December 2010 - Tarrant County Bar Association

Bulletin 

December 2010 

REMEMBER TO 

BRING STUFFED 

YA’LL COME 

TO “A TEXAS CHRISTMAS” 

DECEMBER 9, 2010 

TARRANT COUNTY 

BAR CENTER 

5 TO 7 P.M. 

ANIMALS OR CHILDREN’S BOOKS TO PUT UNDER 

THE TREE FOR DONATION TO THE FAMILY COURTS

Tarrant County 

Bar Association 

Phone: (817) 338-4092 

Fax: (817) 335-9238 

Website: www.tarrantbar.org 

E-mail: tcba@tarrantbar.org 

2010–2011 Officers 

President ................................W. Bradley Parker 

President-Elect ..................Robert E. Aldrich, Jr. 

Vice President ......................J. Benjamin Barlow 

Secretary-Treasurer ..................Ann L. Diamond 

2010–2011 Elected Directors 

Christie Glenn Michael J. Henry 

Karmen Johnson David E. Keltner 

Lori A. Spearman Robert G. West 

2010–2011 Appointed Directors 

Dean Arturo “Artie” Errisuriz 

Daniel A. White 

Immediate Past President 

John Allen Chalk, Sr. 

FORT WORTH-TARRANT COUNTY YOUNG 

LAWYERS ASSOCIATION 

John Brender 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

Patricia Graham, PLS, CLAS 

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS 

STATE BAR OF TEXAS DIRECTORS 

Mark G. Daniel 

ABA DELEGATE 

Judge David Evans 

BAR BULLETIN 

Roger Simon, Editor 

Tanya Pierce, Assistant Editor 

Pat Leake, PLS, CLAS, Staff Editor 

The Tarrant County Bar Bulletin is a 

monthly publication of the Tarrant County Bar 

Association. Articles, photos, and events for 

the calendar, suggestions, or comments should 

be directed to 1315 Calhoun Street, Fort 

Worth, Texas 76102-6504 

Deadline for submission is the 20th 

day of the month, two months before the 

date of the issue (e.g. April 20th for the 

June issue). Items for publication may be 

sent by fax to 817- 335-9238 or e-mail to 

pat@tarrantbar.org in Word format. 

Articles published in the Bar Bulletin 

do not necessarily reflect the opinions of 

the Tarrant County Bar Association, its 

officers, or the Board of Directors. 

Calendar listings, classifieds, advertisements, 

and feature articles should not be 

considered an endorsement of any 

service, product, program, seminar, or 

event. 

by Brad Parker 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 

I cannot believe that it is almost Christmas. The holiday 

season is one of my favorite times of year—the air turns crisp 

and, in my mind, summer is officially over. Thanksgiving is 

my absolute favorite holiday. The entire family, and then some, 

gathers at my house for the weekend to enjoy food, laughter, 

and a cold beverage or two. It has become a great tradition that everyone 

thoroughly enjoys. As both of my daughters celebrate their birthdays in 

December, things turn rather hectic for me. Nonetheless, December brings new 

memories of fun and laughter. The important thing is that the holidays allow 

us the opportunity to spend some time with our families and friends. Please be 

sure to use the holidays as a great opportunity to just sit and visit with those 

who are close to you. You might even pull out those old board games, 

dominoes, or cards and bring back the good times that we all had as kids. 

The holiday season is also a great time to share with those who are less 

fortunate than us. Given the state of the economy, the unemployment rate, and 

other circumstances too numerous to list, there are those who will not be able 

to enjoy the holidays in a manner that they want for themselves or their 

families. And let us not forget those who have loved ones who are away in the 

armed forces. Remember them in your thoughts and prayers. 

There are many ways that you can give in order to make the season a little 

brighter for those who are less fortunate. It can be as simple as contributing to 

the Bears and Books project for the Tarrant County Family Courts, donating to 

the Tarrant County Food Bank, serving at a homeless kitchen, or contributing 

to any number of different charities that provide for the needy. There are also 

several opportunities to send basic supplies and necessities to the men and 

women who are serving abroad in the armed forces. The true spirit of the 

holiday season always seems a little more heartfelt when you share it with 

someone whom you don’t even know, no matter how small or large the 

contribution. The Tarrant County Bar Foundation is accepting donations for 

the Tarrant Area Food Bank—a donation of $25 can provide an entire meal for 

a family of five. 

TCBA HOLIDAY PARTY 

Speaking of spending time with family and friends, I hope that you will 

attend the TCBA annual Holiday Party, on Thursday, December 9, at the Bar 

offices, from 5-7 p.m. We ask that you bring with you to the party a stuffed 

medium-size animal, in support of the adoption days in the Tarrant County 

Courts. 

THE NEW YEAR 

Another exciting aspect of the holiday season is that a new year 

immediately follows. There is just something about the beginning of a new 

year that awakens our sense of enthusiasm and optimism. Next year brings on 

a host of new activities and gives us an opportunity to start fresh. There are 

several TCBA events scheduled for this spring. Please be sure to mark your 

calendars for the All-Star CLE, on March 3; the Bench Bar Conference, on 

April 1, at The Cliffs on Possum Kingdom; and the Law Day Awards Dinner, 

on May 5, at the Fort Worth Club. These are only a few of the things that the 

TCBA has going on this spring. 

MEMBERSHIP 

TCBA’s membership is a little low this year. Without the revenues 

generated from membership dues, many of the great programs sponsored by 

TCBA would not be available. If you are reading this and have not paid your 

dues, please do so. If you know of anyone who is not a member of the TCBA, 

please encourage him or her to join. Dues are low and the benefits are great. 

continued to page 17 

TCBA Bulletin December 2010 3

Did you know . . . the Lawyer 

Referral & Information Service has 

averaged 1,102 referrals per month 

since the 2010-2011 bar year began 

on July 1, 2010? 

Did you know . . . the Lawyer 

Referral & Information Service 

brought in over $73,000 in referral fees during the first part of 

2010? These fees were paid on contingency cases according 

to the LRIS rules when the cases were referred. 

Did you know . . . effective July 1, 2010, the LRIS has 

collected referral fees on cases that generate attorney fees of 

$750 or more (except for chapter 13 bankruptcy cases)? 

Under this new rule, the LRIS has collected almost $20,000 

in referral fees. 

Did you know . . . the LRIS is an important part of the 

Tarrant County Bar Association? It helps the Bar provide 

community service by matching community members’ needs 

with attorneys qualified to help. Many callers are frustrated 

Mark Anderson 

Tyler Atkinson 

Delia Cruz-Bruno 

Wes Dauphinot 

Todd Durden 

Have you been practicing for 

fewer than three years? Would you 

like to have opportunities to 

discuss your law practice with an 

experienced attorney who practices 

law in Tarrant County? If you 

answered yes to these questions, 

you need to participate in the 2011 

Did You Know?? 

Michael Grossman 

David Jansky 

Bobby Lee 

Caleb Moore 

Jerry Murad 

or overwhelmed when trying to locate 

an attorney to represent them. Not 

knowing the law, they ask, “Who do I call and how can I be 

sure that this person is qualified to handle my case?” The 

LRIS strives to provide each caller with an attorney qualified 

in the relevant area of law. LRIS panel attorneys must be in 

good standing with the State Bar of Texas and, in many areas 

of practice, show proof of capability/experience in order to 

receive referrals in those practice areas. Through continuous 

communication between the panel attorneys and the LRIS 

staff, the LRIS is able to refer the 1,000 + calls per month to 

qualified panel attorneys. The LRIS of the Tarrant County 

Bar Association is certified by the State Bar of Texas and the 

American Bar Association. 

Did you know . . . that if you need to refer a client to 

another attorney, you can support your Bar Association by 

referring the client to the Lawyer Referral & Information 

Service at (817) 336-4101. 

Thanks to the following LRIS panel attorneys, who have 

settled cases referred to them by the Lawyer Referral & 

Information Service since July 1, 2010: 

Rick Musal 

Joy NeSmith 

David Pritchard 

Will Pruitt 

David Robinson 

Karen Schroeder 

Joyce Stevens 

Sommer Walker 

Ron Walton 

Cynthia Williams 

2011 TRANSITION TO PRACTICE MENTOR PROGRAM 

Transition to Practice Mentor 

Program, which begins in January 

of 2011. To sign up for this FREE 

PROGRAM or to receive more 

information, email Cindy Rankin, 

TCBA Membership Director at 

cindy@tarrantbar.org, or call her at 

817-338-4092. 

