I appreciated the opportunity to testify before the Texas Senate Jurisprudence Committee yesterday morning on the pending “business courts” legislation on behalf of the Texas chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates (Tex-ABOTA) which consists of members from both sides of the Texas trial bar. Tex-ABOTA, The Texas Association of Defense Counsel (TADC) and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA) all oppose the bills, and all three of us provided testimony to the committee on why that is the case. I was able to reference lessons learned in the EDTX patent docket, as well as mention the late EDTX U.S. District Judge William Steger, who Jurisprudence chair Sen. Bryan Hughes clerked for. Many thanks to Chairman Hughes for making a fellow East Texan welcome.
If you’re having a slow day, the hearing is on the Internet at https://tlcsenate.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?clip_id=17528 . My testimony is at 58:08 – 1:00 and 1:04:46 – 1:05:38 . It is a two minute presentation and Sen. Hughes was kind enough to ask me a question afterwards, my answer to which only shortened everyone’s remaining lifespan 52 seconds. I’m not recommending it – I’m just saying it’s there.
The testimony was in the Betty King room off the Senate chamber and I’m so old I remember Betty King as the longtime Secretary of the Senate from my days in graduate school in Austin, which included working around the Capitol during a couple of legislative sessions. She retired in 2001 after 54 years of service, 24 as the Secretary of the Senate, and the Lieutenant Governor’s Conference Room was renamed for her in a well-deserved honor.
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