Bulletin March/April 2021
Steve Laird
Steve Laird is one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Texas* There’s a Reason
It takes years to establish a good reputation Handling Personal Injury Wrongful Death & 18-Wheeler Cases *Texas Super Lawyers, Top 100 (2005-2013, 2015-2020) - Thomson Reuters
Steve Laird and Seth McCloskey are 2 of the only 11 Texas Lawyers Board Certified in Truck Accident Law.
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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
President’s Page
by GARY MEDLIN
And We Thought 2020 Was Tough!
W
ell, we all thought last year was an aberration and surely the worst was over. Then snow-mageddon came last week and seemed like it would never leave. While many of us were cold and without heat and water, some in Texas even died from the extreme conditions. Many had property damage from burst pipes and other freeze effects. I hope you made it through without too much hardship. At our home we were lucky to have never lost power and only have some minor water damage from a frozen pipe in our garage. It could have been much worse. The extreme state-wide freeze exposed problems with our power grid. Maybe the problems could have been averted with better planning and preparation. Although these unusual events may only happen every ten or more years, we will see if we are ready for the next one. All of this, and the pandemic continues. But I’m concerned that for a few of us, the difficult week has compounded the ill-effects of the year-long pandemic. Loneliness, loss of income, and lack of normalcy may have pushed some deeper into problems of depression or substance abuse. Yet the Bar is a great resource for attorneys and others who may need help at this time. On the Tarrant County Bar Association website there is a page with many wonderful resources. There is a link for winter storm disaster relief, bottled water for those without, financial assistance for utilities and even help for those who are food-insecure. To access these resources, visit www.tarrantbar.org/winterstormresources. And the State Bar of Texas has the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program which is a tremendous resource and offers confidential help to lawyers with alcohol or substance abuse problems, wellness, stress and anxiety issues, depression and bi-polar, suicide prevention and even cognitive-decline issues. There is a 24/7 confidential phone support line, and help is provided with therapists, treatment, funding, peer support, after-care and other programs. The TLAP website has many success stories and we as a bar are lucky to have this excellent resource. Our profession can be incredibly stressful and I know from
experience on the Grievance Committee that most disciplinary violations that get lawyers in trouble are related to mental health or alcohol/substance issues. An important way we can all help, without having to join some committee or sit through another zoom meeting is just to check on our friends and colleagues. A phone call, email or stop by their office might make a big difference to someone you haven’t heard from in a while. And if you are needing help and don’t know where to start, call me at 817.991.2316, or someone else. But know there is someone who you can turn to. Well, as is typical in Texas weather, after minus 2 degrees fahrenheit last week, the temperature has soared to 79 this week. So I believe the worst is over. Not just the weather, but the pandemic as well. As many are receiving the vaccine and infection rates are declining, there are indications that we could see a return close to normal as soon as late spring or this summer. And maybe we can return to in-person bar events soon as well. We would love to have your input about these things and will make it easy for you to do so. You may take the survey at www.tarrantbar.org/covidsurvey. We will be including the survey in our upcoming weekly emails and on our website. I hope you all are well, warm and safe and I wish you professional success also. I look forward to seeing you all in person soon. Have a great spring! g
LOOKING AHEAD:
TCBA COVID & STRATEGIC PLANNING SURVEY
TCBA wants to hear from you! Please consider participating in a brief survey to help TCBA plan for the future. Your participation will help TCBA continue to serve its members, the legal profession, and Tarrant County. Please contact Lauren St. Clair at laurensc@tarrantbar.org if you have any questions. Begin the Survey by visiting www.tarrantbar.org/covidsurvey
MARCH/APRIL 2021
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 1
Contents Features 3 12 29
WANT TO EXPAND YOUR CLIENT BASE?
Join TCBA’s Lawyer Referral & Information Service (LRIS)
11
Bench Bar Is Going Local In 2021! Get to Know Your MyTCBA Portal
2021 Virtual High School Mock Trial Competition
Departments 1 President’s Page 4 YLA Snapshot 6 100 Club 8 Wellness Connections Committee 10 Lawyers on the Move & in the News 11 Membership Report 11 Lawyer Referral & Information Service News 14 Judicial Profile - Judge Brent Carr 16 Snippets 18 CLE Corner 26 Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans 27 Tarrant County Volunteer Attorney Services 31 LegalLine 32 In Memoriam
Advertisers' Index
Bailey & Galyen........................................................9, 15 Deborah Adame.........................................................32 Edward Jones.............................................................24 Juris Fabrilis.....................................................................32 Law Offices of Steven C. Laird, P.C.......Inside Front Cover LawPay..................................................................28 Parker Law Firm.........................................................22 Texas Lawyers’ Insurance Exchange.............................24 Tindall Square Office Complex...................................31 2 www.tarrantbar.org
▪ MARCH/APRIL 2021
Tarrant County Bar Association 817.338.4092 ▪ Fax 817.335.9238 website: www.tarrantbar.org email: tcba@tarrantbar.org 2020-2021 Officers
President.....................................Gary Medlin President-Elect.....................Kimberly Naylor Vice President............................Karen Denney Secretary-Treasurer...........................Lu Pham
Directors Term Ends 2021
Director..............................Sherry Armstrong Director.............................Katherine Hopkins Director......................................Scott Lindsey
Term Ends 2022
Director....................................John Lively, Jr. Director........................................Dana Manry Director.......................................Lynn Winter
2020–2021 Appointed Directors
Appointed Director.................Ralph Duggins Appointed Director............Marvina Robinson
Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association
Fall 2020 President..................Andrea Palmer Fall 2021 President................Brian Singleterry Immediate Past President...............John Cayce Executive Director....................Megan Cooley Ex-Officio Members State Bar of Texas Director.......................................Steve Naylor Director................................Jason C.N. Smith Bar Bulletin Editor......................................John F. Murphy Graphics/Production............Elizabeth Banda The Tarrant County Bar Bulletin is a bi-monthly publication of the Tarrant County Bar Association. Articles, photos, suggestions or comments should be directed to: elizabeth@tarrantbar.org 1315 Calhoun Street ▪ Fort Worth, TX 76102-6504 Deadline for submission: December 1........................................January/February February 1...................................................March/April April 1...............................................................May/June June 1.............................................................July/August August 1..........................................September/October October 1.....................................November/December Articles published in the Bar Bulletin do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Tarrant County Bar Association, its officers or the Board of Directors. Advertisements and feature articles should not be considered an endorsement of any service, product, program, seminar or event.
The Greatest Bench Bar on Earth
BENCH BAR IS GOING LOCAL IN 2021! Be on the lookout for a
virtual event with
interviews with Tarrant County living legends in the summer.
&
A local networking event in the fall.
Thank You to Our Sponsors BENCH BAR LEGEND Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP Law Offices of Steven C. Laird, P.C. Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC
BENCH BAR CHAMPION Anderson Cummings, LLP Cantey Hanger LLP McDonald Sanders, P.C. The Medlin Law Firm, PLLC
BENCH BAR SUPPORTER Brackett & Ellis, P.C. Harris, Finley & Bogle, P.C. Haynes and Boone, LLP Schneider Law Firm, P.C. State Bar of Texas
BENCH BAR FRIEND Blaies & Hightower, LLP Friedman, Suder & Cooke, P.C. Varghese Summersett PLLC
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
CONTACT:
Megan Cooley at megan@tarrantbar.org with questions or interest.
YLA Snapshot Andrea Palmer, President TCYLA
B
y now we should all be thawed out and ready for spring! I’d like to thank TCYLA President-Elect Brian Singleterry and the grant team (Elizabeth, Kolter, Austin, Ola, Harrison, John, and Kate) for finishing the TCYLA Attorney-Wellness Care Packages and getting them out to our members. We’d love to hear from you when you get your package – send us a note or selfie!
We're Social | Follow Us http://www.tcyla.org/ Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association
@TCYLA
If you need an application or meeting information, call 817.338.4092 or email laurensc@tarrantbar.org.
Thanks to Austin Franklin, we have Zoom CLE scheduled through this summer. Check out this fantastic lineup: • March: Christopher Lankford of the Lankford Law Firm will present “Jury Trials in the Covid Era”. • April: Nirav Patel of Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP will present “Recent Amendments to the Texas Rules of Civil Procedures”. • May: Robbie Clarke of Bonds Ellis Eppich Schafer Jones LLP will present “Bankruptcy Basics”. • June: Todd Tracy of The Tracy Firm will present “When Recovery Options Appear at a Dead End: Think Outside the Box and Consider A Vehicle Crashworthiness Case”. Stay tuned as we work on planning our Golf Tournament, which we hope we will be able to hold this summer. Stay safe! g
Meet the newest TCBF Pro Bono Intern: Walker Schmidt What year are you in law What’s an interesting fact about you? school? I was a choir singer for ten years, and law school has been the I am a 3rd-year law student.
