When it comes to challenging a discriminatory or otherwise wrongful termination, employees typically turn to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or a local employment agency, such as Texas Workforce Commission. For federal workers, there is an additional agency that assists: the United States Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). The work of the MSPB has come to light in recent months as the result of the dismissal of scores of federal employees.
Read moreThe Social Security Act at 90
Today marks the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act, signed into law on August 14, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt amid the economic devastation of the Great Depression. Formally known as Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance, the act established the foundation for America’s first permanent national old-age pension system. It was part of Roosevelt’s broader New Deal—a series of reforms designed to bring relief and economic security to Americans struck by unemployment, poverty, and uncertainty following the stock market collapse of 1929. On this anniversary, as Social Security continues to deliver on its promise to millions, securing its future remains a defining test for American policymakers and society alike.
Read moreDigital Discoveries: Beyond Smart: Lawyering with Emotional Intelligence
Beyond Smart: Lawyering with Emotional Intelligence
By Ronda Muir; Published by American Bar Association and sponsored by the Section of Dispute Resolution (2025)
Lawyers are known (and expected) to be cognitively intelligent. Who wouldn’t be after a minimum of three years of law school, digesting the minutiae of landmark judicial opinions and convoluted concepts of law, some dating back to the era of common law, and then sitting for a grueling two- to three-day bar examination trying to remember the difference between shifting and springing executory interests, libel and slander, and burglary and theft? However, there is an intelligence, or wisdom, if you will, that resides beyond one’s ability to reason logically or make sound judgments that perhaps is a much better indicator of success and well-being. In her book, Beyond Smart: Lawyering with Emotional Intelligence, author Ronda Muir theorizes that emotionally intelligent lawyers are smarter, more successful, more prosperous, and healthier and happier. Unfortunately, data has shown that attorneys as a group tend to exhibit few indicators and components of emotional intelligence (EI), such as emotional perception, emotional empathy, emotional understanding, and emotional regulation. Thankfully, lawyers are not beyond redemption and hold the keys to developing a more emotionally intelligent workplace, and according to Muir, it all starts at the top. Through thoughtful hiring practices and the implementation of EI development programs, lawyer leaders can build a successful practice and continually engage a talented workforce. After all, “[e]motional attachment to a workplace is a stronger bond than a sense of obligation or a financial attachment.”
For those looking for their own self-improvement, Muir offers ways to evaluate one’s EI and provides some questions to ask to “start you thinking and feeling.” Don’t worry, though, if your EI evaluation shows the need for some strengthening; Muir suggests four ways to raise each of the components of EI, thereby placing you on the road to becoming emotionally smarter.
This book is available only through the Law Library’s LexisNexis Digital Library. For information about accessing this title, requesting an account, or browsing the collection, please see the Law Library’s eBook Collection webpage at https://www.harriscountylawlibrary.org/digital-collection.
Let’s Celebrate Ice Cream!
Mmmm! Ice cream! For many of us, just the thought of ice cream conjures up memories of frosty sweetness on warm summer nights, the familiar ring from the bells of the ice cream truck as it rolled down the street, and sticky fingers as the melting ice cream dripped down the side of the crispy cone. Lucky for us, ice cream is perfectly legal (and not to mention absolutely delicious!), and we don’t need a special day to celebrate its yumminess (but we can!) In fact, we can celebrate it all month long because July is National Ice Cream Month. Additionally, the third Sunday of July has been designated National Ice Cream Day. This year, the holiday falls on Sunday, July 20.
Read moreState AI Regulation? Aye-Aye!
Photo by Igor Omilaev on Unsplash
The striking of the moratorium on state AI regulation is good news for many states, including Texas, that have already enacted laws to police AI. In June, Governor Greg Abbott signed into law the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (Act). The Act, presented as HB 149, established regulations for the use of AI within Texas. The Act was designed to facilitate and advance “responsible development of [AI] systems,” protect individuals from foreseeable risks associated with AI, and create transparency in the development or use of AI, including such use by state agencies.
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