Thursday, February 17, 2011

Today is your last chance to vote

Cindy Owens and Michael Villasana and their colleagues with the Municipal Justice Bar Association of Texas urge you to tell the State Bar you don't approve of their proposed changes to the disciplinary rules in Texas.

Ms. Owens is the current president of the MJBAT and Mr. Villasana is the past president of the organization.

The Municipal Justice Bar Association of Texas, is urging you to Vote 'NO' on the State Bar Referendum and will give you some reasons to do so. 
  1. We are an association of attorneys who practice in Municipal Courts and Justice of the Peace Courts throughout the State of Texas and some members practice also in the area of Criminal Law; 
  2. The Municipal Court practice and Criminal Law practice has historically lent  itself to Flat Fees in that middle and lower income clients need to budget for all their needs including Attorney Fees. Many hire attorneys based on the fees they will be charged and/or the reputation of the attorney to be hired. This will be next to impossible for the attorney to assist them under the new rules, where they would either have to come up with a significant retainer or the attorney will have to bill hours in the future and hope they could collect after the case is finished. 
  3. Could it be that with the advent of Texas 'Tort Reform', the Civil Defense Bar is tired of being boxed into Flat Fees by Insurance Companies.

Today is your last opportunity to vote. It no longer takes a majority of the membership to adopt the proposed changes -- it only takes a majority of those casting votes. Don't allow the rule changes to take effect by your apathy.

When the best argument in favor of the changes is that the last change was 20 years ago -- there isn't much reason to vote for the proposed rule changes. The State Bar has used your dues money to launch this effort and they have used more of your dues money advocating the changes. The leadership of the State Bar doesn't care what the membership wants or thinks. It's time to let them know that we're tired of their arrogance and disdain for those of us who defend those who have no voice.

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