http://www.nolo.com/texas/index.html

                     

                      Nolo v. Texas -- Nolo Declares Victory

 

                      Nolo is proud to declare victory after a two year struggle against an official Texas Supreme

                      Court Committee bent on banning Nolo's products from Texas. In a letter sent to Nolo's Texas

                      attorney Pete Kennedy dated September 21, 1999, the Unauthorized Practice of Law

                      Committee announced its decision to drop its investigation of Nolo and other self-help law

                      publishers. The Committee's decision to fold its cards was based on a Texas statute signed into

                      law in June of 1999 (HB 1507) that exempts publications and products such as Nolo's from the

                      unauthorized practice of law.

 

                      To get the benefit of the new statute, Nolo and other publishers are supposed to put statements

                      on their products that the product is not a substitute for advice from a lawyer. Although it always

                      seemed obvious to us that consumers can tell the difference between a book and a lawyer, we

                      will be happy to accommodate the Texas legislature in this matter.

 

                      Nolo's victory is also the victory of the George/Donaldson law firm (our Texas lawyers) and the

                      many people and organizations throughout the country who pitched in to support Nolo and its

                      constitutional right to publish and distribute its products in Texas. We especially wish to thank

                      the American Association of Law Libraries, the Texas Library Association, and the five

                      individual Texans who joined with Nolo in a lawsuit that proved to be an important factor in

                      getting HB 1507 through the Texas Legislature and by the Governor's pen.

 

                       Chronology of Events

                       Links to the text of correspondence and major legal filings, organized by date.

                                                          

                                                             Frequently Asked Questions

                                                             Answers to common questions about the

                                                             attempt by Texas lawyers to ban self-help

                                                             law materials.

 

                       Cases, Articles and Discussions

                       Nolo articles, cases and other materials about

                       self-help law, unauthorized practice of law,

                       free speech and other related legal issues.