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Bankruptcy | Criminal Law | Election Law | Enron | Family Law | First Amendment | Humor | Insurance Law | Intellectual Property | Labor & Employment | Legal Malpractice | Personal Injury and Civil Trial | Securities Law | Trusts & Estates | White-Collar Crime

Gregory M. Gordon on Bankruptcy

Gregory M. Gordon is a partner in Jones Day, where he oversees the business restructuring and reorganization practice in the Dallas office.

6-6-2008Judge Holds Bankruptcy Code Trumps Pension Legislation

4-17-2008The §1146(a) Tax Exemption and Pre-confirmation Asset Sales

8-23-2007Second-lien Financing, the Next Wave of Bankruptcies and Intercreditor Agreements

6-21-2007The Zone of Insolvency: Directors, Creditors and Fiduciary Duties

5-24-2007Contract-Based Claims for Post-Petition Attorneys Fees

3-21-2007Cause of Action for a Deepening Insolvency

2-8-2007 A Loan or an Investment? Recharacterizing Debt as Equity

12-12-2006 Surprising Findings on Pace of Bankruptcy and Creditor Recovery

10-5-2006 When Bankruptcy Courts Can Refuse to Enforce Arbitration Agreements

8-17-2006 Pension Funding Legislation

7-24-2006 Sovereign Immunity and Bankruptcy

6-15-2006 Impact of the Bankruptcy Overhaul's Limits on Key Employee Retention

5-23-2006 Overseas Operations in Bankruptcy Proceedings

5-16-2006 U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Anna Nicole Smith Case

3-13-2006 Anna Nicole Smith: Bankruptcy vs. Probate Jurisdiction

2-15-2006 Substantive Consolidation: An Important Tool

2-10-2006 Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act

Gary A. Udashen on Criminal Law

Gary A. Udashen is a partner in Sorrels, Udashen & Anton in Dallas, where he practices criminal and appellate law. He is board certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

10-28-2010 Deportation and Criminal Convictions

10-6-2010 A Criminal-Defense Lawyer's Duties Regarding the Immigration Consequences of a Criminal Conviction

11-24-2009 The Insanity Defense in Texas

11-17-2009 Allegations of Attorney Malpractice in Criminal Cases

2-9-2008 Understanding the Law Governing Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

11-8-2008 Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions

4-10-2008 Fixing the Problems of Eyewitness Identifications

11-1-2007 The Supreme Court's Dilemma in Addressing Lethal Injection

5-11-2006 Kansas v. Marsh and the Presumption of Death

5-11-2006 Georgia v. Randolph and Warrantless Searches

3-8-2006 Polygraph Exams

2-17-2006 Actual Innocence

Bruce Anton on Criminal Law

Bruce Anton is a partner in Sorrels, Udashen & Anton in Dallas. He practices criminal and appellate law and is board certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

11-7-2006 Restrictions on Cross-Examination of Prosecution Witnesses

7-10-2006 Sentencing Departures in the Post-Booker Era

Charles T. Frazier Jr. on Election Law

Charles T. Frazier Jr. of Dallas is a shareholder in and chairman of the appellate practice of Cowles & Thompson. He has represented clients in appellate courts in more than 100 cases, including the U.S. Supreme Court, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Texas Supreme Court and all 14 of Texas' intermediate appellate courts.

6-28-2006 U.S. Supreme Court Rules on Texas Redistricting

Thomas R. Ajamie on The Enron Trial

Thomas R. Ajamie is the managing partner of Ajamie LLP in Houston. He represents investors seeking to recover losses in stock and insurance fraud cases, as well as corporations and officers and directors who have been sued in securities matters or are under investigation by regulatory or governmental agencies.

