InRe Magazine - Fall 2018

InRe

THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE OF LAW HOUSTON

LEADING FOR CHANGE Derrick Johnson ’97 is one of many alumni who are inspiring and influencing change in their communities

FA L L 2018

36

As a young boy — as early as age 8 — STCL Houston President and Dean Don Guter knew he wanted to join the U.S. Navy and travel the world by ship. This issue highlights his extensive career in the miltary, and his positive contributions to the law school.

FRONT COVER: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/ GETTY IMAGES

2

South Texas College of Law Houston

THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE OF LAW HOUSTON

FA L L 2018

THE LEADERSHIP ISSUE Message from the President and Dean In Brief Features

One to Watch: 1L Sam Perez Broadening the Bar

Friends and legal partners Randy Sorrels ’87 and Benny Agosto ’95 are taking over the leadership of the State Bar of Texas and the Houston Bar Association, respectively.

5

6

10 12

The Tech Advantage

18

Reimagining the NAACP

20

A Symphony of Motion

28

An Interview with Dean Guter

32

These f ive phone apps will help you work more efficiently.

Derrick Johnson ’97 is leading the civil rights organization into a new era with a fresh outlook.

Michaela Wood ’17 is bringing the elite sport of rowing to Houston’s inner-city waterways.

President and Dean Don Guter shares reflections on his time at STCL Houston and what it means to be a leader.

Departments Class Notes

Faculty Notes Discovery

A peek into the law school’s archives

42

50 54

Stacks

58

My Testimony

60

Recommended reading Associate Dean T. Gerald Treece

Chambers 62

stcl.edu

3

The O’Quinn Laminack & Pirtle Hall of Champions

SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE OF LAW HOUSTON ADMINISTRATION

Donald J. Guter President and Dean Steve Alderman Vice President of Human Resources and General Counsel Gregory A. Brothers Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Catherine Greene Burnett Vice President, Associate Dean, and Professor of Law Vanessa Browne-Barbour Vice President, Associate Dean of Academic Administration, and Professor of Law Jennifer Hudson Corporate Secretary and Senior Executive Assistant to the President and Dean Mindy Guthrie Vice President of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations Randy Marak Vice President of Information Technology and Director of Information Systems 4

T. Gerald Treece Vice President, Associate Dean, Special Counsel to the President, Professor of Law, and Director of Advocacy Jeffrey Rensberger Vice President for Strategic Planning, Institutional Research and Professor of Law Diane Summers Vice President of Marketing and Communications John J. Worley Vice President and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Professor of Law BOARD OF DIRECTORS

J. Kenneth Johnson ’86 Chairman Larry Baillargeon ’74 Genora Boykins ’85 Darryl M. Burman ’83 Theresa Chang ’96 Robert A. Eckels ’93 Stewart W. Gagnon ’74 Eva Guzman ’89 Chris Hanslik ’95 Michael Hays ’74 Jon Paul Hoelscher ’05 Randy R. Howry ’85 Michael K. Hurst ’90

South Texas College of Law Houston

Don D. Jordan ’69 Nicholas J. Lanza, Jr. ’89 Joseph K. Lopez ’78 Michael W. Milich ’97 Imogen S. Papadopoulos ’84 Gordon Quan ’77 Jeff Rusk ’83 Andy Sommerman ’86 Randall Sorrels ’87 James D. Thompson III ’86 Ruthie Nelson White ’96 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jon Paul Hoelscher ’05 President Brant J. Stogner ’06 President-Elect Elizabeth W. Dwyer ’07 Vice President of Admissions Committee David V. Wilson II ’93 Vice President of Development/ Fundraising Committee Ryan K. Haun ’06 Vice President of Career Networking Committee Nick Lanza ’89 Immediate Past President

Tim W. Ballengee ’09 Bradley S. Bell ’99 * Richard D. Berlin ’06 Courtney T. Carlson ’08 Melanie R. Cheairs ’89 * Adam P. Curley ’08 Darcy M. Douglas ’07 Jennifer L. Falk-Massoud ’06 Samantha E. Frazier ’11 The Hon. Keith F. Giblin ’89 Bradford J. Gilde ’04 Katherine M. Gonyea ’08 Ronald W. Haggerty ’96 + Misty A Hataway-Coné ’01 Catina M. Haynes ’06 Christine D. Herron ’10 Trace A. Holmes ’10 + Chastiti N. Horne ’98 Walter J. Kronzer III ’87 E. Xerxes Martin IV ’11 * Lindsey C. Moorhead ’11 Desrye M. Morgan ’96 Gus E. Pappas ’88 Wade R. Quinn ’88 Aaron M. Reimer ’07 Sharon M. Schweitzer ’89 Donald S. Sepolio + Gabe T. Vick III ’07 Peter B. Wells IV ’05 Paul B. Wyatt ’13 * * New Director + Affinity Chapter Representative

INRE STAFF

Amanda Jackson Green Managing Editor Diane Summers Vice President of Marketing & Communications Claire Caton Director of Public Relations Pete Vogel Creative Direction & Design Meagan Salch Writer InRe is published by South Texas College of Law Houston for the law school’s alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends.

Please direct correspondence or inquiries to: Amanda Jackson Green South Texas College of Law Houston 1303 San Jacinto, Houston, Texas 77002-7006 713-646-1760 news@stcl.edu.

COPYRIGHT 2018

SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE OF LAW HOUSTON,

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

A Message from the President & Dean

As I enter my final academic year as president and dean, I have been thinking a lot about change. Change has a bad reputation. Throughout history, human beings have generally disliked, resisted, and avoided it. But without change, we cannot have progress. For that reason, those who have embraced, initiated, and welcomed change have gone down in history as some of the world’s greatest leaders.

In this issue of InRe, we examine some of the ways in which our alumni are leading change in the legal profession, in their communities, and in the national arena. Derrick Johnson ’97 is ushering the nation’s largest civil rights organization through a critical transition in its 109-year history. Benny Agosto ’95 and Randy Sorrels ’87 are working to make the Houston and Texas bar associations more inclusive and supportive. Michaela Wood ’17 is changing the lives of young people by bringing the historically upper-class sport of rowing to Houston’s inner-city waterways.

Each of these graduates is a testament to the integrity, determination, and vision I have come to see in so many of our students and alumni. I am encouraged by these stories and eager to witness the improvements they are sure to bring. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I have; please send your comments and submissions to news@stcl.edu.

Over the coming months, STCL Houston will go through some changes of its own.

The search is on for a new president and dean to begin in fall 2019. New leadership will mean building on the law school’s past accomplishments with a renewed vision. I will miss this community greatly, and I look forward to witnessing its continued progress.

I am confident that our students, alumni, faculty, and staff will embrace my successor with a warm welcome and a passion for the next chapter in the law school’s story. After all, that is the STCL Houston way.

Kind regards,

Donald J. Guter President and Dean

stcl.edu

5

IN BRIEF

It’s up, it’s bright, and it’s beautiful!

The law school’s new exterior sign was installed at the main San Jacinto Street entrance this spring. Automatic sensors activate nighttime illumination.

Scholarship recipients mark milestone for tax law program Adam Bateman ’18 and Lindsay Thomason ’18 became the first STCL Houston students to receive the State Bar of Texas Tax Section’s scholarship this spring.

Awarded to up to four students each year, the scholarship recognizes recipients’ academic excellence and commitment to the study and practice of tax law. This fall, both Bateman and Thomason will enroll in LL.M. programs at New York University and Georgetown Law, respectively.

This is a record year for STCL Houston graduates entering tax law LL.M. programs. Others seeking this specialization include Sam Hargrove ’18, Kourtney Johnson ’18, Justin Rayome ’18, and Jacqueline Thomason ’18.

STCL Houston alumni to serve on new Disaster Recovery Legal Corps Equal Justice Works, the leading nonprofit organization committed to mobilizing public interest attorneys, recently selected four STCL Houston graduates to serve in its newly launched Disaster 6

South Texas College of Law Houston

Recovery Legal Corps in the wake of recent hurricanes in Texas and Florida. As fellows in the corps, Maricarmen Dollar ’97, Roberto Flores ’13, Meghan Smolensky ’17, and Maria Vazquez ’17 will help affected residents stabilize and rebuild by providing them legal assistance on issues related to housing, employment, homeowners’/ flood insurance, public benefits, and other disaster-related legal issues.

Alumni share heartfelt memories as Grisby’s closes At the start of 2018, Bobby Grisby, chef of the namesake Grisby’s campus cafeteria, announced his retirement after 32 years of serving up homemade comfort foods for the STCL Houston community.

Grisby and his assistant, Rose Franklin, earned a special place in the hearts of students, alumni, and staff with delicious,

Left to right: Rose Franklin, Bobby Grisby, and Carol McNeal after their kitchen remodel in 1991.

IN BRIEF affordable fare including crowd favorites like red beans and rice and chicken fried steak. They will be best remembered for the genuine hospitality and caring they showed the law school’s students.

After the announcement of Bobby and Rose’s retirement, graduates flooded the Alumni Association’s Facebook page with sentiments and anecdotes about the pair’s generosity and impact on campus life. There were several accounts of them offering students a free lunch, a cup of coffee, or even a hug during difficult times.

“They fed more than the body,” said Jaye Ramsey Sutter ’04. “They fed the soul with kindness, compassion, and caring.

They helped make me feel I belonged. We are blessed by their love and dedication.”

The law school community gathered for a reception on Aug. 23 to honor Grisby’s many contributions.

competitions to determine the 16 best programs in the nation. The ranking makes the team eligible for what UHLC has deemed “the best of the best” annual Hunton Andrews Kurth Moot Court National Championship next spring.

Jayelle Lozoya, Ashley Thomas, and Ceci Ubani after claiming a first-place win at the 17th Annual International Law Mediation Tournament last spring.

Sorrels ’87

Karahan ’83

Curley ’08

Upcoming Annual Luncheon to honor Alumni Award winners This year’s Alumni Association Annual Meeting and Luncheon will take place during Alumni Weekend, Oct. 19-20.

The association will honor the winners of the 2018 Alumni Awards: Randy Sorrels ’87 (Distinguished Alumnus), Adam Curley ’08 (Young Alumnus), and The Honorable Jay T. Karahan ’83 (Public Service).

Visit my.stcl.edu/alumniweekend for more information and registration details.

Moot court program ranked No. 1 in the nation In July, the University of Houston Law Center’s Blakely Advocacy Institute named STCL Houston’s moot court program number one in the nation. Each year, the Institute ranks law schools across the nation using a scoring system that evaluates the quality, size, and overall performance of schools in the

Mediation team wins international tournament, defeating 49 teams from 9 countries In April, STCL Houston students defeated 49 other teams from nine countries — including Poland, Scotland, Ireland, England, Canada, the U.S., Turkey, Singapore, and India — to win the 17th Annual International Law School Mediation Tournament in Chicago. Cosponsored by the International Academy of Dispute Resolution (INADR) and Loyola University Chicago School of Law’s Dispute Resolution Program, the competition brought together more than 400 students, mediators, professors, and attorneys from four continents for four days of international mediation training and competition rounds.

Team members Jayelle Lozoya, Ashley Thomas, and Ceci Ubani competed in five rounds and ultimately claimed first place for best advocate/client team.

Alumni Association welcomes new board members The Alumni Association would like to congratulate the newest members of its board of directors: Paul A. Darrow III

’07, James R. Helton ’14, Donald H. Kidd ’91, W. Troy McKinney ’86, Colonel Christopher W. Miner ’94, Andrew D. Pearce ’07, Bernabe “Trey” G. Sandoval III ’04, René M. Sigman ’02, The Honorable D’Lisa R. Simmons ’90, and Bradley S. Tegeler ’02. The Alumni Association Board of Directors works to increase alumni interaction and support and strengthen the relevance and voice of STCL Houston alumni in the law school community. New members will begin their three-year terms Jan. 1, 2019.

Harris County DA Kim Ogg ’86 delivers commencement address Spring 2018 graduates and guests enjoyed an inspiring commencement address by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg ’86. In her remarks, Ogg stressed a keen awareness of the legal profession’s unique power and responsibility, telling graduates, “You have the ability to change the balance of power — the future of our country — the arc of history. The power to build your case is a superpower. And every second counts.”

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg ’86 cheers on graduates at the May 2018 commencement ceremony.

stcl.edu

7

IN BRIEF

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

8

South Texas College of Law Houston

IN BRIEF Community raises $325,000 for scholarships at 95th Anniversary Illuminations Gala

13

14

In April, more than 300 guests attended the Illuminations Gala in celebration of the law school’s 95th anniversary. Co-chairs STCL Houston Professor Elaine Carlson ’79 and her daughter, alumna Courtney Carlson ’08, hosted the event at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. The evening was an opportunity for attendees to reconnect with classmates, honor the many individuals who were foundational to the school’s success, celebrate STCL Houston, and raise money for vital student scholarships.

The evening included both a live auction and a “paddles up” fundraiser and raised $325,000. Check your mailbox in the next few weeks for a save the date for next year’s event, scheduled for May 4, 2019!

Photos:

15

1. President and Dean Don Guter and Pat Guter 2. Kami ’10 and Eric D’Olive ’10 3. Gala Chairs Courtney Carlson ’08 and Professor Elaine Carlson ’79 4. Anthony Guzman and The Honorable Eva Guzman ’89 5. Dean Don Guter and Richard Anderson ’82 receiving the Dean’s Medal 6. STCL Houston board chairman, Ken Johnson ’86 7. Dean Emeritus James Alfini 8. Assistant Dean Elizabeth Dennis ’84, Professor Chris Kulander, Executive VP Emeritus Helen Jenkins, Professor Tobin Sparling, Sally J. Langston ’91 9. Richard Anderson ’82 and Larry Baillargeon ’74 10. Julie Blair ’03, Samantha Spencer ’15, Aimee Maldonado ’04 11. The Honorable Daniel Leedy ’83, Jacqueline Mann, Frank Mann ’83, Cleide Leedy 12. The Honorable E.J. Salcines ’63 and Elsa Salcines 13. The Honorable Debra Mayfield ’99 14. Associate Dean T. Gerald Treece and Sue Treece 15. Khary Alexcee and Camrii Hampton 3L 16. Sylvia Quan, Gordon Quan ’77, Annie Banerjee ’96

Radiant Sponsors

Susan Anderson and Richard H. Anderson ’82 Anonymous Jackson Walker LLP Peggy A. Matthews and David P. Matthews ’88 Vinson & Elkins LLP/Jim Thompson III ’86

Glimmering Sponsors

Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz Bailey Peavy Bailey Cowan Heckaman PLLC Laurent A. Baillargeon ’74 Barnes & Noble Education Annie Beck ’11 and Debbie Beck ’92 Beck Redden LLP BoyarMiller Professor Elaine A. Carlson ’79 and Robert Carlson The Hon. Theresa W. Chang ’96 and Peter D. Chang, M.D., Ph.D. Patricia Kay Dube ’79 Fleming Nolen & Jez LLP Frost Bank Stewart W. Gagnon ’74 Gray Reed & McGraw, LLP Haynes & Boone, LLP Jane Hurst and Michael K. Hurst ’90 Jenkins & Kamin, LLP Barbara Jordan and Don D. Jordan ’69 Katine & Nechman LLP Sally J. Langston ’91 Lockton Companies MehaffyWeber Perdue & Kidd — Trial Lawyers Porter Hedges LLP/Porter Hedges STCL Houston Alumni Sharon M. Schweitzer ’89 Thompson & Knight LLP

Sparkling Couples

Council Member Dwight A. Boykins and Genora K. Boykins ’85 Professor Pamela E. George and Paul Easterwood Matthews & Forester LLP Imogen S. Papadopoulos ’84 Sylvia L. Quan and Gordon J. Quan ’77 The Hon. E.J. Salcines ’63 and Elsa Salcines Andrew B. Sommerman ’86 and Rachael Wang SJ Swanson ’02 and William Swanson/ Swanson Law Firm, PLLC Ruthie N. White ’96 and Keith R. White

16

stcl.edu

9

Sam Perez, 1L, works in the tire bay at Discount Tire to help pay his tuition.

