible this month with their referral fees: Allen Blake Kenneth Newell Josh Borsellino David Robinson Carter Hampton Andrew Seibert Kelcie Hibbs Laurie Weir
20 www.tarrantbar.org â–Ş May/June 2017
As always, thank you to the LRIS staff Sandy Tilley, Carolina Ibarra and Brittany Gilbert for all their hard work and dedication to making this department run as smoothly as it does. We are still in need of attorneys in all categories for the follwoing fields: Administrative Law Securities/Commodities Insurance Law Social Security Intellectual Property Veterans Issues Medical Malpractice Workers Compensation
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Other Associations’
News & Information
Arlington Bar Association Meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. President, Ruth Lane. For location & information, email arlingtonbarassociation@yahoo. com or call 214.651.5622. Black Women Lawyers Association For meetings and information, contact Judge Maryellen Hicks, President, at 817.451.7100 or hicks8776@sbcglobal.net. Dee J. Kelly Law Library Welcomes Bar Members! For the latest Texas A&M University School of Law library hours and information, please visit http://law.tamu.edu or call 817.212.3800. Fort Worth Chapter Association of Legal Administrators Meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the City Club, 301 Commerce Street, Fort Worth, 76102. For more information, contact Lisa Boyd at 817.339.2478 or LBoyd@BELaw.com. Fort Worth Paralegal Association General Membership Meetings are held at noon every 4th Thursday of the month at Joe T. Garcia’s, 2201 N. Commerce. FWPA Board of Directors meets at noon every 1st Tuesday of the month at the Bar Center. For more information, go to www.fwpa.org. L. Clifford Davis Legal Association (f/k/a/ Tarrant County Black Bar Association) holds its meetings on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:00pm. For more information, contact President Albert Roberts by email at mr.albert.roberts@ gmail.com. MABA (Mexican American Bar Association) Meets on the last Thursday of each month at Rivas Mexican Restaurant, 5442 River Oaks Blvd., River Oaks, 76114. For more information, contact President Eloy Sepulveda at 817.332.1285. Northeast Tarrant County Bar Association (NETCBA) Meets for CLE luncheons on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at La Hacienda Restaurant, Hwy. 121. Contact President Fred Howey at 817.835.0555 or fred.howey@howeylaw.com. Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (TCCDLA) Meets every 2nd Thursday at Joe T. Garcia’s, 2201 N. Commerce. For more information, contact President Brad Shaw at 817.237.1254 or bshawesq@sbcglobal.net. Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association Meets at noon on the 4th Tuesday of each month, with location to be announced. For more information, contact president Norma Bazán, 817.735.4000 or nbazan@nickfamilylaw.com. Tarrant County Probate Bar Association Meets on the 1st Thursday of each month at the Petroleum Clubmembers free, guests $30. For more information, contact Lara Aman at 817.390.6040 or lara.fernandes@ustrust.com. Tarrant County Trial Lawyers Association Meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at Joe T. Garcia’s. For more information, contact Mark Anderson at 817.294.1900. Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association The 2016-2017 new TCYLA Year began September 1, 2016. If you need an application or meeting information, call 817.338.4092, email sandy@tarrantbar.org, or go to the website at tcyla.org.
Leigh Nauman, Underwriter
@TLIE_
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Texas Association of Defense Council Meets for lunch every 4th Wednesday at Angelo’s. Contact George Haratsis, McDonald Sanders at 817.336.8651 for more information.
May/June 2017 ▪ TCBA BULLETIN 21
Retirement Reception for Trisha Graham
The TCBA was honored to have you serve for 25 years as Executive Director!
It's All Happening Around the Bar 214/817 Night at the Ballpark
Solo & Small Firms Section Mixer The Barrows Firm, P.C. & the Anderson Law Firm
32 www.tarrantbar.org â–Ş September 2016
Bar Bulletin ▪ May/June 2017 Tarrant County Bar Association 1315 Calhoun Street Fort Worth, TX 76102-6504 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
PRESORTED STANDARD U. S. POSTAGE PAID FORT WORTH, TX PERMIT 1807
If any of your contact information is incorrect, please submit the corrected information to Sandy at the TCBA of�ice at 817.338.4092, fax to 817.335.9238 or email to sandy@tarrantbar.org
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