TRACK 1: ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM IN A CHANGING LEGAL LANDSCAPE Early Morning Ethics

Transcription

1 TRACK 1: ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM IN A CHANGING LEGAL LANDSCAPE Early Morning Ethics Moderator: Hon. Jennifer Walker Elrod U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Houston Panelists: Hon. Debra H. Lehrmann Supreme Court of Texas Austin Lamont Jefferson Haynes and Boone, LLP San Antonio Roland Johnson Harris, Finley and Bogle, PC Fort Worth Thursday, June 18, :30 a.m. 8:30 a.m.

2 Jennifer Walker Elrod Jennifer Walker Elrod serves as a Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, with chambers in Houston, Texas. Prior to her confirmation, Judge Elrod was appointed and twice elected Judge of the 190th District Court of Harris County, Texas, where she spent over five years presiding over more than 200 jury and non-jury trials. Judge Elrod is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Baylor University, where she was named she Outstanding Graduating Senior in the Honors Program. Baylor has since recognized her as an Outstanding Young Alumna. She graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, where she was an Ames Moot Court finalist and Senior Editor of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy. Following law school, she clerked for the Honorable Sim Lake of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Before serving as a judge, Judge Elrod was in private practice, focusing on civil litigation, antitrust, and employment matters. Judge Elrod is a member of the Baylor University Board of Regents, an elected member of the American Law Institute, a member of the board of the Houston Urban Debate League, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Judges Association. She has served as the Board Chair of the Texas Center for Legal Ethics, and on the Texas State Bar Committee on Pattern Jury Charges. She also served pro bono as the first general counsel of Communities in Schools-Houston, one of the largest dropout prevention organizations in the country, and as Chair of the Board of the Gulf Coast Legal Foundation (now Lone Star Legal Aid), a major legal services provider for low-income individuals. Judge Elrod has taught legal writing and advocacy as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Law Center. Judge Elrod has taught legal writing and advocacy as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Law Center, and she served as the M.D. Anderson Visiting Public Service Professor at the Texas Tech University School of Law. In 2010, she presented the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Distinguished Lecture at Washington and Lee University School of Law. In 2012, she delivered the keynote address at the convocation to install Susan Saab Fortney as the Howard Lichtenstein Distinguished Professor of Legal Ethics at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. Earlier this year, she was a jurist in residence at BYU Law School. Judge Elrod s publications appear in the Houston Law Review, Texas Tech Law Review, and Washington and Lee Law Review. Judge Elrod s publications include: For Good: Enriching Your Practice and Your Life Through Pro Bono and Community Service, 4 Hous. L. Rev.: Off the Rec. 1 (2013); Is the Jury Still Out?: A Case for the Continued Viability of the American Jury, 44 Tex. Tech L. Rev. 303 (2012); and W(h)ither the Jury? The Diminishing Role of the Jury Trial in our Legal System, 68 Wash. & Lee L. Rev. 3 (2011). She is a frequent speaker on a range of topics, including federalism, state courts, and legal ethics.

3 Hon. Debra H. Lehrmann Debra H. Lehrmann was appointed to the Court by Governor Rick Perry on June 21, 2010 after winning a highly competitive primary and runoff election in the Republican primary. Before her appointment, she served as the District Judge of the 360th District Court in Fort Worth, Texas, and served as a family law judge in Tarrant County for 22 years. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Justice Lehrmann graduated from the University of Texas in 1979 and the University of Texas School of Law in Justice Lehrmann is currently a candidate for her L.L.M. at Duke University School of Law. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she practiced law with the Fort Worth law firm of Law, Snakard & Gambill. She also worked as the lead attorney and director of the Enforcement Division of the Tarrant County Domestic Relations Office. In 1990, she was recognized as the Outstanding Young Lawyer of Tarrant County. In 2005, Justice Lehrmann was appointed by Governor Perry to serve as a commissioner on the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and previously served as the chair of the drafting committee on the Uniform Relocation Act. She is a past president of the Texas Debra Lehrmann Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, is a past president of the Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, is a master member of the Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court, served on the Advisory Board of Tarrant County Dispute Resolution Services, is a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and the American Bar Foundation, and is a charter member of the Tarrant County Bar Foundation. An active member of the Family Law Section of the American Bar Association, she served as chair of the section and as the Judicial Liaison to the Judicial Division of the ABA. She previously served on the Executive Committee of the Section Officers Conference of the ABA. She is a Fellow of both the American Bar Foundation and Texas Bar Foundation. In 2005, Justice Lehrmann received the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Scott Moore Award and in 2009 received the Eva Barnes Award for leadership and uncommon contributions to the field of family law. She speaks frequently at continuing legal education events throughout the state and country, and lectures at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. The author of numerous published articles, in 2003 she received the Texas Bar Foundation s award for the best bar journal article of the year, for The Child s Voice An Analysis of the Methodology Used to Involve Children in Custody Litigation (Texas Bar Journal, November 2002). She is the author of two legal treatises which are updated yearly, Texas Annotated Family Code (Lexis Nexis-Matthew Bender) and Court-Appointed Representation of Children. Justice Lehrmann is a lifelong Republican. She has been married to her husband, Greg, a real estate attorney, for 32 years. They have two sons, Gregory Alan and Jonathan William.