8-31-2006 Developments Since Enron

4-18-2006 Enron: Defense Witnesses Begin

4-12-2006 The Enron Trial: Final Prosecution Witnesses

3-6-2006 The Enron Trial: Witness Testimony

2-7-2006 The Enron Trial: An Introduction

Brad M. LaMorgese on Family Law

Brad M. LaMorgese is an attorney with the Dallas office of McCurley, Orsinger, McCurley, Nelson & Downing, where he practices family and appellate law. He is board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

8-25-2009 Divorced With Children: 10 Tips for Tiger and Elin

1-19-2009 Dealing With Undivided Property After a Divorce

1-7-2009 Grounds for Divorce and Annulment

8-13-2008 The Mythical Common-Law Marriage

5-23-2008 Giving Away Community Property

3-6-2008 Top 10 Tips for the Executive Divorce

11-20-2007 Virtual Visitation

10-2-2007 Alimony/Maintenance in Texas

7-12-2007 Calculating Child Support

7-6-2007 Dividing Employment Benefits

5-17-2007 International Child Abductions

3-27-2007 Understanding the Standard Possession Order

12-14-2006 Jurisdiction in Child Custody Disputes

10-31-2006 Jurisdictional Surprises in Family Law

8-1-2006 Double-Dipping on Child Support

Polly Rea O'Toole on Family Law

Polly Rea O'Toole is a founding partner in the family law firm Atkins & O'Toole in Dallas. O'Toole has practiced family law for more than 10 years. She is also on the board of directors of the Child and Family Guidance Center.

8-3-2006 How Courts Divide Community Property

4-20-2006 Characterizing Marital Property

2-28-2006 Prenuptial Agreements

2-6-2006 Grandparents' Visitation

Paul C. Watler on First Amendment

Paul C. Watler, a partner in Jackson Walker in Dallas, has represented newspapers, broadcasters and journalists for more than 20 years in First Amendment, libel and privacy actions.He is a 1981 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, where he was a member of the Texas Law Review, and is board certified in civil trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. His e-mail address is pwatler@jw.com.

11-11-2010Citizens United, Texas Bingo and the First Amendment

8-30-2010Milo v. Martin: Case Applies 'Net Free-Speech Provision

6-23-2010 O.J.'s YouTube Legacy

4-29-2010 The "Pole Tax" and the First Amendment

2-25-2010 Citizens United's Impact on Texas Law and Elections

12-8-2009 The First Amendment and Electronic Media

6-25-2008 The Perfect Pitch: The First Amendment

4-30-2008 Protections for Internet Speech

12-11-2007 Gag Orders and the Media

7-17-2007 Back to School With "Bong Hits 4 Jesus"

5-22-2007 5th Circuit Hands Newspaper a Victory

2-6-2007 Legal Issues Raised by Photos of a Soldier's Last Moments

1-4-2007 Suits Against the Clergy

10-16-2006 Journalists and Grand Jury Subpoenas

10-16-2006 Judges' Free Speech

Tom Alleman on Humor

Tom Alleman really is an attorney. A shareholder in the environmental and insurance industry practice groups at Winstead in Dallas, Alleman also is a regular participant in the Dallas Bar Association's "Bar None" comedy show and is a frequent contributor to ABC Satellite Radio's Hits and Favorites Network. In his spare time, he serves as president of the American Community College of Trial Lawyers and watches exercise videos on fast forward to get all the benefit of his workout in half the time.

6-13-2006 The Super Lawyers, Barry Bonds and Steroid Abuse

5-6-2006 The Super Lawyers Save Baseball

3-28-2006 News and Notes From Around the Bar

3-15-2006 Lawyer As Caped-Crusader: Part 3

2-24-2006 Lawyer As Caped-Crusader: Part 2

1-30-2006 Lawyer As Caped-Crusader

Ernest Martin on Insurance Law

Ernest Martin Jr. is a partner in and chairman of the insurance coverage practice group at Haynes and Boone in Dallas. He co-founded the Insurance Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and serves as an adjunct professor of insurance law at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.

12-8-2010The Insured's Right to Select the Policy That Maximizes Coverage

9-16-2010Coverage for Claims Seeking Equitable Relief?

