State Bar of Texas Podcast

Lawyers long considered the legendary Clarence Darrow to be an attorney to emulate, but closer examination of his career shows a condemnable pattern of unethical tactics and empty courtroom arguments. To debunk the popular culture myths surrounding Darrow, Rocky Dhir welcomes author and attorney Mike Farris to discuss the facts in his book, Blowhard: Windbaggery and the Wretched Ethics of Clarence...

Many segments of the legal profession operate as adversarial systems at their core, with colleagues becoming combatants as they fight for their clients and handle difficult situations day in and day out. Not every practice area has this same intensity, but the ongoing stresses of legal work can detract from an attorney’s wellbeing in any area of the law. The profession is committed to continuing t...

Rocky Dhir welcomes Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez to discuss highlights from her keynote address and her passion for improving representation within the legal world. Rocky gets the details on Judge Ramirez’s landmark “firsts” as a Latina with a notably successful legal career. She talks about her childhood as a daughter of immigrants, her journey as a lawyer, and her nomination and confirmation as a...

What can we learn about law from a sci-fi TV show? Rocky Dhir welcomes Leela Madan, Hope Shimabuku, and Catherine Rifai to talk about Netflix’s “Black Mirror” and the potential ethical implications of AI-fueled technology in the real world. Many now question how the rapid developments of AI tech should be regulated and held accountable. The group explores ethical rules and existing laws that could...

Should rap lyrics as evidence be allowed in criminal prosecutions? Rocky Dhir talks with Chad Baruch about his session titled, “Hip Hop on Trial: Texas Courts Confront the Use of Rap Lyrics in Criminal Prosecutions” for the Appellate and Civil Liberties & Civil Rights Sections. Rocky and Chad discuss the intersection of art and the law, highlight several cases involving the use of song lyrics or v...

Incoming Bar President Steve Benesh and TYLA President Hisham Masri join Rocky Dhir to discuss their leadership priorities and plans for the coming year. Steve shares his interest in standardizing court filings, supporting and working with TLAP to initiate a Docket Assistance Program, continuing former President Tisdale’s initiatives regarding artificial intelligence, and improving the State Bar w...

Civility is one of the cornerstones of the practice of law, ensuring an efficient justice system and improving the lives of both legal professionals and clients. Rocky Dhir welcomes David Grenardo to hear highlights from his keynote address on the landscape of civility in law. David discusses the benefits of civility rules in encouraging restraint and cooperation, as well as debunking myths surrou...

Data shows that jury trials are declining rapidly, but what is causing this tendency? Rocky Dhir hosts Judge Mark Drummond to learn more about the factors involved in this decrease and what it may indicate about our legal system. Rocky and Judge Drummond discuss the history of civil juries, current trends, and developing innovations. Learn more about the work of the Civil Jury Project here: civilj...

The 1954 case Hernandez v. Texas was the first and only Mexican-American civil rights case heard and decided by the United States Supreme Court. In 1951, a criminal case that arose from a bar fight and murder exposed a larger, widespread problem: the systematic exclusion of Mexican-American jurors from service. Rocky Dhir talks with Justice Gina Benavides, Chief Justice Dori Contreras, and Chris P...

Emotions can run high in family law cases, but creating realistic expectations can help your client effectively navigate the ups and downs of their legal issue. Rocky Dhir welcomes Britney Harrison to discuss her session on client relationships at the Annual Meeting. Britney explains her processes with clients and offers insights for dealing with common assumptions and ensuring ethical practices i...

Currently, all sports betting in Texas is illegal, despite the fact that many people believe there is a gray area around app-based betting. In reality, Texas does not yet allow for sports betting, but potential legislation might legalize this type of gambling and change the state’s approach to this issue. Rocky Dhir talks with presenters Kevin Vela and Blake Hart to learn more about what regulatio...

Both the governor and legislature of Texas have hoped to drive more business to Texas, but previously, businesses have expressed concerns over the potential for difficulties in navigating courts across Texas’s 254 counties. Now, a centralized system of business courts will open September 1, 2024, to serve businesses in the most populous areas of the state. Judge Emily Miskel and Marcy Hogan Greer...

Camille Vasquez joins Rocky Dhir to talk about her path to becoming a lawyer and what led to her involvement in the highly publicized defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Camille offers insights into her experiences during the Depp v. Heard case and highlights the importance of crafting a powerful story during cross-examination to help bring justice for your clients at trial.

Lawyers have been getting into ethical hot water over both the use and misuse of AI, failing in their duties of competence, diligence, and more, so where do we go from here? Rocky Dhir talks with Justice John Browning and Judge Roy Ferguson to learn the latest guidance on AI issues and to remind lawyers of their ethical obligations. They discuss AI’s revolutionary impacts in the legal profession a...

Who says the best things in life aren’t free?! The State Bar of Texas partnered up with Smokeball to offer a free trust accounting and billing software platform called Smokeball Bill. If you’re a Texas lawyer, this perk is available to you at no additional charge because of your state bar membership. Tune into this episode to learn more about what it does and how to access it.

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...

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 T...

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...

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 o...

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...

AI has been around for a very long time, but 2023 was its renaissance, with ChatGPT and other AI technologies suddenly speeding forward with exponential growth. Attorneys and paralegals should be focused on learning and adapting to this quickly evolving technology to ensure competence in a world where AI is taking greater precedence. Rocky Dhir talks with paralegal Megan Goor-Peters and attorney J...

There were a number of real estate cases in 2023, but only a few were notable enough to be of importance to all practitioners in this area of the law. Rocky Dhir welcomes Roland Love to discuss his article highlighting prominent 2023 real estate decisions in the December edition of the Texas Bar Journal. Roland gives an overview of these cases and their implications, covering PNC Mortgage v. Howar...

Mentorships can be very impactful in the lives of attorneys, leading to better lawyering and stronger law firms. As a profession, there is so much we can do to develop and encourage mentorships, and the October Texas Bar Journal examines this subject in detail. Rocky Dhir welcomes article authors Nikki Chargois-Allen, Denise Paul, and Regan Boyce to discuss their thoughts on mentor-mentee relation...

A new set of laws has just been enacted by the 88th Texas Legislature, and the September 2023 edition of the Texas Bar Journal is chock full of informative articles on these changes. To look at some of these laws in greater detail, Rocky Dhir welcomes Kristal Thomson and Jerry Bullard to discuss their articles on the areas of family law and civil litigation/appellate law, respectively. Tune in to...

Keeping an appellate perspective in mind as you prepare for a trial can do a lot to keep your case on track and avoid future headaches. Rocky Dhir talks with Elana Einhorn and Melissa Lorber, authors of the article, Help Us Help You: Top 10 Appellate Mistakes in the Trial Courts, which appeared in the July/August Texas Bar Journal. Elana and Melissa give an overview of the article and share their...