Taking notice of his work ethic and positive attitude, the CEO has offered him a position on the company’s legal team upon graduation.

10

South Texas College of Law Houston

Sam Perez,1L

ONETOWATCH

1L Ascends from

Tire Bay to Boardroom WRITTEN BY CLAIRE CATON

outh Texas College of Law Houston is many students’ first-choice law school for several reasons: practice-ready training, the winningest Advocacy program in the nation, and a robust, hands-on clinical program, to name a few.

Those school hallmarks draw students to its doors. But the strongest factor keeping them at Houston’s oldest law school is more personal than academic: its neartangible “family” environment.

Sam Perez thrives in a loyal, friendly atmosphere — both in the classroom as a part-time student and in the tire bay as a full-time employee at Discount Tire.

Perez first joined the company in 2012 as an 18-year-old freshman at Lone Star College. When he transferred to the University of Houston, where he later earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, he continued his day job changing tires and attended classes following his work day.

As a college graduate, he remained with the company, earning a promotion to assistant manager in 2016, before enrolling at STCL Houston the following year.

“Discount Tire is a such a family-focused, humble company,” he said. “From my first day on the job, I felt a part of the brotherhood/sisterhood, if you will. My bosses were flexible and helped me work around my college courses. The company even gives $1,000 a year to its employees to encourage their education.”

While Perez joined Discount Tire as an entry-level tire technician, he was in excellent company.

Discount Tire’s founder — the beloved Bruce T. Halle, who passed away in January — launched his company in 1960 with one employee — himself. That meant that, in addition to serving as salesperson, accountant, and business prospector, he also assumed the roles of shop mechanic, cleaning crew, sign painter, and customer service representative. According to the company’s website, “Over the years, Halle built the largest and most recognized tire store in the country, but he never lost sight of his early years in the bay as a tire technician.”

Along the way, Halle adopted key governing principles for the business that he instilled in his employees — and which the company still espouses today. Upon Halle’s death, Discount

S

Tire Vice Chairman Gary Van Brunt noted in a company press release, “The five lessons that Mr. Halle taught us will forever resonate in our hearts and minds: be honest; work hard; have fun; be grateful; and pay it forward.”

It is the fifth tenet that Perez looks most forward to achieving, based on his clear mastery of the fourth. “Discount Tire has done so much for my family over the years,” he said. “It is my turn to give back to them, and I really want to help them out now.”

It appears Perez may get his wish.

Michael Zuieback, CEO of Discount Tire and stepson of its founder, recently visited the store where Perez works to learn about its record-breaking sales figures.

Richard Wheeless, the company’s vice president of operations in Houston, knew Perez’s history with the company and his status as a law student, and he encouraged him to share this background with Zuieback during his scheduled visit.

Perez followed his advice, prompting the CEO to ask him, “Would you consider becoming in-house counsel for Discount Tire when you earn your law degree?”

Perez assured him of his interest in the job.

Zuieback replied, “I prefer to promote from within. We would love to have you on our legal team, Sam.” Humbled and excited at the prospect, Perez, a 1L at the time, later doubted the experience. “Maybe he was just being nice!” he thought.

Shortly afterwards, however, Perez learned that Zuieback returned to the company’s headquarters in Arizona and told its board of directors about “an inspiring young man” he met in Houston. “He works all day for Discount Tire, and then he attends law school at night.”

The CEO told his general counsel, “When Sam Perez earns his law degree, I personally will serve as his reference for our legal team.”

In the meantime, Perez plans to follow Halle’s advice by working hard for the company and pursuing his lifelong dream of becoming an attorney.

“Having eight years of experience with Discount Tire (when I graduate from law school), I would be thrilled at the opportunity of merging my operational knowledge of the company with my legal expertise,” said Perez. “I really would have fun doing that.”

stcl.edu

11

Benny Agosto ’95 (left) and Randy Sorrels ’87 catch up at their office in downtown Houston.

The two are the presidents-elect of the Houston Bar Association and the State Bar of Texas, respectively.

12

South Texas College of Law Houston

BROADENING THE BAR:

Friends and Legal Partners Lead Change in Texas WRITTEN BY MEGAN SALCH

Change doesn’t always come easily, especially in the legal profession. But two friends have come together to form a dream team of change within the legal community of Houston and the rest of Texas. andall “Randy” Sorrels ’87 and Bernardino “Benny” Agosto ’95 were at first glance unlikely friends. Sorrels’ father had retired from the military and moved the family from its northern roots to Houston. Sorrels, who had planned to follow his father’s footsteps and attend Texas A&M University, was swayed by a college scholarship to play soccer at Houston Baptist University. It was there that he met the congenial Agosto, who came with seven other members of Puerto Rico’s junior national team to help bolster the university’s soccer program. In one year, the team had the best record in the nation. It was just one of many turnaround stories the two men would battle together.

After college, Sorrels followed his interest in legal studies at South Texas College of Law Houston. At the same time, Agosto pursued graduate studies in microbiology but struggled to find his passion.

“I was working with petri dishes, test tubes and stinky bacteria,” Agosto explained. “It was good educationally.

I just didn’t see myself being in a lab for the rest of my life.”

Sorrels agreed: “He’s far too much of a people person to be kept in a lab.”

R

So, Agosto transitioned to teaching and coaching for the next six years. He enjoyed the personal interaction with students. Still, in the back of his mind, he felt strongly about earning a doctorate.

He also watched Sorrels, who finished law school and began his legal career.

“When I saw what Randy was doing, how well he was doing, and how much fun he was having, I had to make the change,” Agosto said. Sorrels’ encouragement of his friend to pursue his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree was the icing on the cake.

While Agosto began at South Texas College of Law Houston, the goal-oriented Sorrels stayed on the direct path of his legal career. He began at Fulbright & Jaworski (now Norton Rose Fulbright) in 1987 and moved to the firm now titled Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz (Abraham-Watkins) in 1990, where he became well-established as a double board-certified trial lawyer in both personal injury and trial law. He was willing to tackle tough issues early on and remained exceptionally focused on goals for himself and the firm.

Diversification in the firm

When Sorrels became managing partner, he saw that the firm was not culturally stcl.edu

13

“We need to make a concerted effort to bring minorities and women to law firms and to the boardroom.

Every member of the community needs to be represented.”

– BENNY AGOSTO ’95 14

South Texas College of Law Houston

or racially diverse. He knew this would limit the firm’s ability to legally represent the surrounding population. Change would be critical.

“The prevalence of lawyers was white males,” Sorrels explained. “So, I said, ‘let’s bring on diversity.’ Benny [Agosto] was the first Hispanic lawyer that we hired.”

Like Sorrels, Agosto was determined to play a strong part in changing the demographics of the legal community by serving as the president of the Hispanic National Bar Association and by founding

Benny Agosto ’95 runs through a task list with Madison Kauffman, marketing director at Abraham-Watkins, as he gears up for a busy workday.

the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas (MABATx) Foundation, even though Agosto himself is Puerto Rican.

His dedication to equality extends beyond racial lines, and he is keen to point out that females account for 50 percent of lawschool enrollment, yet the percentage of women in corporate law remains low and the number of women partners is far less.

Agosto said he appreciates the time the firm has lent him over the years to be actively involved in such associations.

While these commitments certainly

added to an already demanding schedule, the changes that Agosto has influenced in Houston and beyond have positively affected minorities who may otherwise have been overlooked. By introducing people of different colors, cultures, and genders to the legal profession, organizations allow these individuals to gain firsthand legal experience so they can determine how to grow legal careers beyond academia.

Referencing a recent study that reported the legal profession as the most underrepresented in terms of minority

involvement in the United States, Agosto stated, “We need to make a concerted effort to bring minorities and women to law firms and to the boardroom. Every member of the community needs to be represented.”

Helping others in the community is certainly woven into the fabric at Abraham-Watkins. Agosto said that the practice keenly watches Sorrels at the helm and follows his lead. Under Sorrels’ direction, Abraham-Watkins has evolved from a firm with little diversity to one stcl.edu

15

Randy Sorrels ’87 will serve as president of the State Bar of Texas from June 2019 to June 2020.

16

South Texas College of Law Houston

with half of the active lawyers and half of the partners being either racially or gender diverse, according to Sorrels.

Opening the profession to all

Sorrels’ commitment to the community also extends beyond the firm’s walls. In 2012, Sorrels made a substantial donation to South Texas College of Law Houston to help expand and support the school’s legal clinical facilities. A total of 19 practice clinics allow students to provide free legal services to economically disadvantaged clients, under the supervision of legal staff members. The law school renamed the clinics The Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics.

This “helps people who can’t afford a lawyer and helps students who need to learn practical skills,” Sorrels said. “When those students graduate, they’re going to have not only skills, but they may also have a propensity for helping disadvantaged folks.”

Broadening the net

When Sorrels was running for president of the State Bar of Texas, he looked for opportunities to introduce his passion for greater diversity to a broader audience.

Sorrels strategically sought out ways to show others his commitment to opening the profession to all people from all backgrounds. In the 79-year history of the State Bar, there have been only six women presidents, Sorrels explained. Sorrels met with all six of these past presidents to share his career history of diversifying his firm and giving opportunity to any person who was willing to put forth a great effort.

“For 20 years I’ve been building diversity in Abraham-Watkins, which is what we need statewide,” Sorrels explained. “We’re a diverse community, and we need to bring that diversity up to the top. Let the cream rise, and we’re going to be a better profession, a better society.”

All six female predecessors endorsed Sorrels, and in May 2018 he was elected president-elect of the State Bar of Texas.

Sorrels said his new goal is to help diversify the legal field across the state, much like he’s done at Abraham-Watkins.

The future of leading change

As Sorrels leads the State Bar of Texas, Agosto steers the Houston Bar Association as president-elect. Both agree that

“We may start at opposite ends when it comes to approach, but we blend to make it happen. I think Randy’s learned from me, and I certainly have learned from him.”

– BENNY AGOSTO ’95

giving new attorneys plenty of real trial experience while continuing to diversify the legal community are important goals.

“We may start at opposite ends when it comes to approach, but we blend to make it happen,” Agosto said. “I think Randy’s learned from me, and I certainly have learned from him.”

There is a business model, Sorrels said, to investing in the practice in unique ways. It helps grow the firm and strengthen the profession, but it also enriches the lives of many more.

“I always was rooting for the underdog,” Sorrels said. “There are very few professions in life where you can help the underdog. Early on, I realized that there were people who needed an advocate. I thought I could be that advocate.”

Who else better to lead the charge at redefining the legal community than the two seemingly different friends from college?

stcl.edu

17

These five apps help attorneys and staff balance workloads, collaborate easily, and improve presentation.

WRITTEN BY MEGAN SALCH

18

South Texas College of Law Houston

The Tech Advantage:

Five ideal apps for attorneys There are numerous legal apps that streamline processes and deliver fast access to key information. When every minute counts, use these five mobile apps to keep on top of daunting tasks and stay ahead of the pack.

Evernote

Bill4Time

A popular app amongst attorneys is Evernote, designed for notetaking, list making, and overall organizing. Use Evernote on your laptop or mobile device to take notes and save documents for cases in a snap. You also can clip websites and highlight key sections to the saved page. Best of all, files are accessible across all your devices, protected by a password.

Bill4Time is useful for entering billable hours as you complete them, rather than when you return to the office or at month-end. Janna Charlton Weber, managing partner at Charlton Webber, PLLC said it is “perfect for solo practitioners who need billing/management software without a large upfront investment.”

This handy app also helps manage bills, clients, projects, employees, and reports. Quickly access it on a mobile phone to view reports, billing, and more remotely.

Versions of Evernote work with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch 9.3+ as well as Android 4.4.42.

Evernote Basic is free, while Evernote Premium is $69.99/year with an expanded toolkit. www.evernote.com

Dropbox Need to share photos or files with team members in various locations? No time to return to the office to upload the files to a shared drive?

Dropbox makes saving files to the cloud fast—even saving directly from a mobile phone —so the entire team gains access instantly. Plus, you can avoid file transfer issues due to large file sizes. Dropbox handles it all. Accelerate file sharing with ease.

Both free and paid plans are available for desktop applications and for the iPad iOS 9+, Android 4.1+, and Windows phones and tablets. www.DropBox.com

via email. Plus, PLI reports completion to the State Bar of Texas.

This free app requires iOS 8.0 or later and is compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The app is available only on the App Store for iOS devices. www.PLI.edu

TrialPad™

The Bill4Time app is available for iPhone iOS 5.0+, Android 4.0+ and Blackberry OS 10.2.1 as well as for iPad iOS 6.1+ and Kindle Fire 3.0+.

Monthy prices start at $27 per user. www.Bill4Time.com

PLI Looking for an easier way to earn your required Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits?

Download the PLI Mobile app from Practising Law Institute onto your mobile device and gain access to accredited audio and video content on the go. Add courses that pique your interest to your online library, and watch the programs offline. The app makes it easy to request course credit through a combination of an authorization code and a request form that is available after a program has been viewed. Certificates of completion are then sent

Organize and present evidence easily with TrialPad™. Create call-outs and custom exhibit stickers to highlight key points within your evidence. Organize your documents by issue or witness and compare documents side by side. Best of all, this app allows you to do all this when you are away from your desk, delivering great functionality when and where you need it. TrialPad also allows you to present your evidence directly from your iPad by connecting wirelessly to an Apple TV. TrialPad requires iOS 9.3+ and is compatible with iPad. It is only available on the App Store for iOS devices for $129.99. www.LitSoftware.com

stcl.edu

19

20

South Texas College of Law Houston

Derrick Johnson ’97

a tireless pursuit :

reimagining the naacp WRITTEN BY AMANDA GREEN Photography by Pete Vogel

D

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson ’97 addresses the crowd at the organization’s annual convention.

errick Johnson ’97 wears a warm smile as he arrives for our interview in one of the dozens of conference rooms at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Jokingly, he asks his assistant to stake out a dark corner where nobody can find him. “I just need a 10-minute power nap after this interview, and I’m good,” he says with a chuckle.

