Surprisingly, a large number of attorneys are unfamiliar with the State Bar of Texas Client Attorney Assistance Program (CAAP) and what it does. More surprising, if not concerning, is that many attorneys who receive a letter from CAAP requesting information on behalf of the attorney’s client completely ignore the letter. This, however, can lead to more serious consequences for the lawyer. 

What is CAAP?  According to the State Bar website, “CAAP is a confidential statewide dispute resolution service of the State Bar of Texas. Its objective is to facilitate communication and foster productive dialogue between Texas lawyers and their clients in an effort to assist them in resolving minor concerns, disagreements, or misunderstandings that are impacting the attorney relationship.” 

There are two primary ways that a matter can come to CAAP’s attention - one is from the client; the other is through a “discretionary referral” from…