6-16-2010Contractual Liability Exclusion

3-31-2010The Duty to Defend v. The Duty to Indemnify

6-18-2008A Plea for a Bright Line Rule: Insuring for Punitive Damages After Fairfield and Res-Care

4-4-2008Court's UPLC Ruling Creates Confusion

2-1-2008High Court Affirms the Trial Court in Frank's Casing

9-20-2007Lamar Homes

7-31-2007The Folly of Fortuity

6-26-2007Hurricane Katrina: Two Years Later

5-8-2007Fort Worth Court of Appeals Drops Declaratory Judgment Bombshell

4-3-2007The Duty to Cooperate

1-30-2007 Insurance Cases in the Texas Supreme Court Pipeline

11-21-2006 The Rise of the Fraud-in-the-Application Defense

9-28-2006 D&O Policies and Stock Options Backdating

8-31-2006 Policy Exclusions and Mold

8-29-2006 Protecting the Privilege

7-17-2006 Extrinsic Evidence and the Duty to Defend

6-22-2006 Handling Litigation Management Guidelines

4-21-2006 An Insured's Right to Choose Counsel

3-10-2006 Dallas and Houston Courts of Appeals Conflict on Issue Involving a Commercial General Liability Policy

3-10-2006 Lamar Homes v. Mid-Continent Casualty

1-25-2006 Frank's Casing Revisited

Steve Malin on Intellectual Property Law

Steve Malin is of counsel at Sidley Austin in Dallas, where he practices commercial and intellectual property litigation. He represents intellectual property rights owners seeking to maximize their portfolio value as well as corporations that have been sued in IP matters. His e-mail address is smalin@sidley.com.

9-25-2007How GCs Can Get a Handle on Attorneys' Fees in Patent Cases

9-18-2007Patent Reform Messes With Texas: Looking at the Venue Provisions in the Patent Overhaul Bill

7-26-2007Look Before Leaping When Filing?Infringement Suits

6-12-2007U.S. Patents and Foreign Activity

5-11-2007The Most Important Patent Decision in 50 Years

4-12-2007Using The Enablement Requirement To Invalidate Overly Broad Patent Claims

David H. Judson on Intellectual Property Law

David H. Judson is a Dallas solo with an intellectual property law practice. Admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office since 1981, he formerly served as assistant general counsel for intellectual property for Akamai Technologies Inc.

10-26-2006 The Advice-of-Counsel Defense

8-22-2006 Senate Targets Patent Litigation

6-21-2006 Patent Infringement: eBay Inc., et al. v. MercExchange LLC

5-1-2006 Claim Construction in Patent Law

2-20-2006 Blackberry Blackout

2-8-2006 Patent Law Changes

Michael P. Maslanka on Labor & Employment

Michael P. Maslanka is managing partner of the Dallas office of Constangy, Brooks & Smith. His e-mail address is mmaslanka@constangy.com. He is board certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He writes the "Work Matters" column for Texas Lawyer's In-House Texas publication..

1-27-2011Supreme Court Sides With Ex-Worker in Anti-Retaliation Case

7-27-201020 Years With the Americans With Disabilities Act

5-25-2010Five Key Employment Issues at the USSC

5-6-2010Can a Noncompete Be Bought for Cash?

4-21-2010The Cat's Paw Theory and Discriminatory Animus

4-8-20103rd Court Weighs in on Hostile Work Environment

3-23-2010Cert Granted in FLSA Retaliation Case

1-29-2010Recent Rulings in Sex Discrimination Cases

10-7-2009Thoughts in the Wake of the Letterman Scandal

9-29-2009Evaluating Apologies in the Workplace

8-6-2009Work Lessons Matters From the Beer Summit

4-29-2009Further Clarification on the Law Governing Noncompetes

4-2-2009The U.S. Supreme Court Loves Arbitration

2-11-20095th Circuit Blasts EEOC on Conciliation

2-5-2009Parsing Retaliation Law After Crawford

1-9-2009Employment Law in Light of a Historic Inauguration

11-25-2008Thoughts on the Election

9-25-2008ADA Amendments Pack Powerful Punch

9-4-2008Employment Arbitration Disputes

7-2-2008What to Expect in Labor Law After the Election

5-27-2008Workers Score Victories in Employment Cases at the USSC

3-27-2008Ruling Makes Arbitration Less Attractive as a form of ADR

1-10-2008Employment Law is Counterintuitive

12-13-2007Changes Loom for the NLRA

10-4-2007Baby Boomers and the FMLA

8-16-2007Advice for First-Time Corporate Litigants in Employment Cases

8-2-2007Employment Cases to Watch at the U.S. Supreme Court

5-29-2007The Clock's Ticking on Pay Discrimination Claims

5-4-2007Is the 5th Circuit Really Employer-Oriented?