The average person would have burned out by now, but Johnson seems to take energy from each new challenge. I have shadowed him for the past several days as he responded to real-time news developments, posed for photos with stakeholders and partners, delivered a powerful keynote address, and shook hands with the likes of Former President Bill Clinton, Congressman Beto O’Rourke, and Governor Ricardo Rosello of Puerto Rico. For Johnson, current president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) — America’s oldest and largest civil rights organization — this is all in a day’s work.

His nonstop tempo is consistent with the passionate proclamation he made to more than 2,500 delegates hours earlier at the convention’s general session, “We cannot rest on our laurels and our accomplishments. They are not strong enough. The reward for good work is more work.”

Johnson, 49, served as interim president and CEO from July 2017 until October 2017, when the board of directors elected him to a three-year term. He brings with him an intimate understanding of on-the-ground activism, having previously worked as president of the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP, where he directed campaigns for stcl.edu

21

Derrick Johnson ’97

voting rights, workers’ rights, and equitable education.

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, he founded a charity to help African-Americans recover from the damage through civic engagement training and initiatives. Good work, rewarded with more work.

“Derrick has proven himself as the strong, decisive leader we need to guide us through both our internal transition, as well as a crucial moment in our nation’s history. [He] has the vision, mobility, and courage to help us meet that demand,” said Leon Russell, board chairman of the NAACP. Johnson indeed has come to leadership at a critical moment in the organization’s 109year history. Formed in 1909 as a response to race riots and ongoing violence against African Americans, the NAACP went on to champion some of the most important social, racial, and political causes in the nation’s history. In the early 20th century, protesters raised awareness of, and contributed to the decline of, lynching. Its most prolific point was during the civil rights era of the 1950s and 60s, during which the NAACP played a pivotal role in the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, the March on Washington, and the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts.

Despite the efficacy and impact of its advocacy, the association faced criticism for its tendency toward judicial and legislative means of effecting change over more demonstrative methods like the sit-ins and rallies held by groups like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) or the Black Panthers.

Today, in many ways, the NAACP faces similar issues in a different context. As social media and a 24-hour news cycle allow for round-theclock, democratized coverage of police shootings, election Derrick Johnson ’97 poses for code changes, and other a snapshot with NAACP Vice Chair Karen Boykin-Towns, occurrences of racial strife, his wife Letitia, and Chairman outspoken groups like the Leon W. Russell.

22

STCL Houston

Black Lives Matter Network and the Dream Defenders have taken up the mantle of social activism. Again, the NAACP is receiving criticism — this time for its perceived absence on the picket line. One critic asserted that the organization would lose its foothold if it failed to radicalize.

This comment comes to mind as I stand backstage during Johnson’s convention keynote address, surrounded by monitors broadcasting glowing images of his face, techs and volunteers whispering orders as they line up the next speaker to take the stage.

“WE MUST BE CLEAR ABOUT OUR PURPOSE. If we are unable to defend who we are and what makes us unique, none of us should be sitting here.

We are the NAACP. We don’t follow movements; we define them.” — DERRICK JOHNSON ’97

stcl.edu

23

Derrick Johnson ’97

ONE OF THE CORNERSTONES is finding new ways to engage young people through its Youth and College Division, which comprises more than 25,000 members under age 25.

Johnson’s presence at the podium is commanding, his words serious, his delivery spirited. If he is tired, it does not show.

“We must be clear about our purpose,” Johnson says. “If we are unable to defend who we are and what makes us unique, none of us should be sitting here. We are the NAACP. We don’t follow movements; we define them.”

Johnson is pointing to something radical in the age of by-the-minute punditry and “next best things”: steadfastness.

He encourages his associates to remain true to their roots, renew their commitment to organizational values, and capitalize on their greatest strength — their people.

“You are the power of this organization,” Johnson trumpets.

“It is not about me. I am a part of a continuum of a movement.

The worst thing we could ever do is invest a movement in a personality because personalities will fail you every time. [The NAACP] is based on an infrastructure of supporters. We are a bottom-up structure, not a top-down. We are governed like the Baptist church; it is governed from the pew.”

24

South Texas College of Law Houston

At this, the crowd responds with a clamor of applause and shouts of “Amen!”

While Johnson stresses the importance of identity and historical context, he makes clear that continuity also requires change.

“We are casting a new vision moving forward,” he tells me back in the interview room. “The level of intolerance we have seen in the past few years requires the NAACP to double down on its efforts better than it has done in the past.”

That means refining its infrastructure, developing new streams of revenue, speaking out strongly on timely issues, and investing resources into developing the next generation of members.

The national office is undergoing major technological updates, revamping training and leadership programs, and working to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles to make the association’s 2,200 local units more effective and nimble in their response to community issues.

At the convention, Johnson reported on the July 2018 launch of an exchange-traded fund on the New York Stock Exchange

Derrick Johnson ’97 meets with InRe editor Amanda Green at the annual NAACP convention in San Antonio, Texas.

— a branded index fund of companies that meet social impact, equity, and inclusion criteria based on the organization’s existing “corporate report cards.” The fund will allow investors to put their dollars toward businesses that align with the NAACP’s values while helping the association earn passive income.

Shortly after his appointment as interim president, Johnson announced the NAACP national parent organization’s transition from a 501(c)3 to a 501(c)4 nonprofit tax exemption designation, a move that will give the association more flexibility to engage in political activity. This shift aligns with one of the organization’s top priorities: promoting local and national candidates and mobilizing voters in the midterm elections. The convention’s theme — emblazoned on signs, t-shirts, and podiums — reinforces this objective: “Defeat Hate. Vote.”

Integral to this effort is one of the cornerstones

of the NAACP’s reinvention: finding new ways to engage young people through its Youth and College Division, which comprises more than 25,000 members under age 25. In February 2018, they hired Tiffany Dena Loftin, a 29-year-old community organizer, activist, and advocate, as the new director of the Youth and College Division.

At the convention’s Youth Welcome Session, Loftin outlines the division’s goals: transparency and inclusivity, training in leading social campaigns, coalition building, challenging one another, creating new knowledge together, and celebrating what makes them unique. Convention workshops like “Grassroots Movement Building” and “What to Do about Hate Crimes and Campus Safety” unite time-tested methods for organizing with real issues that are relevant to millennials and post-millennials, creating a space that is their own. stcl.edu

25

Derrick Johnson ’97

“Legal training develops and refines critical thinking skills much differently than any other discipline. Those analytical skills have been a crucial part of my success.”

— DERRICK JOHNSON ’97

“Our job is not to wait for [the older generation] to tell us how to do it or what to do. Our job is to learn what they did and then take that and run with the torch, and that is what we’ve been doing for the last several years,” Loftin said.

She said Johnson has given her the space to challenge old ideas and try new things, the kind of intergenerational work that will carry the organization into the next era.

“I learned early on that I don’t always have to be the expert in every room, or any room,” Johnson said. “I collect people who can tell me what to do. If you come across someone who is resistant to constructive criticism, they are on course to self-destruct.”

With a dedicated membership base, a collection of trusted advisors, a clarity of purpose, and a plan for the future, Johnson and the NAACP have all the necessary tools to ensure not only its future, but the realization of its vision — an America that offers equal protection under the law for all citizens.

It is a tireless pursuit requiring serious stamina, but the president and CEO has that covered, too.

“A good diet,” he quips when I ask how he keeps the pace.

And, presumably, an occasional power nap.

26

South Texas College of Law Houston

The J.D. Difference When Derrick Johnson ’97, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was growing up on Detroit’s 23rd Street, he spent afternoons watching “Eyes on the Prize,” a television documentary series about the civil rights movement of 1954-1965. He was pestered by the “why” questions. Why could people treat others this way?

While he quickly developed a sense of responsibility to protect those who could not speak for themselves, he had no idea that social justice advocacy even existed on the level to which he has risen.

Several life experiences brought him to lead one of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations, including strong mentorships and lots of trial and error. His degree from STCL Houston, in particular, gives him a competitive edge. “Legal training develops and refines critical thinking skills much differently than any other discipline. Those analytical skills have been a crucial part of my success.”

THE J.D. DIFFERENCE Building champions.

NAMED #1 BEST OF THE DECADE by PreLaw Magazine for Best Moot Court.

NATIONAL ADVOCACY WINNER: 130 TIMES. No other law school has won half as many.

More ABA NATIONAL APPELLATE ADVOCACY CHAMPIONSHIPS than any other law school in the U.S. More Scribes BEST BRIEF LEGAL WRITING AWARDS than any other law school in the U.S. 17 FIRST-PLACE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ADR COMPETITIONS, ranking as a top law school for ADR.

Hire a South Texas grad:

stcl.edu/hirechamps

1303 SAN JACINTO • HOUSTON, TEXAS • 713-659-8040 stcl.edu

27

WRITTEN BY CLAIRE CATON

A Symphony of Motion South Texas alumna brings rowing to inner-city Houston, leaves changed lives in her wake

ike many of her fellow graduates of South Texas College of Law Houston, Michaela Wood ’17 embodies grace under pressure, confidence, technical talent, and exceptional self-discipline.

Unlike the majority of STCL Houston alumni, however, her go-to power suit is Spandex, her toughest trials demand the efficient utilization of oxygen, and her work originates from the boathouse rather than the courthouse.

Michaela and her husband, Greg, are athletes, coaches, educators, mentors, community leaders, and volunteers. But most importantly for Houston, the Woods are innovators. Through their pioneering nonprofit, the Buffalo Bayou Rowing Center (BBRC), they are bringing the upper-class sport of rowing to Houston’s waterways and changing the lives of underserved, inner-city youth in the process.

L

Leadership clinic on the water

With the tagline, “Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders Through Rowing,” the BBRC’s vision encompasses much more than bringing one of the world’s oldest sports to the Bayou City.

Drawing from their own experience as collegiate rowers and coaches, Michaela and Greg aim to use rowing — or “crew” as it is known in American schools and universities — to instill foundational values like selflessness, perseverance, hard work,

28

South Texas College of Law Houston

humility, and trust in middle- and high-school students from Houston’s low-income East End neighborhood.

As Michaela noted in a Houston Chronicle feature about the BBRC last year, “It’s a notoriously elite sport, and it shouldn’t be.”

The birth of the Buffalo Bayou Rowing Center

The genesis of the BBRC grew out of STCL Houston Professor Dru Stevenson’s Nonprofit Incorporation course. “My final project in his class was the BBRC paperwork that I used to file the organization’s 501(c)(3) forms successfully,” said Michaela.

“I don’t think I would have taken the time to do the paperwork or would have adopted the attitude of ‘Why don’t we just do this right now?’ had it not been for his course.”

Michaela’s own initiation to the sport occurred in 2008 when her roommate at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. brought the rowing novice to crew tryouts. While her friend later dropped the sport, Michaela found her passion and continued her rowing career throughout and beyond her college years. When she moved to Houston to attend law school, she resumed the sport at a club in Clear Lake, where she met Greg, the membership director and juniors coach. Their friendship grew as Greg taught Michaela how to row a single-man boat, and the two married in 2016.

Today, Michaela still rows competitively and teaches the

Architectural renderings of the Woods’ proposed Buffalo Bayou Rowing Center — a community boathouse, multiuse community center, and home for area rowing clubs.

“Harmony, balance, and rhythm. They’re the three things that stay with you your whole life.

– GEORGE YEOMAN POCOCK From The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

sport as a United States Rowing Association (USRowing)certified Level 2 coach.

Greg — who founded the rowing team at Texas A&M University in College Station and now serves as Texas A&M-Galveston’s head crew coach — holds the same USRowing coaching certification. When he is not on the water coaching teenagers, Greg uses his devotion to rowing and its important life lessons to develop leadership programs for corporations around the world.

“Rowing is a core part of our life, professional pursuits, and volunteer efforts,” said Michaela. “It provides a platform for leadership, imparts a lasting personal drive and responsibility, and demonstrates that goals are achievable.

“Rowing is a form of experiential learning, it is proven that kids dedicated to sports get better grades. It also teaches the youngsters dedication, responsibility to teammates, time management and tenacity.”

As is often the case in life, the lessons learned in the boat — or racing shell — center on the core tenet of teamwork. “A crew that can catch together, have proper timing, and work as a unit will go further and faster than the brute strength crew,” said Michaela. “When you’ve got four gigantic guys each pulling around their weight and doing their own thing, it’s essentially

a caterpillar with uncoordinated legs. So you get four people who maybe aren’t as strong but who are mentally connected and properly going through the stroke together, and they are able to combine all their force instead of working against each other.

“If you’re on a football team with 30 kids, you can probably just ignore the person you don’t like,” she said.

“But if you’re in an eight-person boat and you have to work together, there’s no avoiding anybody. You’re on a boat! You might swim back to shore, but that’s your only other option!”

Esha Pisipati, 16, a rowing student Greg coaches who started a crew club at DeBakey High School for Health Professions, echoes this truth about the sport: “One of the things I like most about rowing is the team aspect. What’s truly unique about rowing is that every single move you make impacts four others. You as an individual are a crucial piece to a machine, and that means you matter. There is no star player in rowing; each rower has to push their hardest to get everyone that gold medal. That’s something I think is pretty great.”

BBRC in the community

The BBRC is led by a four-member board of directors with Michaela and Greg filling the officer positions and 10 regular

stcl.edu

29

“One of the great things about rowing is that it pushes you to do your absolute best in every aspect, mentally and physically, and after a while, you start to apply this behavior to everything in your life.”

ESHA PISIPATI, 16

volunteers who help staff community events. These activities include bimonthly booths at the East End Farmer’s Market hosted by the East End District (formerly the Greater East End Management District), a vital supporter of the BBRC and its mission. The nonprofit also hosts “National Learn to Row Days” for the public and “gym-takeover days” at participating schools — such as the YES Prep East End campus where the BBRC brought ergometer indoor rowing machines (known as “ergs”), taught approximately 300 students the basics of the proper rowing stroke, and set up a competitive virtual race.

“It was great to see excited students — and crew novices — rowing their hearts out in a line of eight ergs in the gym,” said Michaela. “We received excellent feedback from the administrators and teachers, and the students absolutely loved it. To see their creativity, competitive natures, and desire to try something new was really refreshing.”

Also refreshing and motivating is the feedback from parents of dedicated teenagers who Greg coaches in Clear Lake.

“The sport of rowing — especially when you have people like

30

South Texas College of Law Houston

Coach Greg and Michaela — provides incredible opportunities for kids and families from all walks of life,” said Murali Krishna, whose daughter, Gaya, attended Clear Lake High School and recently earned a coveted spot on the crew team at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. “The Woods instilled a few important qualities in Gaya: commitment, discipline, and work ethic. This is no exaggeration, and Gaya’s academic performance was always directly proportional to her training effort. I can confidently say that Gaya’s journey to Wellesley started with Coach Greg.”

