TLI Top Tip: TLI Offers Civil Court Bonds and Fiduciary (Probate) Bonds
June 4, 2026
Through Texas Lawyers’ Professional Insurance Agency (TLPIA), we offer several types of bonds that you may need in your practice. These bonds – Civil…
Resources
Our Resource Center includes our TLI Top Tips, articles, and links to other third party resources to assist our members with their loss prevention and best practices efforts.
News, Articles, & Top Tips
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: New ABA Opinion 523 – Permitted Terms in Engagement Agreements About Withdrawal
May 28, 2026
On May 20, 2026, the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility issued Formal Opinion 523 regarding “a lawyer’s ability to include provisions…
Article
Is Your Law Practice Prepared in the Event of a Disaster?
May 27, 2026
A hurricane pushes water through your downtown office. A ransomware note appears on every screen on a Monday morning. A solo practitioner has a…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: TLI has Generative AI Resources
May 21, 2026
In Texas, a lawyer’s duty of competence includes a duty to become and remain proficient and competent regarding the risks associated with relevant technology.…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: Reporting Misconduct to the SBOT – Your Own and Misconduct by Others
May 14, 2026
Texas Disciplinary Rule of Professional Conduct 8.03 sets out an attorney’s obligations to report professional misconduct. Sections (a)-(c) apply to a lawyer’s duty to report…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: Exclusive for Insured Members – Our Attorney Help Line
May 7, 2026
TLI offers a number of resources for its insured members to help them be successful in their law practice. One of those resources is…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: New ABA Opinion 522 – Lawyer’s duty to disclose grounds for judge disqualification.
April 30, 2026
On April 8, 2026, the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility issued Formal Opinion 522 regarding a lawyer’s disclosure obligation under the…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: Texas Supreme Court Upholds Disqualification due to Side-Switching by Non-Lawyer Assistant
April 23, 2026
On April 10, 2026, the Texas Supreme Court issued its opinion in In re Zaidi, 2026 Tex. LEXIS 288, 2026 WL 969266 (Tex. Apr.…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: Are you adequately covered for Cyber Risk?
April 16, 2026
We have written before about the fact that law firms are targets for cyber criminals. (See, August 14, 2025 Top Tip). It is not…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: Top Trip-Ups in Claims for the First Quarter of 2026
April 9, 2026
In the first quarter of 2026, TLI closed 23 claims which cost approximately $551,853 to defend and bring to resolution. We are providing summaries…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: What is a “Tail Policy” and when would I need one?
April 1, 2026
Last week’s Top Tip emphasized the importance of having a legal malpractice insurance policy in place from your first day of practice with no…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: Understanding Your LPL Policy – What does “Claims Made” mean and why does it matter?
March 26, 2026
Because mistakes by a lawyer are often not discovered until years later, legal malpractice policies are uniquely “claims made” policies, meaning coverage exists for…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: Charging Flat Fees? Make sure you are doing it correctly.
March 19, 2026
Flat fee billing is where a firm charges a fixed fee for specific services, regardless of the time spent on the matter. Flat fees…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: New Texas Ethics Opinion 709 – Do’s and Don’ts of Appearance Lawyers
March 12, 2026
In February, the Texas Professional Ethics Committee issued Opinion 709 addressing the ethical responsibilities of a lawyer who seeks to retain an unaffiliated lawyer…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: ALERT! Significant Changes to Summary Judgment Deadlines and Procedures
March 5, 2026
In our October 16, 2025 Top Tip, we told you about changes to court procedures regarding summary judgment practice enacted by the Texas legislature…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: Caution – Client interactions with AI may not be privileged
February 26, 2026
In a February 17, 2026, Memorandum Opinion, a federal district court judge in the Southern District of New York found that a criminal defendant’s communications with the generative AI…
Article
Winding Down a Practice
February 25, 2026
The stressful and consequential decision to close a law practice raises many questions. “How?” may be the most complicated because law school does not…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: Does your firm have policies and procedures for ethical compliance?
February 19, 2026
In October 2024, the Texas Supreme Court adopted amendments to Texas Disciplinary Rule of Professional Conduct 5.01, the rule regarding responsibilities of a partner or supervisory lawyer. The amendments impose…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: New TLI Exclusive Member Benefits at TLIE.ORG
February 12, 2026
As a TLI insured member, you have exclusive access to our risk management resources and so much more. To access these resources, we have launched a new…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: New ABA Opinion 520 – Required Communications with Former Client
February 5, 2026
On January 21, 2026, the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility issued Formal Opinion 520 regarding a lawyer’s obligation to convey information to a former client or…
TLI Top Tip
TLI Top Tip: Watch TLI CLEs and get a Premium Discount!
January 29, 2026
TLI has an on-demand CLE library with over 20 hours of CLE available. All of these CLEs are accredited by the State Bar of Texas and also qualify for some ethics credit. Accordingly, attorneys…
Books & Helpful Links
The following books and links reflect resources that we believe offer important content on Texas legal malpractice and ethics issues. We are always looking for new resources. If you have suggestions for additional sites or know that one of our sources is outdated, please contact us.
Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program
A confidential resource that helps attorneys, judges, and law students find solutions for dealing with substance use and mental health issues and provides resources for incorporating a healthier lifestyle.
State Bar Ethics Resources
The Bar has ethics resources. The ethics hotline can provide answers to certain ethical questions. Call (800)532-3947 for more information.
University of Houston Texas Ethics Reporter
This site includes Texas Disciplinary Rules of Conduct and Procedure, as well as Ethics Opinions, and includes prior versions of the rules.
The Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism
TCLEP is a non-profit center funded in large part by the Texas Bar Foundation. Resources on this site include the Texas Disciplinary Rules, Ethics Opinions, A Guide to the Basics of Law Practice, the Ethics Course, and other Texas specific materials.
Law Practice Management Program of the State Bar of Texas
The Law Practice Management Program of the State Bar of Texas offers a number of helpful guides that can help lawyers keep organized and practice efficiently.
ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability
The Standing Committee offers a number of important resources for attorneys interested in lawyers professional liability and insurance. A number of materials can be purchased online, including The Lawyer’s Desk Guide to Legal Malpractice.
ABA Center for Professional Responsibility
The Center for Professional Responsibility coordinates most of the ABA’s activities regarding legal ethics. There are usually a couple of commissions or subcommittee working on hot topics, and they will have links on this page. ABA ethics opinions may be available on the site.
ABA Law Practice Management Division
The ABA’s Law Practice Management has many great resources to help with running a law practice.
The ABA Legal Technology and Resource Center
LTEC focuses on law firm hardware and software.
Legalethics.com
This website focuses on ethical aspects of the use of technology by lawyers.
Legal Ethics Forum
This is a blog by law professors who specialize in legal ethics, and provides a good source for current news on ethics.
William Freivogel’s Conflicts Website
This website collects cases on conflicts issues in an easy to use format.
NABRICO Sites
TLIE is a member of the National Association of Bar Related Insurance Companies. The websites for the companies often provide valuable loss prevention advice and forms. If you are an attorney from a state other than Texas, you may want to check with these companies for professional liability and other types of insurance.
Texas Access to Justice Foundation
Lawyers who handle money for their clients must participate in the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Program, by depositing these funds into an IOLTA bank account at an eligible institution. This website tells you how.
Explore Our Continuing Education Resources
Our commitment to helping you succeed includes an investment in your professional development to help safeguard your practice with additional education on how to avoid complaints and claims.