2-20-2007U.S. Supreme Court to Address Cat's Paw Doctrine

1-25-2007Overturning an Arbitration Award Based on Allegations of Bias

11-14-2006Noncompetes After Shushunoff

11-2-2006Tips for Defending Depositions

10-10-2006Tips on Taking Plaintiffs' Depositions

6-22-2006U.S. Supreme Court Rules on Employer Retaliation

5-25-2006Responding Effectively to Ethical Challenges

5-5-2006ADR

3-17-2006Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblowers

3-2-2006 Money Cases at the U.S. and Texas Supreme Courts

2-22-2006 Lessons on 20 Years of Practice

1-25-2006 At-Will Employment

Randy Johnston on Legal Malpractice

Randy Johnston is a partner?in Johnston Tobey in Dallas.?He represents people in legal malpractice, stockbroker fraud, accounting malpractice and business litigation. He is board certified in civil trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

5-20-2009Ethical Landmines Lurking in Facebook

1-14-2009Unforeseen Risks of Writing a Demand Letter

11-11-2008Congratulations, You're a Super Lawyer

10-28-2008Web Sites and Amended Texas Disciplinary Rule of Professional Conduct 7.02

10-15-2008The Risks to Lawyers of Bank Failures

8-5-2008When a Plaintiff Sues a Defense Lawyer

3-20-2008Confidentiality Provisions in Settlements

3-20-2008Obstacles to Successfully Suing a Client's Former Divorce Lawyer

12-06-2007Legal Malpractice and Attorneys Fees

11-13-2007What Lawyers Need to Know About Legal-Malpractice Insurance

11-6-2007Arbitration Clauses in Fee Agreements May Torpedo Malpractice Insurance Coverage

9-11-2007Ghostwriting Pleadings for a Pro Se Litigant

8-6-2007Discovering Your Own Malpractice

7-24-2007Presumptions Differ When Former Client Seeks Disqualification vs. Bringing a Breach of Fiduciary Duty Suit

7-3-2007Former Clients and Conflict of Interest Waivers

6-14-2007Beyond the Grave: Legal Mal Claims Involving Wills

4-10-2007Contingent Fees: You're Fired

3-29-2007Contingent Fees: The Element of Risk

2-15-2007 The Basics of Contingent Fees

12-07-2006 Helping Someone with a Pro Se Case

10-26-2006 Aggregate Settlements

8-15-2006 Running Afoul of the Honesty Obligation

7-17-2006 The Legal Profession's Dirty Little Secret: Sex With Clients

5-9-2006 Conflicts of Interest: Adverse Interests

2-13-2006 Motion for Continuance As Exhibit No. 1 in Legal Malpractice Trial

Robert Tobey on Legal Malpractice

Robert L. Tobey is a shareholder in Dallas' Johnston Tobey, which handles litigation involving legal and accounting malpractice, professional liability, stockbroker fraud, insurance bad faith and business litigation. He is board certified in consumer and commercial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. After he graduated with a bachelor of science degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1977, he earned his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1980.

11-9-2006 The Dangers of Metadata

4-6-2006 Conflicts of Interest

Quentin Brogdon on Personal Injury and Civil Trial

Quentin Brogdon is an associate with the Law Offices of Frank L. Branson in Dallas. He is board certified in personal-injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and he is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He was president of the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association in 2008. His e-mail address is qdbrogdon@flbranson.com.

