eCourses

Session 01: Land Use Case Law Updates, Part 1 - A roundup of recent land uses cases, including platting, zoning, takings, vested rights, development agreements, etc. Session 02: Land Use Case Law Updates, Part 2 - A roundup of recent land uses cases, including platting, zoning, takings, vested rights, development agreements, etc. Session 03: Legislative Update: Key Land Use Bills in the 89th Texas Legislature - With the 89th Regular Legislative Session still in full swing, this session reviews pending bills and their implications for land use regulation. Session 04: Hot Topics in Texas Land Use Law - A wide-ranging discussion of current issues: A Dallas response to gentrification and NIMBY-ism—will it work? Does the concept “gentle density” really increase housing stock? Why have so many parking spaces disappeared in Texas cities? And our perennial topic: how are Texas courts now addressing municipal regulation of short-term rentals, and have we learned anything new? These topics and more are addressed in this presentation.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

How to regulate solicitation in the form of an unattended donation bin. Zoning classifications versus distance buffers, and traps for the unwary regulator.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

A presentation on the social and economic population trends in Texas and its effects on services, infrastructure, and natural resources.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

As drone technology rapidly evolves, cities face unprecedented challenges in balancing innovation with public safety, privacy rights and existing land use frameworks. This presentation examines a detailed case study of drone operations in urban environments, analyzing how municipalities can develop adaptive regulatory approaches that accommodate beneficial drone uses while protecting community interests. Through examining real-world examples of commercial drone applications, from delivery services to building inspections, this presentation explores practical strategies for creating flexible yet robust land use policies that can serve as a model for addressing future technological disruptions.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

THIS MONTH: Is the Clock Ticking? A Discussion of TikTok's Legal Issues and the Platform's Future  • ​Interacting and Dealing with Difficult People: Ethically Working with All Kinds of Others • Demographic Trends and Characteristics in Texas • The Human’s Guide to Acquiring/Selling AI Companies: So What’s So Different? • Updated Texas Disciplinary Rules: What You Should Know

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

A panel discussion on the merits of voluntary annexation, disannexation and ETJ release under current law. This panel explores from a legal and practical standpoint the decision making, tools and negotiations that allow developers and cities to get to a win-win for proposed projects outside city limits.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Whether purposeful or unforeseen, well-intentioned zoning codes create nonconformities that must be respected while cities work toward the end goal of implementing their plans. This session looks at how case law treats nonconforming rights, the takings implications, and the notice requirements of SB929.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Legislative immunity and protection of P&Z Commissioners and City Council-members from forced testimony.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

How can cities, regions, and states plan and invest in transportation systems and regulate or deregulate land use in ways that give people more freedom to afford various lifestyle options?

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Chapter 212, subchapter C of the Local Government Code establishes the traditional method for municipalities to financially participate in developer construction contracts. However, there are other alternative methods for municipalities to participate in developer contracts through compliance with chapter 252 of the Local Government Code or chapter 2269 of the Government Code, which will be discussed.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

The population growth in Texas has led to increased demands on local governments to review and approve development projects. Streamlining processes and adopting new regulations for plats and infrastructure construction by developers can provide local governments with new methods for responding to these increased demands.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Discussion of current state and federal case law on regulatory takings, including the US Supreme Court opinion in Sheetz v. El Dorado County.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

