Friday, June 15, 2012
9 – 11:30 a.m.
George R. Brown Convention Center, Room 320AB
Houston
 
The State Bar of Texas Public Affairs Committee and Government Law Section invite you to attend a free open government seminar in conjunction with the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting. As a public service, news media, open government advocates, municipalities, counties, school boards, elected officials and interested others are welcome and encouraged to attend.
 
Please join us free of charge and extend the invitation to your colleagues and associates.
 
Pay No Attention to that Man Behind the Curtain! (9:00 – 10:15 a.m.)
Why shouldn’t U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments be televised? After five years, how fares the Texas Supreme Court with webcasts of oral arguments? Where is HB 3572, the “Cameras in the Courtroom Act of 2011?”
 
Hon. Jennifer Elrod, 5th Circuit Court of Appeals
Hon. Patrick E. Higginbotham, 5th Circuit Court of Appeals
Hon. Wallace B. Jefferson, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Texas
Judge Kenneth Starr, Baylor University
Moderator:  Bill Ogden, Ogden, Gibson, Broocks, Longoria & Hall, Houston
 
Tweet, Pray, Blog:  The Search for Sanity in the Ongoing Clash Between Social Media and Open Government (10:15 – 11:30 a.m.)
Does the Open Meetings Act abridge free speech rights of public officials? Are personal emails from public officials open records? Will the 5th Circuit again reverse in Rangra v. Brown, round two? Can we drag TOMA and PIA into the 21st Century?
 
Bill Aleshire, Riggs Aleshire & Ray, Austin
Mark Caramanica, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Arlington, VA
Jim Cousar, Thompson & Knight LLP, Austin
William “Mick” McKamie, McKamie Krueger, San Antonio
Moderator:  Laura Prather, Sedgwick LLP, Austin

The open government seminar will be held in room 320AB of the George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas, Houston. Third floor meeting rooms may be accessed directly from the Hilton Americas skywalk or from the parking garage at Polk Street and Avenida de las Americas. There is no need to stop at the registration booth unless you are attending other Annual Meeting sessions – just proceed directly to room 320AB.
 
Attorneys must be registered for the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting to receive CLE credit. See www.texasbar.com/annualmeeting.
 
To reserve a spot, public sector and news media should RSVP to kim.davey@texasbar.com by June 1.
 
Kim Davey
Public Information Director
State Bar of Texas
P.O. Box 12487
Austin, TX  78711-2487
800.204.2222 x 1713
512.427.1713 (direct)
www.texasbar.com/media

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