57 minute read
Dedication to Community
Alumna Courtney Carlson makes positive difference as a public-service attorney
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eginning in second grade, Courtney Carlson ’08 dreamed of becoming a lawyer because she believed they helped people.
Today, she is living that dream as an assistant county attorney in the Harris County Attorney’s office.
Carlson became interested in transitioning to public-service law after Christian Menefee was elected as a new Harris County attorney in November 2020. “I was impressed by his ideas, energy and areas of focus,” Carlson said. “I was blown away by his approach to altering the county attorney’s office to be more impactful for the community.”
Carlson believes her career has been built on the strong foundation she built while attending law school. “I was fortunate to gain valuable experience and build wonderful relationships through moot court,” she said. “Because of that program, as well as the great teaching by my professors, I felt confident when I started practicing. I also knew I still had a lot to learn.”
When Carlson graduated from STCL Houston, she clerked Texas Supreme Court Juative David Medina ’89. She witnessed the Texas Supreme Court justices in conference, analyzed incoming cases, helped prepare and sat in on oral arguments, and assisted in research.
After her clerkship, Carlson gained appellate experience at a boutique firm, then successfully practiced litigation at Jackson Walker for more than a decade. Over the years, Carlson realized her judicial clerkship had made a lasting impression, and that type of work greatly appealed to her.
At the Harris County Attorney’s office, Carlson works in the affirmative legislation division, assisting with consumer protection, nuisance, fraud claims, contractual claims, and environmental regulatory enforcement. She advocates for the safety and wellbeing of Harris County residents through initiatives and litigation, including amicus briefs.
Part of what keeps Carlson excited about her role is working with a dedicated group of attorneys.
“The leaders in the county attorney’s office, and my fellow team members, are inspiring,” Carlson said. “We come from different experiences and backgrounds, but we all want to make a difference in the community.”
Carlson is excited to tackle the challenges she will inevitably face as an advocate for the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous county in the United States.
“I want to continue to give back to the city that has given me so much,” Carlson said. “Part of my work is to develop new partnerships between our office and the legal community. Because of South Texas and key mentors along the way, I have the skills to make positive changes. I know my colleagues and I can do so through dedicated advocacy.”
Bringing alumni and friends back together in 2021 brought joyful reunions of former classmates and reingnited passion for South Texas and its beloved professors.
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“thanks coach”
1. Sue Treece 2. Trent Cooper ’21, Meredith Clark ’19,
Ryan Cunningham ’17, Ximena Kuri ’17 3. Dave Louie ’10, Andrew Pearce ’07,
Tony Taft ’98 4. J. Ken Johnson II ’86 & Dale Jefferson ’86 5. Rob Galloway ’91, Kaylan Dunn ’10,
Jill Young ’96
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lobster dinner
6. Kathy Kronzer, Wally Kronzer III ’87,
Sari Kronzer ’07, Chris Kronzer ’07,
Corey Kronzer ’15 7 . Dean Barry, Sue Treece, Mary-Olga Lovett ’93 8. Hunter Barrow ’99, Kara Barrow ’99,
Tammy Kidd ’99, Twila Grooms ’99,
Don Kidd ’91 9. Brant Stogner ’06, Jennifer Stogner ’06,
Jennifer Bickley ’06, Ryan Haun ’06 10. Dominique Hinson ’14, Christian Dewhurst ’13,
Zaid Husain ’14, Nida Usmani 11. Genora Boykins ’85, Chris Hanslik ’95
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alumni luncheon
12. Dean Michael F. Barry, Catina Perry ’06,
Derek Pershing ’13, Hon. Kyle Carter ’00,
Aaron Reimer ’07 13. Mitchell Katine ’85, Stephany Alvarez ’17 14. Samantha Frazier ’11, Tony Taft ’98,
Vanessa Winton ’14 15. Tonya Rolland ’06, Aaron Reimer ’07,
Eric D‘Olive ’11, Christine Herron ’10,
Paul Wyatt ’13 16. Misty Hataway-Cone ’01, Chris Tritico ’88,
Hon. Donna Roth ’87, Judith Snively ’86,
Prof. Pamela George
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gala 2021
17. Alice Lee, Mark Lee, Hon. Robert Eckels ’93,
Hon. Theresa Chang ’96, Dr. Peter Chang,
Elaine Zhang 18. Benny Agosto, Jr. ’95, Nikki Agosto, Jessica
Wahlquist and Jessica Rodriguez-Wahlquist ’17 19. John Warren ’93, Mary-Olga Lovett ’93,
Karen Garcia, Roland Garcia ’86, Dax Faubus ’98,
Steven Higgenbotham ’21 20. Nick Lanza ’89, Hon. E.J. Salcines Jr. ’63,
Pamela Medina, Hon. David Medina ’89 21. Regina Bynote Jones ’98, Kevin Jones 22. Randy Sorrels ’87, Alex Farias-Sorrels
IN BRIEF
Virtual Coffee with the Deanevents
South Texas alumni from nine cities or regions were invited to enjoy “coffee with the dean” during online chats with President and Dean Michael F. Barry and popular professors. Often the events were hosted by local-area alumni. The locations were Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, East Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth, the Gulf Coast, the Golden Triangle and Tampa, Fla. These gatherings helped the South Texas community stay connected during the pandemic and allowed alumni to keep up with the latest happenings at the law school.
