Future Annual Meetings

June 20-21, 2024   Hilton Anatole – Dallas, TX
June 19-20, 2025   JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country – San Antonio, TX
June 11-12, 2026   Marriott Marquis – Houston, TX
June 17-18, 2027   Omni Fort Worth Hotel - Fort Worth, TX

*Please note that the articles and materials from recent events may still be available. 

Visit TexasBarCLE or the event sponsor's page for more details.

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2021 Annual Meeting is going virtual!

June 17-18, 2021
12:00-1:30PM

We will share more details as we get them from the Bar. You can check out their website here.
We will share more details here and on our Facebook page as plans develop. Keep in touch here.

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Parentage Presumptions and Public Policies: Protecting the Rights of Children of LGBT Families to Have Two Legally Recognized Parents

May 19, 2021 at 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm CDT.

Login instructions will be included in the confirmation email you will receive after registering. 

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Systemic racism in our society (ethics CLE)

February 24
12:00-1:30PM

How does the history of racism in the U.S. affect lawyers and the practice of law? Find out at this month's free ethics CLE from Dallas LGBT Bar Association and friends. Your Section is a co-sponsor. Click Here For Registration
The course has been approved for 90 minutes of Texas ethics CLE.

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LGBT Employees in the Workplace: What You Need to Know About the Landmark 2020 SCOTUS Decisions

July 20, 2020

MCLE Credit: 1.5 hrs. (includes .5 ethics)

MCLE No: 174091718

Our panel provided the practitioner with practical information so that they can represent their clients effectively regardless of whether they represent employees or employers.

• The history of Title VII & the case law interpreting it
• How the decisions reached SCOTUS
• What SCOTUS decided and why
• Why the dissents disagree
• The implications of the decisions for employees and employers
• What practitioners should be considering now
• Potential future tensions between the decisions and other current and pending SCOTUS decisions

Speakers:
Stephanie C. Gaston, Humble
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Prof. Michael P. Maslanka, Dallas 
UNT Dallas College of Law
Assistant Professor of Law

Robert W. Schmidt, Austin
Crews Law Firm, PC

Shelly L. Skeen, Dallas
Lambda Legal

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June 25 & 26, 2020

Section Annual Meeting

We are going virtual!  Since the Bar cancelled the in-person conference in Dallas, we are joining other fabulous Sections to present 8 hours (3.25 ethics) of CLE on Thursday, June 25. The Bar will present more non-CLE events on Friday, June 26.

 

Annual Meeting

Your Section’s Facebook event and details

This is what your Section is contributing:

 

Diversity Forum
The Promises of the 15th and 19th Amendments in the Wake of Shelby, Voter Suppression, and Disenfranchisement: How You Can Secure Reform 1 hour (.5 ethics)

Shelly L. Skeen, Dallas
Lambda Legal

Nina Perales, San Antonio
MALDEF

Brian L. Owsley, Dallas
UNT School of Law

Joaquin Gonzalez, San Antonio
Texas Civil Rights Project

Avatara Smith-Carrington, Dallas
Lambda Legal

LGBTQ+: Dignity and Humanity Under Assault!
1 hour (.5 ethics)

Shannon Minter, Washington D.C.
National Center for Lesbian Rights

Hon. Steven Kirkland, Houston
334th Civil Court

Beth Littrell, Alabama
Southern Poverty Law Center

Brian L. Owsley, Dallas
University of North Texas School of Law

Shelley L. Skeen, Dallas
Lambda Legal

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Bill of Rights: Cutting-Edge Controversies in Constitutional Law 2020
May 15, 2020
9:00 am to 5:00 pm CT

MCLE Credit: 6.50 hrs (includes 1 hr ethics)
MCLE No: 174035196

Cosponsored with the Civil Liberties & Civil Rights Section and TexasBarCLE.
www.texasbarcle.com

Lawyers licensed 5 years or less take HALF OFF! (See page 3 of course brochure for details.)

Watch from your computer or mobile device via LIVE Webcast! (The in-person is no longer available because of the pandemic.)
May 15, 2020
No discounts apply to webcast.

 

LGBTQ Legal Issues in Changing Times:
What Every Texas Practitioner Needs to Know

Co-sponsored by TexasBarCLE
MCLE Credit: Approximately 6.5 hours, including 1 ethics hour expected.

• Register early and save up to $75!
• Attorneys licensed 5 years or less attend for half price!

Austin - Live Presentation
December 5, 2019
Texas Law Center (800-204-2222, ext. 1574)
Early Registration Deadline: September 9
More Info or Register

For questions or to register by phone, please call 1-800-204-2222, ext. 1574.

Program Topics:

• Keynote Address: Current LGBTQ Issues Before the Supreme Court
• Legislative Update
• LGBTQ Criminal Issues
• Title Implications of Same-Sex Marriage
• Ethical Issues in Working with LGBTQ Status in Litigation Settings
• Family Law Update
• Employment Discrimination: How to Sue on LGBTQ Issues
• Social Media, Privacy, and Criminalization
• LGBTQ Immigration and Asylum
• Probate and Common Law Marriage

Live Course Amenities:

• Coffee and pastries provided in the morning
• A working lunch provided
• Complimentary Wi-Fi in the meeting room
• Course materials will be available as a digital download - Bring your laptop or other mobile device!
  