This mentor program is modeled 

after the State Bar of Texas’s 

program whereby a newer attorney 

is paired with an experienced 

attorney who practices in the same 

or similar areas of law. Every 

other month, beginning in January, 

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY 

HOUSE TO BE 

DEDICATED 

TCBA members, especially 

those who sponsored and 

volunteered to make this dream a reality, are 

invited to the celebration of a new phase in the 

lives of Florence and Christopher Opurong. The 

2010 Building on Faith Dedication is on 

Saturday, December 4, at 12:30 p.m. 

at the River Ranch, near the Stockyards of Fort 

Worth, at 500 Northeast 23rd Street. Food will 

be provided by Boomer Jack’s and entertainment 

by Judge Brent Carr’s Cowtown Music Club. 

the paired attorneys will attend free 

CLE luncheons held at the Tarrant 

County Bar Center. During the 

other months, the newer attorney 

and the experienced attorney are 

asked to schedule an hour to meet 

with each other. It is a great 

program that gives newer attorneys 

an opportunity to get practical 

information that can enhance their 

law practices. 

A BIG THANKS TO ALL THOSE 

who served as Mentors in 2010! 

The program could not happen 

without YOU! 

T ARRANT C OUNTY L AWYERS 

A RE T HE B EST!! 

RSVP to Miranda Ebersle at 817- 

926-9218 ext. 108 or email 

miranda.ebersole@trinity 

habitat.org. It is a time for the 

Opurongs to say thanks to the 

families, sponsors, and volunteers 

that partnered with Trinity Habitat 

for Humanity to make this home a 

reality. 

4 December 2010 TCBA Bulletin

“A Texas Christmas” 

The Tarrant County 

Bar Foundation is pleased 

to present the first ever 

TCBA Annual Holiday Party 

December 9, 2010 5 to 7 p.m. 

“Tarrant TortFeasors” 

on Saturday, February 26, 2011, at 

the Fort Worth Community Arts 

Center, 1300 Gendy Street, Fort 

Worth, 76107, beginning at 7:00 p.m. 

Please join us for an evening of 

entertainment at the first variety 

show featuring local talent! You will 

enjoy a show full of comedy & music 

produced and directed by lawyers, 

and featuring local attorneys, judges, 

legal support staff, and law students. 

Tarrant County Bar Center 

1315 Calhoun Street 

This will be a party, Texas style, so feel free to 

wear your jeans and hat, or come 

straight from the office -- 

just be here for great food and fun. 

Bring stuffed animals or children’s books 

to put under the tree to benefit children 

involved in family-court matters. 

“YOUR NAME IN LIGHTS” 

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 

Sponsorships are available at 

various levels and are tax deductible. 

To become a sponsor, visit 

www.tarrantbar.org and click on 

“Tarrant Tortfeasors” or email 

sherry@tarrantbar.org or trisha@ 

tarrantbar.org for a sponsorship form. 

The print deadline for sponsorships is 

February 1, 2011. Sponsors will 

have reserved show seating, a “Meet 

the Stars Reception,” and a special 

listing in the program and Bar 

Bulletin. Please consider sponsoring 

this event. The proceeds from this 

event will provide 

funds for Legal Aid of 

NorthWest Texas and 

various community-service projects 

underwritten by the Tarrant County 

Bar Foundation. 


TARRANT COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION SALUTES ITS 

2010-2011 “100 CLUB” MEMBERS 

Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C. 

Albert Neely & Kuhlmann, LLP 

Bakutis, McCully & Sawyer, P.C. 

Bank of America 

Barlow Garsek & Simon, L.L.P. 

Barrett, Daffin, Frappier, Turner & Engel, LLC 

Beadles Newman & Lawler, PC 

Berenson Firm P.C., The 

Berry, Odom, Rabinowitz & Bobo, LLP 

Bishop Payne Harvard & Kaitcer LLP 

Blaies & Hightower, L.L.P. 

Blum Firm, P.C., The 

Bob Leonard Law Group, PLLC 

Bodoin, Agnew, Greene & Maxwell, P.C. 

Bourland & Kirkman, L.L.P. 

Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C. 

Boyle & Lowry, L.L.P. 

Brackett & Ellis, P.C. 

Law Offices of Art Brender 

Broude Smith & Jennings PC 

Brown, Dean, Wiseman, Proctor, Hart & Howell, L.L.P. 

Bruner & Pappas LLP 

City Attorney’s Office-City of Fort Worth 

Colaneri Firm, P.C., The 

Curnutt & Hafer, L.L.P. 

Decker, Jones, McMackin, McClane, Hall & Bates, P.C. 

Dismuke, Waters & Sweet, P.C. 

Fillmore Law Firm, P.C. 

Forshey & Prostok, L.L.P. 

Friedman, Suder & Cooke 

Gardner Aldrich, LLP 

Goodrich Postnikoff & Albertson, LLP 

Griffith, Jay, & Michel, L.L.P. 

Harris, Finley & Bogle, P.C. 

Harrison-Steck, P.C. 

Haynes and Boone, L.L.P. 

Higgins & Associates 

Holland, Johns & Penny, L.L.P. 

Jackson Walker, L.L.P. 

Johnston Legal Group, P.C. 

Jose, Henry, Brantley, MacLean & Alvarado, L.L.P. 

JP Morgan Chase Bank 

K & L Gates LLP 

Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP 

Kirkley & Berryman, LLP 

Kobs, Haney & Hundley, LLC 

Landrith & Kulesz, L.L.P. 

Law, Snakard & Gambill, P.C. 

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas 

Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, L.L.P. 

Lively & Associates, L.L.P. 

Loe, Warren, Rosenfield, Kaitcer, Hibbs, Windsor 

& Lawrence, P.C. 

McDonald Sanders, P.C. 

Mellina & Larson, P.C. 

Moses, Palmer & Howell, L.L.P. 

Murphy, Mahon, Keffler & Farrier, L.L.P. 

Noteboom Law Firm 

Padfield & Stout, LLP 

Pope, Hardwicke, Christie, Schell, Kelly & Ray, L.L.P. 

Ross & Matthews, P.C. 

Sanford, Baumeister & Frazier, PLLC 

Second Court of Appeals 

Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller, L.L.P. 

Tarrant County Probate Court # 1 

Taylor Olson Adkins Sralla & Elam, LLP 

Thompson & Knight, LLP 

Wallach & Andrews, P.C. 

Watson, Caraway, Midkiff & Luningham, L.L.P. 

Weaver and Tidwell, L.L.P. 

Whitaker, Chalk, Swindle & Sawyer, L.L.P. 

Whitley Penn, LLP 

Wilson, White & Doby, L.L.P. 

Winstead PC 

Law firms, government agencies, law schools, and corporate legal departments with 100% of their attorneys (four or 

more) qualify for the “100 Club.” The Association is proud of the participation of these law firms and other groups in 

2009-2010! The new 2010-2011 Bar year begain on July 1, and this list above will grow and reflect the 100 Club 

members for the new year. For information, contact Membership Director Cindy Rankin at the Bar Offices at 

817-338-4092 or e-mail cindy@tarrantbar.org. 

Join the TCBA volunteers to work with 

Big Brothers Big Sisters -- 

be a mentor to a young person. 

To volunteer, contact Karen Precella at 

karen.precella@haynesboone.com or 

Robert Aldrich at raldrich@gardneraldrich.com. 


Tarrant County Bar 

Cowtown 5K Run/Walk Team 

We are calling on all attorneys and judges, 

their staffs, law students, and family 

members to stay fit and have fun by 

running or walking three miles on 

Saturday, February 26, 2011. 

Just go to 

www.https://secure.marathonguide.com/ 

register/cowtownmarathon/, 

click on Adult 5K, and use our team name 

(Tarrant County Bar) to get a discount. 

