Celebrate the Texas Day of Civility in the Law by Earning Free CLE Credit in Ethics

Tomorrow, Friday, April 20, is the Texas Day of Civility in the Law. The State Bar of Texas calls upon legal professionals to observe this day by reaffirming their commitment to the Texas Lawyer's Creed, which calls for attorneys to conduct themselves with courtesy and professionalism toward judges, adversaries, peers, colleagues, and clients.

Local bar associations across the state will be celebrating, marking the day with a variety of events, several of which will offer free CLE credit in ethics.

The Dallas Bar Association, along with the Dallas Bar Foundation, American Board of Trial Advocates, AlixPartners, Inns of Court, and the State Bar of Texas Professionalism Committee will be hosting the Day of Civility at the Belo Mansion in downtown Dallas and offering 4.5 hours of CLE in ethics.

A live stream of the seminar will be available for those who are unable to attend. State Bar President Tom Vick will give the opening remarks. For more information, contact Kathryn Zack at (214) 220-7450 or kzack@dallasbar.org.

The Houston Bar Association will be hosting a number of events as well, including an open CLE video-watching event, the perfect opportunity to earn CLE/ethics credit at no charge. Bring your lunch or snacks the HBA office between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm to view the videos. The office is located at 1111 Bagby Street, FLB 200, Houston, 77002.

Finally, the Texas Center for Legal Ethics will be offering free online CLE ethics credit online. Topics include The Noble Lawyer and Developing Your Professional Reputation.

Whether you're approaching your birth date and need to earn CLE credit in a hurry, or you'd just like to log your ethics credit now in preparation for your Bar license renewal date, these offerings are excellent opportunities to reflect on professionalism and civility in the law as you learn. 

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Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

April is known for many things including rain showers and reveries of Paris. It also signals the start of spring, a season of birth, growth, and renewal. Clouding the fresh bloom of its arrival, however, is a dreaded annual visitor -- the taxman. Fortunately, April is National Poetry Month as well, the perfect celebration to inspire the spirit and banish thoughts of the tax collector's exacting toll. 

We at the Harris County Law Library can think of no better way to send the taxman back to his ledger book than to share a poem. As we celebrate National Poetry Month (as well as Tax Law Resource Month), a bit of written verse may be just what we all need. Recognizing both of April's themes, we've selected a poem by the famous Russian writer, Vladimir Mayakovsky, entitled "Talking with the Taxman About Poetry" which you can read here in full on the Poetry Foundation's website. (Mayakovsky would celebrate his 125th birthday this year. He took his own life on April 14th, 1930, but in the years since his death, his popularity has continued to grow.)

For more poetry and judicial verse, visit the Law Library's National Poetry Month exhibit. Currently on display in the lobby, this exhibit features legal opinions written in rhyme. Inspired by various sources including Edgar Allan Poe, Dr. Seuss, and Leann Rimes, these opinions reflect the wit and wisdom of their authors as well as the occasional levity of the court. For more examples of parody and verse in legal decisions, visit the Gallagher Law Library Judicial Humor page.

National Poetry Month: Poetry of the Bench & Bar

April is National Poetry Month, and the Harris County Law Library is celebrating. We're shining a spotlight on the Poetry of the Bench and Bar with an exhibit featuring poetic judicial opinions and poems written by and about attorneys. Visit the Law Library all month long to view the exhibit.

Court News: March Madness Research Guide, Promoting Successful Brackets for All

March Madness has struck, and the Harris County Law Library has a cure. If you are a Houston Bar Association member who is participating in the Bracket Challenge, or just a college basketball fan in need of some guidance in completing your bracket, the Harris County Law Library can help! We have assembled a March Madness Research Guide with information and links to insider data from sports experts at ESPN, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, FoxSports, the Bleacher Report, and more. Get the inside scoop from experienced basketball pros, such as statisticians, researchers, and correspondents, as well as former players who know the game from the inside out. On the line-up are:

Chris Dobbertean: College basketball contributor and resident bracketologist at SBNation and editor of Blogging the Bracket

Reid Gettys: Part-time NCAA basketball analyst for ESPN, lead attorney for ExxonMobil, and part of the "Phi Slama Jama" era of the early 1980s, who participated in three Final Fours and had two national championship appearances. Follow him on Twitter @reidgettys.

Joe Lunardi: College basketball analyst for ESPN who is best known for creating Bracketology. He correctly predicted all 65 teams to appear in the 2008 NCAA Tournament and all 68 teams for the 2013 tournament. Wow!

Jerry Palm: Resident Sports Geek at CBS Sports and a pioneer in predicting the March Madness bracket and in understanding the tournament selection process. Follow him online at CBS Sports, NCAA Basketball.

John Rothstein: College Basketball Insider for CBS Sports and host of the College Hoops Today podcast, as well as a driving force behind Bleacher Report. Get the app here for Apple and Android.

Check out what these and other NCAA basketball experts have to offer in helping you build your bracket. Click on the image above to view the Harris County Law Library Research Guide for even more tips from the pros. Good luck, bracket hopefuls. May the best bracket win!