Title GV, Government Code

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 …

Sec. 83.001. PROHIBITED ACTS. (a) A person, other than a person described in Subsection (b), may not charge or receive, either directly or indirectly, any compensation for all or any part of the preparation of a legal instrument affecting title to real property, including a deed,…

Sec. 83.002. EXPENSES. This chapter does not prevent an attorney from paying secretarial, paralegal, or other ordinary and reasonable expenses necessarily and actually incurred by the attorney for the preparation of legal instruments. Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 2, Sec. 8.…

Sec. 83.003. FORMS. This chapter does not prevent a person from completing lease or rental forms that: (1) have been prepared by an attorney licensed in this state and approved by the attorney for the particular kind of transaction involved; or (2) have been prepared by the prope…

Sec. 83.004. CUMULATIVE REMEDIES. This chapter is not exclusive and does not limit or restrict the definition of the practice of law in the State Bar Act (Chapter 81). This chapter does not limit or restrict any remedy provided in the State Bar Act or any other law designed to el…

Sec. 83.005. RECOVERY. A person who pays a fee prohibited by this chapter may bring suit for and is entitled to: (1) recovery of the fee paid; (2) damages equal to three times the fee paid; and (3) court costs and reasonable and necessary attorney's fees. Added by Acts 1989, 71st…

Sec. 83.006. UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE OF LAW. A violation of this chapter constitutes the unauthorized practice of law and may be enjoined by a court of competent jurisdiction. Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 2, Sec. 8.43(a), eff. Aug. 28, 1989.

Sec. 84.001. PROHIBITED ACTS. Before the conclusion of all aspects of a criminal matter that gives rise to an attorney's employment, an attorney may not make or negotiate an agreement with a client, a prospective client, or former client that provides the attorney literary or med…

Sec. 84.002. CRIMINAL OFFENSE. (a) A person commits an offense if, while acting as an attorney, the person agrees to accept as compensation for legal advice provided by the person in a criminal matter the right to publish, in print, film, or otherwise, the account of a crime or t…

Sec. 84.003. CIVIL LIABILITY. (a) A person, including the victim of a crime or the estate of a victim of a crime, may bring suit against an attorney whose violation of Section 84.001 results in damages incurred by the person bringing the suit. (b) A person who brings suit under t…

Sec. 84.004. CUMULATIVE REMEDIES. This chapter is cumulative of other law under which a person may obtain judicial relief. An administrative, civil, or criminal action brought against an attorney based on a violation of this chapter does not limit or restrict another action again…

Sec. 91.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Board" means the State Law Library Board. (2) "Director" means the director of the State Law Library. (3) "Library" means the State Law Library. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985.

Sec. 91.002. LIBRARY OPERATIONS. (a) The library shall maintain a legal reference facility that includes the statutes and case reports from the several states and legal periodicals and journals. (b) The facility may be used by the members and staff of the supreme court, court of …

Sec. 91.003. BOARD; ADMINISTRATION. (a) The library is administered by the board. (b) The board is composed of the chief justice of the supreme court, the presiding judge of the court of criminal appeals, and the attorney general. (c) A member of the board may designate a persona…

Sec. 91.004. COMPENSATION. A member of the board or his personal representative may not receive compensation for his service on the board. A member or his representative is entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings or performing ot…

Sec. 91.005. PERSONNEL. (a) The board shall employ a director of the library and shall set his salary. The director serves at the will of the board and is accountable only to the board. (b) The director may employ professional and clerical personnel with the approval of the board…

Sec. 91.006. TRANSFER OF LIBRARY MATERIALS. (a) The board by unanimous vote may transfer library books, papers, or publications to the library of the Law School of The University of Texas at Austin. (b) The transferred materials may be recalled by a majority vote of the board. Ac…

Sec. 91.007. RULES. The board shall adopt rules necessary to ensure the efficient operation of the library. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985.

Sec. 91.009. DONATIONS. The library may accept on behalf of the state donations of money and other property as the library considers appropriate. Money donated to the library shall be deposited in the state treasury. Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 321, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1…

Sec. 91.011. LIBRARY SERVICE FEES. The director of the state law library may set and charge a fee for services provided by state law library staff. Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., 1st C.S., ch. 5, Sec. 9.12, eff. Sept. 1, 1991. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 398 (S.B. 1491)…

Sec. 92.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "At-risk individual" means: (A) a judge, as defined by Section 33.001; (B) a federal judge, as defined by Section 411.201, who resides in this state; (C) a court clerk; or (D) an employee of a state court, a court clerk, the office, …

Sec. 92.002. PROHIBITED DISSEMINATION OF COVERED INFORMATION. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person may not knowingly sell, license, trade for consideration, transfer, purchase, or otherwise disseminate covered information of an at-risk individual or an immediate fam…

Sec. 92.003. PROHIBITED DISPLAY OF COVERED INFORMATION. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person, including a data broker, may not publicly post or display on a publicly accessible Internet website covered information of an at-risk individual or an immediate family memb…

Sec. 92.004. DUTY TO REMOVE COVERED INFORMATION. After receiving a written request under Section 92.002 or 92.003, a person, including a data broker, shall: (1) not later than the 10th business day after the date the request is received: (A) remove from the Internet website the c…

Sec. 92.005. OFFICE PROCEDURES. The judicial security division of the office shall develop a process by which a judge can file a written request with the director of the office to notify a person, including a data broker, on the judge's behalf, of a written request submitted by t…

Sec. 92.006. TRANSFER. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) and Section 92.002(b), after receiving a written request under Section 92.003, a person, including a data broker, may not transfer the covered information to any other person through any medium. (b) Subsection (a) do…

Sec. 92.007. CIVIL REMEDIES. (a) If the covered information of an at-risk individual or an immediate family member of the individual is made public as a result of a violation of this chapter, the at-risk individual may bring an action in a court seeking injunctive or declaratory …

Sec. 92.008. CRIMINAL OFFENSES. (a) A person commits an offense if: (1) the person intentionally posts covered information of an at-risk individual or an immediate family member of the individual on a publicly accessible Internet website without first obtaining the consent of the…

Sec. 121.001. DEFINITION. In this subtitle, "specialty court" means a court established under this subtitle or former law. Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 747 (S.B. 462), Sec. 1.01, eff. September 1, 2013.

Sec. 121.002. OVERSIGHT. (a) The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives may assign to appropriate legislative committees duties relating to the oversight of specialty court programs. (b) For the purpose of determining the eligibility of a specialty co…

Sec. 121.003. APPOINTMENT OF PRESIDING JUDGE OR MAGISTRATE FOR REGIONAL SPECIALTY COURT PROGRAM. A judge or magistrate of a district court or statutory county court who is authorized by law to hear criminal cases may be appointed to preside over a regional specialty court program…

Sec. 121.004. JURISDICTION AND AUTHORITY OF JUDGE OR MAGISTRATE IN REGIONAL SPECIALTY COURT PROGRAM. (a) A judge or magistrate appointed to preside over a regional specialty court program may hear any misdemeanor or felony case properly transferred to the program by an originatin…

Sec. 122.001. FAMILY DRUG COURT PROGRAM DEFINED. In this chapter, "family drug court program" means a program that has the following essential characteristics: (1) the integration of substance abuse treatment services in the processing of civil cases in the child welfare system w…

Sec. 122.002. AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH PROGRAM. The commissioners court of a county may establish a family drug court program for persons who: (1) have had a child removed from their care by the Department of Family and Protective Services; and (2) are suspected by the Department o…