Why are you passionate about public interest law?? Working with the pro bono programs has allowed me to take a break from academia and work on practical legal issues with real clients.
What’s something you’re looking forward to about working with the pro bono programs?
After law school, I hope to work in Intellectual Property, so I can finally put my years of pestering my friends about obscure copyright issues to good use.
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longest I’ve gone without a consistent performing schedule. I’m also an ordained minister, but I was only ordained to officiate a wedding that ended up getting postponed. g
Save the Date TVAS/TLTV HEROES Wills Clinic
in partnership with Texas A&M School of Law Veterans Advocacy Clinic
MAY
2021
Calendar of Events March 2021 10 Wellness Connections Committee Program and Meeting 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm | Zoom Topic: Living A Blue Zones Lifetyle Speaker: Jeka Sisco, Program Manager - Community Engagement, Blue Zones Project, North Texas Healthy Communities 11 Diversity Committee Presents: SIDE Bar Conversations & Virtual Happy Hour 4 pm - 5:30 pm | Zoom Topic: Titans of Law: Celebrating Fort Worth’s Black Legal Heavyweights - Featuring Judge L. Clifford Davis, Judge Maryellen Hicks, and Judge Timmie White, Jr. Guest mixologist Karmen Johnson will help prepare a simple and festive toast at the end of the program. 11 LegalLine 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Remote 19 TVAS Uncontested Divorce CLE 12 pm - 1:00 pm | Zoom 22 Diversity Committee’s Book Club Discussion 12 pm - 1:00 pm | Zoom Books: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander; and A History of Fort Worth in Black and White by Richard F. Selcer
30 TCBA’s Transition to Practice Committee Presents: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Topic: Thinking, Going, Gone Solo: Considerations for Every Stage of the Journey Webinar CLE: 1 hour with .5 hour Ethics (FREE to TCBA Members)
April 2021 2 Good Friday Holiday Office Closed 8 LegalLine 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Remote 20 Wellness Connections Committee - Podcast Discussion 12 pm - 1:00 pm | Zoom Kate Casey, J.D., L.P.C., Autumn Ridge Counseling and Wellness 21 Wellness Connections Committee Program and Meeting 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm | Zoom Topic: Clean Elections Speaker: John Barnes, John L. Barnes, Attorney & Mediator 22 LegalLine 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Remote
22 Meet the State Bar Candidates 4:15 pm - 4:30 pm | Zoom Sara Dysart, San Antonio Laura Gibson, Houston
26 Diversity Committee’s Book Club Discussion 12 pm - 1:00 pm | Zoom Books: Continue A History of Fort Worth in Black and White by Richard F. Selcer; and The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
23 Wellness Connections Committee - Podcast Discussion 12 pm - 1:00 pm | Zoom Kate Casey, J.D., L.P.C., Autumn Ridge Counseling and Wellness
27 Tax & Estate Planning Section/Cannon Teleconference 12 pm - 1:30 pm | Zoom Topic: Administration of Non-Standard Trust Investments
24 Wellness Connections Committee Program 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm | Zoom Topic: The Neuroscience of Mindfulness Speaker: Dr. Staussa Ervin, EdD, LPC-S, MindPeace Integrated Psychotherapy
29 Diversity Committee Presents: SIDE Bar Conversations 12 pm - 1:00 pm | Zoom Topic: Is Your Diversity & Inclusion Program Falling Short?
25 Diversity Committee Presents: SIDE Bar Conversations 12 pm - 1:00 pm | Zoom Topic: The Future of Diversity and Inclusion: Hearing from Students 25 State Bar President-Elect’s Forum 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm | Zoom Sara Dysart, San Antonio Laura Gibson, Houston, Moderated by Jo Ann Merica, Austin 25 LegalLine 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Remote 26 Brown Bag Seminar (Webinar) – Probate 12:00 pm - 3:50 pm | Zoom 3.5 hours CLE requested 29 Environmental Law Section Webinar 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Topic: State and Federal Environmental Agency Update Speakers: James MGuire, Regional Counsel for EPA Region 6 & Erin Chancellor, Director for the TCEQ Office of Legal Services CLE: 1 hour requested (FREE to TCBA Members)
30 Magic Shred Event 11:00 am - 1:00 pm | TCBA Parking Lot
Check Out the
May/June 2021 Bar Bulletin
for
TARRANT COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION'S
50 YEAR ATTORNEYS MARCH/APRIL 2021
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 5
Members of the 2020–2021
100 Club
*List Reflected Below is as of February 28, 2021 Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C. Albert Neely & Kuhlmann, LLP Anderson & Riddle, LLP Baker Monroe, PLLC Bank of America, Private Bank Barlow Garsek & Simon, LLP Blaies & Hightower, LLP Bonds Ellis Eppich Schafer Jones LLP Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C. Brackett & Ellis, P.C. Broude Smith Jennings & McGlinchey P.C. Brown, Proctor & Howell, LLP Curnutt & Hafer, LLP Decker Jones, P.C. Forshey & Prostok, LLP Freeman Mills, P.C. Friedman, Suder & Cooke, P.C. Frost Bank Gaydos Duffer, P.C. Griffith, Jay & Michel, LLP Harris, Finley & Bogle, P.C. Harrison Steck, P.C. Haynes and Boone, LLP Holland, Johns & Penny, LLP Hutchison & Stoy, PLLC Jackson Walker, LLP K&L Gates LLP Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP KoonsFuller, P.C. Law, Snakard & Gambill, P.C.
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP Lively & Associates, PLLC McDonald Sanders, P.C. Mellina & Larson, P.C. Moses, Palmer & Howell, LLP Murphy Mahon Keffler & Farrier, LLP Naman Howell Smith & Lee, PLLC Nelson Bumgardner Albritton, P.C. Noteboom Law Firm Padfield & Stout, LLP Pham Harrison, LLP Pope, Hardwicke, Christie, Schell, Kelly & Taplett, LLP Robbins Travis, PLLC Second Court of Appeals Seltzer & Dally, PLLC Sharen Wilson, Criminal District Attorney's Office Taylor Olson Adkins Sralla & Elam, LLP The Blum Firm, P.C. The Clark Firm, P.C. The Colaneri Firm, P.C. Thompson & Knight, LLP Udeshi Law Firm, PLLC Underwood Law Firm, PLLC Varghese Summersett, PLLC Watson, Caraway, Midkiff & Luningham, LLP Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz, PLLC Whitley Penn, LLP Wick Phillips Winstead, P.C.
100 Club
To be eligible for the 100 Club, any law firm, government agency, law school, or corporate legal department that has four or more members and attains 100% TCBA membership compliance for the 2020–2021 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/organization
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 Lauren St. Clair at 817.338.4092 or email her at laurensc@tarrantbar.org. g
MARCH/APRIL 2021
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 7
WELLNESS CONNECTIONS COMMITTEE Wellness Committee Monthly Podcast Club “Stop Living on Autopilot and Take Responsibility for Your Life” Podcast Discussion
March 23, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. FREE Event via Zoom
Kate Casey, JD LPC of Autumn Ridge Counseling and Wellness in Southlake
D
Wellness Committee Presentation and Meeting “The Neuroscience of Mindfulness”
March 24, 2021 | 4:00 p.m.
Committee business to be conducted after presentation, at approximately 4:50 p.m. FREE Event via Zoom Speaker: Dr. Staussa Ervin, EdD, LPC-S, MindPeace Integrated Psycotherapy
Register for upcoming events and presentations at www.tarrantbar.org/wellness.
o you ever have moments of terrible realization where you recognize that you’re living on autopilot? Instead of feeling like you’re in the driver’s seat, you feel like life is happening to you. You’re just going through the motions, you’ve lost your spark, and the months and years slide by in an indistinct blur. Antonio Neves, writer, speaker, success coach, and author of Stop Living on Autopilot: Take Responsibility for Your Life and Rediscover a Bolder, Happier You, shares his own experience with outwardly having a life that seemed happy and successful, while inwardly feeling totally lost and stuck. Learn concrete steps you can start taking today to shift out of autopilot, including Antonio’s personal checklist of five things he does every day to ensure it’s a good one. g
Upcoming FREE Wellness Programs Every Saturday (weather permitting) Outdoor Activity Small Group
Meets at local parks and nature centers for outdoor walks
April 20, 2021 | 12:00 PM
Wellness Committee April Podcast Discussion Kate Casey, JD LPC of Autumn Ridge Counseling and Wellness in Southlake
April 21, 2021 | 4:00 PM
Wellness Committee Presentation: Clean Elections John Barnes, J.D., Attorney and Mediator
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L
earn the practical tips we need as busy professionals but with the premise that our brain and nervous system need us to be intentional about relaxation. Dr. Staussa Ervin is the owner of MindPeace Integrated Psychotherapy, a private practice focusing on integrated behavioral health, established in 2011. Additionally, she is in her 20th year as a full-time Professor of Psychology at Tarrant County College. Staussa is registered yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance, a nationally certified Relax and Renew instructor, and certified as a Meditation Teacher through Ananda Dallas. She is a Human Relations Commissioner for the City of Fort Worth, a Board Member and Committee Chair for the Bandung, Indonesia for Fort Worth Sister Cities International, and a member of the Texas Counseling Association Wellness Committee. g
WELLNESS CONNECTIONS COMMITTEE
Mission Statement
To enhance the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of the Bar by promoting healthy connections within our community, with our colleagues, and with ourselves. Monthly programs are open to the public and held virtually on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. via Zoom.
