State Bar of Texas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The State Bar of Texas (the Texas Bar) is an agency of the judiciary under the administrative control of the Texas Supreme Court.[1] The Texas Bar is responsible for assisting the Texas Supreme Court in overseeing all attorneys licensed to practice law in Texas.
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[edit] Membership
The Texas Bar is composed of those persons licensed to practice law in Texas and is an "integrated" bar, as each Texas attorney is required by law to join the Texas Bar by registering with the clerk of the Texas Supreme Court. Membership in the State Bar is generally required for the practice of law in Texas.[2][3]
[edit] Purpose
The purposes of the State Bar of Texas are:[4]
- to aid the courts in carrying on and improving the administration of justice;
- to advance the quality of legal services to the public and to foster the role of the legal profession in serving the public;
- to foster and maintain, on the part of those engaged in the practice of law, high ideals and integrity, learning, competence in public service, and high standards of conduct;
- to provide proper professional services to the members of the state bar;
- to encourage the formation of and activities of local bar associations;
- to provide forums for the discussion of subjects pertaining to the practice of law, the science of jurisprudence and law reform, and the relationship of the state bar to the public; and
- to publish information relating the practice of law, the science of jurisprudence and law reform, and the relationship of the state bar to the public.
The organization provides avenues for citizens to file grievances against attorneys and provides continuing legal education (CLE) courses for attorneys.
[edit] Governance
The Bar is run by an executive director, currently John P. Edwards, a deputy executive director, currently Michelle Hunter, and a board of directors made up of volunteers. The current president of the State Bar of Texas, Martha Dickie, took office in June, 2006.
[edit] History
Although lawyers have had statewide organizations in Texas since the 19th century, the State Bar of Texas was began its formal existence on April 19, 1939, when Governor W. Lee O'Daniel signed House Bill No. 74, titled the State Bar Act of 1939. From that point, membership in the State Bar of Texas became a prerequisite for the practice of law in Texas.
In October of 2005, President George W. Bush nominated the State Bar's former president Harriet Miers to be an associate justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. She later withdrew herself from consideration.
