Sec. 81.115. ONLINE ATTORNEY PROFILES. (a) The state bar shall create a profile of each attorney licensed by the state bar. The profile must:
(1) include the information required by Subsection (b);
(2) include the information described by Subsection (c) if that information is provided by the attorney to the state bar; and
(3) be compiled in a format that permits the state bar to make the information contained in the profile available online to the public.
(b) A profile must contain the following information on each attorney:
(1) the name of each law school attended and the date the attorney graduated;
(2) the date the attorney became licensed to practice law in this state;
(3) any specialty certification recognized by the state bar and held by the attorney;
(4) the attorney's primary practice location;
(5) any public disciplinary sanctions issued by the state bar against the attorney during at least the 10-year period preceding the date of the profile; and
(6) any public disciplinary sanctions issued by an entity in another state responsible for attorney discipline in that state against the attorney during at least the 10-year period preceding the date of the profile.
(c) The profile must contain the following information on an attorney if the attorney provides the information to the state bar:
(1) other states in which the attorney is licensed to practice law;
(2) the courts before which the attorney has been admitted to practice law;
(3) whether the attorney provides any language translating services, including translating services for a person with impairment of hearing, at the attorney's primary practice location; and
(4) whether the attorney's client service areas are accessible to persons with disabilities, as defined by federal law.
(d) Information included under Subsection (b) or (c) that is not maintained by the state bar in the ordinary course of the state bar's duties shall be requested from an attorney annually. In requesting information from the attorney, the state bar shall:
(1) inform the attorney that compliance with the request for information under Subsection (b) is mandatory;
(2) inform the attorney that compliance with the request for information under Subsection (c) is voluntary;
(3) inform the attorney of the date the information will be made available to the public; and
(4) instruct the attorney concerning the requirements under Subsection (f) for the attorney to obtain a copy of the attorney's profile to make corrections.
(e) This section does not require the state bar to disclose confidential information.
(f) The state bar shall:
(1) annually provide to each attorney licensed by the state bar a copy of the attorney's profile; or
(2) provide to an individual attorney a copy of the attorney's profile on request. The state bar shall provide an attorney one month from the date a copy of the attorney's profile is provided to the attorney to correct factual errors in the attorney's profile.
(g) The state bar shall annually update the information contained in an attorney's profile. The state bar shall adopt a form that allows an attorney to update information contained in the attorney's profile. The form shall be made available on the Internet and in other formats as prescribed by rules adopted by the state bar. The state bar may adopt rules relating to the type and content of additional information that may be included in an attorney's profile.
(h) For purposes of administering this section, the state bar may collect from each member of the state bar an annual fee of not more than $10.
(i) The state bar shall adopt rules as necessary to implement this section.
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 862, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
Last modified: September 28, 2016