The Austin Bar Association’s Civil Appellate Law Section will kick off the new year with a special program featuring chief justices from several of the fourteen intermediate state courts of appeals. The luncheon meeting, which will take place at noon on January 19, 2012 at Green Pastures, will include the following lineup: Moderator: Chief… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: Civil Appellate Law
What’s New in Standards of Review
Posted in Appellate Practice, Standards of ReviewBelow are the slides from my talk on standards of review at the 25th Annual Advanced Civil Appellate Practice Course. This is an important but incredibly dense topic, and I only had 30 minutes to present it. I therefore focused on two things: (1) the abuse-of-discretion standard, which defies precise definition; and (2) legal sufficiency… Continue Reading
Smith Elected Chair of Austin Bar Appellate Section
Posted in AnnouncementsD. Todd Smith (pictured), founder of the Smith Law Group, P.C., has been elected Chair of the Austin Bar Association Civil Appellate Law Section for 2011-12. Smith is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and focuses his practice on civil appeals and mandamus proceedings in Texas and federal… Continue Reading
Potential Changes to Board Certification Rules
Posted in Appellate PracticeThe Texas Board of Legal Specialization is considering changes to the certification criteria for Civil Appellate Law, among other areas. A redline of the potential revisions is available here. I have not studied the proposal word-for-word, but it appears to broaden the Board’s discretion in determining who is authorized to sit for the exam. In addition, the proposal would… Continue Reading