He elaborated, “People always equate junior athletics with scholarship. And while that is a significant topic of interest, many overlook the fact that junior athletics also can be a differentiating factor in gaining college admissions, especially when it comes to elite colleges. This is particularly true with the sport of rowing.”

The transformative impact of rowing

Another benefit of the sport, and a key driver for the Woods, is the transformation that rowing creates in teenagers in a short amount of time. “As coaches, it’s exhilarating to see the life

Michaela Wood ’17 and husband Greg carry their rowing equipment to a public dock on Buffalo Bayou.

The process of loading, assembly, setup, and break down of equipment adds hours to practice time — a significant challenge for Houston-area rowers.

GET INVOLVED WITH THE BBRC

MICHAEL CIAGLO ©HOUSTON CHRONICLE. USED WITH PERMISSION.

EMAIL changes and improvements in the lives of our on Buffalo Bayou, its use is less than ideal, as info@buffalobayourc.org students,” said Michaela. “For example, a kid who rowers must cart their equipment to the location, PHONE might be subpar in tennis or not really committed set up their boats, and then dismantle the shells 281.624.5769 to a sport and basically making their way through after rowing. This process can take up to five high school often completely blossoms when hours, which makes after-school practice virtualWEBSITE introduced to rowing. ly impossible for Houston students. www.buffalobayourc.org “After just a few months, his or her parents To date, BBRC has raised approximately INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK will come up to us and say, ‘I don’t know what $60,000 toward the construction of a boathouse, TWITTER you did to my child, but I like it! He has conand Michaela and Greg regularly network with @BuffaloBayouRC versations now; he has a voice!’” community groups and schools interested in Michaela continued, “Many times, parents partnering on its creation. They also meet with eagerly have shared, ‘It’s night and day! My 16-year-old daughlandowners along the bayou to learn about potential developter is confident now. She isn’t glued to her phone, her grades ment sites and inform potential donors of the many benefits of have improved, and she wants to go out with her friends.’” the sport.

Michaela — the mother of an 18-month-old daughter and BBRC’s vision for the Bayou City a new infant daughter — also works part time as an associMichaela and Greg hope to multiply these positive encounate with Hughes Ellzey LLP and as a mediator at Radnofsky ters with the expansion of the BBRC’s reach and influence.

Mediation Services. But her dedication to the BBRC and its Currently, the nonprofit owns 10 rowing shells, oars to students is absolute. complement, and a trailer to transport key equipment to She agrees with the sentiment of Daniel James Brown as the water and races. But the BBRC’s goals are significantly recorded in his best-selling book, “The Boys in the Boat: Nine hindered by the lack of a permanent home on the water. The Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Woods dream of establishing a community boathouse — or Olympics”: “It’s a great art, is rowing. It’s the finest art there is. multi-use community rowing center — on Buffalo Bayou, It’s a symphony of motion. And when you’re rowing well, why similar to those on Boston’s Charles River or Philadelphia’s it’s nearing perfection. And when you near perfection, you’re Schuylkill River. touching the Divine. It touches the you of yous. Which is Despite the city’s growing interest in the sport and a variety your soul.” of local rowing clubs, Houston lacks a proper boathouse. People Perfection. Great art. Soul-touching satisfaction. It’s all in inside Houston who want to row must drive 45 minutes each a day’s work for this South Texas success story. way to Sugar Land, the Woodlands, or Clear Lake to get on the water. While a public dock exists across from Tony Marron Park

stcl.edu

31

32

South Texas College of Law Houston

Donald J. Guter

An interview with the

Man in the Arena Retiring STCL Houston President and Dean Don Guter sits down for a Q&A on leadership WRITTEN BY CLAIRE CATON

InRe recently had the opportunity to sit down with South Texas College of Law Houston President and Dean Don Guter — who this spring announced his plans to retire from the law school when his contract expires in May 2019 —– to ask his thoughts on leadership, the qualities that distinguish truly outstanding leaders, and his best advice for STCL Houston alumni and students — the future leaders of what he deems “the world’s noblest profession.” aving served 32 years in the military, ultimately culminating in his appointment as the 37th Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Navy (20002002), Guter came to STCL Houston in 2009 with a wealth of legal expertise and leadership experience. And following his tenure as dean of his alma mater, Duquesne University School of Law (2005-2008), he also brought an unwavering studentcentered focus and passion for student success.

Along the way, he garnered a few key lessons likely to benefit all InRe readers, from prospective and first-year law students to well-seasoned STCL Houston alumni. Pull up a chair and join the conversation.

InRe: Leadership is a coveted but often hard-earned quality, prized among attorneys at all stages of their careers.

How do you define leadership, and, in your opinion, what is the most essential quality for a leader to possess?

Guter: While I have learned a great deal from leaders — to mirror the greatest

H

and distance myself from the poorest — my best leaders had one inviolable, all-important quality: integrity. Without integrity, you are unworthy of trust, confidence, or responsibility. It is the foundation of all other admirable character traits. If you lose this, you’re done; and you can lose integrity quickly and in a lot of ways.

In addition to this, I believe the ability to remain calm and open-minded during times of high stress is a hallmark of real leaders. In thinking about my time in the Navy, all of the best leaders mastered this skill. There is a poem I like

by Rudyard Kipling called, “IF,” that captures this truth. He wrote: ‘If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting, too…

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it.’

There is a lot of truth in those words.

You must remain genuinely calm, more so when others have lost control.

InRe: Leaders hone their skills much more “in the trenches” than in the classroom. Are there any important lessons you may have learned the hard way?

Guter: Yes. In fact, looking back, I don’t believe I was a strong leader my first two to three years in the Navy. I was too hesitant to exert the authority I had for a simple reason: I was too concerned with what people thought about me. Good leadership is not about being liked; it is about being respected and taking care of those you are leading. You can’t remain effective as a leader if you are worried about others’ opinions of you. As long as you act in the best interests of your mission and people, you’ll find success and earn respect in the process.

I also made the commitment to never implement a policy without speaking to younger leaders first. An ego is among a leader’s most detrimental traits.

InRe: Do you recall a particular experience that taught you the importance of remaining both calm and humble during high-stress situations?

Guter: There is one experience I’ll never forget. It was approximately 2 a.m., and I was a lieutenant serving as officer of the deck of the USS Sylvania. With approximately 400 sailors asleep — including the ship’s captain — on a vessel the length of nearly two football fields, we were in the midst of four independently stcl.edu

33

Donald J. Guter

steaming commercial ships. We were privileged on one and burdened on three.

Unless we changed our speed, course, or both, we were on a collision course.

I asked combat to provide me with a solution. After checking the radar, he informed me, “Sir, there is no solution.”

Of course, having no viable solution

STCL Houston President and Dean Don Guter served in the U.S. Navy for 32 years, retiring in 2002 as a Rear Admiral, Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

34

South Texas College of Law Houston

is not an acceptable option.

The ships drew so close to our own at one point that — standing outside on the bridge — I could see into the portholes of the ships passing along uncomfortably close to our own.

Throughout 20 to 30 minutes of high-intensity evaluation leading to multiple small course and speed changes, we were able to steer around the other ships without incident. Following the event, I recorded in the bridge log, “Steered various courses and speeds to avoid contacts.” While true, this description did little to reveal the substantial danger we avoided that night. After we had safely maneuvered around the ships, I came

inside from the wing of the bridge to find my bridge watch team wearing their life vests. We shared a relieved laugh and resumed normal watch procedures.

Despite the intensity of the experience, I had no time to wake up my captain and seek his advice. I was forced to fall back on the training I’d received from a former, exceptional Navy officer, and it ended up serving me well.

InRe: Speaking of having little time to react, your tenure as JAG gave you ample opportunities to use your leadership skills. How did your training and experience prepare you to escort your employees to safety on 9/11, when American Airlines Flight 77 hit the Pentagon?

Guter: We were in the middle of a team meeting inside the Pentagon when my civilian secretary entered the room to tell me two planes had crashed into the World Trade Center Towers. “Two planes?” I said. “That’s no accident.” The words hardly had left my mouth when we felt the earthquake-like tremors caused by the jet’s impact.

I told my staff to shut the safes, spin the dials, and follow me.

The plane’s impact heavily damaged the offices of the JAG, which, incredibly — and fortunately for us — were under renovation at the time. Our temporary offices were around the corner. We evacuated through the river entrance. We waded through chaos in the halls as we ran away from the smoke. We encountered a woman who was screaming, paralyzed with fear, and frozen in place. I put my hands on her shoulders and said, “Be quiet! We’re going to get out.” She calmed down and joined my team as we fled the building.

I’ll never forget walking down the steps outside the Pentagon and looking back to see an enormous plume of black smoke rising from the facility we had just left. “Oh, Nancy,” I told my secretary, “people are dead.” In fact, we would later learn that 125 people inside the Pentagon lost their lives that morning, in addition to all 64 passengers on the plane. Unfortunately, I later learned that one of the passengers on Flight 77 was one of my JAG attorneys, Mari-Rae Sopper.

After leaving the building, we congregated out of harm’s way near the

Donald J. Guter

Potomac River. With buses from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center jumping the curbs to reach the wounded, I started to head back inside to assist with rescue efforts, but soldiers in full tactical gear turned me back. Phone lines were down, so we relied on the one satellite phone a colleague from another office had the presence of mind to pick up on our way out of the Pentagon.

As we gathered to plan next steps, a fighter jet flew directly over the Pentagon, and the pilot tipped its wings to signal his important mission. Everyone in the area yelled, “Go get ’em!” as we saw the jet’s missiles loaded underneath its frame.

By remaining calm, remembering past training, and considering all our options, we were able to make it to safety and reconnect with our families.

InRe: What a truly surreal, intense experience. On a more routine note, what is your best advice for STCL Houston students and alumni?

Guter: I have three pieces of advice … Have courage, be persistent, and work hard.

Each commencement I tell graduates, “Have courage, not just for yourselves, but for those who are disenfranchised, those who are too poor (in wealth or in spirit), too afraid, or too weak, or too intimidated to stand for what’s right. Sometimes it is easier to have physical courage than moral courage. Often you will need both.”

My words echo the sentiment of German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe — whose poignant words I also often share from the commencement podium: “I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element.

It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous.

I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, a person is humanized or dehumanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse.

If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.”

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again … who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

— Theodore Roosevelt

former u.s. president and assistant secretary of the navy

Courageous, hard-working, tenacious attorneys have the opportunity and the responsibility to positively impact people, policies, and the profession.

InRe: Any additional thoughts you would like to share with InRe readers?

Guter: I’ll leave you with another quotation — my favorite — that embodies the essence of leadership.

Often referenced as ‘The Man in the Arena,’ these words by former President and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt define success and integrity, in my opinion.

While the quote is lengthy and worth reading in its entirety, it describes the man in the arena as one who ’strives valiantly… spends himself in a worthy cause…knows the triumph of high achievement; and…if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly…’ (See inset).

You have to have courage. The thought of a ‘cold and timid life’ gives me the shivers.

That said, I believe self-awareness is

another important trait for a leader to possess. In that regard, it is key for the “man in the arena” to know when it is time to leave the arena. With the years remaining until the centennial celebration of South Texas College of Law Houston, there is time for a new president and dean to make his or her mark on the law school.

As I’ve told many people, when it comes to law school deanships, STCL Houston is as good as it gets. Together, we have accomplished great things for our students, school, and alumni — and we’ll continue to do so throughout the upcoming academic year.

As my retirement nears, I am confident that South Texas’ next president and dean will be a leader worthy of the school’s valued mission, outstanding faculty and staff, loyal alumni, and commendable students.

stcl.edu

35

Donald J. Guter

Donald J. Guter

REAR ADMIRAL, JAGC, U.S. NAVY (RET.)

1970–1973

A life of military service

U.S. Navy Officer, USS Sylvania Surface Line Officer of the Navy with more than 30 months of overseas deployment to the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas

1974–1977 Law Student, Duquesne University School of Law

Prepared plan to embark women on Navy ships at sea.

Honor Concept and Conduct System of the United States Naval Academy.

Revised instructions on proper hiring practices at Naval Postgraduate School (Monterey, Calif.) and Naval War College (Newport, R.I.).

1994–1996

1989–1990 Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Affairs

1977–1980

Deputy Director of seven-lawyer office that lobbies Congress for Navy programs.

Trial and Defense Counsel, Naval Legal Service Office

Drafted proposed legislation and prepared witnesses for congressional testimony.

1981–1983

1990–1994:

Military Judge, Great Lakes, IL

Special Counsel to the Chief of Naval Operations

Presiding judge in more than 200 criminal cases.

1983–1985 Litigation Attorney, Office of the Judge Advocate General In-house legal counsel to the Department of the Navy working with the Department of Justice to defend the Navy against law suits filed in federal courts throughout the United States.

Provided advice directly to the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) on all legal, policy, and legislative matters affecting the Department of the Navy.

Senior attorney for a staff of over 1,000 military and over 350 civilian employees.

1987–1988

Noteworthy issues included the Gulf War, women in combat, gays in the military, the explosion of the USS Iowa, and the 1991 Tailhook Convention.

Legal and Legislative Assistant to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations

Reviewed, made recommendations on, and monitored implementation of changes to the

36

South Texas College of Law Houston

Commanding Officer, Naval Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va. Led the Navy’s largest legal office providing criminal, civil, and international legal services to service members, families, retirees, and commands throughout the Mid-Atlantic region with sites in Norfolk and Oceana, Va.; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Puerto Rico.

Directed legal outreach program that provided legal services on ships at sea, including criminal trials and administrative hearings.

1997–2000 Deputy Judge Advocate General / Commander Naval Legal Service Command As Commander, Naval Legal Service Command, oversaw worldwide network of 13 major legal offices and 45 branch offices that prosecuted and defended service members accused of crimes, provided free legal assistance to eligible service members and their dependents, and adjudicated claims for and against the U.S. government.

As Director of the Naval Justice School, the Navy’s law school, with 40 faculty members located in Newport, R.I., satellite campuses in

Donald J. Guter

STCL Houston President and Dean Don Guter (center) — former Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Navy — stands with other military leaders in the Oval Office as President Barack Obama signs an executive order to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility within a year.

SAUL LOEB/GETTY IMAGES

Norfolk, Va. and San Diego, Calif. and a branch office on the University of Virginia campus, provided post-law school education for all lawyers entering the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, and provided continuing legal education throughout their careers.

Provided all legal services to uniformed members of the Naval Service, their dependents, and eligible retirees.

Responsible for curriculum (43 courses/111 offerings), facilities, budget, and assignment of instructors.

2002–2005

Responsible for the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies, a subordinate, affiliated organization that provides courses for foreign military and civilian lawyers from over 70 nations.

