Author, historian, and journalist Evan Thomas was afforded unprecedented access to the personal and professional life of a Supreme Court Justice to write his authoritative biography of the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. In this episode, host Rocky Dhir talks to the New York Times bestselling author about what he learned writing First: Sandra Day O’Connor. Evan shares anecdotes and lessons learned from his deep dive into her work and private life.

The Life and Lessons of Sandra Day O’Connor

The State Bar of Texas Podcast is a monthly show featuring news and discussions relevant to the legal profession, from the latest industry trends and caselaw to practice tips and State Bar programs. Host Rocky Dhir, attorney and CEO of Dallas-based Atlas Legal Research, invites thought leaders and innovators to share their insight and knowledge on what matters to practitioners.

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The State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting is just around the corner, happening June 20-21 in Dallas! With this meeting comes a change of leadership for the Bar, but great progress has been made in the past year under current president Cindy Tisdale’s guidance. Rocky Dhir talks with Cindy about her year as president, discussing her dedication to lawyer mental health initiatives (including a new member benefit with BetterHelp), the Bar’s Taskforce for Responsible AI in the Law (TRAIL), and progress made toward improving the process for lawyer vacation letters in Texas. Later, Rocky shifts gears to talk with Trey Apffel about what to expect from Annual Meeting 2024’s diverse programming schedule and networking opportunities. Learn more about events, speakers, registration, and more on the State Bar of Texas website. Cindy Tisdale is President of the State Bar of Texas and an attorney in Granbury, Texas, where she dedicates her practice to family law. E.A. “Trey” Apffel III is Executive Director of the State Bar of Texas.

What Texas Attorneys Need to Know About Vacation Letters, Artificial Intelligence, Mental Health & This Year’s Annual Meeting

Should our criminal courts exist to punish or reform those who have broken the law? Every case is unique, but in those involving mental health, a rehabilitative approach may be beneficial. Rocky Dhir talks with Judge Brent Carr about his long years of service in the Tarrant County Mental Health Court, which had the overarching goal of improving outcomes for people with mental illness impacted by Texas’ justice system. They discuss the efforts of the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health, the Specialty Courts Advisory Counsel, and the programs that address mental health issues in many areas of the law, including cases involving sex trafficking, drug offenders, family law matters, veterans, and more.

Texas’ Mental Health Court Programs

The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors approved the nominations of Denise Scofield, of Houston, and Santos Vargas, of San Antonio, as president-elect candidates at its meeting on September 30, 2023. Texas lawyers will vote for the president-elect and district directors from April 1 to April 30. The winner will serve as president-elect from June 2024 to June 2025 and as president from June 2025 to June 2026. For more information, go to texasbar.com/elections.  
 [The content for this episode was recorded as a live webcast video on March 26, 2024, at the Texas Law Center in Austin, TX.]

State Bar of Texas 2024-25 President-elect Candidate Forum

Since its inception in 2017, the Committee on Disciplinary Rules and Referenda has been charged with the examination of Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and Rules of Disciplinary Procedure to determine rule adequacy and necessary changes. After extensive evaluation of existing rules, the committee proposed 12 new rules between 2021 and 2023 which Texas attorneys will now have the opportunity to vote on from April 1-30, 2024.  Rocky Dhir talks with committee members Lewis Kinard (Chair), Judge Phyllis Martinez Gonzalez, and Scott Brumley, and former member Claude Ducloux about the proposed rules to help Texas legal professionals gain a better understanding of the purpose and implications of the suggested changes. For more information, including links to background information on each rule proposal, go to texasbar.com/rulesvote.

Rules Vote 2024: 12 Proposed Changes to the Texas Disciplinary Rules

The Texas legislature recently enacted the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, which goes into effect on July 1, 2024. Lawyers have an urgent need to understand this new legislation and its coming impacts on their practice and clients. Rocky Dhir talks with Shawn Tuma, a widely recognized expert in cybersecurity and data privacy law, to help Texas attorneys understand the elements of this act and best practices in security for compliance with new regulations.  Shawn Tuma is a partner at Spencer Fane LLP in Cyber Risk Management, Cyber Incident Response, and Cyber Security, Hacking and Data Breach Litigation.

The Life and Lessons of Sandra Day O’Connor

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