4 minute read
Unity in Diversity
UNIFIED IN OUR DIVERSITY
$3 million gift establishes The Benny Agosto, Jr. Diversity Center at STCL Houston
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n fall 2021, Nichole and Benny Agosto, Jr. ’95 made a $3 million gift to South Texas College of Law Houston to establish a diversity center — one of the largest gifts for this purpose ever made to a law school and the largest single gift the Agostos have made to any nonprofit.
The gift supports STCL Houston’s efforts to become the most intentionally and successfully diverse law school in the country.
“The Agostos understand the importance of diversity to the legal profession,” said President and Dean Michael F. Barry. “They care deeply about helping more diverse students enter the field of law and succeed in their professional lives.”
As a response to the generous gift, South Texas is naming the center The Benny Agosto, Jr. Diversity Center. It will place South Texas at the forefront of the conversation on diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession and allow STCL Houston to invest in the students who will provide legal services in the most diverse city in the nation.
The funding will create a new location to house The Benny Agosto, Jr. Diversity Center and permit the hiring of a program director. Agosto’s gift also will support diversity scholarships and the development of relevant diversity programming aimed at the
legal profession. In addition, the law school will be able to expand I the STCL Houston Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy. Knowing the hurdles that can exist for individuals from diverse backgrounds, Agosto has spent his career helping others succeed in the legal profession. He is managing partner of Abraham Watkins Nichols Agosto Aziz and Stogner in Houston, the longest-standing plaintiffs’ personal injury law firm in Texas. When he was hired there 26 years ago, he was the first Hispanic attorney. Since that time, he has worked hard to help the firm become much more diverse. “The legal field is sorely lacking minorities, and I have been proactive in my career to try to change that, starting in the law firm where I work,” Agosto said. “I also advocate for the fair treatment of Hispanics in the justice system.” Born in New York City and raised in Puerto Rico, Agosto said his parents’ emphasis on hard work, determination and education laid the foundation for his ongoing efforts. “Both my parents had a sixth-grade education,” Agosto said. “Every day, they would tell my four siblings and me to get an education. My father often said no one can ever take that away from you. My parents knew the struggles of being a migrant family without a formal education.”
Benny Agosto, Jr. ’95 has played a key role in expanding the diversity of his firm, Abraham Watkins Nichols Agosto Aziz and Stogner, and the legal profession.
Agosto took his parents’ admonitions to heart. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Houston Baptist University, attending on a soccer scholarship, then began graduate school in microbiology at the University of Houston, thinking he would become a teacher and a soccer coach.
When the HBU soccer program where he was coaching was discontinued, he decided his next step was law school. He chose South Texas College of Law Houston, and he has never looked back. During law school, Agosto competed in intramural mock trials, served in a clinic that allowed him to successfully present a social security benefits case before a judge, and published an article in two external journals prior to graduating.
His sons have followed in his footsteps, with both graduating from STCL Houston. Agosto said he knows not every student has the advantages his sons have had, which he believes makes the diversity center even more important.
Professor of Law Shelby Moore, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, expects the new STCL Houston center funded by the Agostos to impact future students significantly.
“We are the guardians of justice, so we need to be the standardbearers for diversity, equity and inclusion,” Moore said. “This generous gift will continue to advance our mission in this direction.”
Of course, making a difference in the broader community is the ultimate goal, Agosto said.
“If we don’t do anything differently, 30 years from now, the legal profession will look the same as it does today,” he said. “I am personally working to change things, and I believe South Texas College of Law Houston is playing a key role in this transformation. It is one of the most diverse law schools in the nation, and I value the school’s mission and emphasis on ensuring all students have access to an exceptional legal education.”
Agosto has been admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Texas and is board-certified in personal injury trial law. A current member of the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas and the past president of the Houston Bar Association, he founded the MABATx Scholarship Foundation and co-founded the HNBA Legal Education Fund, both of which benefit Hispanic law students.
He also has been honored by the Texas Minority Council Program as the Trailblazer Outside Counsel of the Year and was appointed by the ABA president to serve as a member of the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession.
Agosto wants to ensure the Agosto Diversity Center brings together people from all backgrounds and all types of diversity.
“We can learn so much from each other,” he said. “I want to focus on what unites us. The country needs this; we all need this. If we can focus on what unites us, we can deal with our differences. This will make us all better. This will make the world better.”