The reduced cost of only $17.00 

(plus a small service charge) is good 

through January 13, 2011. This includes 

a shirt and refreshments. 

Thanks to Bill Berenson for 

organizing this event. 

Lenore 

Mason 

Diamond 

Lenore Mason Diamond 

What is your philosophy about 

practicing law? 

While it is easy to become absorbed 

in the day-to-day business of practicing 

law—examining legal issues, developing 

solutions to address practical 

problems, advising clients on their 

rights and obligations—it is important 

to go back to what we learned in the 

classroom regarding the practice of law 

and its importance in our society. Law 

is as much an intellectual pursuit as it is 

a practical one, and it is the continuous 

balancing of these two aspects that 

makes for a rewarding and stimulating 

professional career. It is important to 

ask not just what the law is, but also 

what the law should be. 

How does your life experience 

influence your practice? 

I chose the practice of law 

because I wanted to be an effective 

advocate. Too many times, people see 

Tax & Estate Planning Section 

is pleased to announce that its section 

luncheon will host the 

ROY ADAMS TELECONFERENCE SERIES. 

Sponsored by 

1.5 hours of CLE per session. 

T UESDAY, UESDAY, 

DECEMBER 

DECEMBER 

7, 2010 

“Gathering Necessary Data for 

Estate Planning and Obtaining 

New Business from Prospective 

or Existing Clients” 

Fort Worth Club 

$10 for Section members; $15 for non- 

Section members/guests/walk-ins 

RSVP by noon on December 3 to 

Diane Howell at 8173340066 or 

dhowell@theblumfirm.com 

SPOTLIGHT ON DIVERSITY 

The Diversity Committee is committed to the inclusion of all people 

in the legal profession. Through its projects, it strives to enhance 

employment and economic opportunities for all minority and women 

attorneys and to promote the involvement of minorities and women in 

the Tarrant County Bar Association. One diverse member of our Bar 

will be spotlighted each month. If you know of someone who would 

make a great subject, please contact the chair of the 2010-2011 

Diversity Committee, Kathy Roux, at kathyroux@tx.rr.com. 

the law as a complicated set of rules 

and structures that is bigger than we 

are, outside of ourselves. But our 

legal system is also incredibly accessible, 

and I am example of this. I am 

the youngest of 11 children and the 

first in my family to be college educated. 

Although my mother completed 

only grade school and my 

father achieved his GED through the 

military, education was always extremely 

important in my family as a 

way of becoming self-reliant. I came 

to law by a circuitous route, mostly 

being attracted to it because of the 

opportunities that it offered to learn 

and think deeply about real-life 

problems. It is important to me that I 

bring my experience as someone who 

comes from a background with little 

access to higher education and few 

affirmative interactions with the legal 

system to every situation in which I 

act as an advocate for someone else. 

What is your best advice to a new 

attorney? 

Try everything. Be open to new 

experiences. There are a lot of different 

ways and venues in which to practice 

law. The more avenues you explore, the 

better the chances will be that you find 

or develop a law practice that reflects 

your specific talents, interests, and 

skills. Legal practice, more than most 

other professions, offers an attorney the 

possibility of crafting a career that 

reflects who the attorney is as a person, 

which is a gift and an opportunity. 

Background Information 

Lenore is currently the assistant 

general counsel of American Eagle 

Airlines in Fort Worth. Her primary 

practice involves corporate transactional 

work. She is licensed to practice law in 

Texas and New York. She received her 

law degree from New York University 

School of Law and has been practicing 

law for over 12 years. She can be 

reached by phone at 817-931-9161 or 

by email at lenore.diamond@aa.com. 


LEGAL AID OF NORTHWEST TEXAS 

2009-2010 FISCAL YEAR PRO-BONO AWARDS 

During the CLE Membership Luncheon on November 9, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas 

acknowledged the Pro-Bono Award Winners for this term. LANWT was also presented with a check for $15,000 from the Tarrant 

County Bar Foundation, from the TCBA donations collected for the past term. 

The 2010 Dwight H. Moore Volunteer Attorney of the Year 

Urban: Julie Jacobson 

Although Julie Jacobson obtained her license to practice in November 2009, she has put in 134.5 pro bono hours this year. Since 

January 2010, Ms. Jacobson has volunteered at numerous legal clinics and currently volunteers at four of the eight Fort Worth legal 

clinics. She has also accepted six family-law and six will cases. The American Bar Association Family Law Section recently recognized 

Ms. Jacobson for her enthusiasm and commitment. Jacobson, who was selected from a broad pool of dedicated volunteers, was 

honored at the annual CLE conference, which was held this past October in Fort Worth. 

Rural: Patrick Mueller 

Patrick Mueller is an adjunct professor at Texas Christian University, and he has a history of volunteering with legal-aid programs. 

He began his current clinic-volunteer activities with Legal Aid of Northwest Texas (LANWT) in July 2009. Despite his teaching schedule, 

Professor Mueller has logged 56 pro-bono hours this year and has closed six cases. 

The 2010 Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney: William M. Russell 

William Russell, a successful consumer-bankruptcy practitioner, has been a long-time volunteer with LANWT’s bankruptcy clinic. 

Mr. Russell’s willingness to volunteer is surpassed only by the care and compassion that he and his staff show each client. This year 

alone, he has accepted 21 pro-bono cases and closed 16 others. 

The 2010 William L. Johnson, Jr., Legal Clinic Attorney Volunteer Awards 

Urban: C. William Blair 

A corporate and securities practitioner with Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP, C. William Blair has volunteered his time at LANWT’s 

Northside clinic for the past 7 years. He not only interviews applicants at the clinic but also accepts pro-bono cases. This year, he 

donated 23 hours of time working in the clinic, in addition to accepting several pro-bono cases. 

Rural: Charles Webb 

Charles Webb has volunteered with the Johnson County clinic since 2003. An attorney for more than 40 years, Mr. Webb is a 

general practitioner who has logged more than 28 pro-bono clinic hours this year. He is also an accomplished pilot and enjoys 

restoring older aircraft in his spare time. 

Non-Attorney Volunteer Awards 

Urban: Jacklyn Crisp 

Describing herself as a paralegal in search of an attorney, Jackie Crisp volunteers at the Bankruptcy and Arlington legal clinics. In 

the late 1990s, Ms. Crisp began volunteering with LANWT to complete a required internship, and she never left. She has logged in 

26 volunteer hours this year. 

Rural: Virginia Armendariz 

After earning a BA in Criminal Science in 2007, Virginia Armendariz joined Cross Timbers Family Services, a crisis intervention 

agency in Erath County, as a bilingual legal advocate. In this capacity, she assists crime victims and works closely with LANWT as a 

volunteer to further assist her clients in their legal efforts. This year, she has donated 18 hours of time volunteering at the Erath 

County legal clinic. 

2010 Outstanding Law Firms 

Large Firm: Cantey Hanger LLP 

With offices in three Texas cities, Cantey Hanger employs more than 50 attorneys in its Fort Worth office. The Fort Worth 

location began its volunteer activities in 2008, when one of its associates approached a LANWT attorney about contributing probono 

hours. Since that time, the firm has added a pro-bono initiative to its associate-training program. Thus far, 16 associates have 

agreed to accept a minimum of two pro-bono cases each from LANWT, not only in Tarrant County, but also in Erath, Hood, Johnson, 

Palo Pinto, Parker, and Somervell counties. This year, the associates have accepted 23 cases, completed 11, and logged more than 

242 pro-bono hours. 

Medium Firm: McDonald Sanders PC 

McDonald Sanders implemented a pro-bono program in its firm in February 2010. With Stuart Lumpkins, Jr., serving as the probono 

liaison, five associates have joined the program. Since that time, the six attorneys have logged more than 88 hours of probono 

service and have accepted nine cases. 

Small Firm: Sherman Law Firm, PC 

Attorneys Sharon and Robert Sherman own a small law practice in Northeast Tarrant County. The husband and wife team each 

volunteer with LANWT’s evening legal-clinic program, Ms. Sherman at the Bankruptcy clinic and Mr. Sherman at the Northeast clinic. 

