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.