2020-2021 Committee Chair
Julie Sladek Attorney at Law, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas Contact: sladekj@lanwt.org
MARCH/APRIL 2021
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 9
Lawyers on the Move &
Welcome New Members of the TCBA: ATTORNEYS Caleb Beacham Austin Caldera Thomas S. Campbell Rachel Hornbuckle Dorothea Laster Christopher G. Lyster Aimee Marcotte Laura Vecchio McCaskill Patricia McGruder Courtney Miller Serena O’ Grady Taylor Owens Drew Peters Adam Rideau David Shuster Kathryn Siverling John Thomas
Brackett & Ellis is excited to announce the recent addition of our new attorney, Michael Raeder. Before joining Brackett & Ellis, Mr. Raeder was a senior trial attorney for Susan L. Florence & Associates in Dallas, Texas. Michael’s practice focuses primarily on insurance defense litigation. We are thrilled to welcome Michael Rader to our firm and are confident that he will make a great addition to our ligation practice.
Pope, Hardwicke, Christie, Schell, Kelly & Taplett L.L.P. is pleased to announce that Aimee E. Marcotte has joined the firm as an associate. Ms. Marcotte graduated with honors ranked number one in her class from the Texas A&M University School of Law. Her practice focuses STUDENTS primarily on business and commercial litigation. Hyunmoo Lee Ms. Marcotte may be reached at 500 W. 7th Street, Suite 600, Fort Worth, Texas 76102, Konstantin Oschepkov 817.332.3245, amarcotte@popehardwicke.com. Paarth Bhupendra Shah Marguerite Truax Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the addition of Travis W. McNellie as a partner in the Fort Worth office. Joining our nationally recognized LAWYERS Real Estate practice, Travis boosts the Firm’s ON THE experience handling commercial leases, particularly office and industrial properties, across MOVE & IN involving Texas and the United States.
THE NEWS
If you are a TCBA member and would like to place an announcement in the Bar Bulletin, we would like to hear from you.
in the News
handling landlord-tenant disputes. She also represents purchasers, owners, and developers in connection with the acquisition, disposition, development, and finance of improved and unimproved real property. Sara received her J.D., summa cum laude, from Texas Tech University School of Law and her B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of North Texas. Broude Smith Jennings & McGlinchey PC is pleased to announce the addition of Kathryn Siverling as associate attorney. Ms. Siverling is a 2020 graduate of the OU College of Law and will be practicing in the areas of Commercial Real Estate and Business Transactions. She can be reached at 309 West 7th Street, Suite 1100, Fort Worth, TX 76102, 817.335.1615. g
In his practice, Travis primarily focuses on representing institutional landlords of office and industrial projects, and he also has extensive experience representing tenants. In addition to leases, Travis handles the acquisition, development, and disposition of various types of real property.
Travis received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Texas Tech University School of Law and his Please submit B.B.A. from Tarleton State University. information by email to Elizabeth Banda, Jackson Walker welcomes Sara C. Thornton as Communications an associate. In her practice, Sara focuses on a Director, at wide range of real estate and real estate finance elizabeth@tarrantbar.org matters. She regularly represents landlords and tenants in commercial leases, and has experience
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Register at
www.tarrantbar.org/magicshred21.
A
Membership Report - Spring into TCBA Member Savings and Benefits
s winter weather in coming to an end and Spring is just around the corner, we are approaching the one-year mark on these unusual and trying times. We at the TCBA appreciate your support as we continue to come up with ways to provide you with the most beneficial membership resources and services. As you’ll see on our website, collecting CLE hours is now easier than ever with our CLE on Demand page. Members can now access previously recorded CLE webinars for free or at reduced cost. As a TCBA member, you can also stay connected and informed by accessing your E-Communities via your MyTCBA portal. If you’ve not logged in to your personalized member dashboard or if you have any questions about the new TCBA website and accessing member-exclusive features, please don’t hesitate to reach me at laurensc@tarrantbar.org. April 1 will mark the beginning of our extended membership
WANT TO EXPAND YOUR CLIENT BASE? Join TCBA’s Lawyer Referral & Information Service (LRIS)
This Service is certified as a lawyer referral service as required by the State of Texas under Chapter 952, Occupations Code.
For first-timers, TCBA is offering 50% off an LRIS membership for the 2020–2021 bar year. LRIS receives thousands of calls and emails a year from people in the community seeking to hire an attorney, and is a great way to connect you with the public. Please note that additional requirements apply to the following practice areas. Ֆ Bankruptcy Law Ֆ Malpractice Ֆ Criminal Law Ֆ Personal Injury Ֆ Family Law Ֆ Probate/Guardianship Ֆ Labor & Employment The LRIS application and more information can be found at www.tarrantbar.org/LRISdocuments. Offer expires March 31.
promotion for those who are not current TCBA members. Please encourage your colleagues who are not currently TCBA members to consider joining and taking advantage of this promotion to get 3 free months of membership. If you are a current TCBA member, you may want to consider joining our Lawyer Referral and Information Service for 50% off as this promotion will expire at the end of March. If you would like more information about the LRIS program, contact our LRIS Administrator at carolina@tarrantbar.org. As always, thank you for your continued support of the TCBA and please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about your membership or TCBA programs in general and I would be happy to help. g Lauren St. Clair Membership Director
Lawyer Referral & Information Service
T
News
he Lawyer Referral & Information Service received a total of $131,599.41 in referral fees from July 1, 2020 to January 29, 2021. Specials thanks to our members who recently paid referral fees:
Christopher Albert Jason Amon John Barber James Baudhuin Andrea Casanova Bill Catterton Ali Crocker Anthony Cuesta Anita Cutrer Lori Dally Ryan Dobbs Sylvia Duarte Jonathan Fox Carter Hampton Earl Hargrave Christian Jenkins Lyndell Kirkley Kursten King Stephen Kotara Dustin Lee Andrew Leibowitz MARCH/APRIL 2021
Edwardo Meza Dustin Payne Lauren Powell Will Pruitt Mia Rainey Eric Ransleben Michael Remme David Robinson Andrew Seibert Sarah Seltzer Jeffrey Shearer Daniel Smith Maxwell Smith Carey Thompson Joshua Wahl Laurie Weir Bill White Joel Whitney David Wright Shawna Young
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 11
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MARCH/APRIL 2021
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 13
Judicial Profile
By Perry Cockerell, Perry Cockerell, P.C.
Judge Brent Carr
J
udge Brent Carr learned early on the value of hard work. After his father, Edward Carr, retired from the Marine Corps in 1960, his family settled on a 15-acre farm in Ruskin, Florida, where he grew up and recalls working all the time. “I never stopped after age 15. I remember picking tomatoes and strawberries and was happy to help out. I worked all my life.” Carr’s interest in the law could have come from his father, a retired Warrant Officer Third Class who served in World War II and Korea, who often engaged the family in discussions at the dinner table. “My father instigated an interrogative style by his conversations at the dinner table with debates, and I was often in the line of fire.” Carr joined the Marine Corps after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tampa in 1975. He served as an artillery officer at Fort Sill Oklahoma, and in 1978 he deployed to Okinawa, Japan, and Korea for one year. In 1980 he completed active duty in Albany, Georgia, where he served as a company commander. He left active duty as First Lieutenant and continued his reserve obligations until 1989, achieving the rank of Major. In 1983 he graduated from South Texas School of Law in Houston. Carr enjoyed all areas of the law, but criminal law was his first choice. “I thought I was going to be a criminal attorney but law school was like a buffet, and I liked everything. I stuck with my first love, and in retrospect, this was the best choice for me.” After law school, Carr joined the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney. He spent sixteen months in the Appellate Section under Chris Marshall, followed by the juvenile and felony sections. He worked under Joe Drago, who was the Chief of the misdemeanor section, and he served with Sharen Wilson and Richard Roper in the felony-court sections. In 1988 he became Chief Prosecutor of the Tarrant County Narcotics Coordination Unit. During eight years with the District Attorney’s office, he tried over 60 jury trials. In 1990 he learned there were three new county criminal courts opening up on the ballot in Tarrant County. He filed his paperwork to run as a Republican in the election for County Criminal Court Number 9 and faced no opponent in his first race for public office.
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After his election, he and Pete Gilfeather tossed a coin to pick their courtrooms in the justice center (later renamed to the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center). Gilfeather won the toss and the right to choose the larger courtroom. Carr has served in the same courtroom for over twentynine years and has presided over more than 1,000 trials and disposed of over 70,000 cases, never facing an opponent for re-election at any time in his career.