In addition to interviewing applicants, both attorneys accept pro-bono cases. Together, they have contributed a total of more then 

233 pro-bono hours this year and have closed more than 37 cases. Ms. Sherman also donates her time by working on LANWT’s Pro 

Bono Advisory Board. 


The first five 

clinics are now complete--they 

averaged 17 veterans per clinic. Of 

these, some veterans received only 

legal advice, some were not qualified 

financially to be assigned a pro-bono 

attorney, and the remainder had cases 

that were taken into the Legal Aid of 

Northwest Texas (LANWT) pool or, if 

there was a conflict, into the Texas 

Lawyers for Texas Veterans-Tarrant 

County Bar Association (TLTV- 

TCBA) pool. It has been a gratifying 

and educational experience. 

In October, I attended the grantee 

meeting with the Texas Access to 

Justice Foundation in Austin. During 

that meeting, I learned that there are 

5.7 million Texas citizens who would 

be qualified for free legal representation 

through a legal-aid program. 

The problem is, however, that the 

funding furnished to the legal-aid 

programs has diminished for two 

reasons: first, the income from 

During the 

November 9 CLE 

Membership meeting, 33 members 

who had served or were serving in 

the Armed Forces were honored, 

including many of those featured in 

the November issue of the Bar 

Bulletin. The TCBA Lawyer Referral 

& Information Service paid for 

interest earned on IOLTA accounts is 

less than 1% compared to just a few 

years ago, when those accounts could 

draw 5-6%; and, second, the donations 

to the Access to Justice 

Foundation have decreased. 

But the Foundation is diligently 

working to get before the Texas 

legislature legislation to secure state 

funding for the aid of low-income 

citizens. We all need to contact our 

representative to voice the need for 

this funding and to support the bill 

before the legislature. The funding 

affects the veterans programs and all 

legal-aid services. TLTV-TCBA 

Chapter is proud of our grant from the 

Texas Access to Justice Foundation. 

During our May 2011 clinic, representatives 

of the Texas Access to 

Justice Foundation will be present to 

watch our program first-hand. 

As everyone saw in the November 

issue of the Bar Bulletin, TCBA 

TCBA HONORS V ETERANS AT 

CLE LUNCHEON N OVEMBER 9 

the meal of each veteran, and each 

was given a Grateful American 

Coin that said, “Thank You For Your 

Service From a Grateful American.” 

The purchase of these coins also 

funded to provide needs to the 

severely injured men and women of 

the U.S. Armed Forces. Many of the 

members who received the coin were 

honored those 

members who had served their 

country. This honor was deeply 

appreciated by the veterans. We often 

forget that many of the TCBA 

members served in the Vietnam War 

and even in the Korean War and 

World War II. All veterans who have 

served their country to protect our 

freedoms and rights should be told 

that their service is appreciated. The 

November issue of the Texas Bar 

Journal was dedicated to the Texas 

Lawyers for Texas Veterans program. 

In that issue, various bar-association 

members presented several reports. 

TCBA’s own TLTV Chair Aleed 

Rivera, TLTV Chair-elect Brian K. 

Walker, and TLTV committee member 

Bob Brown, presented a report on the 

status of the TLTV program and the 

needs of veterans. From those 

reports, you know that there is a need 

for the program. 

continued to page 16 

appreciative of the recognization. 

One member wrote, “You are to be 

commended for honoring the local 

bar veterans: first just doing so; 

publishing a dedicated, unique and 

artistic edition of the Bulletin; and 

providing an observance luncheon 

and commemorative coin. I am sure 

TCBA vets appreciated all. (Particularly 

for Vietnam Conflict veterans, 

Tuesday's reception was in stark 

contrast to that given those during 

that period who were fortunate to 

return home 

from that 

theatre.)” 

Thanks, 

Veterans, for the 

service and the 

sacrifices that 

you made to 

protect our 

country. Many 

of you have the 

memories and 

scars of your 

service and 

deserve all the 

honors 

bestowed. 


ASK JUDGE BOB: 

Judge Bob, what 

is a Herrera claim? 

“[A] Herrera claim 

[ ] is a substantive 

claim in which the 

person asserts a ‘bare 

claim of innocence’ 

based solely on newly 

discovered evidence.” Ex parte 

Franklin, 310 S.W.3d 918, 921 (Tex. 

App.—Beaumont 2010, no pet. h.) 

(citation omitted). 

ASK THE DANES: 

Cleo and Ramses, if 

a lease 

agreement 

allows a 

tenant to 

keep a dog 

and doesn’t 

specify any 

breeds that the tenant is 

prohibited from keeping, 

can the landlord prohibit the tenant 

from keeping any certain breeds? 

If the landlord terminates the lease 

based on prohibiting a breed of dog 

that wasn’t excluded under the lease, 

then the landlord has arguably 

breached the lease. See Tex. Prop. 

Code § 91.004(a). 

THE DANES’ QUOTE OF THE MONTH: 

“The most affectionate creature in 

the world is a wet dog.” 

Ambrose Bierce 

ITEMS OF INTEREST 

1. Void Deeds 

“[D]eeds are void ab initio under very 

limited circumstances. Forged deeds 

are void ab initio; however, deeds 

obtained by fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, 

undue influence, or 

mutual mistake are not void, but 

voidable.” Garcia v. Garza, 311 

S.W.3d 28, 44 (Tex. App.—San 

Antonio 2010, pet. denied) (citations 

omitted). 

2. UEFJA 

“Under the [Uniform Enforcement of 

Foreign Judgments Act,] the party 

seeking to enforce a foreign judgment 

has the initial burden to present a 

judgment that appears on its face to 

be a final, valid, and subsisting judgment. 

The burden then shifts to the 

F ROM T HE C IVIL S IDE 

BY JUSTICE BOB MCCOY, 2 nd Court of Appeals 

judgment debtor to prove by clear and 

convincing evidence that the foreign 

judgment should not be given full 

faith and credit.” Counsel Fin. Servs., 

L.L.C. v. Leibowitz, P.C., 311 S.W.3d 

45, 51 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 

2010, pet. denied) (citations omitted). 

3. Full Faith and Credit 

“There are five well-established 

exceptions to full faith and credit 

requirements: (1) the foreign judgment 

is interlocutory; (2) the foreign 

judgment is subject to modification 

under the law of the rendering state; 

(3) the rendering state court lacked 

jurisdiction; (4) the foreign judgment 

was procured by extrinsic fraud; and 

(5) pursuant to section 35.003(c) 

[‘Filing and Status of Foreign Judgments’] 

of the Texas Civil Practice 

and Remedies Code, the period of 

time to file the foreign judgment had 

expired.” Id. (citations omitted) 

4. Expert Reports 

“[W]e have no jurisdiction to address 

the propriety of the trial court’s order 

denying [the defendant physician’s] 

first motion to dismiss and granting 

[the plaintiff] an extension to file an 

amended expert report.” Fagadau v. 

Wenkstern, 311 S.W.3d 132, 137 (Tex. 

App.—Dallas 2010, no pet. h.). 

5. Discovery of Settlement 

Agreements 

“We conclude that parts of the settlement 

agreements [between the real 

parties in interest and the defendants 

with whom they settled] are directly 

relevant to demonstrating the settlement 

credit available for reducing any 

judgment, pursuant to the terms of 

section 33.012 [‘Amount of Recovery’] 

of the Texas Civil Practice and 

Remedies Code. We further conclude 

that parts of the settlement agreements 

are relevant to the existence or nonexistence 

of potential witness bias, 

such as those portions that reflect 

agreements to provide testimony, to 

provide cooperation, or to not cooperate 

with the nonsettling defendant, 

as a consideration for the settlement 

are reasonably calculated to lead to 

the discovery of relevant impeachment 

evidence.” In re Univar USA, 

Inc., 311 S.W.3d 175, 182 (Tex. 

App.—Beaumont 2010, orig. pro- 

ceeding) (per 

curiam) (citation omitted). 

6. Expert Report 

“[W]hen a party files an expert report 

pursuant to the trial court's express 

permission in order to cure a deficient 

report, the new expert report constitutes 

‘a report’ within the meaning of 

[Texas Civil Practices & Remedies 

Code] section 74.351(a) [‘Expert 

Report’], thus triggering the physician's 

or health care provider's obligation 

to file specific objections to the 

new report within twenty-one days of 

being served with the report.” 