12-13-2010Objecting to the Admission of Harmful Evidence

10-20-2010Proving Personal-Injury Damages to a Jury

9-8-2010Defensive Attribution in the Jury Room

8-4-2010Why Lawyers Should Be Candid With the Court

7-26-2010Cross-Examining the Sophisticated Adverse Expert

6-8-2010Cross Examination: A Difficult Skill to Master

2-3-2010Inoculation or Sponsorship Strategy? How to Handle Bad Facts

Ralph C. "Red Dog" Jones on Personal Injury and Civil Trial

Ralph C. "Red Dog" Jones, a partner in Jones Geisler in Dallas, is board certified in personal-injury and civil trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

7-10-2007Five New Rulings on Personal Injury Cases

6-19-2007Paid vs. Incurred Health Care Expenses, Disclosure of Doctors and Superseded Pleadings

5-2-2007Snapback, Jurisdiction and the Collateral Source Rule

4-17-2007Recent Rulings from the Texas Supreme Court

11-30-2006 Texas Supreme Court Cases of Interest

9-3-2006 Insurance Coverage, Jury Waivers, Taxation, and the Made-Whole Doctrine

8-10-2006 What Trial Lawyers Need to Know About Taxes

7-19-2006 Supreme Court Weighs in on Sovereign Immunity and Contingent Fee Agreements

6-8-2006 Tort Reform by Federal Agency Pronouncement

4-18-2006 Jury selection after Cortez and Vasquez

4-11-2006 California vs. Texas on Whether Jury Trial Rights Can Be Waived, Plus Why Lawyers Should Get Involved In Politics

2-1-2006 Waiving Jury Trial Rights

David Clouston on Securities Law

David Clouston is a partner in Patton Boggs in Dallas, where he regularly represents clients in state and federal courts, and before the Texas State Securities Board, National Association of Securities Dealers Inc., the New York Stock Exchange, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

5-15-2007Privilege Waivers After the McNulty Memo

10-12-2006 SEC Guidance on Commission and Fee-Splitting Safe Harbor

8-8-2006 SEC To Provide ?404 Guidance

7-11-2006 Proposed Rules Governing Office and Director Compensation

7-13-2006 Court Strikes Down Hedge Fund Rules

4-4-2006 Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith v. Dabit: SLUSA Pre-emption

4-4-2006 Conducting an Internal Investigation

3-20-2006 Responding to an SEC Raid

2-3-2006 Hedge Fund Manager Rules

Ingrid Warren on Trusts & Estates

Ingrid Warren of the Law Office of Ingrid Warren in DeSoto helps people facing issues involving life and death. Her practice focuses on guardianship, wills, trusts and estates. In addition, she has practiced bankruptcy law and served as a financial consultant. Her e-mail address is Ingrid@iwarrenlaw.com.

12-9-2008 Family Settlement Agreements

12-4-2008 Pitfalls of Probating a Holographic Will

5-8-2008 Maintaining the Foundation of a Blended Family

3-13-2008 Red Flags to Watch for During the Initial Client Interview

Mark S. Werbner on White-Collar Crime

Mark S. Werbner is a partner in Sayles | Werbner in Dallas. His practice focuses on complex litigation, including business torts and catastrophic personal-injury and wrongful-death cases.

6-27-2006 SDNY Judge Declares Thompson Memorandum Unconstitutional

REVERSED & REMANDED VIDEO BLOG

Reversed & Remanded

In "Reversed & Remanded," watch Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council go one on one with legal movers and shakers.

July 25, 2011:

Jody Rudman, of counsel at Rose Walker in Dallas, discusses a recent 5th Circuit ruling in an ERISA case on the issue of divorces and employee benefit plans.

June 27, 2011:

Tom Melsheimer, managing partner of Fish & Richardson in Dallas, discusses an unusual form of summary judgment motion he filed in a business dispute on behalf of Mark Cuban, majority owner of the new NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. He's interviewed by senior reporter John Council.

June 20, 2011:

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins talks with Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council about the DA's efforts to replace three top assistants who have resigned recently. He said he will announce his choice for the first assistant's position on July 1.

June 10, 2011:

Legal consultant and author Ari Kaplan offers some advice to firms on how they can determine what clients are expecting from them, beginning with the importance of listening.

