Member Benefits
Dues: $30 per year for membership from June 1 through May 31. Dues are waived for Pro Bono attorneys and law students.
Sustaining Members A Sustaining Member of the Litigation Section is a member who has demonstrated a special interest in the mission of the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas; in particular, the section’s goal of ensuring equal access to justice regardless of economics, race, gender, or physical location. Dues for Sustaining Members are $100.
Who we are: The Section is comprised of nearly nine thousand members from all parts of the State and all sides of the Bar. We are a neutral organization comprised of plaintiff attorneys, defense attorneys, judges, mediators / arbitrators, pro bono attorneys and law students who are dedicated to improving our justice system and the quality of legal services delivered to Texans. Our Section is actively involved in a number and variety of pro bono and educational programs and offers numerous member benefits to our section members. This year, we plan to expand those benefits by tracking Texas legislative initiatives, keeping section members informed of legislative actions and becoming more involved in the legislative process to work with Bar leaders and judges to improve the administration of justice throughout our great State. If you care to get involved in the great work that the Litigation Section is doing, please feel free to contact Walker C. Friedman at wcf@fsclaw.com.
Discounts at TexasBarCLE Courses. If you are already a member of the litigation section you receive a $30 discount when you register for a TexasBarCLE course. If you are not a member, you will be provided a free membership at the Section and Bar’s expense thru June 1 of 2008, by attending the State Bar’s Evidence and Discovery, Civil Trial, Personal Injury and/or Litigation Update courses.
News For the Bar: The litigation section provides a quarterly electronic newsletter to our members. Visit our News for the Bar page to view current and past issues.
The Advocate: The Advocate is a prestigious quarterly journal published by the Litigation Section. Three issues are published hard copy and electronically in symposium format and the spring issue is the electronic version of the articles from the Litigation Update course. Visit The Advocate page to view or download entire issues. Check back soon for our upcoming word-searchable library.
The Texas Legislature. The Litigation Section is undertaking a NEW initiative to track the Texas Legislature, inform members of legislative initiatives and participate in the development of appropriate legislation. Stay - tuned to this website for breaking developments.
The Litigation Section has had an initial success with the formation of the “Court Administration Working Group”. HB 1204 - SB1204 sought to reorganize the Texas courts. In response to concern about the bill and criticism of certain parts of the bill (most notably the designation of ˇ§complex courtsˇ¨), the Section established a working group to analyze the impact of the bill and work with Sen. Duncanˇ¦s office to implement changes to the bill. Sen. Duncan agreed to modify the bill in response to suggestions made by the working group. Ultimately, the bill was not passed. The working group will continue to examine the issues raised by SB 1204 and other bills in the future.
Our website: We have developed this website to provide you with tools for your office, updates on current legal events, a moderated, hot topic blog discussion-forum, a page devoted to tracking the 81st legislature, and much more.
Pro Bono activities: The section is an active supporter of pro bono efforts throughout the State of Texas.