Message from the President and Dean

Diana Davila, Eddie Michel, VP and Professor Shelby Moore, Dean Barry and Eric Williams II snap a selfie on the terrace during a Houston Chronicle photoshoot.

When I think of South Texas College of Law Houston, the word that always comes to mind is “community.”

Community has been defined as “a group of people

having a particular characteristic in common” and “a feeling of fellowship with others as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals.”

At South Texas, our community shares a common mission: to provide a diverse body of students with the opportunity to obtain an exceptional legal education, preparing graduates to serve their community and the profession with distinction.

Our internal sense of community — our common bond — drives us to serve and lead in the greater community, finding ways to give back, to lift others up and to shine a spotlight on injustice wherever we find it. This feeling of connection and desire to give back continues beyond the campus through our 15,000-plusstrong alumni base across the state and around the world.

We are proud of the many ways our exceptional graduates enhance the communities in which they live and work.

This issue of InRe highlights alumni who successfully teamed up to right a legal injustice. It features alumni who are using their advocacy skills to fight for health rights, who are giving their all to public service, and who are using technology in innovative ways to ensure clients have access to legal services.

The cover photo illustrates the teamwork behind the effective argument Rick Morris ’91 made to the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court in November. The feature story about Nichole and alumnus Benny Agosto, Jr. ’95 highlights the impact Benny has made in fostering more diversity in the legal community.

From current students who helped resettle refugees and prevent illegal evictions to faculty who build and lead national championship teams, the South Texas community is quietly and positively changing the world. As we near our centennial — next year! — in 2023, we will keep shining a light on the tremendous impact of our strong, connected South Texas community.

I hope you will stay involved with South Texas. You are a welcome and important part of our community, and I am honored to serve as your dean.

Stay safe, and all the best,

Michael F. Barry President and Dean