Evan Young’s Journey to Texas Supreme Court

Sworn in Nov. 10 as the next justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, Evan Young hit the ground running. He is immersed in reading briefs to sit for an oral argument soon after Thanksgiving. “It wasn't so long ago that I was the one who had to prepare for oral argument on the other side of the bench,” Young said in an exclusive Texas Lawbook interview.

Texas Lawbook correspondent Tony Mauro interviewed Young about leaving a $1 million-plus paying partnership at Baker Botts to become a justice and his plans to run for re-election.

November 29, 2021 Tony Mauro

Osler McCarthy Joins Texas Lawbook Team

For the past two decades, Osler McCarthy has been a trusted voice of appellate law in Texas – informing lawyers, judges, members of the news media and the public on the cases being decided by the nine justices who sit on the Supreme Court of Texas. This week, Osler – educated as a lawyer and trained as a journalist – joins The Texas Lawbook fulltime as managing editor and head of the publication’s appellate law coverage.

November 29, 2021 Mark Curriden

Fifth Circuit: ‘It is Not a Crime to be a Journalist’

The movie Diehard 2 is officially a cited source in a Fifth Circuit opinion. Circuit Judge James Ho pointed to the character airport security Captain Lorenzo in emphasizing that all police officers know that reporters asking questions of law enforcement is protected by the First Amendment. The appeals court cite came in a victory for Laredo crime reporter Priscilla “La Gordiloca” Villarreal, who sued local police for arresting her in 2017 for simply doing her job.

November 8, 2021 Mark Curriden

Evan Young Appointed to Texas Supreme Court

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday that he is appointing Baker Botts partner Evan Young to the Texas Supreme Court. An appellate partner who lives in Austin, Young, who is 45 and grew up in San Antonio, replaces former Justice Eva Guzman, who resigned in June to be a candidate for Texas attorney general.

November 1, 2021 Tony Mauro & Mark Curriden

It’s Texas Week at SCOTUS

The Supreme Court is hearing five oral arguments this week, and all five of them have a Texas connection. Two of them were scheduled to be argued 10 days after the court agreed to take up the cases – an extraordinarily fast track for the advocates. Lawyers involved in the SCOTUS cases are from Haynes and Boone, Beck Redden and Rogers, Morris & Grover. Texas Lawbook correspondent Tony Mauro has the rundown of Texas lawyers playing a role in each case.

November 1, 2021 Tony Mauro

Texas Supreme Court Approves Changes to State Bar That May Calm “Bar Wars”

The Supreme Court of Texas on Wednesday issued an order that redefines aspects of the State Bar of Texas so that the organization's leaders cannot be viewed as speaking for all bar members or suggesting that all members support the bar’s views or statements. Tony Mauro has the details.

October 13, 2021 Tony Mauro

SCOTUS Term Begins, Facing Hot-Button Issues Plus Thorny First Amendment Texas Cases

The U.S. Supreme Court started its 2021 term Monday and its business docket so far is “ridiculously light.” But Texas will make its mark this term in a different area of the law: the First Amendment. Four pending cases arising from Texas will test issues of free speech and free exercise of religion. So here is a quick rundown of the Texas cases as well as the business cases of possible interest.

October 5, 2021 Tony Mauro

Texas State Bar Unveils Sweeping Membership Changes To Comply With Court Order

The State Bar of Texas on Thursday made public a broad range of rule changes to comply with a federal appeals court ruling in July that the bar association violated the First Amendment by imposing membership and dues on lawyers who object to certain bar activities.

October 1, 2021 Tony Mauro