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Annual Meeting 2019 — June 13 and 14, 2019 at the JW Marriott, Austin

 

To access the Annual Meeting Homepage, click the image above or this link: www.texasbar.com/annualmeeting
Registration Brochure here

As part of the larger conference, you will hear from three powerful keynote speakers at the Bar Leaders Recognition Luncheon featuring:

• Dan Rather, President & CEO of News and Guts; the Bench Bar Breakfast
• Wil Haygood, Acclaimed Biographer, Pulitzer Finalist, Award-Winning Author & Reporter, and the General Session Luncheon
• Asha Rangappa, former FBI Agent, Senior Lecturer at Yale University, and CNN Contributor.

All are included in your all-inclusive registration.

Here is the key schedule, subject to change:

Thursday, June 13

Diversity Forum

9:00 - 10:00 am

"Update on Affirmative Action & Current Impacts on Texas" (1 hr.)

Lisa M. Tatum

State Rep. Jessica Farrar

Angelica Hernandez

Mathiew Le

 

10:00 - 11:00 am

"Threats to Diversity on the Horizon" (1 hr.)

Hon. Gina Benavides

Ryan V. Cox

Shelly L. Skeen

Ray Torgerson

 

11:00 - 11:45 am

"Moving the Needle: Examining the Progress Made in Diversify the Legal Profession" (.75 hr.)

John Treviño

Hon. Beau Miller

Toni Nguyen

 

Baker Botts Presents Thursday Evening Reception honoring Justice Charles Spain, Texas 14th Court of Appeals

5:30 - 7:30

Plaza Level Conference Center

111 Congress Ave.

Austin, Texas 78701

 

Friday, June 14

CLE Program

8:45 - 9:00 - Welcome announcements from Chair Nicole LeBoeuf and Course Director & Secretary Elliott Beck

9:00 - 10:15 - "LGBT Judicial Ethics" with Hon. Robert Pitman and Hon. Charles Spain

10:15 - 10:45 - "Spilling the Texas Tea: A Legislative Update" with Samantha Smoot, Equality Texas

10:45 - 12:00 - "Implicit Bias: Building Awareness and Overcoming Obstacles" with Mindy Gulati

1:30 - 2:45 - "Federal Policies and Courts Under Trump" with Prof. Stephen Vladeck, UT Law School

2:45 - 3:15 - "Gay and Trans Panic: Is it a Defense?" with Prof. Carsten Andresen, St. Edward’s University

3:30 - 4:15 - "Masterpiece Cakeshop: What it Really Means and How it's Being Used" with Jody Scheske

4:15 - 4:45 - "The Paradox of Bodily Autonomy: Sex Confirming Surgeries and Circumcision" with Claire Bow, Alicia Weigle and Chris Maurer

4:45 - 5:15 - Section Membership Meeting

 

Past Chair Gary Schumann Presents the Friday Evening Reception

Time:  6:00 - 8:00 pm

1101 Enfield Road

Austin, TX 78703

 

A Big Thank You to Our Wonderful Annual Meeting Sponsors!

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Bill of Rights: Litigating the Constitution

Cosponsored by the Civil Liberties & Civil Rights Section & the LGBT Law Section of the State Bar of Texas

Texas Bar CLE’s website www.texasbarcle.com

MCLE No: 174035196
MCLE Credit: 6.5 hours including 75 ethics expected.
Register now and save up to $75! Attorneys licensed 5 years or less attend for half off!

Austin - Live Presentation
May 17, 2019
Texas Law Center (800-204-2222, ext. 1574)

More Info or Register

For questions or to register by phone, please call 1-800-204-2222, ext. 1574.

Program topics:

• What Is Left of Affirmative Action Under the Trump Administration
• The Role of Amicus Briefs in Constitutional Litigation
• The Third Amendment: The Runt Piglet of the Bill of Rights
• Corporate Constitutional Rights
• Digital Privacy Rights
• The Legacy of Justice Kennedy
• Constitutional Criminal Law Update
• You Gotta Fight, for Your Right: The Pledge of Allegiance in the Classroom, the Courtroom, and the Locker Room
• The Parameters of Free Speech on College Campuses and Universities

LGBTQ Legal Issues in Changing Times: What Every Texas Practitioner Needs to Know

Live or Webcast: Austin

Texas Law Center

December 11, 2018

 

MCLE Credit: 6.50 hrs (includes 1 hr ethics)

MCLE No: 174021350

Section Members save $75.

Section dues are only $20.

Tentative Program: Hours and topics are subject to change. Check back in August for more complete information.