Implemented policy and fiscal guidance of the Board of Trustees to accomplish the mission of the foundation: To provide the highest quality continuing care retirement community in a comfortable setting that fosters dignity, friendship and security.

2000–2002 Judge Advocate General, Department of the Navy Provided advice to the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations (the senior military officer in the Department of the Navy), and other senior government leaders on a wide range of legal issues including environmental law, ethics, personnel matters, Federal court litigation strategy, international law, and criminal law.

Led the Judge Advocate General’s Corps composed of 1,800 active duty, Reserve, and civilian lawyers; 1,000 paralegals, and 320 civilian support staff located around the world.

Administered $500 million budget.

In 2001, Navy lawyers conducted over 2,800 criminal trials.

Executive Director, Navy Marine Coast Guard Residence Foundation

Established and oversaw the procedures and necessary controls to ensure the financial security of the Foundation with assets in excess of $20 million.

Annual fundraising exceeds $500,000, and annual awarded scholarships are in excess of $400,000.

Chief Executive Officer, Vinson Hall Corporation Daily oversight of the continuing care retirement non-profit community, including 200 employees, 300 residents, and $12 million annual budget.

Completed construction of new $7.5 million assisted-living facility for the memory-impaired.

Planned and executed $2.5 million renovation of assisted-living center.

2005–2008 Dean, Duquesne University School of Law Guided the academic, fiscal, and personnel programs and policies of a 700-student, ABA-accredited law school.

Established an intensive bar examination preparation program, improving the law school’s performance by 20 points in the first year and achieving the highest scores in the last 15 years (97.1 percent).

Improved the legal research and writing program to earn the law school’s first-ever specialty ranking in U.S. News & World Report, ranking 30th in the nation.

Increased from 2 to 8 percent the number of alumni who give to the law school.

2009–Present President and Dean, South Texas College of Law Houston

stcl.edu

37

Donald J. Guter

LAW SCHOOL ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING GUTER’S TENURE AS

President and Dean Improved student experience: n

n

n

n

n

n

n

Increased experiential learning by expanding the Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics from four clinics to 19. 270 students contributed more than 35,600 hours of direct client service — equating to nearly $1.8 million of pro bono legal representation annually for Houstonians in need.

Recognized as the nation’s #1 Moot Court program while Advocacy teams brought home 28 Advocacy championships — and now hold an unprecedented 130 championships.

lawyers from top law firms and energy companies in Houston to provide subject matter expertise as judges.

n

n

Increased internet bandwidth by approximately 7,500 percent.

n

Improved professionalism and expertise in staffing to support students through hiring key individuals in Scholarships and Financial Aid, Career Resource Center, Library, Office of Assessment and Research, Security, Marketing and Communications, Human Resources, Philanthropy, and Registrar.

More than 14 national and international ADR first-place wins in the past five years.

Increased minority enrollment from 31 percent to 45 percent.

Received the Texas Access to Justice Commission’s “Law School Commitment to Public Service” award twice in a four-year period.

Expanded the Frank Evans Center for Conflict Resolution curriculum to eight courses, enabling students to learn alongside seasoned attorneys.

Created the first of its kind Energy Law Negotiation Competition, bringing more than 55

Improved technology to connect student information to seamlessly transfer to registrar files.

Automating processes previously performed manually including course schedules, locker and mailbox assignment, requesting transcripts, reporting pro bono activities, among others.

n

Significantly improved student satisfaction scores in the national Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) by instilling superior customer service in all departments.

Improved school facilities: n

Created the new front entrance by securing a $2 million gift, updating of the first floor front entrance, atrium, lounge, and creating a new outside patio for students.

n

Built the 10th floor Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics, moving the facility from a used tiresales building to the new state-of-the-art facility that provides more than $1.8 million annually in pro bono services to Houston’s underserved community.

n

Updated IT in all classrooms, conference rooms, and event spaces.

n

Increased security for all parking lots by installing gates, cameras, secured access.

Increased alumni participation: n

38

South Texas College of Law Houston

Created the Young Alumni Council, expanded Alumni Association chapters, created the Oil and Gas Advisory Board.

n

Increased alumni participation to the historically highest number of participants attending alumni events.

Strong fiscal responsibility: n

Reduced long-term debt by 41 percent while increasing endowment 68 percent. Implemented a strategic budget reduction of $7.8 million. Right-sized the staff, reducing full-time staff by 13 percent, and matching professional roles to meet the law school’s needs and further position the school for a strong future.

n

Below-market tuition increases: Maintained a low 2.6 percent annual average tuition increase, creating a high-value law degree for graduates’ cost versus starting salaries. Current tuition rates are 30 percent less than the national average.

Improved recognition for the law school: Recognition from US News & World Report: n Trial Advocacy ranked #8; n Legal Research and Writing specialty area at #25; n n

Part-time J.D. program recognized at #50.

Recognition from the National Jurist and preLaw magazines: n #1 Best Moot Court of the Decade n #1 Best Law School for Moot Court

A Top Law School for: n Alternative Dispute Resolution n International Law n Criminal Law n Best Value n Most Diverse

Positive accreditation reviews: Guided the school through two site visits with a positive AALS inspection and an unblemished ABA inspection (2017).

Named a Great College to Work For: Recognized in 2012 and 2017 by the Chronicle of Higher Education as a Great College to Work For, with an “Honor Roll” designation for 2017, noting exemplary rankings for multiple categories.

Donald J. Guter

WITH ONE YOU GET TWO

Pat Guter

A tireless champion for STCL Houston

Anyone involved in promoting the law school likely has met Pat Guter, spouse of President and Dean Don Guter.

Pat’s passion for promoting the school has helped elevate many events and programs on campus. She assisted in the creation and support of the Animal Law Clinic — the 19th clinic of the Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics, and initiated the school’s planned giving program. Pat, who holds a J.D., and is a Certified Financial Planner , is a long-standing supporter of animal-rights programs and has written two children’s books featuring Catherine and Little Jake, characters modeled after actual rescued pets. She has generously offered all proceeds from the sales of her books to support the school’s Animal Law Clinic.

TM

Clockwise from top: 2017: Pat Guter, animal rights attorney and champion of STCL Houston’s Animal Law Clinic, speaks to students, faculty, staff, and community members at the clinic’s ribbon cutting ceremony.

2000: Dean Guter and his wife, Pat, proudly wear their medals after running 26.2 miles in the 25th Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. 1990s: STCL Houston President and Dean Don Guter stands with his family. Pictured from left is his daughter Kerry, wife Pat, and daughter Kelly.

2016: Pat Guter and STCL Houston President and Dean Don Guter stand with Judge Debra Ibarra Mayfield '99 (center) at an alumni event at the law school.

stcl.edu

39

Make justice your legacy.

Thanks to the generosity of current donors and legacy gifts, STCL Houston continues its commitment to quality legal education and critical institutional priorities such as offering competitive scholarships, developing clinics and institutes, and advancing award-winning programs.

Legacy gifts support STCL Houston’s growth now and in the future. Learn more about this and other innovative gift options by visiting legacy.stcl.edu/bestgift.

40

South Texas College of Law Houston

stcl.edu

41

CLASS NOTES 1960–1969 C. J. “Neal” Calnan ’69 graduated from the two-year Merton Program at the Jewish Community Center, where he learned about his mother’s Jewish faith. He is a Catholic Christian at Holy Ghost Parish, but his learning experience, which includes an upcoming trip to Israel, provided a splendid blessing.

James “Jim” R. Hunt ’63, A. Dean Chapman ’63, and The Honorable E.J. Salcines ’63 reconnected in Palestine, Texas in April 2018 while Judge Salcines was in Texas to attend the STCL Houston Illuminations Gala. Jim, 85, currently lives in Crockett, TX and still helps his son, John R. Hunt ’04, at his Houston law firm. Dean, 92, lives in Tyler, TX and is among the oldest practicing STCL Houston alumni. Judge Salcines, 80, has taken mandatory retirement from the District Court of Appeal in Florida. The three plan to reconnect again at the law school’s centennial celebration.

1970–1979 Samuel D. Adamo ’71 received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association at the organization’s annual banquet in May. William “Bill” D. Asher ’75 received the award for 2017 Outstanding Attorney Volunteer for the San Antonio Bar Association Community Justice Program (CJP). The CJP is a pro bono project that provides free legal services to prequalified underserved residents in the San Antonio area.

Philip W. Boyko ’77 and his wife, Linda, continue in their chosen professions. She has been a court reporter longer than he has been 42

an attorney. They moved to east downtown Houston (EaDo) in 2004, where they enjoy the downtown lifestyle and third-floor views of the skyline. The yearly changes have been fascinating to watch, and the pair never expected the east side of downtown to become so vibrant.

Sheryl T. Dacso, Dr.P.H. ’79 once again earned ranking by Chambers USA in health law. She heads up the healthcare practice group at the Houston office of Seyfarth Shaw, LLP. James B. Earthman III ’73 joined the board of directors of Moody National Bank and is chair of the Bank Trust Committee in Galveston, TX. J. Alexander Johnson ’75 is recognized as one of the top attorneys in Michigan. He has published articles “Long Tail Liability Claims and Cyber Insurance” in the Michigan Bar Journal and “The Rooker-Feldman Doctrine” in the American Bar Association TIPS-Toxic Tort and Environmental Law committee. He recently published an article titled, “Are You Ready For Some Football,” setting out the effects of concussions on the brain and the ensuing “National Football League - Concussion Settlement,” in the New York State Bar Association - Tort, Insurance and Workers Compensation section.

Michael J. McCartney ’76 retired from active practice as a civil trial specialist in December 2017 and is now pursuing a life of bicycling, golf, and grandbaby chasing.

Norma L. Trusch ’77 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Houston Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution on April 20, 2018.

The Honorable Frank McGregor ’79 took Texas Senior District Judge status on Jan. 1, 2015, after spending 22 years as Judge of the 66th Judicial District Court and 13 years in private practice. He is thankful for all that STCL Houston did for his professional career. He and his wife of 44 years have two grown children and five grandchildren.

Mark C. Walters ’78 retired on Jan. 1, 2018, after 34 years at the U.S. Department of Justice. He was a trial attorney for five years, assistant director for 20 years, and senior counsel in the National Security Unit for the last nine years, all in the Civil Division’s Office.

The Honorable William H. Overton ’79 retired from 28 years on the bench and 10 years as a prosecutor in the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida. He still occasionally works as a senior judge but spends most of his time with his six grandchildren and traveling with his wife, Dolores.

Kinchen C. Pier ’75 retired as senior vice president of Bank of America, Trust Oil and Gas and Compliance in Dallas on June 5, 2017.

The Honorable Scott R. Link ’79 recently opened Link Mediations.

Thomson Lipscomb ’73 continues his solo practice. When he stopped prosecuting in 1991, he decided to limit his practice primarily to real estate, riding his golf cart to and from the office. He and his wife, Jane, are enjoying country living with their five rescue beagles. He hopes to hear from classmates.

David T. Lopez ’71, an international mediator and arbitrator, has been appointed to a three-year term on the Publications Board of the American Bar Association Section on Alternative Dispute Resolution.

South Texas College of Law Houston

Gordon J. Quan ’77 and his wife, Sylvia, were recognized by the Asia Society as the honorees for the 2018 Tiger Ball which raised $1.2 million for the organization while celebrating the diversity of Asia.

The event was chaired by The Honorable Theresa W. Chang ’96 and Dr. Peter Chang.

Louis A. Silverman ’79 is proud to announce that Silverman Law Offices has been selected as one of the finalists for the Tempe Chamber of Commerce’s prestigious 2018 Business Excellence Awards.

1980–1989 Kevin H. Berry ’85 was selected as a Super Lawyer for 2018 in real estate transactions. He also became a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.

He has been board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in residential real estate law, commercial real estate law, and farm & ranch real estate law continuously since 1995.

Peter L. Brewer ’87 joined the intellectual property boutique Thrive IP. His practice focuses on patent filings for companies in the oil and gas industry.

Roland Garcia Jr. ’86 was appointed as vice chair of the Harris County Hospital District Foundation. He and his wife, Karen, were honorary chairs of the Houston Arts Alliance Annual Gala.

John O. Green ’86 won the 2018 Republican primary election for the Idaho House of Representatives, District 2B. Bradley G. Hart ’82, a business attorney with Bradley & Riley PC in Cedar Rapids, IA, began his four-year term as mayor on Jan. 1, 2018. Cedar Rapids is the second-largest city in Iowa and has a city manager/city council form of government.

Randy Howry ’85 recently was inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL). With a maximum membership of 500 fellows from the U.S., the IATL honors lawyers who have demonstrated excellence in jury trials, trials before the court, and appellate practice.

Joseph Indelicato Jr. ’88 received the Dave Gibson Award presented by the Gulf Coast Family Law Specialists for demonstrating professionalism and excellence in the practice of family law. He also was elected as secretary of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas for a two-year term.

E. Chris Kaitson ’81 retired to the beach in Galveston.

Nicholas J. Lanza ’89 began his three-year term on the board of directors for STCL Houston in January 2018. He served as the president of the Alumni Association in 2017 and currently serves the Alumni Board in the role of past-president.

Jerry K. Martino ’89

Lynne Liberato ’80 received the 2018 Louise B. Raggio Award from the Women and the Law Section of the

John E. Maher ’80 was the victim of a home invasion and shooting on April 3. While still hospitalized, John prays for a full recovery.

a fourteen-year term effective April 2, 2018. He is pictured being sworn in by Chief United States District Court Judge Lee Rosenthal.

Scott D. Marrs ’89 is now the Texas regional managing partner for Akerman LLP.

Susan G. Perin ’80 became a fellow in the College of Commercial Arbitrators, an invitation-only national organization of commercial arbitrators with experience in complex and difficult assignments.

State Bar of Texas.

Steven P. Lindamood ’84 formed the firm Lindamood & Robinson, P.C. on Jan. 1, 2018 with family law as the firm’s primary area of practice.

Lieutenant Colonel Maria Chapa Lopez ’86 was appointed United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Jan. 5, 2018 and was nominated by the president on May 15, 2018. Maria worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the MDFL from April 2000 to April 2016, prosecuting transnational drug trafficking organizations, complex domestic narcotics trafficking cases, large-scale money laundering cases, and complex opioid cases.

From April 2016 to January 2018, Maria was the DOJ Deputy Attaché in the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.

Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she served in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Jerry K. Martino ’89 was sworn in as a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar in Washington, D.C. with 24 other STCL Houston alumni attorneys on June 11, 2018. He got to shake hands with Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Ginsburg!

Terry C. Munder ’84 retired from CenterPoint Energy in June 2018 and moved to Canyon Lake, TX. Patricia Nasworthy ’81 was selected as the 2018 Outstanding Mentor by the Texas City Attorneys Association.

