Prerak Shah, who has been the acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas since January, announced Wednesday that he is stepping down effective Oct. 1. The Biden Administration hasn’t nominated any candidates for the four U.S. Attorney positions in Texas, but the U.S. Justice Department is expected to announce a new acting top prosecutor for North Texas in the next couple weeks.
Are the ‘Bar Wars’ Headed to SCOTUS?
The controversy over McDonald v. Longley, the lawsuit that slammed the State Bar of Texas for using mandatory dues for political purposes, has subsided for the moment. But as lawyers for the organization strive to comply with guidelines set last month by the U.S. Fifth Circuit, the issue of mandatory bar dues may be heading for SCOTUS — but not necessarily from Texas. The Lawbook’s Tony Mauro reports.
Houston Chronicle: Ken Paxton Issues Report Clearing Himself, But Says His Accusers Did Violate Laws
In a 374-page report issued Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office absolved Paxton of recent accusations that the attorney general violated laws and ethics rules regarding his interaction with developer Nate Paul. The report, however, accuses his accusers of a variety of violations, The Houston Chronicle reports.
Joshua Russ: The Whistleblower
Joshua Russ is a former East Texas federal prosecutor who dared to investigate Walmart over its alleged role in the opioid crisis. Instead, he ended up fighting his own bosses. In a series of exclusive interviews with The Texas Lawbook, he speaks for the first time about his investigation into the world’s largest corporation, about facing allegations of unethical conduct brought against him by lawyers for the retail giant and about his decision to resign and file a formal whistleblower complaint against the federal agency he once dreamed of serving.
Erin Nealy Cox Joins Kirkland in Dallas
Several law firms recruited the former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, who is a nationally recognized expert in cybersecurity, but Kirkland made it official Wednesday that she will become a partner in its government, regulatory and internal investigations group on Sept. 1.
State Bar of Texas Disciplinary Actions: 15 Lawyers Named
There were 15 lawyers named in this month’s roundup of disciplinary actions by the State Bar of Texas: one disbarment, two resignations, 10 suspensions and two public reprimands. Six of the lawyers suspended were from Greater Houston and two from Dallas
Putting the Biden Executive Orders into Context – Potential Upstream and Downstream Impacts to the Midstream Industry
A series of Executive Orders (EOs) issued by President Biden during the first weeks of his Administration put the midstream industry on notice that government policy would be shifting to a renewed focus on climate change and environmental justice. Two Sidley partners describe the implications for industry.
Ramsey Clark (1927-2021) —A U.S. Attorney General, a Dallas lawyer, and “a pure human being”
Before he became U.S. Attorney General and long before he became a controversial champion of the rule of law, Ramsey Clark was a lawyer for his family’s Texas-based firm. Clark died last week at age 93, and The Lawbook’s Tony Mauro looks at those Texas roots.