State Bar of Texas Board Update (9/10/20)

Originally published by Staff Report.

Editor’s note: The State Bar of Texas sent the following message to members on September 10.

The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors met September 10 to follow up on items pending from the July 27 special-called board meeting.

Task Force and Workgroup Rosters

The board approved rosters for two groups created at the July 27 meeting. The 15-member Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will study and propose actions to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the administration of justice and the practice of law. The 13-member Justice in Leadership Workgroup will consider the diversity and inclusion suggestions submitted in the written and oral comments presented to the board in July.

ABA Model Rule 8.4(g)

In a procedural vote, the board referred ABA Model Rule 8.4(g) to a board committee for study, an action that was requested by State Bar members at the July 27 meeting. The board’s Discipline and Client Attorney Assistance Program (DCAAP) Committee will study the model rule—along with the existing Rule 5.08 of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and the public input submitted before and during the board meeting—and report back to the board its recommendations, if any, at a future meeting.

Tabled Motion and New Actions

Director Alistair Dawson, of Houston, withdrew his motion, tabled at the July meeting, to limit the spokesperson duties of the State Bar president following the board’s consultation with legal counsel. Dawson then made the following two motions that were approved by the board.

The board voted to direct its Policy Manual Subcommittee to study options and return at a future meeting with recommendations for:

• a code of conduct to be followed by officers and directors, and
• changes to the board policy manual or State Bar rules that could enable the board to impeach, remove from office, suspend, or take other disciplinary action against officers and directors.

Learn More

To review the task force and workgroup rosters and other materials from the September 10 meeting, go here. If you missed the email update on the July 27 meeting, go here to read a summary of the board’s actions from that meeting. Watch recordings of both meetings on the State Bar’s YouTube channel.

Thanks and Looking Ahead

The State Bar values the many comments provided by Texas lawyers and members of the public and will carefully consider all viewpoints presented at the special-called board meetings.

The board will hold its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting at 9 a.m. CDT September 25. The agenda will be posted at least seven days prior to the meeting.

Curated by Texas Bar Today. Follow us on Twitter @texasbartoday.

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