HBA Sections Kick Off 2023 With a Trivia Showdown and Essentials for Music Attorneys

By MaggiE Martin

The Houston Bar Association has 26 substantive law sections that provide education and networking opportunities for attorneys in practice areas ranging from energy law to appellate practice and family law. These sections host programs throughout the year, most of which offer MCLE accredited hours. HBA section programming jumped right into the new year. Here’s a look at just some of the programs held in recent weeks, and what’s in store for the rest of the HBA bar year (as of the time this article was written).

alternative dispute Resolution Section

Charles H. Howard was the featured guest at the ADR Section’s January 23 program, “Comparing Ombuds and Mediation Services,” covering how ombuds skills can be learned and developed. The section’s 2023 Annual ADR Conference is scheduled for Friday, May 5 at South Texas College of Law Houston.

appellate Practice Section

Judge Tanya N. Garrison of the 157th Civil District Court hosted this section’s trivia challenge on January 12, testing attendants’ knowledge about appellate ethics, laws, and procedures. The section’s February program took a look back at key appellate cases from 2022, featuring former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman, Jessica Barger, and Marie Jamison with Wright Close & Barger, LLP.

entertainment and Sports Law Section

This HBA section’s February program, “Back to the Future of Music: A CLE on the Essentials for Today’s Music Attorney,” covered key agreements involved in working with recording artists and the legal protections beyond the music.

Energy Law Section

This HBA section started the new year by taking a look back at major updates in Texas case law from 2022, followed by a gen- eral counsel program in February. The section will delve into renewable dealmaking and incentives in March, and then explore retained acreage and royalty clauses in May.

environmental Law Section

The HBA Environmental Law Section hosted a program about the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s proposed climate disclosure rule in January. Professor Victor B. Flatt of the University of Houston Law Center covered where the rule stands now and the potential legal challenges that lie ahead.

family Law Section

The Family Law Section hosted a presentation about waste claims in January. Then, a virtual conversation with several Harris County district court judges as a Part One panel discussion in February. The section will return with a Part Two part of the program in March, followed by a program about deposition techniques in April.

Labor & employment Law Section

The HBA Labor & Employment Law Section’s January program featured a panel of governmental and institutional employment attorneys about the complex legal challenges they face. The section’s February program was a review of changes to Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code regarding sexual harassment.

To learn about the latest HBA section events, or to join a section if you’re an HBA member, visit hba.org. Missed a section event in person? Many previous programs are hosted in our online CLE library at hba.org

Maggie Martin is the marketing and communications director of the Houston Bar Association and managing editor of The Houston Lawyer. She previously served on the marketing and communications team at the Greater Houston Partnership and produced for Houston Matters at Houston Public Media.