State Bar of Texas Podcast

Texas can be proud to say that it was the first state to have an all-woman high court in the United States, but how exactly did this moment in history come about? Rocky Dhir welcomes Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod and Sharon Sandle to learn about this period in Texas history and the surprising series of events that led to the appointment of female judges. They go into detail about the challenges faced by these legal trailblazers—Nellie Robertson of Granbury, Edith Wilmans of Dallas, and Hortense Sparks Ward of Houston—and also discuss notable women’s issues of the era and highlight several other female legal pioneers.   Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod is Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit with Chambers in Houston, Texas.   Sharon Sandle is Executive Director of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society and Director of the Law Practice Resources Division at the State Bar of Texas.

Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht is the longest serving member in the history of the Supreme Court of Texas and the longest tenured Texas judge in active service. As he nears his well-deserved retirement, Rocky Dhir welcomes Chief Justice Hecht to the podcast to learn about his many years in service to the Texas legal system. They discuss his career path, the behind-the-scenes work judges do within courts, his efforts to improve access to justice, his advice for lawyers, and much more.  Nathan L. Hecht is the 27th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. He has been elected to the Court seven times, first in 1988 as a Justice and then in 2014 and 2020 as Chief Justice.

In the wake of the incredible harm caused by the opioid crisis, the outcome of the Purdue Pharma case argued in the United States Supreme Court garnered national attention. What impacts might this case have in bankruptcy court proceedings in the future? To unpack the details and gain understanding of the bankruptcy issues at play, Rocky Dhir talks with attorneys Elias Yazbeck and Michael Wombacher. They discuss the backstory of Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, the journey of the case through the courts, and insights into the reasoning behind the Supreme Court’s decision, with a particular focus on the conflict over nonconsensual third-party releases.   Learn more about the case here: 23-124 Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P. (06/27/24)   Elias M. Yazbeck is an associate attorney in the Houston office of McGinnis Lochridge, LLP.   Michael Wombacher is an associate attorney at McDermott Will & Emery in Dallas, Texas.   Michael represented the Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the Robertshaw case:  Case number: 8:23-bk-80004 - Ebix, Inc. - Texas Northern Bankruptcy Court.

At the 2024 State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, Scott C. Skelton’s session on the ethical handling of mistakes in legal practice was immensely helpful to attendees. Rocky Dhir welcomes Scott to the podcast to discuss his session and get more details on this important topic. If you think you’ve committed malpractice, what should you do? Scott shares experiences from his own career and explains how honesty, transparency, and graciousness in legal practice can help attorneys move forward from mistakes with integrity.   Scott C. Skelton is a founding member of Skelton Slusher Barnhill Watkins Wells.

There is no way to truly prepare a client for life following a criminal conviction, and the aftermath of a defendant’s guilty verdict can be incredibly complex. Rocky Dhir welcomes Professor Lee Kovarsky to learn from his wealth of expertise on post-conviction law, mitigation investigations, capital defense teams, and more. They discuss nuances in this area of the law to help attorneys understand processes and needs for clients navigating this segment of our justice system. Lee Kovarsky is the Bryant Smith Chair in Law and the Co-Director of the Capital Punishment Center at the University of Texas School of Law.

Lawyers long considered the legendary Clarence Darrow to be an attorney to emulate, but closer examination of his career shows a condemnable pattern of unethical tactics and empty courtroom arguments. To debunk the popular culture myths surrounding Darrow, Rocky Dhir welcomes author and attorney Mike Farris to discuss the facts in his book, Blowhard: Windbaggery and the Wretched Ethics of Clarence Darrow. Mike shares details from his research that uncover evidence of jury bribing, intimidating witnesses, and other unprincipled conduct throughout Darrow’s career in a time where ethics rules failed to hold him accountable.   Mike Farris is a writer and retired entertainment attorney in Dallas, Texas.

Many segments of the legal profession operate as adversarial systems at their core, with colleagues becoming combatants as they fight for their clients and handle difficult situations day in and day out. Not every practice area has this same intensity, but the ongoing stresses of legal work can detract from an attorney’s wellbeing in any area of the law. The profession is committed to continuing to destigmatize mental health and substance abuse struggles to support lawyers in need. Rocky Dhir welcomes Michelle Fontenot to talk about the many resources available to legal professionals through the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program. If you, a friend, or a loved one is in need of help, contact TLAP or explore its many resources at www.tlaphelps.org.  Michelle Fontenot is Director of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program. 

Rocky Dhir welcomes Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez to discuss highlights from her keynote address and her passion for improving representation within the legal world. Rocky gets the details on Judge Ramirez’s landmark “firsts” as a Latina with a notably successful legal career. She talks about her childhood as a daughter of immigrants, her journey as a lawyer, and her nomination and confirmation as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals. 

What can we learn about law from a sci-fi TV show? Rocky Dhir welcomes Leela Madan, Hope Shimabuku, and Catherine Rifai to talk about Netflix’s “Black Mirror” and the potential ethical implications of AI-fueled technology in the real world. Many now question how the rapid developments of AI tech should be regulated and held accountable. The group explores ethical rules and existing laws that could apply to different scenarios—both real and imagined.

Should rap lyrics as evidence be allowed in criminal prosecutions? Rocky Dhir talks with Chad Baruch about his session titled, “Hip Hop on Trial: Texas Courts Confront the Use of Rap Lyrics in Criminal Prosecutions” for the Appellate and Civil Liberties & Civil Rights Sections. Rocky and Chad discuss the intersection of art and the law, highlight several cases involving the use of song lyrics or videos, and discuss trial tactics for attorneys working on a case involving rap music.