§81.011(a): “The state bar is a public corporation and an administrative agency of the judicial branch of government.”
§81.019. Officers of State Bar (a) The officers of the state bar are the president, president-elect, and immediate past president. (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the officers shall be elected in accordance with rules for the election of officers and directors prepared and proposed by the supreme court as provided by Section 81.024. (c) The election rules must permit any member’s name to be printed on the ballot as a candidate for president-elect if a written petition requesting that action and signed by at least five percent of the membership of the state bar is filed with the executive director at least 30 days before the election ballots are to be distributed to the membership.
§81.020. Board of Directors (a) The governing body of the state bar is the board of directors. (b) The board is composed of: (1) the officers of the state bar; (2) the president, president-elect, and immediate past president of the Texas Young Lawyers Association; (3) not more than 30 members of the state bar elected by the membership from their district as determined by the board; (4) six persons appointed by the supreme court and confirmed by the senate who are not attorneys and who do not have, other than as consumers, a financial interest in the practice of law; and (5) four at-large directors appointed by the president as provided by Subsections (d) and (e). (c) Elected members serve three-year terms. Nonattorney members serve staggered terms of the same length as terms of elected board members. The supreme court shall annually appoint two nonattorney members, with at least one of the two from a list of at least five names submitted by the governor. Appointments to the board shall be made without regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin of the appointees. A person who has served more than half of a full term is not eligible for reappointment to the board. (d) The president of the state bar appoints the at-large directors, subject to confirmation by the board of directors. In making appointments under this subsection, the president shall appoint directors who demonstrate knowledge gained from experience in the legal profession and community necessary to ensure the board represents the interests of attorneys from the varied backgrounds that compose the membership of the state bar . (e) At-large directors serve three-year terms. To be eligible for appointment as an at-large director, at the time of appointment a person may not be serving as: (1) an elected director ; or (2) an at-large director . (f) The board of directors shall develop and implement policies that clearly separate the responsibilities of the board and the management responsibilities of the executive director and the staff of the state bar. (g) The board of directors shall prepare and maintain a written plan that describes how a person who does not speak English or who has a physical, mental, or developmental disability can be provided reasonable access to the state bar’s programs.
(a) The supreme court shall promulgate the rules governing the state bar.
(b) The supreme court may:
(1) as it considers necessary, pursuant to a resolution of the board of directors of the state bar, or pursuant to a petition signed by at least 10 percent of the registered members of the state bar, prepare, propose, and adopt rules or amendments to rules for the operation, maintenance, and administration of the state bar; and
(2) in accordance with Subchapter E-1, adopt rules, including the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, for the discipline of state bar members.
The state bar, in the manner provided by the supreme court, shall:
(1) promote and monitor participation of members of the state bar in elections under this chapter; and
(2) report statistics regarding that participation to the supreme court and the editor of the Texas Bar Journal for publication.
§81.025. Bar Districts (a) The board of directors shall from time to time reapportion the state into bar districts for electing directors from those districts or to perform any other duty imposed on the state bar by this chapter or the rules of the state bar. (b) In determining the districts, the board must consider the purposes of the state bar as set out in Section 81.012. (c) Any reapportionment is subject to the supreme court’s approval
§81.029. Executive Director (a) The board of directors, by a majority vote, elects the executive director. The executive director serves at the pleasure of the board.
(b) The executive director shall execute the policies and directives of the board in all state bar activities except the activities for which the general counsel is given responsibility either by this chapter or by the board.
(c) The executive director shall perform the duties usually required of a corporate secretary and other duties as assigned by the board.
(d) The executive director shall act as the treasurer of the state bar and shall receive from the clerk of the supreme court state bar funds as provided by this chapter. The funds are subject to audit as provided by Section 81.023.
(e) The executive director shall maintain the membership files and shall confer with the clerk of the supreme court as to the maintenance of those files.
(f) Repealed by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 285, § 31(8).
(g) The executive director has no vote on matters before the board of directors.
(h) The executive director or the executive director’s designee shall develop an intra-agency career ladder program. The program shall require intra-agency postings of all nonentry level positions concurrently with any public posting.
(i) The executive director or the executive director’s designee shall develop a system of annual performance evaluations. All merit pay for state bar employees must be based on the system established under this subsection.
(j) The executive director or the executive director’s designee shall prepare and maintain a written policy statement that implements a program of equal employment opportunity to ensure that all personnel decisions are made without regard to race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin. The policy statement must include:
(1) personnel policies, including policies relating to recruitment, evaluation, selection, training, and promotion of personnel, that show the intent of the state bar to avoid the unlawful employment practices described by Chapter 21, Labor Code; and
(2) an analysis of the extent to which the composition of the state bar’s personnel is in accordance with state and federal law and a description of reasonable methods to achieve compliance with state and federal law.
(k) The policy statement must:
(1) be updated annually;
(2) be reviewed by the state Commission on Human Rights for compliance with Subsection (j)(1); and
(3) be filed with the supreme court and the governor’s office.
556.004: “(a) A state agency may not use any money . . . to finance or otherwise support the candidacy of a person for an office in the . . . judicial branch of state government . . . . (c) A state officer or employee may not use official authority or influence or permit the use of a program administered by the state agency of which the person is an officer or employee to interfere with or affect the result of an election or nomination of a candidate or to achieve any other political purpose.”
Tex. Penal Code sec. 39.02(a): “A public servant commits an offense if, with intent to obtain a benefit or with intent to harm or defraud another, he intentionally or knowingly: (1) violates a law relating to the public servant’s office or employment; or (2) misuses government property, services, personnel, or any other thing of value that has come into the public servant’s custody or possession by virtue of the public servant’s office or employment.”