Message from the Chair

Dear Section Members,

I have the honor and privilege to serve as the 2023-24 Chair of the Computer and Technology Section (C&T) of the State Bar of Texas. The C&T Section’s membership is diverse and has members from solo practices to major law firms and lawyers from major technical industries and Fortune 500 companies. As I like to say about the C&T Section, when it comes to technology and the law “Our Bench is Deep”. As an example of our “bench” recently the State Bar created a Taskforce regarding AI and ChatGPT composed of seven lawyers, three of which were members of the C&T Section.

The C&T Section is rich in resources, no matter how small or large your firm and no matter what level of technical knowledge. We are here to help you. In this ever-changing world of legal technology like AI and ChatGPT, and our duty of technical proficiency, we are here to provide those resources for you.

7th Annual Tech and Justice for All CLE program
December 1, 2023

Don’t forget to register for our upcoming 7th Annual Tech CLE program taking place in Austin on December 1, 2023. The full brochure and registration options information will be forthcoming, and your section membership will provide you with an immediate discount upon registering for this outstanding CLE.

Member Benefits
As a member of the C&T Section, here are some of your immediate benefits:

Free CLEs
For the price of just one CLE course, the C&T Section provides members with four quarterly free CLEs covering major issues at the intersection of technology and the law.

Our first CLE alone is worth the price of joining the section. On September 29, 2023, starting at noon, section member John Browning, Chair of the State Bar of Texas Taskforce regarding Ai/ChatGPT, will present “To ChatGPT, or not to ChatGPT, that is the question” and you don’t want to miss this benefit as a section member.

John’s recent ChatGPT presentation was just cited in an opinion by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Allen Michael Lee v. The State of Texas, case number 10-22-00281, in the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Judicial District.

Texas Bar Legal App
Our Texas Bar Legal app is available to all members and provides Texas and Federal Codes, Rules, and Statutes. We support Apple and Android devices and even a weblink. More information regarding our app can be found here.

Circuits
The C&T Section publishes the quarterly Circuits Newsletter covering a broad range of topics regarding technology and the law. Here you will find articles regarding such topics as current technology, practical applications and utilizing technology for your practice.

Covering the latest Legal Technology
The ABA Tech Show is a must event for staying up to date with the latest legal technology and we annually send our members to cover and report on the seminars, lectures, updates and products for multiple speakers and vendors. This year’s review can be found here.

Need to Join or Renew Your Membership?
Dues are still just $25

With all these benefits of a membership to the C&T Section, I encourage you to join or renew your membership now. If you haven’t already, please renew your membership with our Section by logging into your MyBarPage at the State Bar of Texas Website. We encourage you to join now and reach out to your fellow lawyers and friends. Let them know about the low annual membership fee of $25 in exchange for multiple valuable benefits!

I am excited for the new challenges of technology this year will bring, and promise our continued emphasis on delivering the best information and assistance for lawyers to you and our State Bar.

Finally, I would like to thank Pierre Grosdidier for his outstanding service as the Section Chair for the past year.

Warm regards,

Reginald A. Hirsch, Chair
Computer and Technology Section
State Bar of Texas