Welcome to the Civil Liberties & Civil Rights Section of the State Bar of Texas
Welcome to the CLCR Section
Welcome to the Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Section (CLCR) of the State Bar of Texas. The CLCR section is comprised of lawyers who practice or are interested in the rights and liberties conferred by the United States and Texas Constitutions. Many of our members teach or practice in the area of civil liberties and constitutional law.
Each year, the CLCR section co-sponsors the Bill of Rights: Litigating the Constitution Course, which occurs each May at the Texas Law Center in Austin. The course brings together judges, law professors, and attorneys from across the state and nation for presentations on many of the cutting-edge topics in Constitutional Law. Each year, the section also co-sponsors a program at the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, which provide an update on important decisions from the Texas Supreme Court, Fifth Circuit, and U.S. Supreme Court. We hope that you can join us at one of our programs.
The section also supports the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties & Civil Rights, which continues to be one of the premiere civil liberties and civil rights journals in the country.
In sum, exciting things are happening in the CLCR section. If you are a member of the section, thank you for your support. If you are not yet a member, I hope you will consider joining.
Best regards,
Matthew Kolodoski, Chair-Elect
Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Section
State Bar of Texas
2025-2026 Proposed Slate
The Section Council confirmed the following slate of Officers and Council members for the 2025-2026 bar year. Matthew Kolodoski automatically becomes Chair from Chair-Elect. Justice Gino Rossini was elected Chair-Elect and Justice Cynthia Barbare was elected Secretary/Treasurer by the Section Council. Eric Opiela, Christpher Klement, and Chad Baruch were nominated to the Council by the Nominations Committee. Their nominations will be voted on at the Section Membership Meeting on May 2, 2025 at 8:45 a.m. at the Texas Law Center in Austin, Texas.
Officers
• Chair – Matthew Kolodoski
• Chair-Elect – Justice Gino Rossini
• Secretary/Treasurer – Justice Cynthia Barbare
• Immediate-Past Chair – Corinna Chandler
Term Ending in 2026
• Justice April Farris
• Eric Opiela
Term Ending in 2027
• Lance Kennedy
• Brittney Madrigal
Term Ending in 2028
• Christopher Klement
• Chad Baruch
2025 Patrick Wiseman Award for Civil Rights
We are pleased to announce David Hacker as the recipient of the 2025 Patrick Wiseman Award for Civil Rights. The award was established to recognize attorneys for their outstanding contributions to the civil rights and liberties of Texans.
David Hacker is Vice President of Litigation and Senior Counsel at First Liberty Institute, where he oversees all of First Liberty’s litigation from state and federal trial courts to the U.S. Supreme Court. Outside his litigation practice, David teaches continuing legal education courses and speaks on religious freedom and free speech topics at universities, law schools, and academic conferences.
He will formally be presented with the award at the 19th Annual Bill of Rights: Litigating the Constitution Course on May 2, 2025 at the Texas Law Center in Austin, Texas.
The Mission
The purpose of this Section is to further the purposes and objectives of the State Bar of Texas within the field of civil rights law, subject to applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations, and the policies of the State Bar of Texas.
Networking
The Section offers opportunities to network with attorneys involved in civil rights and constitution law litigation at events like our program at the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, the Annual Bill of Rights Course CLE, and Section sponsored events.
Areas of Practice
Our section is comprised of lawyers with an interest in the rights and responsibilities conferred by the United States and Texas Constitutions. Many of our members teach or practice in the area of civil liberties and constitutional law. We invite you to explore this website and consider becoming a member of our section.
Welcome to the Civil Liberties & Civil Rights Section of the State Bar of Texas
Our section is comprised of lawyers with an interest in the rights and responsibilities conferred by the United States and Texas Constitutions.
Many of our members teach or practice in the area of civil liberties and constitutional law.
We invite you to explore this website and consider becoming a member of our section.
Learn more about our upcoming events.