Gordon v. Sebile, 311 S.W.3d 190, 

193 (Tex. App.—Beaumont 2010, no 

pet. h.). 

7. Contract Terms 

“[U]nder Texas law, essential or 

material terms are those that parties 

would reasonably regard as vitally 

important elements of their bargain.” 

Heartland Holdings, Inc. v. U.S. Trust 

Co. of Tex. N.A., 316 S.W.3d 1, 9 

(Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 

2010, no pet. h.) (citations & internal 

quotation marks omitted). 

8. Continuing Tort Doctrine 

“[T]he continuing tort doctrine does 

not apply to permanent injury to 

land.” Yalamanchili v. Mousa, 316 

S.W.3d 33, 40 (Tex. App.—Houston 

[14th Dist.] 2010, pet. filed) (citation 

omitted). 

9. Waiver of Sovereign Immunity 

“[I]n a democratic republic, a person 

allegedly suffering injury due to state 

action or negligence cannot bring suit 

without the consent of the sovereign, 

i.e., the people. Further, the people do 

not speak through the written opinions 

of their judges, nor are we endowed 

with some ‘divine right’ to unilaterally 

open the coffers of state government. 

The people speak through their 

constitution and legislative enactments. 

Thus, we must look to what 

extent and under what circumstances 

the people have consented to be 

sued.” Tex. Dep’t of Transp. v. 

Olivares, 316 S.W.3d 89, 111 (Tex. 

App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2010, no 

pet. h.) (Hudson, J., dissenting) [Note: 

The dissenting opinion contains an 

interesting history of this subject.] 


10. Recusal 

“[A] tertiary recusal motion is a third 

motion filed by the same party against 

any judge. That is, the word ‘third’ in 

[Texas Civil Practice & Remedies 

Code] section 30.016(a) [‘Recusal or 

Disqualification of Certain Judges’] 

refers to the motion, not to the judge.” 

Gonzales v. Guilbot, 315 S.W.3d 533, 

541 (Tex. 2010). 

11. Nonsuit 

“A nonsuit extinguishes a case or 

controversy from the moment [that] 

the motion is filed or when an oral 

motion is made in open court.” In re 

Riggs, 315 S.W.3d 613, 616 (Tex. 

App.—Fort Worth 2010, orig. 

proceeding). 

12. Professional Negligence 

“We acknowledge [that] claims 

regarding the quality of a lawyer’s 

representation of a client are 

professional negligence claims, but 

that not all claims by clients against 

lawyers are professional negligence 

claims.” Pollard v. Hanschen, 315 

S.W.3d 636, 642 n.4 (Tex. App.— 

Dallas 2010, no pet. h.) (citation 

omitted). 

13. Broad-Form Liability Question 

“When a single broad-form liability 

question erroneously commingles 

valid and invalid liability theories and 

an appellant's objection is timely and 

specific, the error is harmful when it 

cannot be determined whether the 

improperly submitted theories formed 

the sole basis for the jury's finding.” 

Block v. Mora, 314 S.W.3d 440, 450 

(Tex. App.—Amarillo 2009, pet. 

dism’d) (citation omitted). 

14. Statute of Limitations 

“[Generally, the] statute of limitations 

begins to run from the moment [that] 

the plaintiff becomes aware that she 

has suffered an injury or has sufficient 

information to know that she has been 

injured.” Ogletree v. Glen Rose 

Indep. Sch. Dist., 314 S.W.3d 450, 

454 (Tex. App.—Waco 2010, pet. 

denied) (citation omitted). 

15. Expert Report 

“The expert report [in a healthcareliability 

claim] is not required to 

prove the defendant’s liability, but 

rather to provide notice of what 

conduct forms the basis for the 

plaintiff’s complaints.” Hayes v. 

Carroll, 314 S.W.3d 494, 507 (Tex. 

App.—Austin 2010, no pet. h.) 

(citation omitted). 

16. Partnership 

Interest 

“A ‘partnership interest’ is 

not an interest in any 

specific partnership property. 

Instead, it is the 

partner’s right to receive 

his distributive share of 

the profits and surpluses 

of the partnership.” 

Stanley v. Reef Sec., Inc. 

314 S.W.3d 659, 664 (Tex. 

App.—Dallas 2010, no 

pet. h.) (citations omitted). 

LEGAL QUOTE 

OF THE MONTH 

“The fact that a meritorious 

claim might thereby 

be rendered nonassertible 

is an unfortunate, occasional 

by-product of the 

operation of limitations.” 

Treuil v. Treuil, 311 

S.W.3d 114, 125 (Tex. 

App.—Beaumont 2010, 

no pet. h.) (citation & 

internal quotation marks 

omitted). 

QUOTE OF THE MONTH 

“Money, every now and 

then, soothes and satisfies 

the passion for revenge.” 

Olivares, 316 S.W.3d at 

110 (Hudson, J., 

dissenting). 

OLD NEWS 

“Under the early common 

law, an appellate court 

never created law, it 

simply ‘discovered’ the 

law. When an appellate 

court overruled one of its 

earlier decisions, that 

earlier decision ‘was 

thought to be only a 

failure at true discovery 

and was consequently 

never the law.’ Conversely, 

the new decision, being 

the ‘accurate’ discovery of 

the law, was not new law, 

but was an application of 

what had always in fact 

been the law.” Taylor v. 

State, 10 S.W.3d 673, 677 

(Tex. Crim. App. 2000) 

(citations 

omitted). 

YOU ARE INVITED 

TO THE 

INVESTITURE CEREMONY 

OF 

C HIEF J USTIC E 

T ERRIE L IVINGSTON and 

J USTIC E L EE G ABRIEL 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 

2010 @ 3 P.M. 

SECOND COURT OF APPEALS 

401 WEST BELKNAP, 9TH FLOOR 

TIM CURRY JUSTICE CENTER 

R ECEPTION TO F OLLOW 

SPONSORED BY THE 

APPELLATE SECTION OF THE 

TARRANT COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION 

C OME C ELEBRA T E 

R E T I R EMENT S OF 

J UDGE V INC ENT S PRINKL E 

AND HIS C OURT C OORDINATOR 

R O X ANNE W OODARD 

OF THE 

COUNTY COURT AT LAW #3 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 

2010 from 2 to 4 P.M. 

COUNTY COURT AT L AW #3 

Tarrant County Courthouse 

100 West Weatherford 

SPONSORED BY THE 


AND FRIENDS OF JUDGE SPRINKLE 


The developer of a 

leading online filesharing 

program has 

learned the hard way 

that pirated songs are 

not music to everyone’s 

ears. The court 

granted summary 

judgment against 

LimeWire, finding that the program 

was used for copyright infringement 

and that the owner of the program was 

liable for this infringement. Arista 

Records, LLC v. Lime Grp., LLC, 715 

F. Supp. 2d 481 (S.D.N.Y. 2010). As 

a result, LimeWire was forced to shut 

down its file-sharing service, and it 

agreed to a permanent injunction. 

LimeWire, which began in 2000, 

was a popular “peer-to-peer” filesharing 

program. Users of the program 

were able to search and download 

files from other users. In 2006, 

several leading music-recording 

companies sued LimeWire LLC, its 

chairman, Mark Gorton, and several 

related entities, alleging that Lime- 

Wire users utilized the software to 

obtain and share pirated copies of 

songs and that the defendants facilitated 

this illegal infringement by 

distributing and maintaining Lime- 

Wire. The parties filed competing 

motions for summary judgment on the 

plaintiffs’ copyright-infringement 

claims. 

Those claims were based on the 

theory of secondary liability, which 

holds that a person may be liable for 

infringement if he has played a 

significant role in direct infringement 

committed by others--for example, by 

providing direct infringers with a 

product that enables infringement. 

Thus, a plaintiff seeking recovery 

under this theory must first prove that 

direct infringement has occurred and 

then show that the secondary actor has 

encouraged the direct infringement. 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc. v. 

