Behind the Lines: The Houston Lawyer Podcast

This episode covers the impact of the digital age on lawyers, the law, and society. There are pros and cons to our increasingly sophisticated cyber-world, and this episode covers  the dire consequences of bullying when it's taken online, how criminals use technology to stalk and harass victims, advantages of the continued trend towards online mediation, and legal considerations for online healthcare. We also have a fun "Off the Record" interview with Houston lawyer Adam Schiffer, guitarist for Twenty 24 Souls.   Online Bullying Cyberbullying in Texas Schools: Definitions, Remedies, and Concerning Trends Dustin Rynders, Legal Director at Texas Civil Rights Project, discusses the laws and practicalities relating the cyberbullying in Texas and provides insight into potential future trends. (17.5 minutes) Nationwide Cyberbullying: The Real-World Impact of a Viral Rumor Monica Uddin, Partner at AZA, discusses an ongoing case in which she represents a young woman who was the victim of an online rumor that went viral. (14 minutes) Online Crimes Cybercrimes Against the Elderly: How to Protect the Elderly from Becoming Victims of Online Scams Joseph Frank, chief prosecutor of the Elder Abuse section at the Harris County District Attorney's Office, discusses cybercrimes that target elderly victims and provides tips on how to protect elderly people from becoming victims of these types of crimes. (10.5 minutes) Cybercrime Prosecution: CyberStalking, Revenge Porn, Online Impersonation, and Online Scams Keith Houston, Chief Prosecutor in the Cybercrime Section of the Financial Crimes Division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, discusses revenge porn, cyberstalking, online impersonation, and the online financial scams that tend to go along with these types of crimes. (11 minutes) Online Services Cyber Mediation: Logistics, Advantages, and Trends  Jessica Crutcher, Founder and Principal of Jessica Crutcher Law PLLC, discusses the logistics and benefits of cyber mediation and addresses why she believes it is here to stay. (10 minutes) Cyber Healthcare and the Law Interviewer: Anietie Akpan Rachel Rose, Principal with Rachel V. Rose - Attorney at Law, PLLC, addresses legal issues at both the federal and state levels related to online healthcare, including compliance with privacy laws, confidentiality, security, billing, licensure requirements, carve outs for critical care, prescribing controlled substances, and consumer health data. Ms. Rose also discusses potential future trends in virtual healthcare, including the use of AI. (20 minutes) Off the Record: When Law Rocks, Lawyers (and Charities) Thrive Interviewer Nico Zulli Behind-the-Lines Interviewer Nico Zulli interviews lawyer and guitarist Adam Schiffer (Brown Rudnick). Adam plays the guitar for Twenty 24 Souls, the band that won the 2025 Law Rocks competition in April 2025 here in Houston. They discuss the competition as well as the benefits of having a creative outlet. (5 minutes) This episode is approved for 1.25 hours of Texas CLE credit for HBA members. See The Houston Lawyer Committee page on the HBA's website for more details.  For full speaker bios, visit The Houston Lawyer (hba.org/thehoustonlawyer) [https://www.hba.org/?pg=The-Houston-Lawyer-CMTE]. To read The Houston Lawyer magazine, visit The Houston Lawyer_home [http://thehoustonlawyer.com/]. For more information about the Houston Bar Association, visit Houston Bar Association (hba.org) [https://www.hba.org/]. *The views expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the views of The Houston Lawyer Editorial Board or the Houston Bar Association.

The Innovation and Expectations episode has knowledgeable guests addressing lithium supply legal issues, how AI is impacting our profession, expectations for attorney hiring, and new lawyer notes about how innovation may impact legal careers in the future.  (1) A New Era of Legal Issues Associated with Lithium Extraction Stephanie Noble of Vinson & Elkins LLP discusses the increased demand for lithium, what lithium extraction is, the many types of legal issues that are arising due to this increase in demand, and why it's an exciting time to be an energy lawyer.  *New Lawyer Note: John Hinojosa (Winston & Strawn)*  (2) Generative AI: Increasing Efficiency Nelson Ebaugh of Nelson S. Ebaugh P.C. addresses common concerns about confidentiality and privileged communication, provides some guidance for addressing this concerns, advocates for the use of generative AI to increase the efficiency of and enhance your legal practice, and briefly addresses legal developments relating to AI.  *New Lawyer Note: Caitlin Rogers (Winston & Strawn)* (3) We're Hiring (Mostly): Trends in the Houston Legal Market Now and in the Near Future Tim Reagan of ELR Legal Search discusses current and future trends in the attorney hiring market in Houston, addresses the potential impact of AI on the market, and provides sound advice for young lawyers and students who are trying to determine how they fit into the legal market and where they should direct their talents.   *New Lawyer Note: Drew Pierce (Winston & Strawn)* The first and second segments of this episode are approved for CLE for HBA members. See The Houston Lawyer page on the HBA's website for details.  For full speaker bios, visit The Houston Lawyer (hba.org/thehoustonlawyer) [https://www.hba.org/?pg=The-Houston-Lawyer-CMTE]. To read The Houston Lawyer magazine, visit The Houston Lawyer_home [http://thehoustonlawyer.com/]. For more information about the Houston Bar Association, visit Houston Bar Association (hba.org) [https://www.hba.org/]. *The views expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the views of The Houston Lawyer Editorial Board or the Houston Bar Association.