Specialty Courts
Judge Carr has been instrumental in bringing specialty court programs to Tarrant County. In 2003 he began the Mental Health Court, where he is the presiding judge. This court has assisted 560 defendants through the program. In 2010 he started the Veterans Court Diversion Program to divert veterans out of the criminal justice process to provide tools for a successful re-entry into the community. The program has served 400 graduates. In 2011, he started the RISE court to assist high risk, female felony offenders with a history of drug addiction, mental illness, prostitution, or sex-trafficking. Carr saw a need for an intervention program to provide life-skills classes, mental health appointments, and counseling. “In every one of those cases there is chronic physical abuse.” Carr has been appointed to many positions in the criminal justice system on the statewide and local level. His statewide duties include Past Chair, Texas Office of Court Administration Specialty Court Committee; Governor’s appointee to Texas Specialty Court Advisory Council; and Texas Supreme Court appointee as Commissioner, Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health. In Tarrant County he is the administrative judge for the Tarrant County Courts at Law and serves on the Continuity of Care Board of the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition. In 2018 the State Bar of Texas recognized Carr for his work in establishing these programs.
It is about people.
“The biggest joy I get out of my position is the people. Tarrant county is a great place to be an attorney. The people have a high level of professionalism and are great to work with. God has guided me to the right place.
Court during the pandemic.
In March 2020 Judge Carr tested positive for Covid-19, but he never stopped working or teaching classes at Tarrant County College, where he has taught for over 21 years.
Since the pandemic, the court conducts two docket days a week on Tuesday and Friday. There are no jury trials and no in person hearings. He has never considered himself at the cutting edge of technology, but he and his team have learned how to function in a virtual environment. There are many cases stacking up for jury trial and he does miss the daily interaction with attorneys, courthouse staff and those with business before the court. “We have created order out of chaos.” The pandemic has prevented him from having one-on-one consultations with attorneys and those in need. “If a person has a crisis and needs in person support, I can't look them in the eye or praise them.”
Outside pursuits and family.
In his spare time Judge Carr enjoys playing the trumpet, banjo, harmonica, and keyboards. He has played before large audiences. Once, while playing with the Charlie Daniels Band, during the hit song “Stormy Monday” he was tooting along on the harmonica when Charlie surprised him by unexpectedly coming to Carr’s side and hollered into his ear “now play it, boy.” It was the lead solo for the piece, and Carr brought the house down. Judge Carr has been married for over 40 years to his wife, Lesli. They have two sons, who are both majors in the Army and combat veterans, and one daughter, who has recently been selected for a position with the U.S. Attorney’s office. g
MARCH/APRIL 2021
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 15
Snippets
Co-Editor Judge Carey Walker, County Criminal Court No. 2
Civil and Criminal
by Judge Bob McCoy g County Criminal Court No. 3
ASK JUDGE BOB
have been different.” Watkins v. State, 554 S.W.3d 819 (Tex. App.—Waco 2018).
The statute’s purpose is to provide hospitals “an additional method of securing payment from accident victims, encouraging their prompt and adequate treatment.”
3. Sixth Amendment
Judge Bob, what is the purpose of the medical lien statute?
Round Table Physicians Grp. v. Kilgore, 607 S.W.3d 878, 881 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2020).
MOSES’ AND NOAH’S MONTHLY PARAPROSDAKIAN
(a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous) It’s hard to explain puns to kleptomaniacs because they always take things literally.
Moses
DANES’ QUOTE OF THE MONTH The dog barks, the caravan passes on. The words had a sort of bloom on them but were weightless, carrying past what was being said. —John Ashbery, Grand Galop
A defendant may waive his Sixth Amendment right to be physically present at trial to confront the witnesses against him if, after the jury has been selected with him in attendance, he voluntarily absents himself from the proceedings. Scott v. State, 555 S.W.3d 116 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2018).
4. Extraneous Offense Evidence
The factors to consider in determining whether the prejudicial effect of extraneous offense evidence substantially outweighs its probative value include: (1) how compellingly evidence of the extraneous offense serves to make a fact of consequence more or less probable, (2) the potential that the extraneous offense will impress the jury in some irrational but indelible way, (3) the trial time needed to develop the evidence, and (4) the proponent’s need for the extraneous offense evidence. James v. State, 555 S.W.3d 254 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2018).
5. Jury Trial Waiver
CRIMINAL ITEMS OF INTEREST
Every criminal defendant has the fundamental right to a trial by jury. A defendant facing felony charges may waive his right to a jury trial, and the record must reflect that he made an express, knowing, and intelligent waiver. Such a waiver must be made in person, in writing, and in open court. Hinojosa v. State, 555 S.W.3d 262 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2018).
1. Newly Discovered Evidence
6. Shackles
Noah
To be entitled to a new trial on the basis of newly discovered or newly available evidence, a defendant must satisfy a fourpronged test: (1) the newly discovered evidence was unknown or unavailable to the defendant at the time of trial; (2 the defendant’s failure to discover or obtain the new evidence was not due to the defendant’s lack of due diligence; (3 the new evidence is admissible and not merely cumulative, corroborative, collateral, or impeaching; and (4) the new evidence is probably true and will probably bring about a different result in a new trial. Horne v. State, 554 S.W.3d 809 (Tex. App.—Waco 2018).
2. Material Evidence
In order to establish that requested evidence is material, it is necessary that a defendant must provide more than a possibility that it would help the defense or affect the trial. Materiality means that “there is a reasonable probability that had the evidence been disclosed, the outcome of the trial would
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“Given their prejudicial effect, due process does not permit the use of visible restraints if the trial court has not taken account of the circumstances of the particular case.” The reasons for shackling must be “case-specific,” reflecting particular concerns about the defendant, such as any special security needs or escape risks posed by him. Ex parte Chavez, 560 S.W.3d 191 (Tex. Crim. App. 2018).
7. Voir Dire
The prevailing standard for assessing whether a trial court’s voir dire limitation violates the Sixth Amendment appears to be the following: The trial court retains broad discretion in conducting voir dire, and it does not abuse its discretion by refusing questions that only “might be helpful” in examining the venire for bias. To constitute an abuse of discretion, the trial court’s voir dire limitation must “render the defendant’s trial fundamentally unfair.” Jacobs v. State, 560 S.W.3d 205 (Tex. Crim. App. 2018).
CIVIL ITEMS OF INTEREST 1. Default Judgments
Default judgments do not enjoy the same presumption of finality that judgments after trial on the merits do. In re Outreach Hous. Corp., 607 S.W.3d 840, 841 (Tex. App.— Dallas 2020).
2. Mootness Doctrine
“The mootness doctrine applies to cases in which a justiciable controversy exists between the parties at the time the case arose, but the live controversy ceases because of subsequent events.” … Dismissal may be appropriate when subsequent events make “absolutely clear” that the challenged conduct could not reasonably be expected to recur. Wilson v. Cmty Health Choice Tex., 670 S.W.3d 843, 849 (Tex. App.—Austin 2020).
3. Safety-Standards Health Care Liability Claim
A safety-standards claim need not be directly related to the provision of health care to qualify as a health care liability claim. For a safety-standards claim to amount to a health care liability claim, “There must be a substantive nexus between the safety standards allegedly violated and the provision of health care.” That nexus must be more than a “but for” relationship. Valdes v. Shields, 607 S.W.3d 900, 905 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2020).
4. Mandamus Review
The adequacy of an appellate remedy must be determined by balancing the benefits of mandamus review against the detriments. Because this balance depends heavily on circumstances, it must be guided by analysis of principles rather than simple rules that treat cases as categories. (orig. proceeding). Appeal is not an adequate remedy when the appellate court would not be able to cure the trial court’s discovery error on appeal. In re Mem’l Hermann Health Sys., 607 S.W.3d 913, 919 (Tex. App. – Houston [14th Dist.] 2020).
5. Res Judicata
Texas follows a transactional approach to determine whether res judicata applies. at 631. Under this approach, “a subsequent suit is barred if it arises out of the same subject matter as the prior suit, and that subject matter could have been litigated in the prior suit.” Determining what constitutes the subject matter of a suit for res judicata purposes requires an analysis of the factual matters that make up the gist of the complaint, without regard to the form of the action. Any cause of action that arises out of those same facts should, if practicable, be litigated in the same lawsuit. TRO-X, L.P. v. Eagle Oil & Gas Co., 608 S.W.3d 1, 13 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2018).
damage resulting during the pendency of the appeal, the creditor bears the burden to prove the extent of their damages. Cent. Tex. Cattlemen’s Ass’n v. Haedge, 608 S.W.3d 19, 24 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 2019).
