The Texas Lawyer's Creed, adopted by the Texas Supreme Court on November 7, 1989, was established to counteract a perceived trend in litigation toward abusive tactics, ranging from lack of civility to outright hostility and obstructionism. The Court's order stated that compliance with the Creed depended primarily on voluntary cooperation, but when necessary, courts could enforce the creed through their inherent powers or through rules already in existence. Prior to the Court’s adoption of the creed, several county bar associations in Texas had adopted their own professionalism creeds, and practitioners should consult those codes when applicable.
The creed contains requirements in addition to, and in some instances inconsistent with, discovery provisions in the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. For instance, in connection with all drafts of agreements and stipulations, the creed requires that counsel identify for opposing counsel all changes made in the documents submitted for review. The creed also mandates stipulations as to all undisputed facts to prevent needless costs or inconvenience for any party. The creed contains additional requirements, including that counsel refrain from all excessive and abusive discovery, comply with all reasonable discovery requests, and not resist discovery requests that are not objectionable.
The Texas Lawyer's Creed is one of three sources that set forth rules and guidelines for ethical professional conduct in Texas, the other two being the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and nonbinding ethics opinions. The Creed is considered a declaration of professionalism and civility that should govern attorneys' behavior. It affirmatively states the professional principles of the legal profession and provides guidelines for the manner in which attorneys should conduct themselves when interacting with clients, other lawyers, and judges.
At Camille Borg Law PLLC, we are committed to obeying the Texas Lawyer's Creed and ensure that our clients have a copy and agree to operate ethically within these rules.