June 1, 2011:

Thomas S. Leatherbury, of the Dallas office of Vinson & Elkins, talks about the firm's summer associate program, offering such as advice as "use common sense in your social interactions with the lawyers and staff."

April 18, 2011:

Senior reporter John Council talks with Rogge Dunn of Clouse Dunn Khoshbin in Dallas about an increase in alternative fee agreements.

March 30, 2011:

David Skeels, a partner in Fort Worth's Friedman, Suder & Cooke, discusses a pilot program that could funnel patent litigation in the Northern District of Texas to a panel of judges.

March 7, 2011:

Darrell Cook of Dallas gives advice on how lawyers can avoid non-paying clients and on how to proceed when a client refuses to pay a legal bill.

Feb. 7, 2011:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Matt Rinaldi of the Dallas office of Miller, Egan, Molter & Nelson, about pending legislation that could affect the practice of law in Texas, especially in the area of tort reform.

Jan. 26, 2011:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with former state representative Allen Vaught of Baron & Budd about the new session of the Texas Legislature and proposals that could affect the practice of law in Texas.

Jan. 7, 2011:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Judge Ed Kinkeade of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, about his work with Bo, an animal assistance therapy dog. Kinkeade and Bo work with patients at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

Dec. 17, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Dallas Observer editor Mark Donald, a former Texas Lawyer reporter, about the politics surrounding the nomination and confirmation of U.S. attorneys in Texas.

Dec. 6, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with James Stanton, outgoing judge of the 134th District Court in Dallas County, about the cooperation Stanton has provided to his successor to the bench, Dale Tillery, who defeated him in the November general election.

Nov. 15, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Joel Sharp, a partner in the Dallas office of Hunton & Williams, about Sharp's experience playing college football with Jason Garrett, new interim head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Oct. 15, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Barrett Howell of K&L Gates in Dallas about a case recently argued at the Texas Supreme Court involving the issue of perjury allegedly committed during a deposition.

Sept. 29, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Diana Faust, a shareholder in Cooper & Scully, about the recently concluded term of the Texas Supreme Court.

Sept. 13, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Leland de la Garza,, a partner in Shackelford Melton & McKinley and chairman of the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, about an increase in the number of complaints involving immigration consulting businesses run by nonlawyers.

August 20, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Phillip Philbin, a partner in the Dallas office of Haynes and Boone, about the procedure local counsel should follow when asked by outside counsel to join in patent litigation.

August 5, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Mark Nelson, a partner in the Dallas office of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, about suits that accuse companies of falsely marking their products as covered by patents.

July 19, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Charles Geilich, a family law mediator in Dallas, about specialized family courts and how those courts can deal with some of the problems of resolving backlogs of family law cases.

June 28, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Andy Ehmke, a partner in the Dallas office of Haynes and Boone, about a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the patenting of business methods. In Bilski v. Kappos, the court found that the "machine-or-transformation test" is no longer the sole test of patentability. It's simply a tool to be used in making a determination, Ehmke said.

June 7, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Danny Tobey, an associate in the Dallas office of Vinson & Elkins, about his new novel, "The Faculty Club." Tobey says his book is "a supernatural thriller about secret societies at the world's greatest law school."

May 17, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Chris Gober, of counsel and head of the political law practice at Fish and Richardson in Dallas, about the confirmation procedure facing U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. Gober is a former U.S. Department of Justice lawyer.

March 30, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Frank Sheeder, a partner in the Dallas office of Jones Day, about litigation resulting from passage of the historic health care legislation. Sheeder says the litigation raises a novel issue: individual tax mandates for non-commerce.

March 12, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Eric Gambrell, a partner in the Dallas office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, about the election for Place 3 on the Texas Supreme Court, the role of finances in the race, and the runoff set for April 13.

Feb. 19, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Edwin Tomko of Curran Tomko Tarski about the U.S. Supreme Court appeal of former Enron Corp. CEO Jeffrey Skilling, who is challenging the "honest services" theory of criminality under which he was convicted.