The Honorable Jeffrey P. Norman ’85 was appointed as a United States Bankruptcy Judge in the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division for

Robert C. Rice ’86 recently signed on as a volunteer lawyer for the U.S. Coast Guard in addition to his private practice and work as an arbitrator and mediator. He serves pro bono as the only Coast Guard legal assistance attorney in the Houston/Galveston area. It has been his privilege to support the men and women of our nation’s smallest branch of the armed services.

David K. Sergi ’85 successfully represented Tony Sparks in a resentencing hearing. Sparks received a life sentence as a 16-year-old juvenile in the U.S. District Court in Waco in 1999. As Sparks was a German national, the Court allowed his team to travel to Germany several times, interview witnesses, and present three days of testimony as to why he didn’t deserve a life sentence despite a prison record that included a stay at Supermax in Florence, CO. Sparks received a 40-year sentence, which means that he will probably taste freedom by the time he is 48 to 56.

Donald S. Sepolio ’89 is proud to announce that his son, Cory D. Sepolio ’03, is a candidate for the 269th Civil District Court of Harris County, Texas. Cory has tried over 100 jury cases, including prosecuting capital murder cases and a variety of civil cases. He would love to see another well-qualified STCL Houston alumnus on the highest trial court bench in Texas.

Randolph W. Stout ’80 says, each and every year since graduation, he has felt extremely fortunate

stcl.edu

43

CLASS NOTES to have graduated from STCL Houston. Upon becoming a trial lawyer, it was always interesting for him to realize that STCL Houston taught him not just law and procedure, but professional ethics.

After many years of being board certified in family law and representing public school districts, he remains very thankful for lessons learned in law school.

1990–1999 James M. Alpert ’93 has lived and worked in the Washington, D.C. suburbs since 2004. He is a registered patent attorney at the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). He is associated with Posz Law Group PLC and represents both domestic and foreign clients.

The Hon. George G. Angeliadis ’95 was recently appointed by Florida Governor Rick Scott to a circuit judge position in the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida, serving Hernando County.

Philip R. Brinson ’93 was appointed national group leader for the Gordon & Rees, LLP Entertainment and Recreation Law practice group. The group covers entertainment, fashion, media, sports, and cannabis practices.

James “Jim” F. Chester ’97 joined the litigation, intellectual property, and transaction law firm of Klemchuk LLP as a managing principal. Jim will lead the firm’s business and technology transactional practice.

He joins the firm from Chester PLLC, a firm he founded in 2003.

Stephen C. Estes ’95 was named to the National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers in Texas for 2018.

Cary A. Farris ’98 joined Winstead as a shareholder, bringing his extensive experience with federal cases in multiple district courts, appellate courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court in a variety of labor and employment matters.

Terry G. Freeman ’93 joined the firm McGlinchey Stafford. Terry represents banks and other financial services clients in connection with commercial and corporate lending and related activities. He has more than 34 years of experience structuring and documenting commercial and corporate finance transactions and providing support and guidance to clients through the life cycle of those transactions.

Angela S. Goodwin ’90 has joined the Texas Ethics Commission as their new director of enforcement. Her brother, Bryan Goodwin ’94, is now the deputy general counsel and compliance officer for Nutrabolt, a nutritional life science company.

Marilyn O. Griffin ’91 argued in front of a three-judge panel in the Thirteenth Court of Appeals against Cameron County and Los Fresnos CISD taxing entities represented by Linbarger Goggan Blair Sampson, LLP and won.

Chastiti N. Horne ’98 was selected as one of Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2017.

Michael K. Hurst ’90 was elected president of the Dallas Bar Association.

44

South Texas College of Law Houston

Elizabeth W. King ’93 joined the Houston office of Fish & Richardson as of counsel in its Trademark and Copyright Group. Elizabeth has nearly 25 years of experience practicing law, the last 20 of which have been focused on domestic and international trademark law. She also is a well-known expert on nontraditional trademark protection strategies.

Curt M. Langley ’90 has joined Crinion, Davis & Richardson LLP and will open and manage the firm’s downtown Houston office.

Robert F. Loughran ’92, of Foster LLP, was selected by Best Lawyers as the Austin Immigration Law Lawyer of the Year for 2018.

Lieutenant Colonel Terrance “Terry” O’Neill ’98 will retire from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps this fall. Over the course of his career, he served as a legal assistance attorney, trial counsel (prosecutor), defense counsel, civil litigation attorney, international law attorney, and administrative law attorney; deployed to Kuwait, South Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan; and earned an LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center. In one of his assignments, he served under Professor—then Lieutenant Colonel— Geoff Corn. After retiring, Terry will move back to Houston where he plans to continue practicing law in the public service sector.

Patricia D. Y. Petty ’91 has been a legal instructor at the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University since 2014.

Firm Networks. He also was named a finalist for the 2018 International Legal Technology Association Leadership Award.

Larry W. Thorpe, Ph.D. ’93 retired from legal practice several years ago, and his only legal interaction these days is as the ABA’s chairman of the Committee on the Rights and Responsibilities of Scientists and as an editor to the ABA journal, The SciTech Lawyer.

Professor Derek Fincham was one of the authors for the Art Law issue.

IN THIS ISSUE BLOCKCHAIN TECH • AUTHENTICITY • FREEDOM OF PANORAMA

the

L

A

VOLUME 14 ISSUE 2

|

WINTER 2018

W

|

Y

SECTION OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LAW

E

|

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

MATTHEW T. HENSHON AND LARRY W. THORPE, ISSUE EDITORS

Published in The Published in The SciTech SciTech Lawyer, Lawyer, Volume Volume 14, 14, Number Number 2, 2, Winter Winter 2018.

2018. © © 2018 2018 American American Bar Bar Association.

Association. Reproduced Reproduced with with permission. permission. All All rights rights reserved. reserved. This This information information or or any any portion portion thereof thereof may may not not be be copied copied or or disseminated disseminated in in any any form form or or by by any any means means or or stored stored in in an an electronic electronic database database or or retrieval retrieval system system without without the the express express written written consent consent of of the the American American Bar Bar Association.

Association.

Mary Claire Carmouche Upton ’92 has been with Collier Legal Search for 13 years. She works with Kay Kurtin Egger ’93. They assist lawyers and paralegals in finding employment.

J. Brent Vasconcellos ’99 was admitted as a partner at Deloitte, where he currently leads the firm’s Southeast Asia energy tax and legal practice based in Singapore.

James N. Willi ’95 and Tracy J. (Moore) Willi ’92 have relocated Willi Law Firm, P.C. to 5920 West William Cannon Drive, Building 6, Suite 100, Austin, Texas 78749.

Charles J. Williamson ’91 earned an M.L. (LL.M.) in intellectual property and information law from University of Houston Law Center in August 2017.

Rosann F. Willrodt ’98 retired and moved to San Antonio to be closer to family.

Dulcie G. Wink ’95 is enjoying life as a mediator in business cases, commercial cases, and family cases in her

Lisa Royee Ray ’99 is the general counsel of Garland Independent School District.

T. Jason Smith ’98 was recognized as a Global Leader and Influencer in Legal Business by the Association of International Law

R

offices in Katy.

CLASS NOTES 2000–2009

jor oil and gas entity in the Houston area.

Jessica Zavadil Barger ’01 recently earned the title of named partner at the firm of Wright Close & Barger. Jessica has experience handling trial and appellate cases, and a variety of commercial disputes including insurance defense and coverage matters, product liability, premises liability, and personal injury defense. She is board certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Helene N. Dang ’02, a partner at Foster LLP, was named Who’s Who Legal Leading Corporate Immigration Attorney 2018.

The Honorable Sheila G. Bence ’04 was sworn in as judge of the newly created Cameron County Court at Law No. 4 after winning election against three other candidates on Jan. 1, 2017.

Kenneth W. Bullock II ’06 was promoted to equity shareholder at Munsch Hardt in the firm’s Energy, Admiralty & Maritime and Litigation section.

J. Dustin Causey ’09 was named to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum in March 2018. The Million Dollar Advocates Forum is limited to trial attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts, awards, and settlements for their clients. Fewer than one percent of U.S. lawyers are members.

Terry B. Collier ’00 has resumed a former position as president and general counsel at Tower Exploration, Inc upon recently semi-retiring from his position as assistant general counsel at Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas. He will be conducting daily activities in oil and gas property investments at Tower, as well as assuming the role as a part-time consulting attorney.

He recently married a great lady, also in the legal profession of a ma-

R. Mike Day ’05 received the Outstanding Legal Article Award, along with his co-author Trey Yates, from the Houston Bar Foundation regarding their article on the retroactive application of Obergefell. He also received the Individual Award for the Harris County Pro Bono Bench Bar Conference, and he serves on the board of directors of the Family Law Section of the Houston Bar Association. He has been practicing family law and probate litigation at the Law Office of Sam M. (Trey) Yates, III, P.C. for the past three years.

Michael De Leon ’00 has been an assistant criminal district attorney for the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office for the past 17 years.

He is the Democratic nominee to become the next Judge of County Court at Law No. 7, a domestic violence court, this November.

Courtney L. Ebeier ’06 is now general counsel of The Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners in

Douglas A. Grimm ’04, a partner in Arent Fox’s healthcare practice in Washington, D.C., continues to build Arent Fox’s national practice through multiple national webinars, CLE presentations, and other speaking engagements regarding healthcare regulatory and litigation matters. He remains in close touch with many members of the class of 2004 and is always looking for reasons to visit his friends in Houston.

Ronda L. Harrison ’05 was promoted to interim assistant dean for academic success and bar preparation at Thurgood Marshall School of Law.

The Honorable Phillip M. Herr ’01 was appointed as the Associate Judge for Title IV-D Court No. 35 on Mar.19, 2018. Court No. 35 serves as the Title IV-D Court for eight counties in Texas: Denton, Wise, Cooke, Somerville, Parker, Johnson, Hood, and Erath. He is pictured with his wife, Jackie Davis-Herr, M.D., FACOG. Zachary A. Hirsch ’06 is pleased to announce his insurance brokerage, Hirsch Insurance Brokerage, dedicated to the legal malpractice insurance needs of Texas lawyers, celebrated its eighth anniversary in April. They continue to thank their loyal clients.

Austin, Texas.

Gloria Villatoro Flores ’08 started her own law practice, Law Office of Gloria Villatoro Flores, focusing on personal injury, family law, and probate matters.

Erum Jivani-Gillani ’03 was appointed as an associate judge

for the City of Pearland Municipal Court. She is the first Asian judge and the first female judge under the age of 40 to be appointed to the Pearland Municipal courts.

Sara M. Keith ’07, senior counsel at Sanders Willyard LLP, was named as Houstonia Magazine’s Top Bankruptcy Lawyer for 2017.

Denise G. Khoury ’03 celebrated three years of solo family law practice at Guajardo Khoury Family Law (www.gkfamilylaw.com) in January 2018.

Cynthia Tan Lu ’08 marked her two-year anniversary working as an assistant attorney general in Austin and celebrated her baby girl’s first birthday.

Aimee Maldonado ’04 received the J. Chrys Dougherty Legal Services Award for outstanding legal services by a staff attorney at the 2018 State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting. Aimee is the immigration staff attorney in the Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics, where she provides legal instruction and casework supervision to students and acts as the primary case handler.

In addition to providing direct representation to immigration clients, Aimee develops, coordinates, and attends outreach events to educate potential clients about their rights and responsibilities.

David C. Martin ’08 was elected as a partner in the real estate section for Porter Hedges LLP effective Jan. 1, 2018. He represents developers, lenders, borrowers, and other individuals and entities in all areas of real estate and real estate finance.

stcl.edu

45

CLASS NOTES Sean M. McChristian ’08 was elected as a partner in the Construction section for Porter Hedges LLP effective Jan. 1, 2018. He represents contractors, subcontractors, owners, suppliers, sureties, and design professionals in all types of construction-related disputes Shawn Robert McKee ’06 has partnered with Casey Jon Lambright ’95 to form Lambright McKee. Shawn was formerly an associate at Lambright & Associates.

Susan E. Oehl ’06 was recently named partner at Jenkins & Kamin LLP, a family law firm. Susan is board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

George A. Oggero ’07 has opened his own practice, George A. Oggero, PLLC, focusing on real estate, general business matters, estate/probate, family law, and energy in Houston and surrounding areas.

The Honorable Ryan Patrick ’06 was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 23rd United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas and took office on Jan. 8, 2018.

Aaron M. Reimer ’07 is board certified in family law and was honored as a 2017 Top Lawyer

by Houstonia Magazine. He was recently named Partner at Jenkins & Kamin LLP, a family law firm.

Adam J. Richie ’07 was promoted to shareholder at Munsch Hardt in the firm’s Construction Litigation practice in Austin.

Jason J. Ruen ’09 was promoted to head of litigation at the law firm of Stewart J. Guss.

Dylan B. Russell ’03 was board certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in 2017. That was also a good year

46

for him in the Texas Supreme Court, where he got a petition for writ of mandamus granted in In re Coppola and a petition for review granted after his first oral argument at the high court in Shields Ltd. P’ship v.

Bradberry.

David W. Salton ’07 was elected as a partner in the Litigation section for Porter Hedges LLP effective Jan. 1, 2018. His practice focuses on representation of owners, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and other commercial entities in construction, government contracts, oil and gas, trademark infringement, and other commercial disputes.

W. Mike Schuster ’07’s recent article on artificial intelligence and patent law was accepted for publication by the Washington & Lee Law Review. A second paper— discussing public choice theory and copyright—will be published by the U.C. Davis Law Review in the coming months.

His articles are available at: http:// ssrn.com/author=1221897.

Bradley S. Tegeler ’02 has been elected to serve as vice chair of the Austin Airport Advisory Commission.

The commission reviews and makes recommendations to the city council on aviation projects that the Department of Aviation proposes for the capital improvements program, proposed aviation grants, aviation contracts, annual operating budget, and quality of services at ABIA. Fletch V. Trammell ’03, Robert W. Cowan ’01, and Aaron M. Heckaman ’07 recently had an $11.5 million wrongful death jury verdict upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. The High Court denied certiorari in Crane Co. v. Poage, 138

South Texas College of Law Houston

S.Ct. 1326 (2018), involving a Naval veteran’s death from mesothelioma after exposure to the defendant’s asbestos-containing products while serving aboard the USS Haynsworth in the 1950s. The team secured the jury verdict in 2015, then proceeded to win at every appellate court, including the Missouri Court of Appeals, Missouri Supreme Court, and finally the U.S. Supreme Court.

R. Wade Vandiver ’02 was promoted to assistant vice president and senior corporate litigation director for Argo Group US, Inc. Bridget B. Vick ’09 was recently promoted to partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP (Houston). Her practice focuses on commercial litigation with an emphasis on ERISA, employee benefits, and managed care.

Joshua M. Zudar ’08 is a founding shareholder at Wilson Reeder & Zudar, P.A. in Tampa, FL, where he focuses his practice on constructive defect litigation representing homeowners, businessowners, and condo/townhome boards.

