HISTORY OF THE STATE BAR COLLEGE
The State Bar College of Texas is the only organization in the United States formed for the purpose of promoting and recognizing attorneys who pursue excellence through voluntary attendance of continuing legal education programs. Jim D. Bowmer and Franklin Jones, Jr., both past presidents of the State Bar of Texas (Bar), credit each other with starting the State Bar College. Mr. Bowmer, who believed that lawyers in Texas should be given credit for attending programs of continuing legal education, urged Mr. Jones to persuade the State Bar Board of Directors to adopt the idea for the College. Once the State Bar Board voted to approve the idea, Mr. Jones appointed Mr. Bowmer to lead a subcommittee of the continuing legal education committee of the Bar to crystallize all of his ideas into plans for action. In December of 1981, the Board of the Directors of the Bar asked the Texas Supreme Court to establish the College by order of the Court.
The Texas Supreme Court established the State Bar College on December 14, 1981. The Court's order described the purposes of the College as follows:
- to recognize lawyers who maintain and enhance their professional skills and the quality of their service to the public by significant voluntary participation in continuing legal education;
- to sponsor or otherwise assist in the presentation of programs of significant merit and widespread relevance and applicability, such as programs on professionalism and legal ethics; and
- to promote among members of the Bar and the general public the educational and public purposes of the College and its members.
When Orrin Johnson was president-elect of the Bar, he recommended that the College be a separate committee of the Bar.
In 1986, mandatory continuing legal education rules were enacted requiring Texas lawyers to attend a minimum of 15 hours each year. The State Bar College responded by changing its membership rules to require 80 hours over a three-year span or 45 hours in a single year, with 30 hours of continuing legal education being required each year to maintain membership. Later the State Bar College also enacted a special status of "fellow" to designate those members who maintained more than 10 consecutive years of membership.
In June of 2001, the Bar board voted to change the status of the State Bar College from a standing committee of the Bar to a "bar-related entity." In addition, the Bar board reduced the number of State Bar College directors to 18; two-thirds of whom would be appointed by the Bar president and one-third by the Bar president based on nominations submitted by the State Bar College board. Directors were to serve three-year staggered terms with a limit of two consecutive terms. Reappointment would require the expiration of at least a two-year period after serving two consecutive terms. The Bar president would appoint replacements to vacated positions, as needed, based on nominations from the State Bar College Board.
The State Bar College Board prepared and approved appropriate by-laws to adjust to its new status. For example, the by-laws required that all State Bar College Board members must be active members of the College. In addition, the by-laws provide that the State Bar College may employee an executive director.
On October 25, 2001, the Texas Supreme Court amended its 1981 order establishing the State Bar College. The new order, Misc. Docket No. 01-9180 reestablished the State Bar College and directed it to pursue incorporation under the Texas Non-Profit Corporation Act. The court also reworded and redirected the purposes of the State Bar College as follows:
- to recognize and encourage lawyers who maintain and enhance their professional skills and the quality of their service to the public by significant voluntary participation in legal education;
- to promote among members of the State Bar and the general public the educational and public purposes of the College and its members;
- to recognize and encourage outstanding service to the legal profession and the public; and
- to sponsor or otherwise assist in educational activities of significant merit and widespread relevance and applicability to the legal profession.
The motivation for the establishment of the State Bar College as a non-profit corporation flowed from the recognition that the State Bar College had, over the years, become a grant funding organization, contributions to which should be tax deductible. As a non-profit corporation, the State Bar College applied for and received 501 (c) (3) status under the Internal Revenue Code. With the new status, contributions to the State Bar College are tax deductible.
During the past several years, the State Bar College has enhanced its Spring Training program, a continuing legal education seminar, conducted in the Dallas area. It has continued to provide its well-liked Summer School continuing legal education seminar, conducted in Galveston at Moody Gardens. Annually, it recognizes its members with awards of professionalism and recognizes an outstanding author of a continuing legal education paper that was presented at a continuing legal education event. Winners of the professionalism awards can designate a Texas law school to receive a sizable donation from the State Bar College. It recognizes members who have attended a significant number of continuing legal education hours each year. In addition, it often recognizes its original founding members.
Most recently the State Bar College has expanded its Board to include one paralegal and has encouraged paralegals to join the College as associate members.
One goal of the State Bar College is to keep evolving so that it can respond to the needs of its members and the legal profession. The State Bar College Board relies on the excellent and diligent work done by both the managing and executive director, Merianne Gaston and Pat Nester.