May 11 (Reuters) - The National Rifle Association cannot use bankruptcy to reorganize in gun-friendly Texas, a federal judge in Dallas ruled on Tuesday, handing a defeat to the influential firearms rights group that is facing an effort to dissolve it in New York state.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Harlin Hale's decision, following a trial over the legitimacy of the NRA's January bankruptcy filing, means the group will remain incorporated in New York. Letitia James, New York's attorney general, last August filed a lawsuit seeking the dissolution of the NRA, which she accused of corruption and misspending. (Reporting by Maria Chutchian; Editing by Leslie Adler)