7. Ripeness Doctrine
Under the ripeness doctrine, a court must “consider whether, at the time the lawsuit is filed, the facts are sufficiently developed ‘so that an injury has occurred or is likely to occur, rather than being contingent or remote.’” City of Hous. v. Tex. Propane Gas Ass’n, 608 S.W.3d 27, 37 (Tex. App.—Austin 2019).
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Germany will militarize herself out of existence, England will expand herself out of existence, and America will spend herself out of existence.” —Vladimir Lenin, 1917 “Only our concept of time makes it possible for us to speak of the Day of Judgement by that name; in reality it is a summary court in perpetual session.” —Franz Kafka If a suspect sleeps heavily after a crime, this fact will cast doubt on his innocence. Or if he trembles, blushes, turns pale, or develops a thirst due to nervousness while being questioned. —Traditional Irish Law
OLD NEWS
Building A Company Times were tough, and business at Acme Brick Co. had hit … well, a brick wall. Nineteen years after the Fort Worth company was established, it was down to one employee and few customers. The outlook was so bleak that owner Walter Bennett began looking for a buyer. But in December 1910, an unscheduled Texas and Pacific train stopped at the plant, and the conductor informed Acme employee J. Ernest Fender that a big fire had burned part of Midland. Sensing an opportunity, Fender jumped on a train to the West Texas town. He returned to Fort Worth with a large order that saved the company. Acme Brick had new life—and a new sales manager in Fender. g
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6. Judgment Creditor Claims
When a judgment creditor claims to have suffered loss or
MARCH/APRIL 2021
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 17
CLE
Corner
TCBA Offers Free and Low Cost Online CLE to Its Members: Section Webinars:
Business Litigation/Construction Law Sections
Appellate Law Section
Construction Law Section
Section members can access free online CLE that is available on the section’s e-community. If you are not a member of a section and want to access a particular recorded CLE, visit www.tarrantbar.org/cleondemand or contact Lauren St. Clair at laurensc@tarrantbar.org to purchase the recording. Topic: Brain Break with the Fourteenth Court Houston Moderator: Jody Sanders, Kelly Hart Judicial Panel: • Justice Tracy Christopher • Justice Kevin Jewell CLE: .5 hour of Ethics (FREE to TCBA Members) Topic: Brain Break with the Fifth Court Dallas Moderator: Jody Sanders, Kelly Hart Judicial Panel: • Chief Justice Robert D. Burns III • Justice Cory L. Carlyle • Justice John G. Browning CLE: .5 hour of Ethics (FREE to TCBA Members) Topic: The Office of Solicitor General: Twenty Years of Representing Texas’s Interests Speaker: Kyle Hawkins, Solicitor General CLE: .75 hour
Appellate /Business Litigation Law Sections
Topic: Proof and Pitfalls in Seeking Recovery of Attorney’s Fees Speaker: Justice Mike Wallach, Second Court of Appeals CLE: 1 hour
Bankruptcy Law Section
Topic: Bankruptcy Court Procedures During Pandemic and Other Updates Panelists: • Bankruptcy Judge Mark Mullin • Bankruptcy Judge E. Lee Morris CLE: .5 hour (FREE to TCBA Members) Topic: General Order 2021-01, Ten Ways This Impacts Your Chapter 13 Practice Speaker: Mark French, The Law Office of Mark B. French CLE: 1 hour
Business Litigation Section
Topic: Top Ten Changes Under the New Amended Rules of Civil Procedure Speakers: Graigory B. Fancher and Brittany A. Weaver, Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C. CLE: .5 hour (FREE to TCBA Members)
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Topic: Zoom Trials - Lessons Learned in the First Fully Zoom Trial Speaker: Judge Nicholas Chu, Justice of the Peace, Pct. 5 Travis County, Texas CLE: 1 hour Topic: The Intersection of Contracts and Technology Speakers: Christian Blomdahl, Suffolk; Grant Hagen, The Beck Group CLE: 1 hour Topic: Issues in Commercial Construction Bankruptcies Speaker: Jason Kennedy, Harrison Steck, P.C. CLE: 1 hour
Corporate Counsel/Labor & Employment Law Sections
Topic: Arbitrarily Selecting Black Arbitrators for Employment Discrimination Disputes Speaker: Professor Michael Green, Texas A&M School of Law CLE: .75 hour
Criminal Law/Labor and Employment Sections
Topic: Cybersecurity: Emerging Threats and the Legal Landscape Speaker: Kathryn Childress, BakerHostetler CLE: 0.75 (FREE to TCBA Members)
Energy Law Section
Topic: Surface Conflicts in Oil & Gas Development – Accommodation Doctrine & Excessive Use Speakers: Graham Simms and Wesley D. Lloyd, Freeman Mills, P.C. CLE: 1 hour (FREE to TCBA Members)
Fort Worth Business & Estate Section
Topic: Estate Planning, Probate Administrations, and Previous Representations – Can I Do It All? Speaker: Judge Brooke Allen, Probate Court No. 2 CLE: 1 hour Topic: Economic Update with COVID-19 and Post-Election Speaker: Lauren Goodwin, CFA®, Director of Portfolio Strategy at New York Life Investments CLE: 1 hour Topic: The Riley Case: A Comprehensive Charitable Estate Planning Case for a Business Owning Family Speaker: Phil Cubeta, CLU, ChFC, CAP, AEP, The Wallace Chair in Philanthropy at The American College of Financial Services CLE: 1 hour
Topic: Recent Developments in Estate Planning Speaker: Professor Stanley Johanson, University of Texas at Austin School of Law CLE: 1 hour
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Topic: Hot Topics in Estate Planning Speakers: Steve Ackers, Bessemer Trust; Mike Bourland, Bourland Wall & Wenzel, P.C.; John Porter, Baker Botts, LLP; Lee Schwemer, Former Supervisory Attorney (Estate Tax), IRS; Current Lecturer - UTA CLE: 1 hour
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Topic: National Economic Update Speaker: Joe Tracy, Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor to the President - Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas CLE: 1 hour
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Real Estate Section
Topic: The Crossroads of Real Estate and Personal Injury Law Speaker: Kris Landrith, Landrith & Kulesz, L.L.P. CLE: 1 hour (FREE to TCBA Members) Topic: Real Estate and Securities Law Speaker: John R. Fahy, Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC CLE: 1 hour (FREE to TCBA Members) Topic: Lessons Learned Related to Water in a Real Estate Transaction Speaker: Mark McPherson, McPherson Law Firm, PLLC CLE: .75 hour (FREE to TCBA Members) Topic: Evictions in the Era of Covid-19 Speaker: Sam Johndroe, Johndroe Law, PLLC CLE: .75 hour (FREE to TCBA Members) Topic: Intersections of Real Property and Family Law in Texas Speaker: Martin Garcia, Simplified Title Company CLE: .75 hour (FREE to TCBA Members) Topic: Intersections of Real Property and Immigration Law in Texas Speaker: Shae Armstrong, Partner, Stinson LLP CLE: 1 hour (FREE to TCBA Members) Topic: Real Estate and Bankruptcy: Issues that May Arise in light of Covid-19 Speaker: Machir Stull, Cantey Hanger LLP CLE: 1 hour (FREE to TCBA Members)
Missed a Brown Bag CLE?
Check out the recordings below and watch at your convenience. Visit www.tarrantbar.org/cleondemand or contact Lauren St. Clair at laurensc@tarrantbar.org to purchase the recording.
Brown Bag Seminar (Webinar)
Topic: Federal/Procedural CLE: 3 hours Presentations include: Moderator: Thomas Williams, Haynes and Boone, LLP • Removal and Remand (Philip Vickers, Cantey Hanger LLP)
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Scheduling and Pre-Trial Process for Civil Cases (Honorable Paul D. Stickney, Judge, United States District Court, Northern District of Texas) Summary Judgments in Federal (Jibril Greene, Quilling, Selander, Lownds, Winslett and Moser, P.C.) Federal Court Criminal Practice – The Basics (Cody Cofer, Cofer Luster Law Firm, P.C.; Douglas Green, Greene Law Firm, P.C.) Practicing before Magistrate Judges in the Fort Worth Division (Honorable Jeffrey L. Cureton, Judge, United States District Court, Northern District of Texas) Practicing in the Fort Worth Division (Honorable Mark T. Pittman, Judge, United States District Court, Northern District of Texas)
Brown Bag Seminar (Webinar)
Topic: Appellate Law CLE: 4 hours Presentations include: Handling Appeals in an Unappealing Time Moderator: Jeanette E. Walston Strange, ACDA, Post-Conviction, Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office • Real Appeals of Virtual Trials (Judge Emily Miskel, 470th District Court, Collin County) • Covid-19 Writ Litigation in the Court of Criminal Appeals (Michael Falkenberg, Supervising Attorney, Post-Conviction Writs Section Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas) • Lights, Camera, Appellate Record: Preserving Error at Remote Hearings (Moderator: Alex Wilson Albright, Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP (Austin); Panelists: Bill Boyce, Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP (Houston); Kirsten M. Castañeda, Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP (Dallas)) • On the Lege: A Preview of the 87th Legislature (Jerry Bullard, Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C.) • Lawyer Wellness in the Age of the Coronavirus (Chris Ritter, Director, Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program) • The Impact of Covid-19 on the Texas Courts: Challenges and Opportunities (David Slayton, Administrative Director, Texas Office of Court Administration) • Zoom Oral Arguments in Texas Appellate Courts (Blake Hawthorne, Clerk, Supreme Court of Texas)
Brown Bag Seminar (Webinar)
Topic: Bankruptcy and Real Estate CLE: 3 hours Presentations include: Moderator: Brian Singleterry, Cantey Hanger LLP • Construction Project-Owner Bankruptcy: Lien Priorities and Other Issues (Jason Kennedy, Harrison Steck, P.C.) • Intersections Between Bankruptcy and Real Estate (Machir Stull, Cantey Hanger LLP) • Claims that Survive Bankruptcy (Mike McBride, J. Michael McBride, P.C.) • Bankruptcy Court Updates and Practice Tips (Honorable Mark Mullin, Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Texas)
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The Landlord/Tenant Relationship Within the Bankruptcy Context (Katherine Hopkins, Kelly Hart) Tips and Tricks with Frequently Used Real Estate Documents (Robert Ginsburg, McDonald Sanders, P.C.)
