Outline of New or Revised Subjects on the Texas Bar Examination
Effective July 1999
I. Consumer Law
A. Texas and federal debt collection acts: Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Texas Debt Collection Practices Act
B. Texas Deceptive Trade Practices - Consumer Protection Act (DTPA)
C. Other Texas statutes specifically providing that a violation of the statute is likewise a violation of the DTPA, including:
1. Home Solicitation Transactions see Texas Business & Commerce Code, Chapter 39, Cancellation of Certain Consumer Transactions
2. Business Opportunity Act see Texas Business & Commerce Code, Chapter 41
3. Telephone Solicitation see Texas Business & Commerce Code, Chapters 37 & 38, Regulation of Telephone Solicitation
D. Insurance law issues, including:
1. Texas Insurance Code, Articles 21.21 and 21.55, and the insurer's common law duty of good faith and fair dealing
2. Basic rights and obligations as between insurer and insured arising from standard policies as well as statutory and common law
II. Real Property
A. Homesteads
B. Conveyances
C. Types of estates
D. Statute of Frauds
E. Limitations and adverse possession
F. Essential terms
G. Liens, including:
1. Mechanics' liens
2. Deeds of trust and vendors' liens
3. Foreclosure
H. Landlord and tenant
I. Oil and gas
III. Guardianship (as a new component of the Trusts and Guardianship topic)
A. Jurisdiction and venue
B. Appointment and qualification of guardian
C. Administration of guardianship
D. Compensation
E. Role of attorney ad litem
IV. Taxation, as a cross-over topic, to be included where appropriate, as an element of questions in other subjects, such as family law, oil and gas, trusts, wills and estates, etc.
V. Bankruptcy, as a cross-over topic, to be included where appropriate as an element of questions in other subjects, such as family law, wills and estates, real property, etc.
since July 14, 2003