Lawyers who are in trouble may have a new way to defend themselves in attorney disciplinary proceedings after a court ruling this week—but only if the Texas Legislature doesn’t close the window soon.

In Commission for Lawyer Discipline v. Rosales, Austin’s Third Court of Appeals made a significant finding that the state’s anti-SLAPP law, the Texas Citizens Participation Act, applies in attorney discipline cases. In a concurring opinion, one justice warned that the majority’s decision would encourage more and more attorneys to file TCPA motions to dismiss to delay their disciplinary proceedings.