According to a recent letter, the great state of Texas is revising its bar application to disqualify from being lawyers those woke students that participate in disruptive protests.The letter that exposes the plan to change the bar application, addressed to Senator Cruz, says:
Thank you for your letter of March 16, 2023. I am, of course, very familiar with the disruption of Judge Kyle Duncan’s invited presentation at Stanford Law School, as well as—I am sorry to have to say—similar occurrences at Yale Law School.
The Texas lawyer licensing process includes a thorough, detailed investigation by the Board of Law Examiners of an applicant’s history, including the applicant’s criminal, employment, and academic record. Its purpose is to determine whether there are any character concerns that “would likely result in injury to future clients, in the obstruction of the administration of justice, or in violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct.” SupremeCourt of Texas, Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas, Rule 4(b).
The Board has historically relied on law schools to report disciplinary matters that should be considered in determining an applicant’s character and fitness for admission to the Texas bar. School reactions to recent violations of free-speech policies suggest that reliance is not justified. The Board is planning to add questions to the bar application to inquire of applicants directly concerning incivility and violations of school policies.
Texas lawyers are expected to adhere to the Texas Lawyer’s Creed, promising to “treat counsel, opposing parties, the Court, and members of the Court staff with courtesy and civility.” The admission process should examine whether applicants can be expected fulfill this promise.
Senator Cruz, speaking about the letter and plan to change the bar application to the Daily Caller News Foundation, said:
“I am glad to see that the Texas Board of Law Examiners is adding a question to the Texas bar application to ask if any applicants have participated in incivility or violated their law school’s policies. Members of the Texas Bar enjoy a tremendous honor and privilege and should not only be known for the skill of their advocacy, but also for their courtesy and professionalism. I salute Chief Justice Hecht for his efforts to uphold the integrity of the Texas Bar which is second-to-none. And by applying rigorous standards for new lawyers, it will remain that way. Other state bar associations ought to follow suit and demonstrate that the disgraceful behavior exhibited by some students at Yale and Stanford Law won’t be overlooked.”
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Two incidents appear to have sparked the letter. One was at Yale in 2022, when 100 protesters shouted down a panel on free speech featuring American Humanist Association’s Monica Miller and Alliance Defending Freedom’s Kristen Waggoner. The other came in 2023, when Stanford law students shouted at conservative Judge Kyle Duncan during his scheduled speech at a Federalist Society event.
So, perhaps other red states will follow Texas’ lead and keep wokeness out of its state by not letting woke students that engaged in disruptive protests of that sort take or pass the bar.