THE IP DOMAIN: LIMEWIRE WALKS THE PLANK 

FOR ITS ROLE IN PIRATED SONGS 

BY DAVID DREZ AND JOSH BORSELLINO, Haynes and Boone, LLP 

Grokster, 545 U.S. 913, 936-37 

(2005). 

Applying this theory to the facts, 

the district court granted the plaintiffs’ 

motion for summary judgment on 

their infringement claims. The court 

held that the plaintiffs had established 

that (1) LimeWire users infringed 

plaintiffs’ copyrights by sharing and 

downloading musical files without 

authorization; and (2) LimeWire 

intentionally encouraged direct 

infringement by its users. In concluding 

that LimeWire users had 

engaged in illegal downloading, the 

district court cited evidence from the 

plaintiffs’ expert that 93% of the files 

on LimeWire were protected or highly 

likely to be protected by copyright, 

and thus not authorized for free 

distribution through the program. 

In determining that LimeWire 

encouraged illegal infringement, the 

court noted the “overwhelming 

evidence that [LimeWire] engaged in 

purposeful conduct that fostered 

infringement” and that LimeWire was 

not only aware of “substantial 

infringement by users” but that it also 

made efforts to attract infringing 

users. Arista Records, 715 F. Supp. 

2d at 509. The district court cited 

internal correspondence from 

LimeWire discussing the fact that 

LimeWire users downloaded copyrighted 

music using the program. The 

court also noted a business plan 

developed by LimeWire in 2006 to 

“convert” LimeWire users who were 

sharing pirated recordings into 

customers of LimeWire’s planned 

online music store which would sell 

authorized music. Another of 

LimeWire’s internal documents 

discussing this “Conversion Plan” 

estimated that 25% of LimeWire’s 

users were “hardcore pirates” and that 

another 25% of its users were 

“morally persuadable.” Id. at 510. 

Citing this and other evidence, the 

court concluded that 

by creating and 

implementing this 

“Conversion Plan,” 

LimeWire 

acknowledged that 

most of its users were 

infringers. It court 

also cited evidence 

showing that LimeWire undertook 

efforts to attract users from other 

“peer-to-peer” websites that were 

known to be used by infringers and 

that its search feature made it easier 

for users to commit infringement. 

Following the court’s summaryjudgment 

order, on October 26, 2010, 

the district court signed an agreed 

permanent injunction, ordering the 

LimeWire defendants to disable 

“searching, downloading, uploading, 

file trading and/or file distribution 

functionality” of the company’s filesharing 

software. As a result, Lime- 

Wire ceased supporting its file-sharing 

service. Trial on the plaintiffs’ 

damages is scheduled to begin on 

January 18, 2011. The permanent 

injunction also noted that “it is 

virtually certain that [plaintiffs] will 

be entitled to an enormous damage 

award after trial that will far exceed 

LimeWire’s ability to pay.” Given 

these ominous words, it appears that 

LimeWire may have shared its last 

song. 

Secondary liability has been used 

with considerable success by the 

recording industry to shut down large 

“peer-to-peer” file-sharing programs. 

Nevertheless, because of the 

abundance of websites offering illegal 

downloads and the demand from 

consumers for free music, the industry 

may never be able to completely 

thwart these pirates from plundering 

their treasured copyrights. 

Local chapter of LAWYERS CONCERNED FOR LAWYERS meets every Thursday at noon at the 

First United Methodist Church, Room 154 



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continued from 

Page 9 

Of course, 

this program 

would not be 

the success that it 

is without the 

tireless efforts of the 

committee, which is very large A 

huge expression of gratitude goes to 

Michael McBride, Tony Harris, 

Marvin Champlin, Bob Brown, Carlos 

Galliani, Nadia Gilkes, Raul Canez, 

Al Stidger, Ed Markey, and Antoinette 

Bone. Thanks also to the members of 

our partners in LANWT-- Trevin 

Ware, John Shaw, Sam Prince, and 

Freida Edwards King; in TCFLB-- 

Karin Mayer; in the Texas Veterans 

Commission, staff members Anita 

Cordero and Sherry Tolson; and in 

TCBA staff member Pat Leake. All of 

these people have spent many hours 

attending committee meetings, participating 

in clinics, and contacting or 

meeting with various organizations to 

advertise the program to the community 

of veterans. I as chair and Brian 

as chair-elect could not ask for a better 

committee of people all dedicated 

to the success of this program. 

Are you a part of the TCBA 

program? Have you volunteered to 

take at least one case pro bono? The 

attorneys of TCBA are the heart of 

this program—we need your help in 

order to keep the program active and 

diversified. Volunteer sign-up forms 

are on the TCBA website at 

www.tarrantbar.org and on the website 

for Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans 

at www.txltxv.org. Join the over 100 

volunteers to date who have volunteered 

to help a veteran who has 

helped us to keep the freedoms that 

we enjoy, including the right to vote, 

which we just exercised in November. 

There is not a TLTV clinic in 

December, but the clinics will begin 

again in January 2011. Clinics take 

place on the third Friday of each 

month. Remember to volunteer your 

time to help a worthy veteran. Also, 

thanks to our newest sponsors--Ed 

Markey, Frank Newman, and John & 

Nancy McClane, for their donations to 

the TLTV program. 


TARRANT MEDIATION CENTER 

Scheduling Mediations Daily 

J. J. Kevin Kevin Clark Clark 

Attorney-Mediator 

C New Location B 

777 Main Street, Suite 600 

Fort Worth, TX 76102 

817-348-6723 Fax: 817-377-9893 

www.ftw-lawyers.com 

President’s Page - continued from Page 3 

Civil & Family Law 

Mediations Available 

Full or half-day at 

competitive rates 

Experienced mediator in 

a comfortable setting 

and convenient location 

Complimentary parking 

JUSTICE DEBRA LEHRMANN 

As you may know, Judge Debra Lehrmann is now 

Justice Lehrmann to the Texas Supreme Court. Justice 

Lehrmann’s investiture will be held in the chambers of 

the Texas House of Representatives at the State Capital 

on Friday, January 14, at 2:00 p.m. A reception at 

Schultz Garten will follow. What a great reason to head 

down to Austin and partake in the fun and festivities and 

offer personal congratulations to one of TCBA’s own. I 

hope that you can join us in Austin on the 14th. 

FW-TCYLA BENEFITS NICA 

Every year YLA coordinates with Northside 

Interchurch Agency (NICA) to hold a toy drive and 

Christmas party for underprivileged children. YLA 

needs volunteers to sponsor children, and wrap presents 

at the December 10 wrapping party at TCBA. Great job, 

YLA!!! 

IN CLOSING 

Thanks for all that you do for the TCBA—none of 

what we do would be possible without your support, 

both financially and physically. I hope that you and 

yours have a wonderful holiday season. And enjoy those 

domino games with your families and friends. 

Until next time, 

Brad 

L E G A L 

L I N E 

TCBA SALUTES OUR VOLUNTEERS, 

THE REAL STARS OF LEGALLINE 

*Denotes Staff Volunteer 

October 14, 2010 

Norma Bazan 

Joe Colvin 

Mike Hrabal 

*Carolina Ibarra 

October 28, 2010 

Norma Bazan 

Joe Colvin 

Mike Hrabal 

Robyn McWilliams 

*Carolina Ibarra 

To volunteer for LegalLine, call Carolina Ibarra at 

817.338.4092 or email carolina@tarrantbar.org 

fÑxv|tÄ g{tÇ~á 

to the Tarrant County Bar Association for 

covering the costs of a light dinner for our 

LegalLine volunteers for the October clinics. 

All TCBA members 

are cordially invited to the 

Investiture of 

Texas Supreme Court Justice 

Debra Lehrmann on 

Friday, January 14, 2011, 

at 2:00 p.m. 

in the House Chambers of the 

Capitol in Austin 

followed by a reception at 

Scholz Garten. 


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O THER A SSOCIATIONS’ NEWS & IN F ORMATION 

FW-TCYLA 2010-2011 Bar Year began 

on September 1, 2010. If you need 

an application or meeting information, 

call 817-338-4092, e-mail cindy@tarrant 

bar.org or go to the website at tcyla.org. 

Arlington Bar Association meets on the 

3rd Thursday of each month. For location & 

information, contact President Patricia 

LaRue at 817-377-1654 or plarue@ 

bodoinlaw.com. 