A review focusing on the power of owner's associations to regulate and maintain communities.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Explore the essential role of burnout prevention in the legal profession and discover practical strategies to cultivate wellness for yourself and your staff. This session equips you with actionable tools for fostering a thriving, resilient legal team.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Session 01: How Utilities Can Intentionally or Unintentionally Influence Land Use - A panel discussion with attorneys representing utilities, developers, and municipalities addressing conditions of utility service, the regulatory framework surrounding utilities on the ground and the interplay between land development inside and outside municipal limits when utility service is at play. Session 02: The PUC Electric Grid Resiliency Program and What It Means to Development - An overview of the State’s recent focus on grid resiliency, the investor-owned utility electric utility resiliency programs recently approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and a discussion on how these initiatives could impact development.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Session 01: The Future of Water in Texas: Sustainability and Supply Challenges - An examination of the current water system landscape in Texas, including its challenges, and how Texas can plan for the future. Session 02: Water And Development: It Should Mix if Properly Handled! - Overview of water issues related to land development.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Dealing with represented governmental entities, unrepresented governmental entities, and how to tell the difference.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Session 1: Texas Privacy Law Update -  This update provides insight into enforcement priorities of the Office of the Texas Attorney General’s new Data Privacy and Enforcement Division for recently effective data privacy and data broker laws. Hear an in-depth discussion on the practical and risk ranked steps to take for compliance with these new laws both from a regulatory standpoint and an in-house standpoint. Session 2:  Taking Stock After Purdue Pharma -  Discuss the state of third-party releases, channel injunctions, exculpations, and other issues in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Purdue Pharma. Session 3: Anti-SLAPP Case Study: Dealing with Defamation, Business Disparagement, and Social Media  - Using a recent case, explore the business disparagement claims asserted against a prosthodontist and his dental practice, and the subsequent dismissal of these claims with a Chapter 27 Anti-SLAPP Motion to Dismiss. Stemming from a series of Instagram live videos, Kenneth Wilstead a/k/a “Dr. Kenny Smiles” sued Dr. Ortiz for business disparagement and invasion of privacy.  However, using publicly available information, Wilstead’s claims were rebutted by informing the court of a likely and entirely unrelated basis for why Wilstead’s business had declined: his character and practices had been called into question by certain of his current and prospective female patients. Session 4: When Lawyers Make the News: It’s Not About You. It’s About Your Client. - With the guidance provided by the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct, the Texas Lawyer’s Creed, and existing ethics opinions, this presentation focuses on ethical considerations lawyers often face when handling cases that make the news and will offer practical guidance on avoiding common pitfalls that arise when your case makes the spotlight. Consider lessons learned from stories and examples of lawyers who themselves made headlines and faced legal trouble for ethical lapses in the scope of client representation.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Need ethics credit? We’ve got you covered! UT Law CLE’s First Friday Ethics streams live every first Friday of the month, and features some of our best ethics speakers and presentations for a total of 3.00 hrs ethics credit. Fulfill your entire annual ethics requirement in Texas in one day! This month includes: (1.00 hr | 1.00 hr ethics) Deep in the Heart of the Texas Business Courts: What Attorneys Need to Know (Replay) Hear the ins and outs of the new Texas Business Court, including its jurisdiction, its judges, and its unique procedures. Mitch Ackal, Gray Reed - Houston, TX Brock Niezgoda, Gray Reed - Houston, TX (1.00 hr | 1.00 hr ethics) Developing an AI Governance Program (Replay) Practical guidance and considerations in developing and implementing governance around the internal use of AI. Emily Westridge Black, Shearman & Sterling LLP - Austin, TX Steven Gyeszly, Houston, TX (1.00 hr | 1.00 hr ethics) Avoiding Burnout (Replay) Delve into the crucial importance of wellness and burnout prevention in the legal profession. Discover why safeguarding your well-being is essential for sustaining a successful and fulfilling legal career. Kiele Linroth Pace, Pacefirm Consulting, LLC - Austin, TX Michelle Fontenot, Texas Lawyers' Assistance Program - Austin, TX

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Session 1: The Aftermath of Recent Strikes - The contract updates and legal issues that resulted from the WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes. Session 2: Update on Conflicts of Interest - An overview and analysis of the rules, case law and ethics opinions regarding conflicts of interest rules including simultaneous representation of potentially adverse clients, positional conflicts, conflicts involving the lawyer’s personal interest, imputed disqualification, conflicts involving insurance, conflicts regarding former or prospective clients, and conflicts arising from pre-retention contacts. Session 3: When Lawyers Make the News: It’s Not About You. It’s About Your Client. - With the guidance provided by the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct, the Texas Lawyer’s Creed, and existing ethics opinions, this presentation focuses on ethical considerations lawyers often face when handling cases that make the news and will offer practical guidance on avoiding common pitfalls that arise when your case makes the spotlight. Consider lessons learned from stories and examples of lawyers who themselves made headlines and faced legal trouble for ethical lapses in the scope of client representation.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides