Attorneys anxious about contracting coronavirus at social gatherings have the option of getting continuing legal education through online videos, or canceling their registrations, under new guidelines that the State Bar of Texas issued in response to the pandemic.

In a notice to lawyers on Tuesday, State Bar Executive Director Trey Apffel wrote that while all bar offices and service remain operational, and TexasBarCLE events are proceeding as planned, that the bar has chosen to implement safeguards because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The bar is following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to keep everyone healthy and safe, wrote Apffel, who didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.

Any attorney who doesn't want to attend live TexasBarCLE events will have free access to online videos of the programs, said the notice. Lawyers may also cancel their registrations and get a refund. Those who still go to live events should read about the CDC's advice about hand-washing, not touching the face, covering coughs and sneezes, and keeping a distance between people, the notice said.

The bar is encouraging its standing committees and legal sections to limit in-person meetings, and conduct business remotely instead. Any State Bar employee or lawyer who is sick should stay home, said the notice.

The Texas Law Center in Austin, where the bar is headquartered, will be using enhanced disinfection and health protocols, as will the regional offices of the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel spread across Texas, the notice said.

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Attorneys for quarantine cases

Apffel wrote that the Texas Office of Court Administration is seeking the names and contact information of Texas attorneys who are willing to represent coronavirus patients who go through an involuntary quarantine proceeding under state law.

Texas Lawyer reported on March 5 that top judicial leaders had asked Texas' regional presiding judges to appoint two district judges in each region to be on-call for involuntary quarantine hearings. This legal proceeding only comes into play if people with coronavirus refuse to self-quarantine.

In that situation, a county attorney, district attorney or the attorney general's office can seek an ex parte emergency court order to involuntarily quarantine patients.

The very next day, a court must hold a full due-process hearing, and the coronavirus patients would be allowed to have a court-appointed attorney, if they can't afford to hire their own attorney.

Apffel wrote that any lawyer who is willing to accept court appointments to represent the patients in these cases should complete a form to provide their name and contact information.

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