Feb. 5, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Chris Kratovil, a partner in K&L Gates and a member of the Federalist Society, about his impressions of a Dallas forum?the Society held ?that included five of the six Republican candidates for Place 3 on the Texas Supreme Court.

Feb. 1, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Mark McQuality, who practices construction law, about the upcoming Perry Homes case scheduled for trial in Fort Worth. They discuss the Residential Construction Liability Act and what McQuality calls "the defense of economic and emotional attrition" sometimes used by defendant homebuilders.

Jan. 8, 2010:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Dallas solo appellate lawyer David Weiner, a candidate for a place on the 5th Court of Appeals in 2004, about how a candidate can stand out in a crowded field of judicial hopefuls. Weiner discusses the advantage of having a catchy name, a prominent place on the ballot, adequate funding and the effect a strong gubernatorial candidate can have on down-ballot races.

Dec. 17, 2009:

John Council talks with Mike Snipes, judge of Dallas County Criminal District Court No. 7, about changes he's seen in the county's criminal district courts during the first term of the new wave of Democratic judges who took office four years ago.

November 25, 2009:

John Council talks with Justice Michael O'Neill of the 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas and his son Sean O'Neill about the swearing-in ceremony for new lawyers planned at the court for Sean and three daughters of other justices on the court, all at the same time.

November 3, 2009:

John Council talks with Tex Quesada, president-elect of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, about the career and influence of the late John O'Quinn and about the recent disqualification of a law firm in an insurance-coverage case because of a possible conflict involving a legal assistant.

October 13, 2009:

Texas Lawyer senior reporter John Council talks with Michael Jung, head of appellate practice for Strasburger & Price, about the appointment of Eva Guzman to the Texas Supreme Court and how her presence will affect the court's philosophical balance, and the outlook for success for the petition of two gay men who are trying to obtain a divorce in Texas.

September 14, 2009:

John Council talks with Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins about his recent wrangling with county commissioners over budget and staff cuts, and about the pending appointment of a new U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Texas.

August 21, 2009:

John Council talks with appellate lawyer Allyson Ho about two upcoming vacancies on the Texas Supreme Court and about former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' new job as a visiting professor at Texas Tech University.

August 14, 2009:

John Council talks with plaintiff's lawyer Mark Lanier about the best way to present a case to young jurors and about discussions on tort reform in the national healthcare debate.

July 31, 2009:

John Council talks with Bob Latham of Jackson Walker in Dallas about transfers of intellectual property cases out of the Eastern District of Texas and about Latham's list of top East Texas driving songs.

July 17, 2009:

John Council talks with Dallas appellate solo Chad Ruback about the ordeal of taking the Bar exam and about the process of vetting a prospective new justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.

July 10, 2009:

John Council talks with Joe Cox, a former district court judge, about the Texas Supreme Court's recent rulings that ordered some trial court judges to explain why they granted new trials in cases after tossing out jury verdicts. Cox also discusses Texas Tech's appointment of former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to its faculty.

May 22, 2009:

John Council talks with family lawyer Michelle May O'Neil about a recent Texas Supreme Court ruling involving the filing of a statement of points in a parental termination case and about prospects for jobs for recent law school graduates.

May 8, 2009:

John Council talks with Jonathan Neerman, chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party, about how news coverage of brouhahas involving local judges may affect primary and general judicial elections.

May 1, 2009:

John Council talks with Haynes and Boone partner Rick Fijolek about Texas law firms' financial results for the past year and what to expect this year and how the firm's lawyers in Mexico are coping with the threat of H1N1 influenza.

April 15, 2009:

John Council talks with former U.S. Attorney Richard Roper about the challenges of making the transition from a career as a government lawyer to the private sector and the plan to increase the number of federal courts in Texas.

April 11, 2009:

John Council and Judge Carlos Cortez of the 44th District Court in Dallas discuss: the logistics nightmare that lies ahead in the West Texas case involving alleged polygamy, voters' apparent desire for a change in the Harris County district attorney's runoff, the effect of lobbyists' money in the Travis County DA's runoff, and a suit claiming racial discrimination in University of Texas admissions.