Brown Bag Seminar (Webinar)
Topic: Ethics CLE: 3 hours of Ethics Presentations include: Moderator: Brian Singleterry, Cantey Hanger LLP • Tips and Traps to Avoid Malpractice (Robert Tobey, Tips and Traps to Avoid Malpractice) • Law Practice Disruptions (Charles Awalt, Charles H. Awalt Law Office; Dwayne Smith, Gardner & Smith, PLLC) • Diversion Program Ethics (Leon Reed, The Law Office of Leon Reed, Jr.) • Professional Ethics (Honorable Hal R. Ray, Jr., United States District Court, Northern District of Texas) • Technology Ethics (Miles Brissette, The Law Offices of Gill & Brissette - not a partnership; Bob Gill, The Law Offices of Gill & Brissette - not a partnership)
Brown Bag Seminar (Webinar)
Topic: Quick Hits for Navigating Covid-19 CLE: 3.25 hours, including 1 hour ethics Presentations include: Moderator: Brian Singleterry, Cantey Hanger LLP • Employment Issues (Caroline Harrison, Pham Harrison, LLP; Jason Smith, Law Office of Jason Smith) • Virtual Mediations and Ethical Implications (Jennifer Caldwell, Jennifer M. Caldwell, P.C.) • Bankruptcy Issues (Mark French, Law Office of Mark B. French) • CARES Act – Small Business Incentives (Professor William Byrnes, Texas A&M School of Law; Professor Neal Newman, Texas A&M School of Law) • Judicial Panel (Judge Brooke Allen, Probate Court #2; Judge Patricia Bennett, 360th District Court; Judge Kimberly Fitzpatrick, 342nd District Court; Judge Chris Wolfe, 213th District Court)
Brown Bag Seminar (Webinar)
Topic: Real Estate, Construction, Planning and Zoning CLE: 3.0 hours Presentations include: Moderator: Mary Barkley, Cantey Hanger LLP • Texas Ad Valorem Property Tax Litigation (Preston J. Dugas III, Preston Dugas Law Firm, PLLC) • Planning and Zoning Law (Justin Light, Pope, Hardwicke, Christie, Schell, Kelly & Taplett, L.L.P.) • Emerging Issues in Real Estate Drafting (Suzanne Frossard, M. Suzanne Frossard, P.C.) • Texas Lien Law Summary (Stephen D. Harrison, Harrison Steck P. C.) • Updates on Texas Construction Law (Cara Kennemer, Underwood Law Firm)
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Brown Bag Seminar (Webinar)
Topic: “Pot-Pourri” CLE: 3.0 hours Presentations include: Moderator: Sherry Armstrong, The Law Office of Sherry R. Armstrong • Cannabis Law Issues (Benson Varghese, Varghese Summersett PLLC-Defense) • Cannabis Law Issues (David Alex, Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office-Prosecutor) • “Growing the Texas Cannabis Market: State and Federal Cannabis Legislation Now and Tomorrow” (Leslie Ritchie Robnett, Kelly Hart) • Trademark Registration Issues for Businesses (Lee Hunt, Brackett & Ellis, P.C.) • Landlord/Tenant (Veronica Chavez Law, Brackett & Ellis, P.C.) • Judicial Panel (Judge Mollee Westfall, 371st District Court; Associate Judge Lindsay DeVos, 231st District Court)
Appointment Wheel CLE (Webinar)
Topic: Juvenile Law CLE: 4.0 hours Presentations include: Moderator: Angel Williams, Assistant City District Attorney • Departmental Overview and Specialty Program (Tarrant County Juvenile Services) • Public Access to Juvenile Proceedings (Brian Willett, Willett Law Office, PLLC) • Evidence in Juvenile Cases (Lane D. Thibodeaux, Law Office of Lane D. Thibodeaux) • Determine Sentencing & Juvenile Certifications (Kevin Boneberg, Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office; Zane Reid, Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office) • The Importance of Youth Voice in Court (Dylan Moench, Supreme Court of Texas Children’s Center Commission) • Juvenile Dispositions (Frank Adler, Frank Adler Law Office)
Free to TCBA Members:
Covid-19 Task Force Presents: Tarrant County Family Courts Covid-19 Update (Webinar)
CLE: 2 hours Moderator: Kim Naylor, TCBA Task Force Board Liaison and 2020-2021 TCBA President-Elect Judicial Panel: • Judge Jesse Nevarez, Jr. (231st District Court) • Judge Kenneth E. Newell (233rd District Court) • Judge James Munford (322nd District Court)
Covid-19 Task Force Presents: Tarrant County Civil Courts Covid-19 Update (Webinar) CLE: 2 hours Moderator: Nick Bettinger, TCBA Task Force Co-Chair and TCBA Past President (2017-2018) Judicial Panel:
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Judge David Evans (48th District Court) Judge Don Cosby (67th District Court) Judge Susan Heygood McCoy (153rd District Court) Judge Josh Burgess (352nd District Court) Judge Mike Hrabal (County Court At Law No. 3)
Covid-19 Task Force Presents: Tarrant County Criminal Courts Covid-19 Update (Webinar) CLE: 2 hours Moderator: Sherry Armstrong, 2020-2021 TCBA Board Director Judicial Panel: • Judge George Gallagher (396th District Court) • Judge Robb Catalano (Criminal District Court No. 3) • Judge Brent Carr (County Criminal Court No. 9) • Judge Deborah Nekhom (County Criminal Court No. 4) • Judge David Cook (County Criminal Court No. 1)
SBOT Rules Vote 2021
Presenters: • Lewis Kinard, Chair of the Committee on Disciplinary Rules and Referenda (CDRR) • Claude Ducloux, CDRR Member • Brad Johnson, CDRR Staff Attorney • Vincent Johnson, CDRR Member CLE: .5 hour
Lessons Learned From 157 Zoom Mediations: Maximizing Your Effectiveness in Your Next Zoom Mediation Presenters: Beth Krugler and John Brookman CLE: 1 hour
Free to TCYLA Members:
Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association
Topic: Trademark Registrations and Why They Matter for EVERY Client Speaker: Lee Hunt, Bracket & Ellis, P.C. CLE: 1 hour Topic: Remote Proceedings: Preparation, Tools and Tactics Speakers: Sam Beaman, Senior Account Executive, Veritext Legal Solutions; Katy Durkee, Vice President-Texas, Veritext Legal Solutions CLE: 1 hour Topic: E-Discovery Best Practices and Protocols Speaker: Dr. Gavin N. Manes, Avansic E-Discovery & Digital Forensics CLE: 1 hour
Other Online Seminars Available (with no CLE) Solo & Small Firm Section Webinar
Topic: Turning Attorneys into Wildly Effective Sales Rainmakers Speaker: Mark Steele, Certified FocalPoint Business Coach
Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association Webinar Topic: Busy World, Calm Mind: Using Mindfulness to Alleviate Stress and Live with Purpose Speaker: Dr. Kathryn Soule, PhD, LPC, Soule Therapy
Wellness Connections Committee Program
Topic: Start the New Year with Danielle Vaughn Speaker: Danielle Vaughn, Life Coach and Meditation Teacher Topic: Attorney Wellness – Mindfulness Meditation Speaker: Mary Colchin Johndroe, Of Counsel, Cantey Hanger LLP Topic: The Art of Saying No Speaker: Kate Casey, JD, LPC, Autumn Ridge Counseling and Wellness in Southlake Topic: Office Workshop – Pilates at Your Desk Speaker: Laura West Strawser, Pilates Instructor at the School for Classical and Contemporary Dance at Texas Christian University Topic: Cooking Demonstration & Menu Planning Speaker: Ed Soto, Culinary Director at Fount Board and Table in Dallas’s Uptown neighborhood
Covid-19 Task Force
Topic: Remote Working Tips Speakers: Nick Bettinger, McDonald Sanders, P.C. Jim Zadeh, Law Office of Jim Zadeh, P.C.