2010–2018

Morgan Swan Abels ’14 married Jacob Alexander Abels in Richmond, Texas.

Amber J. Burton ’12 and Johnny Alfred III ’12 were married at Cha-

teau Polonez in Houston in January 2018. The two met and fell in love in law school and are excited to begin their journey together in marriage.

Angela R. Burnett ’16 joined the Kansas City office of Lathrop Gage and works with clients on general business transactions as well as financing and commercial real estate transactions.

Travis L. Crawford ’10 and wife, Jessica Crawford ’09, join Michael Jones, Lee Gill, and Joe Porter as partners to form Jones Gill Porter Crawford & Crawford. Formerly Jones Gill, the firm will continue to expand its practice in oil and gas, real estate, and civil litigation.

Amy Harper Duvanich ’11 lives in Austin and continues to enjoy her role at Keller Williams Realty, Inc. headquarters as in-house counsel focusing on transactions, providing day-to-day legal advice, and managing a team.

Scott W. Eidman ’11 joined Winstead’s Public Finance Practice Group as an associate in the Dallas office.

His practice focuses on public finance, local government, and administrative law with an emphasis on representing special districts.

Mariana G. Evans ’10 was named partner at Rogers, Morris & Grover, LLP.

CLASS NOTES

Scott C. Fraser ’14 married Joni M. Fields ’15 in Montgomery, Texas.

They plan to reside in Houston.

Claire E. B. Garza ’13 has been enjoying life since graduation with her husband and fellow maritime attorney, Erik D. Garza, and their 2-year-old son, Reed. She was named Female Admiralty Maritime Lawyer of the Year for the United States three years in a row, named Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star 2018, and transitioned from private practice into her current in-house counsel role as assistant vice president-claims executive and counsel with The American P&I Club in Houston.

Uri A. Heller ’12 joined Dale & Klein, L.L.P. as a senior associate.

Colby S. Hodges ’10 joined Andrews Myers, P.C. as a senior associate with a primary focus on commercial, construction, and labor and employment litigation on Mar. 1, 2018.

Jill E. Jester ’10 was appointed

by Governor Greg Abbott to the Board of Regents for Texas Woman’s University.

John T. Kovach ’13 started his own firm and will be working with his father-in-law, S. Rocket Rosen ’80.

Taylor E. Landry ’10 was recently promoted to partner at Hunton

Andrews Kurth LLP (Houston).

He advises master limited partnerships, corporations, and other public and private entities in all facets of the energy value chain (exploration and production, oilfield services, midstream and downstream) with assets including reserves, pipelines, storage, processing, and gathering facilities.

Nicolas G. Pazos ’13 and his wife, Alyssa, are expecting their first child this year. He left the Public Defender’s Office and is now employed by Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig, LLP in their Tampa office, where he defends Florida insurance companies in first-party property/homeowners’ insurance claims.

is now trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TALO. Jesse R. Showalter ’12 recently became a life member of The Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Membership is limited to trial attorneys who have won million and multi-milion dollar verdicts, awards, and settlements.

Lauren M. Rouhana ’14 married Eli Rassi, CEO of Revived IV Therapy, on Sept. 23, 2017 in Houston, Texas.

Weddings guests included Gordon J. Quan ’77, Jarred J. Slater ’04, Bryant C. Touchy ’14, Benjamin G. House ’14, Cassandra L. Walsh ’14, Eduardo T. Ortiz ’14, Ryan J. Fowler ’14, and Bryan A. Puente ’14.

Jocelyn T. Slater ’15 joined the firm of Crain Caton & James as an associate. She represents clients in probate, guardianship, trust and fiduciary, and business litigation.

Joseph B. Tennant ’17 now works for Vujasinovic and Beckcom (VB Attorneys) in personal injury with specialization in maritime/Jones Act claims.

Ford A. Peters ’13 was promoted to land and business development manager of outside operated assets at Fieldwood Energy LLC. Brian C. Pidcock ’10 was recently promoted to partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP (Houston).

He focuses his practice on complex commercial disputes in a broad range of industries, including energy, healthcare and managed care, and media and entertainment.

Chief Amy M. Ramon ’10, chief of the Cy-Fair Fire Department, was recently profiled by the Texas Fire Chiefs Association. Amy began her career as a firefighter in May 1990 and advanced through various positions including firefighter, dispatcher, paramedic, assistant chief of EMS, and finally fire chief in July 2014. Cy-Fair is the largest Emergency Service District in the state and covers 164 square miles, taking in about 30,000 calls per year.

Stacy E. Saxon ’15 finished her tour in San Diego, receiving her second Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. She is now stationed in Fort Worth, where she runs the Legal Assistance Office on Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth and is very excited to be back in Texas.

J. Ash Shepherd ’11 was promoted to director after leading the successful reverse merger of private equity startup Talos Energy LLC into publicly traded Stone Energy Corp, thereby creating Talos Energy Inc. With an enterprise value of $2.5 billion, Talos

Nickie V. Tran ’14 married Cheuck Yee in April 2018 at Yosemite National Park.

Cassandra L. Walsh ’14 joined the Houston office of Adams and Reese in transactions practice.

Collin M. Weyand ’17 joined the Houston office of Adams and Reese as a litigator. He focuses his practice primarily on insurance coverage, construction litigation, and oil and gas litigation.

stcl.edu

47

CLASS NOTES

Brinson

Chin

Cote

DeKeyzer

Duvanich

Hernandez

King

Kuykendall

Most

Riley

Rochman

Rodriguez

New Arrivals

Chris Ragano ’96 and his wife, Jill, recently had a baby boy. His name is E.J., which happens to be the nickname for STCL Houston in the Tampa Bay area—”E.J.U.”

Philip R. Brinson ’93 and his wife, Laura Anne Brinson, welcomed their son, Paxon Ranger Brinson, on June 1, 2018.

Krystal E. Riley ’08 and her husband, John, adopted Elizabeth Ruth Riley on June 15, 2018.

Rebecca Fleming Chin ’07 welcomed Griffin Chin in August 2016.

Kimberly R. Cote ’08 welcomed Cooper Douglas Cote in May 2018.

Meagan Cantu DeKeyzer ’13 and Holland D. DeKeyzer ’13 welcomed baby Hank in December 2017 who joins older sister, Avery, born in January 2016.

Amy Harper Duvanich ’11 is excited to welcome her first baby, Easton, into the world.

Edgar N. Gonzalez ’14 and wife, Nadia, welcomed Matilda Joon Gonzalez on Sept. 21, 2017.

James R. Helton ’14 and his wife, Marjan, welcomed Rose Helton on Nov. 2, 2017.

Jonathan M. Hernandez ’17 and his wife welcomed their happy and

Stay connected by updating your contact information at my.stcl.edu/expressupdate.

48

Kovach

healthy baby boy to the world on June 11, 2018. His name is Caleb Michael Hernandez.

Louise K. King ’13 welcomed Charlotta Ella King on Sept. 14, 2017.

John T. Kovach ’13 and Courtney Rosen Kovach ’13 welcomed Kace Rocket Kovach. He is the grandson of S. Rocket Rosen ’80.

He is pictured with Erin R. Christopher ’13, Courtney Rosen Kovach ’13, Alyssa L. McCreight ’14, Caroline H. Russe ’13, and Angela L. Connor ’13.

Maegen Fox Kuykendall ’13 and Michael J. Kuykendall ’14

welcomed a daughter, Rellan Elizabeth, on Dec. 11, 2017.

Drake M. Lawsage ’16 welcomed Theo Lawsage on June 15, 2017.

Joel A. Levine ’08 welcomed son Nathan Max Levine on April 20, 2018.

Siham S. Mercer ’13 welcomed Owen Michael Mercer on May 30, 2017.

Samantha J. Rodriguez ’14 welcomed Daniela Rodriguez on Jan. 23, 2018.

Janelle Storck Hall ’16 and her husband, Shaun Hall, welcomed their first child, Carter Ryan Hall, nine weeks early on June 23, 2018.

Roni M. Most ’00 welcomed Blake Liam Most on March 2, 2018.

Elinore T. Tecson ’04 and her husband, Patrick Coate, welcomed daughter, Penelope Alice, on Dec. 22, 2017. She joins big sister Elena and big brother Oliver.

Meredith M. Peek ’13 and Bradley D. Peek ’12 welcomed Palmer Kate Peek on Jan. 15, 2018!

Benjamin A. Vinson ’11 welcomed Smith Walter Vinson on Jan. 12, 2018.

n Enjoy 24-hour access to news about fellow alumni with Online Class Notes at my.stcl.edu/classnotes.

South Texas College of Law Houston

Brad Rochman ’11 and Stacey Scheff Rochman welcomed their first child, Juliana Eve, on May 28, 2018.

n If you are celebrating a recent birth, submit a Class Note with your baby’s name, and we’ll send you a free “Future Graduate” onesie.

IN MEMORIAM

South Texas alumni, faculty, staff, and students are the law school’s greatest legacy.

When members of the STCL Houston community pass away, they are remembered and their spirits live on. Send obituaries to my.stcl.edu/alumniupdates.

1923–1969

1990–1999

Bernard B. Athey Jr. ’62, Jan. 6, 2018 Harry P. Hutchens ’56, Feb. 16, 2018 Leonard N. Martin ’60, July 22, 2017 John W. Moore III ’63, Jan. 19, 2018 Jack C. Ogg ’62, March 3, 2018 Thomas F. Ryan ’69, Nov. 5, 2017 The Honorable David V. Wilson ’69, May 31, 2018

Stuart H. Kemp ’93, Nov. 13, 2017 J. Steve Mostyn ’96, Nov. 15, 2017 Karla Rogers ’91, Sept. 3, 2018 Vanessa L. Vance ’94, May 26, 2018

1970–1979 James A. Baker ’74, Dec. 14, 2017 Paul S. Carr ’79, April 1, 2018 The Honorable Howard R. Dixon Jr. ’71, March 20, 2018 Karl M. Gibbon Jr. ’70, Nov. 17, 2017 The Honorable June Jackson ’79, Nov. 2, 2017 Ira L. Jones II ’72, Nov. 18, 2017 Robert J. McLean ’73, Jan. 14, 2018

2000–2018 Kelly W. Adams ’08, Feb. 28, 2018 Travis L. Booher ’05, May 29, 2018

STCL Houston Community Harless R. Benthul, former adjunct professor, Jan. 24, 2018 Winston Ellis, former professor, March 17, 2018 Isaac C. Hunt Jr., former board member, Oct. 29, 2017 Julie Saunders, former employee, Feb. 17, 2018

1980–1989 Cathleen Callihan ’88, Jan. 4, 2018 Mark D. Haas ’84, Oct. 17, 2017 Susan K. Knoll ’88, Jan. 24, 2018 Michael A. Plog ’83, Feb. 27, 2018 Nicholas G. Palmarozzi ’87, March 18, 2018 Robert S. Toth, M.D. ’81, Feb. 18, 2018

If you are interested in making a gift to honor alumni and friends who have passed, you may do so at stcl.edu/give.

stcl.edu

49

FACULTY NOTES JAMES J. ALFINI Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law

Dean Alfini announced his retirement from STCL Houston in spring 2018. Dean Alfini joined the law school as president, dean, and professor of law in 2003.

During his tenure as president and dean, he led the law school through the development of a strong strategic plan, introduced the Centers for Excellence, and promoted faculty scholarship, among many other accomplishments. In 2007, he left his post as dean to return to the classroom full time. His gentle nature, encouraging words, and knack for problem solving have made him a highly regarded teacher, colleague, and friend. As dean emeritus, he will maintain a campus office in his retirement and remains a lifelong member of the South Texas family.

JOSH BLACKMAN Professor of Law

Professor Blackman earned tenure and promotion to professor of law.

He received the Federalist Society’s inaugural Joseph Story Award, granted to an academic under age 40 who has demonstrated excellence in legal scholarship, a commitment to teaching, a concern for students, and a significant public impact that advances the rule of law in a free society. In spring 2018, he garnered national attention for his measured response to protestors at a presentation he made to the Federalist Society at CUNY School of Law in New York. He was cited and/or quoted in several dozen articles and media interviews related to Supreme Court vacancies, the High

50

Court’s ruling on the travel ban, and other constitutional law topics.

RICHARD CARLSON Professor of Law

Professor Carlson coauthored with Scott Moss (University of Colorado) the fourth edition of “Employment Law” (Wolters Kluwer), which goes to print in fall 2018. In January 2018, he presented “Developments in Texas Employment Law” at Texas Bar CLEs in Dallas and Austin. His article, “The Sincerely Religious Corporation,” will appear in the Marquette Social Benefits and Welfare Law Review.

AMANDA HARMON COOLEY Wayne Fisher Research Professor of Law

Professor Harmon Cooley’s article, “Inculcating Suppression,” has been accepted for publication

by The Georgetown Law Journal (forthcoming 2019). Her article, “Against Shaming: Preserving Dignity, Decency, and A Moral-Educative Mission in American Schools,” was published by the St. John’s Law Review.

GEOFFREY S. CORN Vinson & Elkins Research Professor

Professor Corn coauthored the book “The Law in War: A Concise Overview” along with Ken Watkin and Jamie Williamson (Routledge 2018), available for purchase at: https:// www.routledge.com/The-Lawin-War-A-Concise-Overview/ Corn-Watkin-Williamson/p/book/ 9781138910485. He authored the

South Texas College of Law Houston

chapter “Drone Warfare and the Erosion of Traditional Limits on War Powers” in “The Research Handbook on Remote Warfare” (Oxford Univ.

Press 2017) and the chapter “Managing the Inevitability of ’Taking the Man out of the Loop’” in “Autonomous Weapon Systems: Law, Ethics, and Policy” (Nehal Bhuta et al. eds., Cambridge Univ. Press 2016). He again received the Student Bar Association Faculty Excellence and Faculty Mentoring Awards.

DONALD GUTER President and Dean

Dean Guter published a Houston Chronicle editorial titled, “Haspel’s record of torture makes her unfit to serve as CIA director” in May 2018. In June, he accompanied 24 STCL Houston alumni in Washington, D.C. as they were sworn in to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

DEREK FINCHAM Professor of Law

AMANDA PETERS

This year Professor Fincham authored the lead essay in the ABA’s “SciTech Lawyer” Art Law themed issue. His article examined the role of blockchain technology in policing the antiquities trade.

He also completed work on a chapter of an Oxford University Press handbook on cultural heritage law in North America. In August, he presented at the Southeastern Association of Law Scholars conference in Ft. Lauderdale, where he spoke on the Council of Europe’s new Blood Antiquities Convention, which seeks to prevent the destruction and looting of archaeological sites around the world.

Helen & Harry Hutchens Research Professor

PAMELA E. GEORGE Professor of Law

Professor George published 20172018 editions of two casebooks, “George on Texas Marital Property Rights – Cases & Materials” and “George on Texas Family Law – Precedent and Procedure” under Imprimatur Press.

