It’s not too difficult a nut to crack, but Texans are nuts about pecans. And who can blame them? A slice of pecan pie with a scoop of Blue Bell’s Homemade Vanilla on top is just about as Texan as one can get. We all know it and so does the Texas Legislature. Through the action of the legislature, the pecan has gained a place of honor in the long list of state symbols. It is represented by the state tree, the state health nut, and, of course, the state pie. So, how does something become a state symbol here in the Lone Star State?
Read moreLegislative Special Sessions in Texas
The Texas Legislature meets for five months once every two years. With that being said, if laws need to be added, changed, or removed outside of this five month period, the governor can call a special session. The governor is the only person who can call for this special session and he also “has unilateral authority to decide what type of policies are in play for the special session.” Special sessions are quite common. In fact, one has just been called by Governor Abbott after the completion of the regular legislative session in May.
Read more2021 Cybersecurity Legislation Compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), so far in 2021, “At least 44 states and Puerto Rico introduced or considered more than 250 bills or resolutions that deal significantly with cybersecurity.” In Texas, there have been 27 bills related to cybersecurity this legislative session, three of which have been signed by the governor to date.
Read moreTexas House Passes Bill to Open Two New Public Law Schools
“Eight hundred miles to El Paso from the state line…”
The El Paso area and the Rio Grande Valley are both underserved legal markets where aspiring lawyers face geographic barriers to earning a relatively affordable JD.
Read moreUELMA? Why, Yes, We Do!
On May 25, 2019, Governor Greg Abbott signed HB 402 into law, making Texas the 22nd state to adopt the Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act or UELMA. The record of this hard-won achievement is forever documented in the House Journal as seen here.
The Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act or UELMA has been adopted in Texas! On Friday, May 25, 2019, Governor Greg Abbott signed HB 402 into law, adding Texas to the list of 21 other states that have officially committed to the preservation and authentication of public legal information. Further, by adopting UELMA, Texas has made clear its intention to provide trustworthy, reliable access to online legal content that is permanently available in unaltered form and offered to the public free of charge whenever possible.
Navigating the legislative process over several Congressional sessions to finally secure the necessary votes and the signature of Gov. Abbott was long and difficult, and Texans, especially those who championed UELMA throughout this process, deserve a chance to celebrate. Passage of UELMA in Texas would not have been possible without the determination and perseverance of government relations advocates, especially the indefatigable Barbara Bintliff, Director of the Tarlton Law Library at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, who began her UELMA journey nearly 10 years ago when the Authentication and Preservation of State Electronic Legal Materials Act, as it was originally called, was drafted at the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.
There are many next steps to work out in the implementation of UELMA in Texas — the law does not take effect until September 1, 2019 — but once fully realized, this legislation will introduce changes to the ways we all access legal information, the ease with which we find that information, and the confidence we have in knowing that the information is official, reliable, and authentic. This is definitely a win for the people of Texas and for those who champion open and equal access to justice for all.