Upcoming CLE March 25, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. State Bar President-Elect’s Forum
Come meet the candidates as they discuss their qualifications for office, plans for the future, and the challenges facing the State Bar of Texas and the profession. Moderator: Jo Ann Merica, Austin Sara Dysart, San Antonio, Laura Gibson, Houston CLE: 1.5 hours requested (Free Event)
March 26, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. – 3:50 p.m. Brown Bag Seminar (Webinar) Topic: Probate CLE: 3.5 hours requested
March 29, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Environmental Law Section Webinar
Topic: State and Federal Environmental Agency Update Speakers: James MGuire, Regional Counsel for EPA Region 6 and Erin Chancellor, Director for the TCEQ Office of Legal Services CLE: 1 hour requested (FREE to TCBA Members)
March 30, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Transition to Practice Webinar
Topic: Thinking, Going, Gone Solo: Considerations for Every Stage of the Journey CLE: 1 hour with .5 hour Ethics (FREE to TCBA Members)
Register Now at www.tarrantbar.org. MARCH/APRIL 2021
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 21
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▪ TCBA BULLETIN 23
Updates from the Covid-19 Task Force
T
he mission and purpose of the (TCBA) Covid-19 Task Force is to identify and assess the needs of the TCBA members and the public arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, make recommendations to address those needs, and help mobilize relevant TCBA committees, volunteer lawyers, and other legal professionals to implement those recommendations.
COVID-19 INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
How can we help you?
www.tarrantbar.org/covid19info
Questions or Suggestions If you have questions or suggestions for the TCBA Covid-19 Task Force, contact megan@tarrantbar.org. g 24 www.tarrantbar.org
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Resources for the Legal Community
www.tarrantbar.org/covid19
Information for the Public
MARCH/APRIL 2021
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 25
Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans
Tarrant County Chapter
Get Involved with TLTV
T
here are many ways to get involved with TLTV. Phone consultations are continuing through our remote clinics. Congratulations to all the volunteers that were honored at the Pro Bono Awards Ceremony in January!
Thank you to all of the attorneys that assisted with our remote clinics in January and February.
Attorneys Assisting with Remote Clinic*
Kee Ables Ademola Akande Whitney Beckworth Bob Brown Ola Campbell Marvin Champlin Shawn Crawford Ndidi Gbulie John Corbin
Wendy Hart Michael Hupf John Johnson Kate Kim Scott Lindsey Spencer Mainka Zoe Meigs Jason Miller George Muckleroy
Martin Rechnitzer Joe Robles Lynn Rodriguez Karon Rowden Melissa Sircar Ethel Steele George White Joseph Young
In 2021, a few attorneys have accepted cases for full representation or agreed to mentor an attorney! Thank you for volunteering!
Case Accepting Attorneys*
Marvin Champlin, Champlin Law Firm Cody Gomora, Gomora Law, PLLC Barry Hocking Raven Radley, Harris County Appraisal District
Attorney Mentors*
Jonathan Fox, Fox Law Office Wendy Hart, Law Office of Wendy L. Hart Luke McMahan, Harrison Steck, P.C. *List as of 2.18.2021
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TLTV Challenge Coin Recipients Honored
ast Bulletin, TLTV announced a new way of honoring those who had shown dedicated service to TLTV. Congratulations to the first round of TLTV challenge coin recipients. Each of these volunteered at least 35 hours with TLTV in the last 2 years.
Ola Campbell, Law Office of Ola Campbell, PLLC John Corbin, Law Office of John J. Corbin Lori Dally, Seltzer & Dally, PLLC Michele DeLotto, The DeLotto Firm, PLLC Sim Goodall Wendy Hart, Law Office of Wendy L. Hart Sam Johndroe, Johndroe Law, PLLC John Johnson, Johnson & Johnson Kate Kim, The Law Office of Katherine Kim, PLLC Mike McBride, J. Michael McBride, P.C. Charles Mitchell, The Willis Law Group George Muckleroy, Sheats & Muckleroy, LLP Kim Naylor, Naylor & Naylor, PLLC Dave Pritchard, The Pritchard Law Firm William Rivera Lynn Rodriguez, Texas A&M School of Law Family and Veteran’s Advocacy Clinic Sarah Seltzer, Seltzer & Dally, PLLC Melissa Sircar, Sircar Law Office Dave Small, David Small Law, PLLC George White, Law Office of George White, P.C. Jeff Whitfield, Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP Melissa Wilks, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas Kayla Dailey Pro Bono Programs Director
Tarrant County Volunteer Attorney Services Consider Joining the TVAS Committee!
T
here are many ways to partner with TVAS in 2021. TVAS has begun matching homeless guests from the True Worth Place Legal Resource Center with TVAS Attorneys. TVAS partners with local law firms and organizations, including Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (LANWT) to provide free legal services to low-income residents of Tarrant County. Free CLE is provided as a training to any attorney volunteering to take a pro bono case. Mentors are available. If you are passionate about bridging the justice gap and have creative solutions to share, consider joining the TVAS committee, which meets the last Monday of each month from 12-1PM. Congratulations to all the volunteers that were honored at the Pro Bono Awards Ceremony in January!
Report of the 2020–2021 Election Committee
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ursuant to Article 9 of the Bylaws of the Tarrant County Bar Association and upon approval of a majority of the Board of Directors, the 2020–2021 Election Committee presents the following nominations to be placed on the 2021–2022 Election Ballot. PRESIDENT-ELECT Karen Denney VICE PRESIDENT Lu Pham SECRETARY-TREASURER Cody Cofer Scott Lindsey DIRECTOR, PLACE 1 John Brookman Lauren Duffer Kathy Roux
If you’re interested in knowing about how you can assist with TVAS, email kayla@tarrantbar.org. g Kayla Dailey Pro Bono Programs Director
Upcoming TVAS Volunteer Opportunities
APRIL
Partnership with LANWT for Uncontested Divorce Clinic and Driver’s License Clinic
MAY
TVAS/TLTV HEROES Wills Clinic in partnership with Texas A&M School of Law Veterans Advocacy Clinic and Gatehouse Wills Clinic sponsored by Kelly Hart
DIRECTOR, PLACE 2 Monika Cooper Seth McCloskey Marvina Robinson DIRECTOR, PLACE 3 Brad Dowell Ralph Duggins Cheryl Leb
The online election will begin on or about Monday March 8, 2021 and will end on Friday, April 2, 2021. I’d also like to express my deepest appreciation to the following individuals for serving on the Election Committee: Kelly Decker Chandler Grisham Steve Maxwell Christian Tucker
Ryan Valdez Angel Williams Rachel Wright
Respectfully submitted, Clark Rucker, Chair
MARCH/APRIL 2021
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 27
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The Tarrant County Bar Foundation Supports the Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court High School Mock Trial Competition
n January 2021, the Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court held its seventh Region 11 high school mock trial competition and first virtual competition as part of the 42nd Annual Texas High School Mock Trial Competition. The Tarrant County Bar Foundation has supported the Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court’s mock trial competition each year through a grant that underwrites the associated costs of the event. The mock trial competition was coordinated by the Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court's Mock Trial Committee, led by Chair J. Warren St. John (The Law Office of J. Warren St. John) and Katie Owens (Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office). Attorneys, law students, and judges from the Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court participated in the mock trial as volunteers. The two preliminary rounds of the virtual high The 42nd Region 11 high school mock school mock trial competrial competition was held virtually for tition occurred on Friday, the first time this year. January 29, and Saturday,
January 30, 2021. Four teams advanced to the semi-final round held on Friday, February 5. Later that afternoon, teams from Covenant Classical School in Fort Worth and Ben Barber Innovation Academy in Mansfield participated in the final round presided by Matt Motes (Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP). Covenant Classical School won the competition, and will proceed to the virtual state round held in March 2021. Grapevine Faith Christian School won the Courtroom Artist competition and will participate in the state round. Seven teams signed up for the competition, and six teams ultimately competed. Teams hailed from high schools in the Brock, Decatur, Fort Worth, Grapevine, Hurst-EulessBedford, and Mansfield ISDs. The Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court extends its appreciation to the many people who supported the event, including its own members and the Tarrant County Bar Association members who volunteered for the event. g
Now Accepting
Nominations for 2021 Law Day Professionalism Award
The Tarrant County Bar Association has put together a page detailing the various forms of assistance available to the public and resource materials for lawyers responding to legal questions from those affected by disasters. Check back regularly for updates.
Visit
www.tarrantbar.org/ winterstormresources
T
he Law Day Professionalism Award Selection Committee is accepting nominations for the Law Day Professionalism Award. Anyone in the legal community, attorney or non-attorney, may nominate a TCBA member who best exemplifies, by conduct and character, professional traits that others in the bar should try to emulate.