4 Lamont Jefferson Lamont Jefferson is an accomplished trial lawyer, representing clients who can afford to leave nothing to chance. Whether the stakes involve corporate treasure, trade secrets, or business reputation, companies and individuals turn to Lamont to help resolve the thorniest business-related disputes. He has been go-to counsel on some of the most important cases in San Antonio and South Texas, including litigation over the multi-billion dollar expansion of the South Texas Nuclear Project, litigation over the $26 billion Clear Channel merger, and the recent much publicized litigation involving the Church of Scientology. Resolving business disputes sometimes requires full-fledged litigation, at other times skilled diplomacy, and sometimes simply honest communication. Lamont s talents as a seasoned litigator, skilled negotiator, and astute legal analyst make him the right lawyer for a large variety of business disputes. Lamont is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an honorary trial lawyer organization whose membership is limited to no more than 1% of the lawyers in any state. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and most recently served as president of the San Antonio Chapter. Lamont regularly speaks on topics of interest to lawyers and judges, from trial strategy and tactics, to rules of civil procedure, to professionalism. Lamont is active in the San Antonio community and currently serves as vice president of the board of directors for the Valero Alamo Bowl. He is on board of directors of the Down Syndrome Association of South Texas, and serves in the Founders Club for the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, and as a board member of the San Antonio Chamber Choir.

5 Roland K. Johnson A proven leader in the Texas legal community, Roland Johnson served as president of the State Bar of Texas for He holds extensive memberships in professional legal associations, often serving in committee and board positions. Roland is licensed to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern Districts of Texas; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit; and the U.S. Supreme Court. His extensive experience benefits his clients in their quest for justice in commercial litigation, arbitrations and legal malpractice matters. Roland has been repeatedly honored for his professionalism and legal knowledge. Roland is often asked to speak on ethics, professionalism, arbitration, and leadership issues. Additional Highlights President, State Bar of Texas ( ) Member, American Law Institute Member, American Board of Trial Advocates Member of American Arbitration Association's Commercial and Large/Complex Case Panels Board Certified - Civil Trial Law Chair (2013), Charter Fellow, Sustaining Life Fellow of the Tarrant County Bar Foundation Member, The Board of Disciplinary Appeals ( ) Board Member ( ) and Sustaining Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation Board Member, Texas Access to Justice Foundation Member, Texas Access to Justice Legislative Committee Member, Judicial Committee on Information Technology Member, Dean's Advisory Council, Texas A&M University School of Law Board Member, College of the State Bar of Texas Member, Texas Association of Defense Counsel Commissioner, Fort Worth Civil Service Commission ( ); Chair ( ) President, Tarrant County Bar Association ( ); Professionalism Award (2004) Board Member, Texas Legal Protection Plan ( ) Board Member, Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism ( ) Chair, Professionalism Committee, State Bar of Texas ( ) President, Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court ( ) Honorary Serjeant's Inn of Dallas Fort Worth Inns of Court President, Baylor Alumni Association ( ) State Bar of Texas: Michael J. Crowley Award (2011) Board Member of the State Bar of Texas ( ) In 2006, named Outstanding Third Year Director of the State Bar of Texas The Best Lawyers in America - ( ) for work in practice areas of Bet-the- Company Litigation and Commercial Litigation Texas Super Lawyers, by Thompson Reuter's Texas Monthly (2003 present)

6 Power Lawyer (2008), Fort Worth Business Press Texas Wesleyan University School of Law's Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Award (2005) Graduate, Baylor University School of Law (JD, cum laude, 1979) Associate Editor, Baylor Law Review Graduate, Baylor University (BS magna cum laude, 1976) Swine Barn Superintendent. Southwestern Exposition & Livestock Show (1998 present)