April 3, 2009:

On the anniversary of the massive FLDS case in West Texas, senior reporter John Council talks with family lawyer Aubrey Connatser about lessons learned while she worked on the case, including how well the system worked and how lawyers and others came together to deal with the challenge. They also discuss how a major political shift in a county's judiciary affects family law.

March 20, 2009:



Senior reporter John Council talks with Hiram Sasser, director of litigation of the Liberty Legal Institute in Plano, about the 5th Circuit's recent ruling on the "moment of silence" case involving Texas schools, and about the ongoing debate on the Texas system of electing judges.

March 2, 2009:



Senior reporter John Council talks with criminal defense lawyer Robert Udashen about U.S. District Judge Sam Kent's guilty plea on an obstruction of justice charge, the presentence process, the use of character witnesses and mitigating evidence. They also discuss possible legislation that could affect the use of eyewitness identifications in state criminal cases.

Feb. 11, 2009:



Senior reporter John Council talks with criminal-defense lawyer Brad Lollar about the problems of dealing with eyewitness identifications, about prosecutors' dilemma when eyewitness testimony is the major evidence in a case, and about federal Judge Sam Kent's efforts to have separate trials on charges he's facing in Houston.

Jan. 30, 2009:



Senior reporter John Council talks with Ralph C. "Red Dog" Jones about a Texas Supreme Court ruling that gives plaintiffs in medical malpractice cases "another bite at the apple" when defective expert reports have been filed, and the issue of Texas giving full faith and credit to other states' laws in light of a divorce petition filed by a legally married same-sex couple.

Jan. 9, 2009:



Senior reporter John Council talks with Robert Miklos of K&L Gates, who will become a member of the Texas House of Representatives when the Legislature convenes a new session. They discuss tort reform, the future of the Texas Residential Construction Commission and life as a lawyer/legislator.

Jan. 5, 2009:



Senior reporter John Council talks with patent attorney Steven C. Malin of Sidley Austin about a Federal U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that makes it easier for defendants to transfer patent cases to other venues. They also talk about how intellectual property cases can cause a federal judge's docket be get backed up.

Dec. 22, 2008:



Senior reporter John Council talks with Ernest Martin of Haynes and Boone about two insurance cases at the Texas Supreme Court: the court's turnaround on Frank's Casing after an outcry from amici, and a ruling on policy language ambiguity in auto coverage.

Nov. 14, 2008:


Senior reporter John Council talks with David Finn, a former assistant U.S. attorney, about the outlook for new U.S. attorneys in Texas, how the selection process works, what attributes nominees should possess, and what could foil a prospect's chances of approval.

Oct. 31, 2008:


Former reporter Mark Donald joins senior reporter John Council to talk about the late Fred Baron and his influence on Democratic politics and on trial law. They also make predictions about judidicial races at the county and state levels.

Oct. 17, 2008:


Senior reporter John Council Senior reporter John Council talks with Russell Roden of Nesbitt, Vassar, McCown & Roden about a Texas Supreme Court case involving workers' compensation and a federal products liability case involving choice of venue.

Oct. 7, 2008:


Senior reporter John Council talks with Marty Rose about a big fee dispute in Collin County that's tied to a criminal case and involves millions of documents.

Sept. 26, 2008:


Senior reporter John Council talks with Jim Jordan of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr about the effects current financial conditions have on law firms and their collections, the late Judge Barefoot Sanders, and writing a thriller with a Christian theme.

Aug. 12, 2008:


Dallas County prosecutors hope to persuade county commissioners not to cut positions at the DA's office in a cost-cutting move. Senior reporter John Council interviews Teri Moore, first assistant district attorney, about an alternative.

Aug. 8, 2008:


Senior reporter John Council and Dallas criminal defense lawyer Phillip Robertson discuss a police search of a defense lawyer's office in a Collin County capital murder investigation, Lubbock County's approach to defending mentally ill defendants, and the negative reaction to a program designed to help pro se parties in Bexar County civil cases.