MINUTES 
                                           
                         SENATE COMMITTEE ON JURISPRUDENCE 
                              Thursday, April 20, 2006 
                                     10:00 a.m. 
                           Capitol Extension, Room E1.028 
                                           
                                       ***** 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence  
         was held on Thursday, April 20, 2006, in the Capitol Extension,  
         Room E1.028, at Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Jeff Wentworth                  Senator Mario Gallegos,  
         Jr. 
                                                 Senator John Carona 
                                                 Senator Robert Duncan 
                                                 Senator Chris Harris 
                                                 Senator Juan Hinojosa 
                                                 Senator Royce West 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The chair called the meeting to order at 10:08 a.m.  The  
         following business was transacted:   
          
         The chair gave opening remarks. 
          
         The chair laid out Interim Charge 5:  Study and make  
         recommendations relating to the possible uses and need for  
         statutory directives regarding the use of collaborative law  
         procedures.  
          
         The following witnesses testified: 
         Lawrence R. Maxwell, Jr., Attorney-Mediator-Arbitration 
         Sherrie R. Abney, Attorney-Mediator-Arbitrator  
         Jay Harvey, Texas Trial Lawyers Association 
         Hayes Fuller, Texas Association of Defense Counsel 
         Mike Schless, Attorney 
         Susan Belgard, Attorney 
          
         There being no further business, at 10:45 a.m. Senator  
         Wentworth moved that the Committee be adjourned. Without  
         objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         _____________________________ 
         Senator Jeff Wentworth, Chair 
          
         _____________________________ 
         Stephanie Hoover, Clerk