Texas bar board to launch racism and D&I task force
The State Bar of Texas has pledged to erase racism and promote diversity and inclusion in the state’s legal sector on Monday, 27 July, following the furore caused by comments made by its president Larry McDougal.
McDougal ignited controversy when he posted a negative comment on Facebook about a poll worker wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt, stating that she was violating a Texan law that prohibits electioneering at the polls. He also came under fire for criticism for his past comments, which were deemed offensive to women and lawyers struggling with addiction.
According to a report by Texas Lawyer, the board of directors announced the decision to roll out its task force to combat system racism following a meeting during which they discussed how to deal with the fallout.
President-elect Sylvia Borunda Firth pledged to dedicate her year as president to the issues of diversity and inclusion, and said that launching the task force was a positive step in the right direction. The board also voted to create a working group to study all of the written and oral public comments that were submitted for the meeting, as well as identifying any potential legal issues that must be analysed.
Following this review, the working group will recommend proposals that the bar should consider or adopt. During the meeting, Firth also asked legal counsel to identify potential legal precedent that would apply to recommendations for action by the African American Lawyers Section and the National Bar Association.
The board will also request that the bar’s Minimum Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Committee consider adding an implicit bias training course to each lawyer’s annual CLE requirements.
It also approved motions that all directors take implicit bias training before the end of this year and to request that the bar’s committee on disciplinary rules and referenda consider adopting the American Bar Association model rule to prevent discriminatory conduct in all areas of the practice of law.
In the wake of McDougal’s comments, two of the bar’s committees will also research how to improve the vetting process for future president-elect candidates, and find ways to ensure voters receive better background information on candidates. During the meeting, McDougal committed to present a plan on how to address the upset and debate caused by his comments by September 24.
The controversy comes at a time when Texas is seen as a hotspot for patent litigation which, according to a Bloomberg report, partially stems from the appointment of former patent litigator Judge Alan Albright to the Western District bench in 2018. In 2019 alone, there were 270 patent lawsuits filed in the district, according to Bloomberg Law data.
The Eastern District of Texas was one of the most popular districts for litigation brought by non-practicing entities (NPEs) in 2018, according to a report by patent risk management provider RPX.
Did you enjoy reading this story? Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories sent like this straight to your inbox.
.
