Title GV, Government Code

Sec. 81.101. DEFINITION. (a) In this chapter the "practice of law" means the preparation of a pleading or other document incident to an action or special proceeding or the management of the action or proceeding on behalf of a client before a judge in court as well as a service re…

Sec. 81.1011. EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN LEGAL ASSISTANCE. (a) Notwithstanding Section 81.101(a), the "practice of law" does not include technical advice, consultation, and document completion assistance provided by an employee or volunteer of an area agency on aging affiliated with t…

Sec. 81.102. STATE BAR MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person may not practice law in this state unless the person is a member of the state bar. (b) The supreme court may promulgate rules prescribing the procedure for limited practice of law by: (…

Sec. 81.103. UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE OF LAW COMMITTEE. (a) The unauthorized practice of law committee is composed of nine persons appointed by the supreme court. (b) At least three of the committee members must be nonattorneys. (c) Committee members serve for staggered terms of thr…

Sec. 81.104. DUTIES OF UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE OF LAW COMMITTEE. The unauthorized practice of law committee shall: (1) keep the supreme court and the state bar informed with respect to: (A) the unauthorized practice of law by lay persons and lay agencies and the participation of at…

Sec. 81.105. LOCAL COMMITTEES. This chapter does not prohibit the establishment of local unauthorized practice of law committees to assist the unauthorized practice of law committee in carrying out its purposes. Added by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 148, Sec. 3.01, eff. Sept. 1, 198…

Sec. 81.106. IMMUNITY. (a) The unauthorized practice of law committee, any member of the committee, or any person to whom the committee has delegated authority and who is assisting the committee is not liable for any damages for an act or omission in the course of the official du…

Sec. 81.112. FEE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEDURE. The state bar shall establish a standard fee dispute resolution procedure that may be used by a bar committee or other organization as a model for a fee dispute resolution program. Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 795, Sec. 28, eff…

Sec. 81.113. CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the state bar shall credit an attorney licensed in this state with meeting the minimum continuing legal education requirements of the state bar for a reporting year if during the reporting year the…

Sec. 81.114. ATTORNEY INSTRUCTION RELATED TO GUARDIANSHIP ISSUES. (a) The state bar shall provide a course of instruction for attorneys who represent any person's interests in guardianship cases or who serve as court-appointed guardians. (b) The state bar shall adopt the rules ne…

Sec. 81.115. ONLINE ATTORNEY PROFILES. (a) The state bar shall create a profile of each attorney licensed by the state bar. The profile must: (1) include the information required by Subsection (b); (2) include the information described by Subsection (c) if that information is pro…

Sec. 81.121. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. (a) The executive committee consists of: (1) the president, the president-elect, and the immediate past president of the state bar; (2) the chair of the board of directors; (3) the president of the Texas Young Lawyers Association; and (4) additio…

Sec. 81.122. DUTIES OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The executive committee shall: (1) on the recommendation of the president of the state bar, approve the creation of additional standing and special committees of the state bar in accordance with Section 81.123; (2) conduct a comprehensi…

Sec. 81.123. APPROVAL OF COMMITTEES. Before the executive committee may approve the creation of an additional standing or special committee of the state bar, the committee must: (1) study and determine the fiscal impact creating the committee would have on the state bar budget; a…

Sec. 81.151. APPLICABILITY. (a) This subchapter applies only to a television advertisement that promotes a person's provision of legal services or solicits clients to receive legal services. (b) This subchapter does not apply to an advertisement by a federal, state, or local gove…

Sec. 81.152. PROHIBITED ADVERTISING. An advertisement for legal services may not: (1) present the advertisement as a "medical alert," "health alert," "drug alert," "public service announcement," or substantially similar phrase that suggests to a reasonable viewer the advertisemen…

Sec. 81.153. REQUIRED WARNINGS AND DISCLOSURES. (a) An advertisement for legal services must state, both verbally and visually: (1) at the beginning of the advertisement, "This is a paid advertisement for legal services."; (2) the identity of the sponsor of the advertisement; and…

Sec. 81.154. FORM OF REQUIRED WARNINGS AND DISCLOSURES; COURT FINDINGS. (a) A visual statement required by this subchapter to appear in an advertisement must be presented clearly, conspicuously, and for a sufficient length of time for a viewer to see and read the statement. (b) A…

Sec. 81.155. ENFORCEMENT; PRIVATE CAUSE OF ACTION NOT CREATED. (a) A violation of this subchapter is a deceptive act or practice actionable under Subchapter E, Chapter 17, Business & Commerce Code, solely as an enforcement action by the consumer protection division of the attorne…

Sec. 81.156. CONSTRUCTION OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter may not be construed to limit or otherwise affect the authority of the Supreme Court of Texas to regulate the practice of law, enforce the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, or discipline persons admitted to …

Sec. 82.001. BOARD OF LAW EXAMINERS. (a) The Board of Law Examiners is composed of nine attorneys who have the qualifications required of members of the supreme court. (b) The supreme court shall appoint the members of the board for staggered six-year terms, with the terms of one…

Sec. 82.002. CONFLICT OF INTEREST. (a) In this section, "Texas trade association" means a cooperative and voluntarily joined statewide association of business or professional competitors in this state designed to assist its members and its industry or profession in dealing with m…

Sec. 82.0021. REMOVAL OF BOARD MEMBERS. (a) It is a ground for removal from the Board of Law Examiners that a member: (1) does not have, at the time of taking office, the qualifications required by Section 82.001; (2) does not maintain during service on the board the qualificatio…

Sec. 82.003. OPEN RECORDS AND OPEN MEETINGS. (a) Except as provided by this section, the Board of Law Examiners is subject to Chapter 552 and Chapter 551. (b) Examination questions that may be used in the future and examinations other than the one taken by the person requesting i…

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…