Professor Peters’ article titled “An Inconsistent Supreme Court’s Impact on Mass Arrest Civil Rights Litigation” will appear in the Boston College Law Review in January 2019.

JEAN POWERS Professor of Law

Professor Powers’ article, “Paying for What You Get — Restitution Recovery for Breach of Contract,” was published in the Pace Law Review, 38 Pace L. Rev. 501 (2018).

CHARLES “ROCKY” RHODES Professor of Law

Professor Rhodes has secured publication contracts for two forthcoming books, “Constitutional Law: Foundations, Interpretations, and Commentaries” and “State Constitutional Law: Individual Rights and Structural Liberties.” He presented his forthcoming article, “Consent as a Longer Arm for Personal Jurisdiction,” this summer at the annual conference of the Southeastern

FACULTY NOTES

Association of Law Schools (SEALS), where he also participated in a panel on legislative generality and in discussion groups on current constitutional and procedural topics. He joined other scholars of federal jurisdiction in an amici curiae brief to the Supreme Court regarding the proper disposition of President Trump’s second travel ban on mootness grounds.

He continues frequent appearances as a speaker and commentator, most recently presenting his annual Supreme Court session recap to federal judges and practitioners in the Southern District of Texas, speaking to the Knife and Fork Club of Houston on the right to trial by jury, and providing commentary to national, statewide, and local print and broadcast media on numerous constitutional and procedural issues.

VAL D. RICKS

MARK STEINER

Charles Weigel II Research Professor

Professor of Law

Professor Ricks facilitated the compilation of “The Best and Worst of Contracts Decisions: An Anthology,” which features contributions from 20 authors and will be published in the Florida State University Law Review. Volume II of his casebook, “The Story of Contract Law: Implementing the Bargain,” was published by eLangdell Press in 2017. In Feb. 2018, he presented “Collaboration and Contracts Scholarship” at the 13th International Contracts Conference held at Barry University School of Law in Orlando. He served as chair of the Association of American Law Schools Contract Section Executive Committee for 2017.

Professor Steiner was recognized

by Shell Oil Company as one of six “Heroes of Houston” in its campaign to honor everyday Houstonians who demonstrated resiliency, bravery, and generosity in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. BakerRipley’s immigration program selected Professor Steiner as its Volunteer of the Year and named the inaugural award the “Mark Steiner Award for Immigration Altruism” in his honor. He is an active member of the Notario Fraud Prevention Working Group spearheaded by the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, in which he helps develop materials for lawyers to use in private lawsuits against fraudulent notarios, immigration

consultants, and tax preparers. He has given presentations on the subject at the 13th Annual Advanced Consumer and Commercial Law Course, Teaching Consumer Law Conference, the State Bar of Texas’ Poverty Law Conference, and other state and local events.

KENNETH WILLIAMS Professor of Law

Professor Williams delivered remarks at the National Council of Law Reform at the Federal University of Bahia (Brazil) in June 2018.

The Daily Beast and KCBS San Francisco interviewed him about the controversial police shooting of Stephon Clark in Sacramento, Ca. last spring.

stcl.edu

51

“The embrace of torture damages not only human beings but also the United States. It assists the propaganda efforts of terrorist groups and helps them recruit members. It hinders cooperation with allies and would-be allies. And, it has failed disastrously as an interrogation technique. In other words, it has weakened U.S. national security.” president and dean donald guter editorial, “haspel’s record of torture makes her unfit to serve as cia director” houston chronicle, may 9, 2018

“Asians and people of Chinese descent are being disproportionately prosecuted, but what’s even more disturbing is that so many of them are innocent. As many as one in five Asian people accused of espionage are innocent. That’s a rate that’s double that for other races.” visiting scholar andrew kim news segment, “justice for sherry chen: scientist falsely accused of espionage in the us gets job back” china global television network, may 6, 2018

“Our job is teaching young people how to practice law.

The academic side is still crucial. The practical side can’t be ignored. The best reward for me is when they come back to coach and judge. I think it’s continuing to bridge the gap.” associate dean t. gerald treece “south texas college of law houston — real life experience” houston chronicle, march 31, 2018

52

South Texas College of Law Houston

“If any time a person speaks ideas that are uncomfortable to others, the remedy is to shut them down, no one will be left to speak.” professor josh blackman on cuny students’ protest of his spring campus appearance the college fix, april 18, 2018

“Fossil smuggling may seem at first like a victimless crime.

The harm, however, is in the fact that scientists are unable to study the items and give them historical context due to the handiwork of ’unskilled looters.’” professor derek fincham “70 million-year-old dinosaur skull gets caught in international custody battle” dallas morning news, april 12, 2018

“There’s no affirmative obligation to wave your arms and jump up and down and say, ‘Look at this plat.’ That’s one of the weaknesses of real estate law.”

professor matthew festa “flooded houston-area homeowners might have been spared ruin — but only if they read the fine print” dallas morning news, sept. 20, 2017

“In a song I like there is a line: ‘Everyone’s moving in the same direction,’ and that’s what was going on [at Hurricane Harvey shelters]. All the volunteers were all moving in the same direction.

Everybody there had a sense of purpose. They knew there was work to be done and they were there to do it.” professor mark steiner shell’s “heroes of houston celebration film” shell.us/heroes

stcl.edu stcl.edu 5353

from the archives 54

South Texas College of Law Houston

As the law school celebrates its 95th anniversary, law school archivist Heather Kushnerick shares some interesting artifacts from throughout school history.

Opposite: Smoking pipes | In the school’s first several decades, it was commonplace for both professors and students to smoke pipes such as these, found in a faculty storage cabinet. New research changed public opinion in the 1980s and 90s, and Houston officially banned public smoking in 2007.

YMCA Night School ad | Printed in 1924, this advertisement for the YMCA’s night school courses targets the working gentleman, but enrollment was not exclusive of women; the first class included five.

Law school pamphlet | This 1940s course catalog features South Texas students entering the building donning suits and fedoras, the fashion of the day.

Commemorative gavel | Longtime adjunct professor and U.S. District Judge for the Southern District Norman Black received this gavel as a gift from students in his fall 1978 class.

Pink carnation | Worn in a shirt pocket or pinned to a lapel, this tiny pink carnation was Fred Parks’ signature fashion accessory. Today, members of the Fred Parks Society receive a metallic carnation pin as a nod to the late benefactor.

stcl.edu

55

Postcard from Mexico | Addie Lucille Heaton, executive assistant to Dean Garland Walker, received this postcard from students vacationing in Mexico during the summer of 1971.

1974 Yearbook | Yearbooks served as graduation mementos for STCL Houston students. The last yearbook was published in 2001.

56

South Texas College of Law Houston

Team spirit | Once upon a time, the law school had a football team that played in the YMCA’s city league. In this photo: the 1976-77 lineup.

Breaking ground | In its 95 years, the law school has gone from makeshift classrooms in a YMCA basement to four adjoining buildings occupying a city block in downtown Houston. This 1999 rendering shows the most recent addition, the Fred Parks Law Library, when it was just a thought.

stcl.edu

57

stacks

1

2

3

Stock your bookshelves for fall reading!

Complete our reader survey at

stcl.edu/readersurvey

by Oct. 15, 2018 for your chance to win all of the books in this feature.

4

58

South Texas College of Law Houston

5

Books can be powerful tools for gaining knowledge on new topics and developing compassion for varied experiences. This issue’s recommended reading from STCL Houston faculty and InRe staff members features dynamic characters and authors exploring complicated issues of family dynamics, race, justice, and boundaries.

Check out their personal reviews — in 150 words or less.

Maxine Goodman

Matthew Festa

1 Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. This novel tells the harrowing story of a 13-year-old African-American boy named Jojo, his 3-year-old sister, Kayla, and their mother, Leonie, as the three drive across Mississippi to visit the kids’ imprisoned stepfather, who is white. Jojo narrates much of the story, illustrating for the reader Leonie’s failings (including drug addiction), his struggles as a young boy trying to be a man, and his need to protect his baby sister from their environment. Both Jojo and Leonie hear and see ghosts throughout the story, and though they share this connection, they never talk about it. Like Ward’s previous book, “Salvage the Bones,” this book is a difficult but incredibly powerful read. Ward gave Tulane’s 2018 commencement address, during which she said this about racism today: “You probably can’t change people’s attitudes with sensitivity training, but I believe that if you let people experience those who don’t necessarily reflect their own circumstances, you can begin to build empathy.” For this reason, I cherish “Sing, Unburied, Sing.”

2 The Guardian of Every Other Right by James W. Ely Jr. This readable narrative definitively explains the history of property rights in America. Property, land use, and economic rights have played a central but underappreciated role in the development of American history, law, and society, with great relevance today. “The Guardian of Every Other Right” tells this story in a way that will captivate any interested reader and illuminate contemporary debates about property, the Constitution, and legal practice.

Professor of Law

Professor of Law

The author — eminent legal historian James Ely — was both my property professor and the advisor for my graduate thesis in legal history. This story is the intellectual foundation for my teaching and research today. I think this book will help any student, alumnus, lawyer, or citizen expand their appreciation for the role of property rights in American constitutional history.

Carlos Calderon

Clinical Teaching Fellow and Staff Attorney

3 We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates. “We Were Eight Years in Power” is an anthology of essays that coalesce around the themes of race, power, and history. The essays span the breadth of Coates’ professional career, beginning with

his seminal work, “The Case for Reparations,” and culminating with the necessarily critical, “My President Was Black.” Much as “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” traced the evolution of the human character, “Eight Years” gives the reader insight into the author’s growth as a person and as a writer.

I don’t feel that I possess an adequate vocabulary to describe the depth, richness, and insight that Coates presents to his reader.

Like all of his pieces, this one is a masterclass in critical analysis and poignant reflection, but perhaps my favorite quality of Coates’ work is his word use. Case in point, in the epilogue to Eight Years (The First White President), Coates writes, "But whereas his forebears carried whiteness like an ancestral talisman, Trump cracked the glowing amulet open, releasing its eldritch energies." If you're looking for a challenging and rewarding read, I highly recommend this book.

Just don't forget to brush off your dictionary first.

Njeri Mathis Rutledge Professor of Law

4 The Year of Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes. One of the best recommendations I have ever received from a student was the casual suggestion to read a book

by Shonda Rhimes. “The Year of Yes” is both fascinating and uplifting.

If you don’t already know, Shonda Rhimes is a real-life superwoman who serves as showrunner, head

writer, executive producer, role model, and mother. In this work, Rhimes essentially walks us through her yearlong journey of deciding to take risks and say yes instead of no.

I expected light reading that would give me a laugh and entertain me.

She used her creative voice combined with her own transparency to both inspire and entertain. In fact, it motivated me to take more risks of my own. It is a great read, and if you get the audiobook, you have the added benefit of hearing Shonda share her own stories.

Amanda Green

Managing Editor, InRe Magazine

5 Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. The plot of “Small Great Things,” like many books written

by Jodi Picoult, EDITOR’S explores the intersecchoice tion between legal and moral issues.

The story begins when a newborn’s parents demand that Ruth Jefferson, an African-American labor and delivery nurse, not touch their child based on their white supremacist beliefs. Later, Ruth is the only person in the nursery when the baby goes into cardiac arrest. Her hesitation to act leads to serious criminal charges and an unlikely friendship with her public defender.

Told from multiple points of view, this story challenges the reader’s beliefs on race, justice, identity, and ethics, developing a deep empathy and understanding for each of the book’s characters. The bottom line: nothing is truly black-and-white.

stcl.edu

59

Dean T. Gerald Treece

My Testimony: T. Gerald Treece In 1978, shortly after he joined the faculty, Associate Dean T. Gerald Treece participated in an interview for the STCL Houston student newspaper in which he laid out a clear vision for the law school’s advocacy program.

“South Texas College of Law has the potential to produce the best advocacy team in the country,” he said. his year, Treece celebrates his 40th anniversary as both a faculty member and director of the Advocacy Program at STCL Houston. Throughout his tenure, Treece has led the team to 130 championship titles. No other team in the nation has secured half as many wins. The Blakely Advocacy Institute, preLaw Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, and many others repeatedly praise the program’s merits. By all measurements, the STCL Houston advocacy team is inarguably the best advocacy team in the country.

In this edition of My Testimony, Treece shares some reflections about what makes the program unique and the lessons he hopes advocates have taken away from it.

T

On what makes the Advocacy program successful There is, and always has been, a different spirit at South Texas. Our students are

On the lessons he hopes to impart The courtroom is the great leveler. When

you enter that arena, nobody cares about your LSAT scores. Do you have a story to tell, and can you protect your client? That’s all that matters.

If your argument has seven good points, it might as well have none. To be

effective, it should be simple. Go back to the table and narrow it down to three.

The worst advocacy is yelling and screaming. You cannot replace logic with

shouting. It never works when you are trying to convince 12 good people, tried and true, of your position.

Great trial lawyers are storytellers.

They know the law and they can successfully weave it into a relatable story.

Integrity is more important than anything else. You might get away with misrep-

resenting facts once, but it will always come back to you. There are a lot of ways to lose a case. Dishonesty shouldn’t be one of them.

willing to work extra hard and to treat advocacy as more than a passive hobby. They do whatever it takes to perform their best.

On 40 years of teaching and coaching

Since the very first winning team, each group of students has shepherded the next group.

We couldn’t do what we do without our alumni coaches sharing what they’ve learned.

has brought honor to the school and helped so many students discover the capabilities that were always there. That gives me great enjoyment.

I may never retire. I hope I get to do this job for another 30 years. Twain once wrote, “find a person who loves his job, and he’ll never work a day in his life.”

I’m fortunate to have found that at a young age. It’s a real blessing.

Our advocates continue to reach back.

Shaun Devine and Hayley Miller and Rob Galloway. And every alumnus who

has ever come back to coach or judge a competition. They keep the ship moving.

Above all, it’s a family. When you have a responsibility to your teammates, it becomes less about you and more about representing your school well. It takes the ego out of it.

60

South Texas College of Law Houston

I could not have imagined all that we’ve achieved. I am so grateful this program

MY TESTIMONY

In this InRe feature, we share firsthand stories, opinions, and accounts from your professors and fellow alumni.

Want to share something notable you’ve done recently? A tale of your first time in the courtroom? Some insight you’ve gained since graduation? Email us at news@stcl.edu with the subject line: “My Testimony.”

stcl.edu

61

chambers Trophy wall | Championship plaques cover nearly every inch of the walls in Associate Dean T. Gerald Treece’s office. Each commemorates a mock trial, moot court, or brief writing win throughout Treece’s 40 years coaching and leading the law school’s Advocacy Program.

62

South Texas College of Law Houston

stcl.edu

63

South Texas College of Law Houston

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

1303 San Jacinto Street

PAID

Houston, Texas 77002

PERMIT NO. 8451 HOUSTON, TX

2018

October 19-20, 2018 my.stcl.edu/alumniweekend