Texas Supreme Court oral arguments Thursday in the dispute over judicial sanctions against Dallas trial lawyer Bill Brewer featured lawyers on all sides making factual allegations, highly engaged justices actively interrupting and pushing back and one attorney threatening to quit the legal profession if the court ruled in favor of Brewer. One of the lawyers went so far as to argue that Texas law gives the justices no choice but to uphold the sanctions against Brewer. The Texas Lawbook has full details.
Texas Practitioners: Upcoming SCOTUS Term could be a Blockbuster
As the opening of the U.S. Supreme Court term nears, Texas is still a big player at One First Street. Legendary SCOTUS journalist Tony Mauro touched base with a cadre of Texas lawyers who specialize in U.S. Supreme Court work about the cases they are watching in a term that is shaping up to be “a potential blockbuster.”
Bill Brewer’s Misconduct Case Moves to SCOTX
A five-year battle over sanctions against NRA lawyer Bill Brewer will be argued Oct. 10 before the Texas Supreme Court. The issue is whether Brewer conducted a poll of potential jurors in Lubbock to gauge public attitudes or to improperly influence the jury pool. Both sides agree that the case presents “multiple questions of law and policy that have far-reaching implications and are important to the jurisprudence of the state.”
Study: Texas Appellate Courts Getting Fairer to Plaintiffs
A new study by Haynes and Boone shows that the newly-elected appellate judges in Texas are reversing lower court litigation decisions equally for defendants and plaintiffs – a dramatic shift from only one year ago when Republican judges controlled the state appellate benches and favored defendants over plaintiffs by an overwhelming margin. The Texas Lawbook has the full details.
Fifth Circuit’s Stewart Ends Term as Chief Judge: ‘It’s Been a Full Seven Years’
Carl Stewart’s term as chief judge of the New Orleans-based Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals expires at the end of September. In an exclusive interview with The Texas Lawbook, Judge Stewart looks back at seven tumultuous years, his plans for the future, the need to integrate five new appellate judges and what others say his legacy as the Fifth Circuit’s only African-American chief judge will be.
Abbott Appoints Jane Bland to Texas Supreme Court
Former Houston judge and appellate law expert Jane Bland will soon have her third job in nine months: Justice on the Texas Supreme Court. Gov. Abbott announced Monday that he intends to appoint Bland, who is now a partner at V&E in Houston, to the state’s highest court.
Fifth Circuit Slaps Down TCPA Use in Federal Court
The ruling ends substantial confusion in Texas federal courtrooms, where use of the Anti-SLAPP defense varied from judge to judge and court to court. Allen Pusey has the story.
Fifth Circuit Puts Pier 1 Shareholder Suit to Bed
Not only is the decision likely to save the Fort Worth retailer millions of dollars in legal fees, Pier 1 Imports’ legal team says; it frees up Pier 1’s in-house team to focus on something essential: running the business. Natalie Posgate elaborates.