The State Bar of Texas engages in political activities that fall outside the scope of its interests so it cannot force attorneys to join it and pay mandatory dues, the Fifth Circuit ruled Friday. A man walks in front of the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on Jan. 7, 2015. (AP photo/Jonathan Bachman) (CN) — Three Texas attorneys filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the president of the State Bar and its board members in March 2019, claiming it had overstepped its core regulatory functions by helping undocumented immigrants affected by then-President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies, and lobbying for passage of a bill that would amend the Texas Constitution to recognize same-sex marriages.