Latest & Greatest – Texas Homeowners Association Law: The Essential Guide for Texas Homeowners Associations and Homeowners

By Gregory S. Cagle

Published by Tow Harbors Press

KFT 1314 .H66 C34 2017

Sometimes it seems that the laws affecting Texas homeowners and the associations that govern them are as fluid as the Guadalupe River after a rainstorm. Have no fear, though. Author Gregory S. Cagle has waded into these murky waters and written a concise guide to assist in the understanding of these laws. Now in its third edition, Texas Homeowners Association Law is a reference manual that sets out the rights, duties, and responsibilities borne by both the homeowners associations and the homeowners themselves. He begins his guide with a discussion of master-planned communities and their evolution and the concept of the condominium development. He then delves into the heart of the matter by examining the formation and administration of Texas homeowners associations. He addresses such topics as:

  • The filling of vacancies on the Board of Directors, the duty of care required of such Board, and the procedures governing its meetings;
  • The meetings of the members of the homeowners association;
  • The duties and operation of homeowners associations;
  • The levying and collecting of assessments;
  • The amendment of governing documents; and
  • The enforcement of any restrictive covenants and the laws that limit such enforcement.

To assist members of these associations further, the author has provided sample forms, notices, and letters that can be used during the regular course of business. In the appendix readers can find sample forms for meeting minutes and notices, absentee ballots, management and resale certificates, and much more. There is also a handy glossary defining commonly-used terms and phrases.

Although Texas Homeowners Association Law is written with homeowners associations in mind, this book can also be an essential guide for homeowners. It explains what homeowners associations in Texas can and cannot do and describes the rights and duties of the homeowners.

Latest & Greatest – Raising the Bar: The Crucial Role of the Lawyer in Society

By Talmage Boston

Published by State Bar of Texas

KF 298 .B67 2012

 

In his book, Raising the Bar: The Crucial Role of the Lawyer in Society, Talmage Boston challenges his fellow lawyers to “raise the bar” and reclaim the elevated position that lawyers once held in society. Boston begins his look at the individuals that served as role models for the legal profession by examining the life and career of one of our country’s leading examples of honesty and integrity: Abraham Lincoln. He outlines Lincoln’s six points of advice, composed sometime in the 1850s, to assist those desiring to enter the practice of law. These tidbits of advice are reflected to some degree in the ethical rules to which lawyers must adhere, such as diligence, the provision of candid advice, and the importance of being honest in transactions and dealings. Boston also details those characteristics that intensified his greatness. These attributes included his brainpower, his self-control, his emotional intelligence, and his “high sense of purpose.”

Linked with Lincoln for his integrity and wisdom, Atticus Finch, the empathetic small-town lawyer from To Kill a Mockingbird, serves as Boston’s second inspirational role model. He cites examples of how Finch’s words and demeanor inspired many people to join the legal profession. Atticus Finch provided services to the poor, recognized the value of alternative dispute resolution, considered other perspectives, acknowledged the need for color-blind justice, and championed the power of the legal system while still conceding its limitations. Even today, Atticus Finch still ranks high on the list of favorite lawyers.

The author doesn’t simply focus his attention on historical and fictional lawyers; he also analyzes the careers of two lawyers he deems to be the greatest of the last 50 years: Leon Jaworski and James A. Baker III. Boston describes Jaworski as the protector and preserver of the Rule of Law. He supports this notion by highlighting five cases which Jaworski himself believed were the most important of his life, including State of Texas v. Jordan Scott and United States v. Nixon.  Baker, on the other hand, Boston portrays as a lawyer who changed the world for the better. Chief of Staff during the Reagan Administration and Secretary of State during the Bush years, Baker utilized and applied the skills he refined as a business lawyer to his positions of diplomacy.

Boston also concentrates his interest on lawyers who became novelists and who not only used their legal experience to tell compelling stories but also to raise awareness of serious questions that affect the legal profession and the public at large. He examined the careers of Louis Auchincloss, whose novels dealt with the upper crust of New York society, Richard North Patterson, whose books increasingly focused upon the political arena, and John Grisham, whose legal thrillers evolved into “issue books” dramatizing social injustices. Still, despite the different paths the writings of these authors took, each drew on their experiences as lawyers and/or litigators to create stories worth reading.

Lastly, Boston turns his sights on Theodore Roosevelt. Though not a lawyer himself, Roosevelt lived and existed on the fringes of the law and various legal situations, having aligned himself with lawyers. However, the author uses Roosevelt as a cautionary tale. Roosevelt’s life stands as a warning to lawyers to keep their exuberance in check so as to avoid a similar crash and burn scenario suffered by Roosevelt. Roosevelt was a larger-than-life character, living in the so-called arena. However, this zeal attributed to his ultimate downfall, a sad end for someone so historically significant.

If you are interested in learning about the achievements of several distinguished lawyers and the characteristics that caused them to “raise the bar,” read Talmage Boston’s Raising the Bar: The Crucial Role of the Lawyer in Society.

Featured Podcast: Constitutional from the Washington Post

Occasionally, the Harris County Law Library will recommend a podcast that may be of interest to readers of this blog. Previous suggestions include More PerfectReveal, and the podcasts of the Legal Talk Network. On Monday, July 24, the Washington Post will launch a new podcast called Constitutional. The press release describes it as follows:  

The Washington Post is launching “Constitutional,” a new podcast about the history of the U.S. Constitution and the great debates that have shaped it over time. “Constitutional” will explore the document’s origin story, the passage of its amendments, and the people who fought to frame and reframe it— revolutionaries, abolitionists, suffragists, teetotalers, protesters, justices, and presidents.

Each week the podcast will delve into the big fights over citizenship, race, justice, love, liberty, taxes, and freedom of expression. Sign up for news on the podcast release here.

If you decide to tune in and you find that you like the Constitutional podcast, check out its predecessor, also from the Washington Post, the Presidential podcast. Both are hosted by Lillian Cunningham. Happy listening!