MABA (Mexican American Bar 

Association) meets on the last Thursday of 

each month at Santa Fe Cafe, 2400 

Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, 76106. For 

more information, contact President Eloy 

Sepulveda at 817-332-1285. 

Northeast Tarrant County Bar 

Association (NETCBA) meets for CLE 

luncheons on the 3rd Tuesday of each 

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month at LaHacienda Restaurant, Hwy. 

121. NETCBA’s Christmas Happy Hour 

is on December 8th from 5:30 to 7:30 at 

the Hurst Conference Center, 1601 

Campus Drive, Hurst, Texas 76054. 

RSVP/ Contact President Anita Cutrer at 

817-283-3999 or anita@hoppescutrer.com. 

Tarrant County Black Bar 

Association meets on the 3rd Tuesday of 

each month at 6:00 p.m. For more information, 

contact President Tiffany Burks 

Hamilton or TDburks@tarrantcounty.com. 

Tarrant County Criminal Defense 

Lawyers Association (TCCDLA) meets 

every 2nd Thursday at Joe T. Garcia's 

Restaurant, 2201 N. Commerce Street. 

For more information, contact President 

Warren St. John at 817-336-1436 or 

jwlawyer@aol.com. 

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Volunteer to help 60 children 

‘Tis the Season”, and Fort WorthTarrant County Young Lawyers Association is needing volunteers to 

sponsor children, wrap presents and help with the Christmas party on December 11 from 11 a.m. 

to 1 p.m. at the Rosen Heights Baptist Church. The FWTC YLA wrapping party is 

December 10 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the TCBA offices drop off your unwrapped gifts or your 

money donation by that date. For the child’s wish list and information, contact Becky Mata at 

8179784171 or beckymata@hotmail.com make a child smile for Christmas. 

Tarrant County Family Law Bar 

Association meets on the last Tuesday of 

each month. For more information, contact 

President Laurie Robinson at 817- 

419-0023 or email legsec0123@aol.com. 

Tarrant County Trial Lawyers 

Association meets on the 4th Wednesday 

of each month at Joe T. Garcia’s 

Restaurant. For more information, 

contact Randy Turner at 817-282-3868 or 

e-mail randy@turnermckenzie.com. 

Tarrant County Probate Bar 

Association meets on the 1st Thursday of 

each month at the City Club--members 

free, guests $25. For more information, 

contact John Dowdy at 817-265-9000 or 

john@dowdylawfirm.com. 


C A L E N D A R 

OO F F EE VV EE NN TT SS 

To make reservations for any of these events, contact Sherry Jones at 817-338-4092 or sherry@tarrantbar.org. 

For more upcoming events,visit www.tarrantbar.org. 

WEDNESDAY, December 1 

Noon Corporate Counsel Section Luncheon 

Tarrant County Bar Center, $17 members; $20 guests 

THURSDAY, December 2 

Noon Intellectual Property Law Section Luncheon 

City Club, $20 members; $22 guests/walk-ins 

FRIDAY, December 3 

11:30am Women Attorneys Section Christmas Luncheon 

Fort Worth Club, $25 members; $35 guests/walkins 

MONDAY, December 6 

4pm Tarrant County Bar Foundation Board Meeting 


TUESDAY, December 7 

11:30am Tax & Estate Planning Section Luncheon 

Fort Worth Club, $10 members; $15 guests 


Noon Energy Law Section Luncheon 


5-7pm Annual Holiday Party “A Texas Christmas” 

(see page 5) Bring stuffed animals 

or a children’s books, Tarrant County Bar Center 

FRIDAY, January 7 

11:45am Women Attorneys Section Leadership Luncheon 

Omni-American Building, $15 members; $20 guests 

TUESDAY, January 11 

2pm Investiture of Mike Hrabal, County Court at Law 

#3, 2nd floor, Tarrant County Courthouse 

THURSDAY, January 13 

6-8pm LegalLine - TCBA office; light dinner 

MONDAY, January 17 

TCBA offices closed for MLK Day 


Noon Real Estate Law Section Luncheon 


THURSDAY, January 20 

11:30am Fort Worth Business & Estate Section Luncheon 

Fort Worth Club 

3:30pm Tarrant County Bar Foundation Board Meeting 

5:00pm Tarrant County Bar Foundation Annual Meeting 


December 2010 

January 2011 

MONDAY, December 13 

Noon Bankruptcy Section Holiday Luncheon 

Fort Worth Club, $40 

4:30pm TCBA Board Meeting, TCBA offices 


3pm Investitures of Chief Justice Terrie Livingston and 

Justice Lee Gabriel, Second Court of Appeals, 

9th floor, Tim Curry Justice Center 


2-4pm Retirement Celebration for Judge Vincent Sprinkle 

and Court Coordinator Roxanne Woodard, County 

Court at Law #3, Tarrant County Courthouse 

TUESDAY, December 21 

Noon Labor & Employment Law Section Luncheon 


1-4pm Last Tuesday CLE - Ethics -- TCBA Office 

$80 members; $105 non-members 


TCBA Offices closed for Christmas Holiday 


TCBA Offices closed for New Year’s Holiday 

FRIDAY, January 21 

12:30 to Brown Bag Seminar Series-Appellate 

4:15pm Tarrant County Bar Center - 3.5 hrs. CLE 

2-5pm Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans 

Legal Clinic for Veterans 

VA Outpatient Clinic - 2201 S.E. Loop 820 

MONDAY, January 24 

Noon Bankruptcy Section Luncheon 



11:30am Tax & Estate Planning Section Luncheon 

“State Income Tax Issues with Trusts” 


1-4pm Last Tuesday CLE - Ethics -- TCBA Office 

$80 members; $105 non-members 

WEDNESDAY, January 26 

Noon “Transition to Practice” Mentor Program 

Tarrant County Bar Center; contact Cindy Rankin 

cindy@tarrantbar.org Registered mentors/mentees only 

6-8pm LegalLine - TCBA office; light dinner 

FEBRUARY 26, 2011 - TARRANT TORTFEASORS, Scott Theater, Fort Worth Community Arts Center 

APRIL 1-2, 2011 - BENCH BAR CONFERENCE, The Cliffs Resort, Possum Kingdom Lake 

APRIL 12, 2011 - RECOGNIZE 50-YEAR LAWYERS, CLE LUNCHEON, Fort Worth Club 

APRIL 28, 2011 - ANNUAL BLOOD DRIVE, Tarrant County Bar Center 

MAY 5, 2011 - LAW DAY AWARDS DINNER, Fort Worth Club 


HAPPY HOLIDAYS 

During this holiday season and every day of the year, 

we wish you all the best. 

Robert J Holman, CFP® 

Financial Advisor 

. 

3426 S University Dr 

Ft Worth, TX 76109 

817-922-8934 

www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC 

PAUL BOUDLOCHE 

M EDIATIONS 

We’ve moved next door to Frost Bank 

Identifying Issues - Resolving Disputes 

with 32 years of litigation experience 

Mason & Boudloche LLP 

6115 Camp Bowie Blvd. Suite 154 

Fort Worth, TX 76116-5544 

Office: (817) 338-0639 Fax: (817) 336-0199 

Email paulboudloche@mbllp.net 


LAWYERS 

on the move & in the news 

STEVEN C. LAIRD, of the Law Offices of Steven C. 

Laird, P.C., in Fort Worth, was elected president of the 

Texas chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. 

JIM LOVELESS, a partner in Loveless & Naylor of 

Fort Worth, received the 2010 Dan R. Price Award from 

the State Bar Family Law Section for his contributions to 

the practice of family law. 

The law firm of Barlow Garsek & Simon, LLP, 

located at 3815 Lisbon Street, Fort Worth, is pleased to 

make several announcements about members of the firm: 

CHRISTIAN DENNIE has joined the firm as a 

partner. He is also an adjunct professor at the 

Texas Wesleyan School of Law; 

SPENCER D. SOLOMON has joined the firm as an 

associate attorney; and 

ZACHARY M. GARSEK has rejoined the firm as a 

partner following service as an in-house counsel. 

