Title GV, Government Code

Sec. 82.004. BOARD DUTIES. (a) The Board of Law Examiners, acting under instructions of the supreme court as provided by this chapter, shall determine the eligibility of candidates for examination for a license to practice law in this state. (b) The board shall examine each eligi…

Sec. 82.005. BOARD COMPENSATION. (a) The supreme court shall set the compensation of each member of the Board of Law Examiners, excluding reasonable and necessary actual expenses, at an amount that does not exceed $30,000 a year. (b) Subchapter B, Chapter 659, does not apply to t…

Sec. 82.006. SUNSET PROVISION. The Board of Law Examiners is subject to Chapter 325 (Texas Sunset Act). Unless continued in existence as provided by that chapter, the board is abolished September 1, 2029. Added by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 148, Sec. 3.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1987. Amen…

Sec. 82.007. CAREER LADDER; ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS. (a) The executive director of the Board of Law Examiners or the executive director's designee shall develop an intraagency career ladder program. The program shall require intraagency postings of all nonentry level posit…

Sec. 82.0071. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY POLICY. (a) The executive director of the Board of Law Examiners or the executive director's designee shall prepare and maintain a written policy statement that implements a program of equal employment opportunity to ensure that all pers…

Sec. 82.0072. STANDARDS OF CONDUCT. The executive director of the Board of Law Examiners or the executive director's designee shall provide to members of the board and to board employees, as often as necessary, information regarding the requirements for office or employment under…

Sec. 82.0073. SEPARATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES; DELEGATION. (a) The Board of Law Examiners shall develop and implement policies that clearly separate the policymaking responsibilities of the board and the management responsibilities of the executive director and the staff of the bo…

Sec. 82.008. PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a) The Board of Law Examiners shall prepare information of public interest describing the functions of the board. The board shall make the information available to the public and appropriate agencies. (b) The board shall develop and implement pol…

Sec. 82.009. PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY. The Board of Law Examiners shall prepare and maintain a written plan that describes how a person who has a physical, mental, or developmental disability can be provided reasonable access to the board's programs. Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., c…

Sec. 82.010. TRAINING PROGRAM REQUIRED. (a) A person who is appointed to and qualifies for office as a member of the Board of Law Examiners may not vote, deliberate, or be counted as a member in attendance at a meeting of the board until the person completes a training program th…

Sec. 82.011. WRITTEN COMPLAINTS. (a) The Board of Law Examiners shall maintain a file on each written complaint filed with the board. The file must include: (1) the name of the person who filed the complaint; (2) the date the complaint was received by the board; (3) the subject m…

Sec. 82.013. EFFECTIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY. The Board of Law Examiners shall develop and implement a policy requiring the executive director and board employees to research and propose appropriate technological solutions to improve the board's ability to perform its functions. The …

Sec. 82.021. SUPREME COURT AUTHORITY. Only the supreme court may issue licenses to practice law in this state as provided by this chapter. The power may not be delegated. Added by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 148, Sec. 3.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.

Sec. 82.022. SUPREME COURT RULEMAKING. (a) The supreme court may adopt rules on eligibility for examination for a license to practice law and on the manner in which the examination is conducted. The rules may include: (1) provisions to ensure: (A) good moral character of each can…

Sec. 82.023. DECLARATION OF INTENTION TO STUDY LAW. (a) Each person intending to apply for admission to the bar must file with the Board of Law Examiners, on a form provided by the board, a declaration of intention to study law. (b) The form for the declaration must clearly ident…

Sec. 82.024. LAW STUDY REQUIREMENTS; ELIGIBILITY FOR EXAMINATION. A person who has completed the prescribed study in an approved law school has satisfied the law study requirements for taking the examination for a license to practice law and is eligible to take the bar examinatio…

Sec. 82.0241. UNACCREDITED SCHOOLS OF LAW. All matters relating to licensing of persons who were enrolled at unaccredited schools of law in this state are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the State of Texas. Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 485, Sec. 2,…

Sec. 82.027. APPLICATION FOR EXAMINATION. (a) Each applicant to take a bar examination must file an application with the Board of Law Examiners not later than the date established by supreme court rule and pay the fee established by supreme court rule. (b) The application must in…

Sec. 82.0271. RESIDENCY OR CITIZENSHIP STATUS OF APPLICANT. A person who has applied to take the bar examination may not be denied admission to the bar examination based on the applicant's lack of: (1) permanent residency in the United States; or (2) United States citizenship. Ad…

Sec. 82.0272. TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES. An applicant who has a physical, mental, or developmental disability may request that the Board of Law Examiners provide testing accommodations on the bar examination. An applicant whose request is denied may …

