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Asked & Answered with Justice Rosa Lopez Theofanis: From Pet Peeves to Surprises on the Bench - In this edition of Asked & Answered, Third Court of Appeals Justice Rosa Lopez Theofanis shares how she sees AI impacting the appellate process and dishes on what lawyers practicing before her shouldn’t do. Justice Theofanis, who is the first sitting judge to participate in Asked & Answered, joined the all-female panel in January 2023. June 3, 2026
Dentistry Dreams to Megadeals: Dallas Native Powers AI Infrastructure Gold Rush - Melissa Kalka once imagined herself in a white dentist’s coat, peering into mouths across bicuspids and middle molars.
Instead, now she examines balance and term sheets, drilling into multibillion‑dollar deals for hidden risk and opportunity. A transactional partner at the richest law firm in the world, she has become one of the firm’s go‑to architects for complex, capital‑intensive energy and infrastructure deals.
The Texas Lawbook caught up with her about her upbringing and career and the deals she's leading now. May 31, 2026
Expert Voices
What the Feds Took, Texas May Protect - Earlier this year, a financial executive opened an AI chatbot to think through his legal exposure before calling his lawyers, then watched a federal judge hand all 31 of those documents to prosecutors.
The lesson looked clear. A Texas court has now complicated that lesson. Same conduct, two courts, opposite results. For Texas litigators, the gap between the two is worth understanding. June 9, 2026
The lesson looked clear. A Texas court has now complicated that lesson. Same conduct, two courts, opposite results. For Texas litigators, the gap between the two is worth understanding. June 9, 2026
AI as a Force Multiplier for Appellate Practice: A Step-by-Step Guide - Careful AI use enhances both written and oral advocacy while creating opportunities for meaningful, impressive efficiency gains. The technology was breathtaking when I ran my first AI query and has rapidly improved since. Here are some practical lessons I have learned that are aimed at appellate practitioners but applicable to any litigation practice. June 8, 2026
Stories You Might’ve Missed
‘The Golden Age for Corporate Law in Texas is Now’ (Updated) - Never in history have Texas corporate lawyers worked so many hours, charged such enormous rates and raked in more revenue and profits than they are right now. The Texas offices of more than three dozen law firms scored record-high revenues in 2025 — and many of them surpassed their old records by tens of millions of dollars, according to new Texas Lawbook 50 data.
Citing increased demand for legal services and healthy hourly rate increases, 48 of the Lawbook 50 law firms generated more revenue and more profits in their Texas operations in 2025 than they did in 2024. April 30, 2026