Nominations Deadline: March 26 by 5 p.m. Download nomination form at www.tarrantbar.org/2021-nomination-form MARCH/APRIL 2021
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 29
THE TARRANT COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION’S
Transition to Practice Committee Presents:
Speaker: Anne-Marie Rábago
Founder & Principal at MODERN JURIS
TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2021 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Webinar
FREE to TCBA Members
Register today at www.tarrantbar.org/T2P21 30 www.tarrantbar.org
▪ MARCH/APRIL 2021
LegalLine Legal
Upcoming LegalLine Dates • March 11, 2021 • March 25, 2021
• April 8, 2021 • April 22, 2021
A Successful Remote Year
I
t’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since LegalLine first shifted to a remote model. So far, over 230 people have been assisted through LegalLine this year. Thank you to the 16 attorneys that have volunteered in 2021. If you want to know more about volunteering, email carolina@tarrantbar.org.
2021 LegalLine Attorney Volunteers Sue Allen Norma Bazán Nick Bettinger Julie Camacho Ola Campbell Andrea Casanova Zoe Courtney Patrick Curran
Linda Gregory Bryce King Cynthia Maragoudakis Margarita Morton Lynn Rodriguez Albert Roberts Karon Rowden Melissa Sircar
Congratulations to Lynn Rodriguez for being recognized as the 2020 LegalLine Attorney of the Year at the Annual Tarrant County Bar Foundation Pro Bono Programs Award Ceremony.
Thank you to Nick Bettinger for continuing to serve as the LegalLine Committee Chair! g Kayla Dailey Pro Bono Programs Director
MARCH/APRIL 2021
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 31
In
Memoriam Judge Joe Spurlock II 1938–2020
P
rofessor Joe Spurlock II, of Texas A&M University School of Law in Fort Worth, Texas, passed away on June 9, 2020, in Fort Worth, fittingly, at the law school which he helped to found and which he loved. Lawyer, judge, and law professor, Joe was one of the very few Texans who had served in all three branches of Texas government: first as a three-term state legislator representing Fort Worth, then as Governor Dolph Briscoe’s legislative liaison (whom the governor called his “veto man”), and finally as a state judge. Joe began his Texas judicial service as a state district judge before becoming a state appellate judge; at the time of his death, he was a senior state judge. A native Texan who perhaps was most comfortable wearing his boots, jeans, and iconic white Stetson, Joe received his BA from what was then Texas A&M College, where he was an officer in the corps of cadets, before earning his JD from the University of Texas and, later in his career, his LLM from the University of Virginia. In the 1960’s, Joe served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam, for which service he received the Army’s Bronze Star. A founding faculty member of the law school that has now become Texas A&M University School of Law, over the course of his 30-year teaching career, Joe taught numerous courses, including Contracts, Legal Analysis, Legislation, Family Law, National Security Law, and Children & the Law. He was an outstanding teacher, garnering several teacherof-the-year awards and earning the enduring esteem and affection of the thousands of students whose lives he touched. Among Joe’s proudest accomplishments was his founding of the Asian Judicial Institute at what was then Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (now Texas A&M University School of Law). The purpose of this institute is to train judges from formerly Communist nations in East Asia in the rule of law and the judicial decision-making process. Over the years, the institute has brought scores of East Asian judges to Texas for retraining, and its work has had a positive impact on the lives of the people of East Asia. Joe is survived by his wife, Cheri Spurlock; his daughters, Allison Spurlock, Kathryn Spurlock, Suzanne Spurlock, and Nicole Armendarez; eight grandchildren; his brother, Dean Spurlock; and his sister, Kay Spurlock Heizer. Joe’s passing also is mourned by his many former students and by his present and former colleagues. g
32 www.tarrantbar.org
▪ MARCH/APRIL 2021
Written by Texas A&M School of Law Faculty and published in the Association of American Law Schools Newsletter
In
Memoriam
Frank Gilstrap 1942–2021
F
rank Madison Gilstrap was a caring husband, father, brother, and friend. He left this world unexpectedly on January 17, 2021 in Austin, Texas at the age of 78. Frank was born to Claude “Chena” Gilstrap and Bette Murphy Gilstrap on October 27, 1942 in Crockett, Texas. The family moved to Arlington, Texas in the 1950s where Frank lived most of his life. Frank was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” when he graduated from Arlington High School in 1960. He attended the University of Texas on a football scholarship and played under Coach Darrell K. Royal. Frank obtained his degree in Math with Honors from the University of Texas in 1965, and he graduated from the University of Texas Law School in 1968. During a career spanning more than 40 years, Frank handled over 200 appeals and argued cases before the United States Supreme Court, the Texas Supreme Court, five Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal, and twelve Texas Courts of Appeal. Frank enjoyed his work immensely and filed his last appellate brief days before his death. Frank had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and as a child he read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from front to back. He loved reading, especially books about history, and it was not unusual for him to reference Cicero or Homer in conversation. On the weekends you could usually find Frank on the patio at a Mexican food restaurant “holding court” with friends or family telling stories and talking about ideas and history. Although he never seemed to care who won, Frank enjoyed football. Some of his favorite times were holidays sharing meals and conversation with family and friends while the games played in the background. Frank was also an avid traveler and took many trips to Europe where he was able to see and talk about the cities, cathedrals and battlefields that he had read so often about. Frank is survived by his wife, Dorothy Gilstrap; children Lessie Gilstrap and her partner Greg Norrell and Chuck Freeman and his wife Alyse Freeman; grandchildren Rebecca Fitzpatrick and Remington Freeman; and brothers, David Gilstrap and his wife Paula Manderfield, and Randy Gilstrap and his husband Ryan Redford. g Published in Dallas Morning News on Jan. 21, 2021.
Earl Raymon “Ray” Waddell, III 1943–2021 Earl Raymon “Ray” Waddell, III, 77, born 18 March 1943, a true friend and gentleman passed away Monday, February 1, 2021 from complications of Covid. The oldest child of the Waddell family of Handley, Texas, Ray’s life was highlighted from an early age as an honor student from grades 1-12. He received scholarships from UT Austin as an undergraduate student and as an honor graduate. Following his education, Ray entered service as an Air Force Officer in the 1960s. He achieved the rank of Captain before completing his service as an Intelligence Officer. Following his military service, Ray developed a computer consulting business and owned and operated a construction company in the 1970s in north Texas. After winding down those businesses, he then spent several years as a cowboy on his father-in-law’s ranch in Gonzales, TX. In the 1980s he enrolled in UT Austin school of law and obtained his law degree accompanied with full professorship at UT Austin school of law. Subsequently, Ray practiced law with the Tarrant County District Attorney before entering private practice. He was also an original board member during the creation of the Texas Wesleyan School of Law where he taught for many years. Ray inherited his passion for airplanes and aviation from his father, sharing it and passing it along to his son Luke. He cultivated a love for travel among his children and family friends. Ray is survived by his wife, Lisa Artman; his five children, Matt of Austin, Eve of Gonzales, Luke and wife Rebecca of Fort Worth, Evan of Austin, and Bailey of Frisco; his sister Jan of Arlington, his brother Loy and wife Virginia of Fort Worth; and five grandchildren, Nathan, Tyler, Micah, Ava, and Alexa. g Published on Lucas Funeral Homes website.
Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans
Tarrant County Chapter
Looking for ways you can support TLTV but unable to volunteer? Consider sponsoring a remote or in person clinic! Contact kayla@tarrantbar.org for more details. MARCH/APRIL 2021
▪ TCBA BULLETIN 33
Bar Bulletin ▪ March/April 2021 Tarrant County Bar Association TCBA members may take advantage of discounts 1315 Calhoun Street provided by the following vendors: Fort Worth, TX 76102-6504 AMO Office Supply offers TCBA members the lowest ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Member Benefits Vendor List
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price guaranteed on office supplies, with next-day delivery and free shipping! Call 800.420.6421.
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Falcon Document Solutions, provides quick, efficient and reliable process service, doument scanning, printing, copying and electronic discovery, litigation displays and trial boards. We are available 24 hours 7 days a week at 817.870.0330 or at www.falcondocs.com. Discounts available to TCBA Membership. 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 - $13.00 adult, $10 for child or senior. For tickets, contact anne@tarrantbar.org or 817.338.4092. 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 940.783.6580 for details. Thomson Reuters Exclusive TCBA offer of 15% off new Westlaw subscriptions or upgrades to current subscriptions*, including our latest AI enhanced platform, Westlaw Edge. Please contact your local Account Executive, Ben Galloway, for more information: Ben.Galloway@TR.com. *Restrictions apply, please contact your AE for details. g
If any of your contact information is incorrect, please submit the corrected information to the TCBA office at 817.338.4092, fax to 817.335.9238 or email to tcba@tarrantbar.org.
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