It is the “most wonderful time of the year,” and Behind the Lines is focusing on giving back. Section 6 of the Preamble to the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Conduct reminds us that “the provision of free legal services to those unable to pay reasonable fees is the moral obligation of each lawyer as well as the profession generally.” This episode focuses on some of the ways Houston lawyers have been taking that obligation seriously and giving back to people in the Houston area who need legal help.  Segment One - Hon. David Hittner: "I Wouldn't Trade That One Trial" Hon. David Hittner, Senior U.S. District Court Judge, discusses a criminal pro bono case he had as a young lawyer, including how he went about preparing for a criminal case as a civil lawyer. He also addresses how this pro bono case played a role in his confirmation hearing when he was appointed to the federal bench. The file for the case, Texas vs. Lockett, was recently formally dedicated for public exhibition at the Historic Documents Room at the Harris County Courthouse.  Segment Two - Maryam Ghaffar: "My Client Felt So Validated" Maryam Ghaffar, an associate at Beck Redden and the HYLA Pro Bono and Service Committee Chair, discusses a recent Hague Convention case in which she represented the mother of a two-year-old child whose father wanted the court to order that the child's habitual residence was in Ecuador, not the United States. Maryam was appointed to this pro bono case by the Court, and it was a very fast-paced case.  Segment Three - Holiday Wellness Break: Finding the Joy (BTL Interviewer Rinku Ray) Melanie Bragg of Bragg Law PC, who is also the co-chair of HBA's Wellness Committee, author of "Defining Moments: Insights Into the Lawyer's Soul" and other books, and cheerful volunteer, leads listeners through a wellness exercise designed to help find joy and reduce stress during the holiday season.  Segment Four - Amy Farish: "There's Always Support" Amy Farish, a partner at Yetter Coleman who is also the firm's pro bono coordinator, discusses a lengthy immigration case she and her team handled and  encourages lawyers to try out pro bono service even if it's in an area outside of one's usual wheelhouse. Segment Five - Andrew Lehmann (HVL): "The Legal Issue Was Actually Really Simple" (BTL Interviewer Rachael Thompson) Andrew Lehmann, who runs HVL's weekly Veterans clinics at Michael E. DeBakey VA Hospital, discusses the issues they typically see and how to volunteer, and he shares recent success stories from the clinic, including a tenant's rights case and Military Sexual Trauma claim. He notes that lawyers should not feel intimidated to volunteer at the clinic or even take a case because often the legal issues are simple and the Veterans just need someone to advocate for them using legal skills that almost every lawyer has. To volunteer, sign up at https://www.makejusticehappen.org/get-involved/legalline/ [https://www.makejusticehappen.org/get-involved/legalline/]. Music by LudoSoundX [https://pixabay.com/users/ludosoundx-45163192/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=264517] from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=264517]. For full speaker bios, visit The Houston Lawyer (hba.org/thehoustonlawyer) [https://www.hba.org/?pg=The-Houston-Lawyer-CMTE]. To read The Houston Lawyer magazine, visit The Houston Lawyer_home [http://thehoustonlawyer.com/]. For more information about the Houston Bar Association, visit Houston Bar Association (hba.org) [https://www.hba.org/]. *The views expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the views of The Houston Lawyer Editorial Board or the Houston Bar Association.

In the special episode, Behind the Lines: The Houston Lawyer Podcast celebrates the 70th Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. Behind the Lines Interviewer Anietie Akpan talks with Houston School Law Legend Kelly Frels about the case and its impact here in Houston. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about this very impactful case from a lawyer who was directly involved in desegregating Houston schools, and the Behind-the-Lines team is honored to be able to share this important history with our listeners.  For full speaker bios, visit The Houston Lawyer (hba.org/thehoustonlawyer) [https://www.hba.org/?pg=The-Houston-Lawyer-CMTE]. To read The Houston Lawyer magazine, visit The Houston Lawyer_home [http://thehoustonlawyer.com/]. For more information about the Houston Bar Association, visit Houston Bar Association (hba.org) [https://www.hba.org/]. *The views expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the views of The Houston Lawyer Editorial Board or the Houston Bar Association.

This episode covers the new Texas Business Court and then addresses the business of law, from starting your own law firm to branding to firm breakups. “We’ve Only Just Begun”: Texas’s New Business Court Natasha Breaux of Haynes Boone covers everything Texas Business Lawyers need to know about our new Business Court.  “You Can Go Your Own Way”: Transitioning from BigLaw to Owning Your Own Practice Michael Cancienne·or Jordan, Lynch & Cancienne discusses the transition from being a partner at a large international law firm to owning one's own firm, addressing both the challenging and rewarding aspects.  “Pumped Up Kicks”: The Sneaker Lawyer’s On-Point Branding Jonathan Jackson of J. Jackson Law Offices is known as the "Sneaker Lawyer." Jonathan talks about how he came up with this branding and why it's important for one's brand to be authentic.  “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do”: But These Tips Will Help Pete Patterson of Patterson P.C. covers practical legal issues that can arise when law partners break up, how to avoid these issues from the get go, and how to deal with them if they do arise to minimize any disruptions to serving your clients’ legal needs.  For full speaker bios, visit The Houston Lawyer (hba.org/thehoustonlawyer) [https://www.hba.org/?pg=The-Houston-Lawyer-CMTE]. To read The Houston Lawyer magazine, visit The Houston Lawyer_home [http://thehoustonlawyer.com/]. For more information about the Houston Bar Association, visit Houston Bar Association (hba.org) [https://www.hba.org/]. *The views expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the views of The Houston Lawyer Editorial Board or the Houston Bar Association.