Those who volunteer time to government service deserve our commendation, but with government authority comes accountability. This Court should not cloak private citizens with the power to investigate and enforce state law while providing a blanket shield from public scrutiny. This public is entitled to know who has been delegated this Court's authority to regulate the practice of law in Texas. For the same reasons, the UPL Committee's position regarding its meeting times, agendas and minutes is overly secretive. To begin with, the UPL Committee offers no reason why its meeting times , dates and places should be kept from the public.
Secret meetings engender distrust in government agencies.
In its agendas and minutes, surely the Committee can, as do so many other government agencies, redact matters that are genuinely sensitive and produce information that is not, such as the Committee's adoption of rules. The UPL Committee wants to work in the dark while Nolo Press publishes in the light. This is fundamentally unfair. Nolo Press' products are public. They are available in stores and libraries across the State.