Sec. 82.028. MORAL CHARACTER AND FITNESS OF APPLICANT. (a) The Board of Law Examiners may conduct an investigation of the moral character and fitness of each applicant for a license. (b) The board may contract with public or private entities for investigative services relating to…

Sec. 82.029. RELEASE OF BAR EXAMINATION RESULTS. (a) On request of a law school that is conducting research on the achievement of the law school's students or graduates on the Texas bar examination, the Board of Law Examiners shall provide the law school with information concerni…

Sec. 82.030. BOARD ASSESSMENT OF MORAL CHARACTER AND FITNESS. (a) The Board of Law Examiners shall assess each applicant's moral character and fitness based on: (1) the investigation of character and fitness performed after the filing of the declaration of intention to study law;…

Sec. 82.033. FEES. (a) The supreme court shall set the fee for the investigation of the moral character and fitness of each candidate at an amount that does not exceed $150. The candidate must pay the investigation fee to the Board of Law Examiners at the time it is requested by …

Sec. 82.034. USE OF FUNDS. Fees received by the Board of Law Examiners shall be deposited in a fund established by the supreme court. The fund may be used only to administer the functions of the supreme court and the board relating to the licensing of lawyers. The fund shall be u…

Sec. 82.035. AUDIT; FINANCIAL REPORT. (a) The financial transactions of the Board of Law Examiners are subject to audit by the state auditor in accordance with Chapter 321. (b) The board shall file annually with the supreme court, the governor, and the presiding officer of each h…

Sec. 82.036. FOREIGN ATTORNEYS. The supreme court shall make such rules and regulations as to admitting attorneys from other jurisdictions to practice law in this state as it shall deem proper and just. All such attorneys shall be required to furnish satisfactory proof as to good…

Sec. 82.0361. NONRESIDENT ATTORNEY FEE. (a) In this section, "nonresident attorney" means a person who resides in and is licensed to practice law in another state but who is not a member of the State Bar of Texas. (b) Except as provided by Subsection (e), a nonresident attorney r…

Sec. 82.037. OATH OF ATTORNEY. (a) Each person admitted to practice law shall, before receiving a license, take an oath that the person will: (1) support the constitutions of the United States and this state; (2) honestly demean oneself in the practice of law; (3) discharge the a…

Sec. 82.038. PROBATIONARY LICENSE FOR APPLICANT SUFFERING FROM CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY. (a) If, after a moral character and fitness assessment, the Board of Law Examiners determines that the applicant suffers from chemical dependency, the board shall notify the applicant of its deter…

Sec. 82.039. LICENSING GUIDELINES. (a) To assist the Board of Law Examiners in making consistent and fair determinations related to the licensing of attorneys in this state, the board shall develop specific guidelines for: (1) determining the moral character and fitness of licens…

Sec. 82.061. MISBEHAVIOR OR CONTEMPT. (a) An attorney at law may be fined or imprisoned by any court for misbehavior or for contempt of the court. (b) An attorney may not be suspended or stricken from the rolls for contempt unless the contempt involves fraudulent or dishonorable …

Sec. 82.062. DISBARMENT. Any attorney who is guilty of barratry, any fraudulent or dishonorable conduct, or malpractice may be suspended from practice, or the attorney's license may be revoked, by a district court of the county in which the attorney resides or in which the act co…

Sec. 82.063. RETENTION OF CLIENT'S MONEY. (a) A person may bring an action against the person's attorney if the attorney receives or collects money for the person and refuses to pay the money to the person on demand. (b) To recover under this section the person must file a motion…

Sec. 82.064. OFFICERS NOT TO APPEAR. (a) A judge or clerk of the supreme court, the court of criminal appeals, a court of appeals, or a district court, or a sheriff may not appear and plead as an attorney at law in any court of record in this state. (b) A county judge or county c…

Sec. 82.065. CONTRACT FOR LEGAL SERVICES. (a) A contingent fee contract for legal services must be in writing and signed by the attorney and client. (b) Any contract for legal services is voidable by the client if it is procured as a result of conduct violating Section 38.12(a) o…

Sec. 82.0651. CIVIL LIABILITY FOR PROHIBITED BARRATRY. (a) A client may bring an action to void a contract for legal services that was procured as a result of conduct violating Section 38.12(a) or (b), Penal Code, or Rule 7.03 of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Condu…

Sec. 82.066. ATTORNEY MAY NOT APPEAR. An attorney may not appear before a judge or justice in a civil case if the attorney is related to the judge or justice by affinity or consanguinity within the first degree, as determined under Chapter 573. Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. …

Sec. 82.101. SPECIALTY CERTIFICATION IN JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION. (a) The supreme court shall adopt rules establishing a specialty certification for attorneys in the practice area of judicial administration. (b) For purposes of establishing a specialty certification for attorneys …