• Keynote Address: The Criminalization of HIV
• Public Accommodation in the Aftermath of Masterpiece Cake Shop
• LGBTQ Issues in the Military
• Multi-Jurisdictional Issues in Name and Gender Changes
• Title 9 - Educational Issues in the LGBTQ Community
• LGBTQ Mediations
• LGBTQ Issues in Immigration and Asylum
• Employment Law Effecting the LGBTQ Community
• Update on Religious Refusals
• Happenings with Gay Panic Defense and Criminal Issues in the LGBTQ Sector

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Annual Meeting 2018 - Houston, Texas

Topics:

• Diversity Forum
  ° Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives: What’s Working and What Needs Revising?
  ° Diversity and Inclusion: The Important Role of Allies
• Texas Local LGBT Bar Association Affiliates Congress
• LGBT Pathways to the Judiciary: The Impact of Openly LGBT Judges in Texas
• Judicial Recalcitrance
• LGBT Corporate Counsel: Unique Perspectives, Unique Opportunities
• Masterpiece Cakeshop: An In Depth Review
• Pidgeon v. Turner: What’s Next
• Texas Transgender Attorneys: A View From the Bar
• The Next 20 Years
• Section Meeting
• Two Evening Networking Mixers

 

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Bill of Rights: Litigating the Constitution Course

May 24, 2018

LIVE in Austin
Texas Law Center
Register by May 10 to save!

-OR-

Watch from your computer or mobile device!
LIVE via Webcast
May 24, 2018
No discounts apply to the webcast.

More Info and Register Here

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Topics:

• The Law of Affirmative Action at a Half Century
• Intersectionality: The New Legal Imperative
• Reception and ceremony awarding two scholarships to Texas LGBT law school students, awards to attorneys who have promoted LGBT legal issues, and a special presentation to Past Chair Shelly Skeen who’s paper on LGBT Common Law Marriage won the State Bar’s Franklin Jones Best CLE Article Award.
• LGBT Legal Issues in Sports:
  Now that We Have Gay Marriage –
  What’s Getting Ready to Happen on the
  Football Field
• Post-Obergefell Criminal Law
  Issues: Practical Problems
  Facing the Criminal Defense Bar
• Update on Retroactivity and
  How It Is Playing Out in Texas
  and Across the Country
• Legislative Update
• LGBT Asylum and Immigration
  Issues: New Opportunities and
  Challenges for the Immigration
  Bar
• Protecting the Legal Rights of
  the LGBT Community in
  Turbulent Times
• Transgender Youth and Our
  Public Education System-
  Legislation and Litigation
• Section Membership Meeting
• Networking reception

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On March 27, 2016 the LGBT Law Section and Individual Rights and Responsibilities Section of the State Bar co-sponsored the full-day 10th Annual Bill of Rights Course: Cutting-Edge Controversies in Constitutional Law. The course was presented live in Austin at the Texas Law Center. The course qualified for 6.75 hours of MCLE credit, including 1 hour of ethics.

Topics included: 

• Religious Exemptions
• State of LGBT Rights Post-Obergefell
• Criminal Law Update
• Abortion: Where Have We Been and Where Are We About to Go?
• Prosecutorial Misconduct
• Free Speech Rights of Public and Private Employees
• Home Schooling
• Uncovering and Proving Implicit Bias in Jury Selection and Trial
• Batson Challenges
• Voting Rights
• Drones, Privacy Update
• Contracting for and Collecting Ethical Attorneys' Fees

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On June 16-17, 2016 the State Bar of Texas held its Annual Meeting.  As always, the LGBT Law Section presented a full-day of great CLE at the Annual Meeting. Our CLE took place on Friday, June 17, 2016.

Thank you to all of the Sponsors of the 2016 LGBT Law Section Annual Meeting and Receptions!

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On December 1, 2015 in light of the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, TexasBar CLE presented a full-day CLE sponsored by the LGBT Law Section entitled “The Impact of Marriage Equality on Texas Law.”  The CLE brought together a group of excellent speakers, provided well-researched written materials, and covered a wide-range of topics.  Following the CLE, the LGBT Law Section, along with the Austin LGBT Bar Association, hosted a networking reception.  Click here to view the brochure and find out more information about this CLE.

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On July 22, 2015, the LGBT Law Section sponsored a TexasBar CLE live webcast entitled “The Marriage Equality Decision and What It Means for Your Clients” and moderated by former section chair Shelly Skeen.  In this 2 hour CLE, Professor Mary Margaret Penrose and Professor Lynne Rambo, both Constitutional Law professors, discussed the Supreme Court’s landmark opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges, including new legal issues likely to emerge. Additionally, Stacy Cole and Karen Langsley, both LGBT Law practitioners, analyzed day-to-day implications of the Court’s decision for same-sex couples, their families, employers, and Texas public officials under both state and federal law.

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On June 18-19, 2015, the LGBT Law Section hosted two fantastic networking receptions at the 2015 State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting.  Also, on Friday, June 19, 2015, the section presented a full-day CLE program.  Topics included:  Opportunity, Diversity & Change in the US Armed Forces; Marriage Equality; Religious Exemptions; Data Privacy for LGBT Individuals; and LGBT Diversity in the Legal Profession.  Immediately following the CLE program, the section held its annual meeting during which it named the Honorable Barbara Hanson Nellermoe the 2015 recipient of the Judge Black Award.