U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel of Austin said he would soon rule on a legal challenge by three attorneys who argue that mandatory bar membership and compulsory bar dues violate their First Amendment rights.

Yeakel said during a hearing Thursday that the record before him contains everything he needs to dispose of the case on the merits, and that he’d issue an opinion as quickly as he could. He then dismissed the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary injunction, which asked the court to protect the lawsuits from repercussions for not paying their bar dues while the lawsuit is pending.

U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel Judge Lee Yeakel