When he passed away in mid-September, Judge Sam Sparks was properly recognized by members of the Austin Bar for his long and distinguished service as a district judge of the Austin Division of the Western District of Texas.

We know that committees are important to organizations. Like other organizations, bar associations see the value in committees and tend to create many of them. But why are they important? And does their creation automatically enhance a bar association?

On May 29, 2025, the Supreme Court added another chapter to its evolving project of administrative law reform—this time turning its attention to federal environmental permitting. In Seven County Infrastructure Coalition et al v. Eagle County, Colorado et al, the justices ventured into the thicket of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a statute long celebrated for its environmental ideals but criticized for its procedural backlog.

Thank you to the following attorneys, paralegals, law and high school students who helped staff the Aug. 23 CANLaw Clinic!

The Texas Center for Legal Ethics has awarded Austin attorney Mike Hatchell the 2025 Chief Justice Jack Pope Professionalism Award.

The latest ethics opinion addresses whether a lawyer may agree to be bound by a non-disparagement clause in a client settlement agreement, and whether such a clause may contain a provision not to reveal confidential information related to the representation for marketing purposes.

As a writer deeply invested in making the law more accessible, I recently published a children’s book titled 10 Rights Every Ten-Year-Old Should Know. At its heart, the book is about one thing: explaining the Bill of Rights in a way that even a 10-year-old can understand.