Angela Morris
Angela Morris is ALM Media's Texas litigation reporter. She covers lawsuits in all levels of Texas state and federal courts. Based in Austin, Morris earned journalism and government degrees from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006, and since then, has worked primarily as a reporter and writer, but also has skills in videography, photography and podcasts. Follow her on Twitter at @AMorrisReports.
July 25, 2011 | Texas Lawyer
Litigator of the Week: $3.2 Million VictoryA Houston lawyer recently won a $3.2 million jury verdict for three women who alleged former Judge James Blackstock of Brazoria County created a hostile work environment, among other things. The allegations stem from a time when plaintiffs Mikki Kalina, Estella Strawn and Rebecca Sirmans worked for the Brazoria County Juvenile Probation Department.
By Angela Morris
3 minute read
April 19, 2011 | Texas Lawyer
Required State Bar Dues, CLE Could Disappear for Some Government LawyersTwo bills making their way through the Legislature would exempt some government lawyers from State Bar of Texas dues and CLE requirements. The House passed the dues bill on April 12, and a House committee left the CLE bill pending after a hearing yesterday. The dues bill the House passed April 12 would exempt lawyers in the Texas Office of the Attorney General from paying annual dues for the State Bar of Texas.
By Angela Morris
4 minute read
August 22, 2011 | Texas Lawyer
Good Things Come to Those Who WaitTime, plus effort, plus dedication equals an eventual payoff, and it will be better than any instant reward. That's the lesson 433rd District Court Judge Dib Waldrip says has shaped his life and career since childhood, when he worked morning and night on his family's 150-acre ranch in Comal County. And that's the lesson the judge seeks to impart to some struggling criminal defendants who enter his courtroom.
By Angela Morris
6 minute read
July 25, 2011 | Texas Lawyer
The Pink Ladies: Mary Kay's Top Lawyer Keeps Makeup Mavens' Meeting Looking GoodThe flashy pink Cadillac symbolizes ultimate success for Mary Kay Inc. beauty consultants. And for Mary Kay's top lawyer, working with those consultants is the best part of her job. Chief Counsel Laura Beitler — who joined the company in 2000 as a staff attorney — manages Mary Kay's 11-lawyer legal department and provides counsel to European subsidiaries.
By Angela Morris
4 minute read
October 03, 2011 | Texas Lawyer
Productivity and Performance: Allison Levy Helps Ensure AdvoCare Plays By the RulesAn exciting aspect of being general counsel of AdvoCare International Inc. is that Allison Levy occasionally meets celebrity athletes like New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and NASCAR champion Richard Petty.
By Angela Morris
8 minute read
April 12, 2011 | Texas Lawyer
Barratry Bills Impose $10,000 Civil Penalty, Expand Contract VoidanceA bill making its way through the Texas Legislature creates a civil cause of action for barratry, including a $10,000 civil penalty for lawyers who unlawfully solicit potential legal clients and do not sign a contract with them. The law also would allow clients to sue to void any type of contract a lawyer secures through barratry, although current law allows voidability of only contingent-fee contracts. Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, introduced the bill.
By Angela Morris
6 minute read
August 08, 2011 | Texas Lawyer
Knowledge of the Past Helps Judge With the PresentTalking to Judge Billy Ray Stubblefield, it seems his family roots in Texas are so long they might wrap around the state. The judge of Williamson County's 26th District Court says one relative died at the Alamo, and another fought in the Battle of San Jacinto. His maternal great-grandfather, a stonemason, helped build the Texas Capitol, and another fought in the Battle of San Jacinto. A video interview of the judge is included.
By Angela Morris
7 minute read
September 19, 2011 | Texas Lawyer
Get Down to Brass Tacks: His French Horn Days are Over, but Judge Still Knows the ScoreIf Steve Smith weren't the judge of the 361st District Court in Bryan, he'd probably be a band director. Before a friend "veered" him off course to law school, Smith was marching toward a career in music. In 1988, Smith started serving as a part-time municipal judge in College Station, after one of his partners suggested that he apply. Then in 1994, he was elected judge of Brazos County's Court-at-Law No. 1. He landed at the 361st District Court in Brazos County after winning election in 1998.
By Angela Morris
8 minute read
June 20, 2011 | Texas Lawyer
Heed the Call: Grievance Oversight Committee Recommends CAAP ChangesThe Texas Supreme Court's Grievance Oversight Committee has recommended that the State Bar of Texas make changes to the Client-Attorney Assistance Program, among other things. James McCormack and Steven L. Lee both represent lawyers facing disciplinary actions.
By Angela Morris
5 minute read
August 01, 2011 | Law.com
Law Grad Declared Vexatious Litigant After Third Suit Against Lawyers, FirmA Texas appeals court has upheld a trial court's order declaring law school graduate Kristofer Kastner a vexatious litigant, after he repeatedly sued two lawyers and a firm who represented him in a Texas Board of Law Examiners hearing over his withheld law license.
By Angela Morris
5 minute read
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