ADAM FULKERSON has joined as an associate the 

firm of Decker, Jones, McMackin, McClane, Hall & 

Bates, PC, located at 801 Cherry Street, Suite 2000, Unit 

46, Fort Worth 76102, telephone 817-336-2400 and fax 

817-332-3043. 

The firm of HOPPES & CUTRER has moved offices 

to 959 West. Glade Road, Hurst 76054, telephone 817- 

LAWYERS 

New Members 

Attorney Members Associate Members 

Brendan Bennett 

Sue Browning 

Sarah Cashiola 

Carl Johnson 

Kandice Killion 

Libby Lange 

Jay Vecchio 

Bonnie Wolf 

283-3999 and fax 817-283-5040. 

Danny Branchflower 

Cynthia Gartman 

Mindy Jones 

Student Members 

Ian Ghrist 

Charles Hill 

Edward McDonald 

Ross Tew 

ART BRENDER received the 2010 H.G. Wells 

Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award from the Tarrant County 

Trial Lawyers Association for outstanding service and 

representation of injured and damaged plaintiffs in 

personal-injury and civil litigation. 

R. H. Wallace of the firm of Shannon, Gracey has 

been named as the Judge of the 96th Judicial District 

Court to replace Judge Jeff Walker, who has retired from 

that bench. Congratulations, Mr. Wallace!! 


CLASSIFIED 

ADVERTISING 

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE 

FORT WORTH - 

S PACE IN B AR C ENTER 

AVAILABLE 

VAILABLE FOR R ENT 

Not enough room for a large mediation, 

arbitration, or deposition? Remember the 

Tarrant County Bar Center!! 

With over 3,000 square feet in the Bar Center, it 

offers a great forum for large meetings and 

seminars. The Center can be divided into three 

sections for mediations and arbitrations, or use just 

one section for your smaller meetings, luncheons, 

or study groups. 

Also available for rent is the large board room 

or a small conference room. For information, 

contact Tressia Graham at 817-338-4092 or 

tressia@tarrantbar.org. 

Calendar for January 11 

Investiture of Mike Hrabal 

County Court at Law #3 

EXECUTIVE SUITES EXCLUSIVELY FOR ATTORNEYS. 

Receptionist, conference room, telephone system, 

parking, etc. One block from Family Law Center. 400 E. 

Weatherford. Call 817-336-4451 or come by. 

OFFICE SUITES -- Office Space, Adjacent Civil - 

Criminal - Family Courts. Fax - Xerox - Conference 

Rooms - Kitchen. 111 N. Houston or Wells Fargo North 

Main. Call 817-429-2000 - Dale. 

OFFICE SPACE conveniently located to Tarrant county 

courthouses and freeways. First floor of six story building 

with private entrance and free parking. Includes kitchen, 

lobby, fax, copier, shared conference rooms, receptionist. 

Available January 1, 2011. Call Kathy at (817)870-9198. 

GRAPEVINE office for lease. Main St. & 114/121. Call 

Aaryn @ 817-803-2620 

SERVICES 

Raúl Cáñez for assistance with your immigration issues 

in English or Spanish. 

Raúl Cáñez para ayuda con sus asuntos sobre la 

inmigración en español o inglés. 

Raul.Canez@CanezLaw.com 817-886-0651 

Address Labels Available 

Have you moved? Do you want to send an 

announcement? Purchase membership 

mailing labels for professional announcements, 

change of addresses, etc. For more 

information, contact the Bar offices at (817) 

338-4092 or email carolina@tarrantbar.org. 

Classified Ad Rates 

Members only: The first 15 words are $30 plus $1 

per word thereafter for the Bar Bulletin. The 

same text to the website classifieds, which gets 

over 5,000 hits per month, is $20 per month. For 

a complete quote, contact Pat at email 

pat@tarrantbar.org. 

22 December 2010 TCBA Bulletin 

New

TCBA MEMBER BENEFITS - 

VENDOR LIST 

TCBA members may take advantage of 

discounts provided by the following vendors: 

ABA Retirement Funds program is designed to 

provide full-service 401(k) plans to benefit the 

legal community. Created by the ABA and run by a 

not-for-profit within the ABA, the program will 

help law firms reduce their expenses and enhance 

their retirement-services packages. To learn more, 

contact local rep. Jacob Millican at 817-451- 

5020 or visit www.abaretirement.com. 

AMO Office Supply offers TCBA members the 

lowest price guaranteed on office supplies, with nextday 

delivery and free shipping! Call 800-420-6421. 

Mobile Phone Services 

AT&T offers members a discount on all purchased 

mobile-phone equipment, plus 8% off on monthly 

service applying to new & current AT&T customers. 

Sprint offers 15% off the monthly service. For info, 

contact cindy@tarrantbar.org or 817-338-4092. 

Falcon Litigation Solutions offers discounts on 

copying, litigation displays, trial boards, etc. Call 817- 

870-0330. 

Fort Worth JSB Co., Inc., offers a 10% discount to 

TCBA members on printed materials--business cards, 

letterhead, envelopes, business forms, brochures, 

flyers, and more. For a quote, call 817-577-0572. 

LexisNexis offers members discounted rates on all 

services. It is no longer just legal-research solutions-now 

it offers client-development and litigation, as well 

as practice-management services and tools. Two new 

programs offered at 15% discount. For details, go to 

www.lexisnexis.com/bars/ with promo code BAR15 

or call John Doyen at 800-344-3730 Ext 4236. 

PREFERRED VENDORS LIST 

For IT help: 

Juris Fabrilis-Cool Tools for Lawyers offers 

members discounted rates on web-based tools to help 

you manage your law practice. 817-481-1573 ext. 101. 

For Shredding and Document Disposal: 

Magic Shred. It is a secure shredding business 

that shreds your documents on-site. Magic Shred 

offers a 10% discount to TCBA members. 

Expanco is N.A.I.D. AAA-Certified documentdestruction 

service offering 40% off to TCBA 

members. Call TCBA office for details on both. 

ALS Inve In Investigations es e tiig 

ga ations “… “ … the th the th he tru ttruth 

ttruth 

th thh 

i iis 

iis 

s our bbusiness. business.” u usin 

i e ess 

s ” 

ATTORNEY A LITIGATION L SUPPORT S 

Business Torts 

Intellectual Property 

International Investigations 

Complex Fraud 

Financial Analysis 

Follow the Money 

Contact ALSI 

aat 

t 817. 817.744.7808 

7 744.7808 

8 

or w wwww.alsinvestigations.com w w. w alsinv eestigations.com 

Allen L. Stidger — Licensed Texas Attorney and Investigator 

ALSI, Inc, dba ALS Investigations, Texas Lic. #A15492 

6750 Locke Ave. #201, Fort Worth, Texas 76116 

This Space Could Work for You!! 

Do you need additional staff or have lease space that 

you would like known to the legal community? 

Placing an Ad in the Tarrant County Bar Bulletin 

gives you excellent coverage to all member 

attorneys. To get a price quote, call the Bar at (817) 

338-4092 or email tcba@tarrantbar.org. 

TCBA Bulletin December 2010 23 

TM

DAMAGES 

The experienced economic and fi nance experts at 

Thomas Roney LLC specialize in the analysis and calculation 

of economic damages. We prepare timely, credible and 

compelling expert reports for attorneys across the country. 

Contact Thomas Roney or Barry J. Seldon, PhD. for additional 

information about our services. 

We focus on: 

• Personal injury 

• Wrongful termination 

• Intellectual property 

• Commercial damages/lost profi ts 

Dallas (214) 665-9458 

Fort Worth (817) 733-6333 

Houston (713) 513-7113 

www.thomasroneyllc.com 

We count. 

BAR BULLETIN - November 2010 


1315 CALHOUN STREET 

FORT WORTH, TEXAS 76102-6504 

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED 

PRESORTED 

STANDARD 

U. S. POSTAGE PAID 

FORT WORTH, TX 

PERMIT 1807 

If any of your contact information is incorrect, please submit your 

corrected information to the TCBA office at (817) 338-4092, fax to (817) 

335-9238 or e-mail to tcba@tarrantbar.org.

December 2010 - Tarrant County Bar Association

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