I ' d also like to revamp the state bar ' s website a bit . It can be difficult to find the information that an attorney or a member of the public is looking for . I would like to create a big virtual button on the main page that is a link to a searchable online resource with the most common questions and concerns lawyers have , with clear and concise answers that are kept up to date . Beside the information , if it doesn ' t answer your question , would be the name of a volunteer lawyer who has agreed to be the go-to on that discrete issue .
What are your thoughts on the proposal to create a specialized business court in Texas ?
That ' s a hot potato issue . On the one hand there are examples in other states where the creation of that type of system works very well for complex commercial disputes . Those who favor the creation of those courts would assert that it actually increases access to justice because those business disputes that are complex and would take weeks or months to try won ' t tie up the resources of the other courts .
On the other hand there are those who have concerns about the right to a jury trial and whether that would somehow be lost , or that these judicial positions would be appointed . Under the Texas Constitution state judges are elected . Finally there are those who oppose those courts that would argue that it actually does not promote equal access to justice [ because ] complex business disputes would get their own court and go to trial faster . Both [ sides ] have valid concerns .
What made you the right person for this role ?
It ' s colloquially true that the State Bar of Texas is a large law firm . I have been with a large law firm and am now in my 36th year , [ and ] this felt like the right time to put to use the knowledge and experience I ' ve gained over the years . I have continuously served the State Bar of Texas for the last 15 years [ and ] it seemed like the natural trajectory of my service to the profession .
What I think has [ also ] prepared me is the extensive travel I ' ve undertaken in the last nine months . I ' ve driven my truck almost 19,000 miles around the state and gone on 95 separate trips . I wanted to hear what people ' s concerns were , and they varied , depending on where I was in the state and the group I was speaking with .
I feel as a result of that I have a pretty good finger on the pulse of what ' s important to lawyers , and what ' s important to lawyers is important to me . I ' m here to serve .
Was there anything that stood out to you in your travels around the state ?
Wherever I traveled I found people who are passionate about what they do . I did find the farther I went from Austin the more I heard , " I feel I ' m a little bit disconnected from the bar because of distance ." There are a number of things I ' d like to do to [ ensure ] that those who practice law in some of the more far-flung corners of the state feel just as engaged and connected as we do in some of the bigger cities in the middle of Texas .
I would like to make sure we have adequate representation at all levels of the bar in sections and committees and on the board itself of not only geographic locations , but sociodemographics and practice type .
I ' d like to be very intentional in offering continuing legal education , not just remotely , but live in some of these locations , [ and ] I ' d like the topics we have at meetings and in CLE to be tweaked to be particularly