Monthly Archives: February 2014

Questions from Tiffany’s Desk: Advice for Law School Applicants

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Question:  I am interested in applying for law school.  What advice do you have for me? Answer:  I get this question quite often, especially from people who have an interest in agricultural law.  A law degree opens up a great number of doors for graduates and law school was a great experience for me!  Here are a few pointers for potential law school applicants. 1.  Chose a major that you are interested in.  Many people are surprised to learn that you do not have to be a “pre-law” major to… Read More →

Farm and Ranch Lease Webinar

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On March 13, I will be presenting at a webinar along with New York City agricultural law attorney Cari Rincker (a Texas A&M alum) on farm and ranch leases.  Cari and I will discuss the basic law surrounding leases and will provide numerous practical considerations for ag law attorneys to consider when negotiating and drafting leases.  The webinar will be from 1:00 – 2:30 CST.  For more details on the webinar, click here. The webinar is co-sponsored by the American Agricultural Law Association and the National Agricultural Law Center.  It… Read More →

Cotton Contracting Considerations

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*This article is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.* Recently, the Texas Farm Bureau published an article written by Dr. John Robinson, the cotton marketing specialist here at Texas A&M and myself titled Cotton Contracting Considerations in its Texas Agriculture Magazine. The article discusses the historic use of forward contracts in selling agricultural commodities, the advantages and disadvantages of using these commodity sales contracts, and historical patters regarding contracting and marketing pools.  Dr. Robinson also discusses the 2010 cotton crop, for which prices rose to historic highs… Read More →

Don’t Wait to Plan Your Estate

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*This article is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.* Back in December, I gave a presentation on estate planning at the Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show Commodity Symposium. The High Plains Journal recently wrote an article outlining the presentation and the advice that I provided to participants.  Importantly, I discussed the false premise that many people believe–if one spouse dies without a will, all assets are transferred to the surviving spouse–and explained the problems that could be caused by intestate distribution of assets.  Additionally, I… Read More →

February 7, 2014 Weekly Round Up

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*This article is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.* It has been a chilly week across most of Texas!  I hope everyone is staying safe and warm.  Here are a few of the major ag law stories making news this week. * Congress Passed the Farm Bill.  This was the big news of the week out of Washington, DC.  President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law on Friday.  A few articles discussing the bill’s passage may be read here and here  and here. … Read More →

Livestock Wells in Western States

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*This article is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.* I recently drafted an article for the Progressive Cattleman Magazine discussing the basic laws surrounding livestock wells in Western states. Many states provide some form of exemption from the permitting process for people seeking to drill livestock wells.  Thirteen states provide specific exemptions for livestock wells:  Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.  The specific laws vary by state and can be quite different with regard… Read More →