An Uprising of Civility in Texas
5 HLRe: Off the Record 1 (2014)
10 Pages Posted: 7 Sep 2014
Date Written: September 5, 2014
Abstract
When people think of Texas and civility, the first thing that may come to mind might be the infamous YouTube clip titled ‘‘Texas Style Deposition.’’ In that clip, Texas attorney Joe Jamail proceeds to call opposing counsel several profanities, as well as ‘‘fat boy,’’ and Mr. Jamail threatens to fight the witness he is deposing.
This anecdotal episode, along with the misconception that the Texas legal system is equivalent to the ‘‘Wild West,’’ cast an unflattering and inaccurate picture of civility in the legal profession in Texas. In fact, efforts to increase and sustain civility in Texas are growing and flourishing.
This Article first briefly discusses what civility is, the advantages of civility in the legal profession, and the costs of incivility. This Article then focuses on several of the developments in Texas regarding civility. This Article also provides suggestions on how civility can become even more ingrained in the state.
Keywords: civility, professionalism, civility in the legal profession, Texas Lawyers' Creed, civility oath, essential eligibility requirements, mandatory civility, teaching civility in law school, transition to practice, Inns of Court, Dondi, Texas Center for Legal Ethics
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