Legal wordsmith extraordinaire Bryan Garner hadn’t left his house in 69 days, but the creator of LawProse and editor of Black’s Law Dictionary was still finding extraordinary success online. Supreme Court journalist Tony Mauro takes an exclusive look at Garner’s career – from being rejected by 31 publishers to being inspired on Twitter by Ricky Gervais. He has 37,000 books in his home library and more than 4,000 dictionaries in his “scriptorium.” And don’t forget his close but sometimes stormy relationship with Justice Scalia.
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Judge Dismisses Mandatory Dues Case Against State Bar
U.S. Judge Lee Yeakel has rejected a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of mandatory bar dues charged by the State Bar of Texas. The Austin jurist ruled that the mandatory dues and the activities they pay for are well within the official responsibilities authorized by the Texas Legislature and do not violate the First Amendment. Allen Pusey has the details.
Exec in Two Healthcare Fraud Cases Sentenced to 76 Months in Prison
Semyon Narasov, 55, pleaded guilty in 2018 to conspiracy to commit money laundering at NextHealth and conspiracy to pay and receive bribes and kickbacks while at Forest Park Medical Center.
Revenues Per Lawyer Grew in Texas in 2019
More law firms in Texas scored revenues per lawyer of $1 million or more in 2019 than ever before. In fact, The Texas Lawbook 50 averaged seven-digits for the first time ever last year. Twenty-three law firms operating in Texas achieved the lofty standard demonstrating success. The Lawbook has the data and the details.
Dykema Employer Survey Examines Return-to-Work Issues
Much has been written about what steps employers can and should take in the face of the global pandemic. In an effort to better understand what employers actually are doing, Dykema recently sent a flash survey to employers. Here is an analysis of the results.
SCOTX Extends COVID-19 Emergency Order, Includes Jury Trial Provisions
Texas judges will be permitted to conduct jury trials remotely and sometimes in-person as long as they develop a plan that follows the social distancing guidelines and other safety provisions established by the Texas Office of Court Administration, according to a new order issued Wednesday by Texas Chief Justice Nathan Hecht.
DBJ: Tuesday Morning Files for Bankruptcy
Tuesday Morning Corp. filed voluntary petitions for protection under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, in response to the strain that COVID-19 pandemic and related store closures have put on the company, the Dallas Business Journal reports. The Dallas-based retailer retained Haynes and Boone to guide it through its corporate restructuring.
Two Foreign Corporations, a $165M Dispute, COVID-19 and a Fight with a Judge over a Trial Date
Lawyers at Norton Rose Fulbright representing a Spanish tether chain maker have asked the Fifth Circuit to force a federal judge in Houston to postpone a civil jury trial until early next year. The business, Vicinay Cadenas, argues that the judge’s order that the $165 million contract dispute go to trial in July violates their constitutional rights and puts the defense at a tactical disadvantage against the plaintiff, Petrobras.
Porter Hedges, V&E Lead Latest Energy Industry Bankruptcies
A Tulsa, Oklahoma-based shale driller and a Houston-based provider of drilling fluids are the latest companies in the energy industry to file for bankruptcy protection in South Texas federal courts.
Chron: Meet the Houston Attorney Pushing to Put More Women in the Courtroom
While the legal industry has made strides in hiring more women, Greenberg Traurig senior vice president Mary-Olga Lovett says more must be done to overcome the industry’s retention problem and put more female lawyers into the hot seat. Gwendolyn Wu of the Houston Chronicle has the story.