J. Ken Johnson ’86, board chair from 2014-21, passes the mace to Genora K. Boykins ’85 in a leadership-transfer tradition.
STCL Houston Board of Directors welcomes new chair, members; thanks immediate past chair
In December 2021, alumna Genora K. Boykins ’85 took the helm as chair of the STCL Houston board of directors, becoming the first woman and first Black individual to serve in that role for the law school.
Boykins has served on the board since March 2012. She previously served as regional assistant general counsel of NRG Energy, Inc. and Reliant Energy for 31 years. She now co-owns La Maison in Midtown.
Immediate Past Chair J. Ken Johnson ’86, Of Counsel at Martin | Walton LLP, was recognized at the meeting for his seven years of distinguished service as chair and 20 years of board service. He will continue on the board.
Earlier in 2021, five new members joined the board of directors: Michael E. Cokinos and STCL Houston alumni Aparna Dave ’02, Ephraim del Pozo ’97, Mary-Olga Lovett ’93 and Aaron M. Reimer ’07 (one term while Alumni Association board president), each of whom bring a wealth of business and legal experience to their roles.
LOVETT CARTER PERSHING
STCL Houston was proud to honor three exceptional graduates Sept. 28 at the 2021 Alumni Association Annual Luncheon. Recognized were Mary-Olga Lovett ’93, senior vice president of Greenberg Traurig LLP and a South Texas board member, Distinguished Alumni Award; the Honorable Kyle Carter ’00, judge of the 125th District Court in Harris County, Public Service Award; and Derek Pershing ’13, shareholder at Wilson Cribbs + Goren and STCL Houston adjunct professor, Young Alumni Award.
Competition rankings, wins and advocacy bragging rights
The ABA Law Student Division ranked South Texas No. 6 in the nation on its 2021 Competition Champions list. Under the leadership of Professor of Law Rob Galloway, vice president for advocacy and W. James Kronzer Jr. Distinguished Professor of Advocacy, STCL Houston students won three national advocacy championships in the first three months of 2021, bringing the law school’s total to 136. STCL Houston extended its dominance in advocacy competition, having earned more than twice as many national championships as any other law school in the country.
STCL Houston is one of only three U.S. law schools consistently ranked in the Top 10 for trial advocacy by U.S. News & World Report.
IN BRIEF
E.J. Salcines receives prestigious Dean’s Medal at The Gala 2021
Two standing ovations from a crowd of 400-plus marked the emotional climax of The Gala 2021 as Emiliano Jose “E.J.” Salcines ’63 received the Dean’s Medal from President and Dean Michael F. Barry. Salcine’s many contributions to South Texas includes creating a pipeline of approximately 500 students from Florida, as well as mentoring many young lawyers and serving on the STCL Houston Board of Directors with distinction for 14 years.
In May, with the pandemic a significant factor, South Texas innovatively offered multiple Commencement ceremonies to allow much smaller groups to gather and social distance during the special events. In December, a traditional Hooding Ceremony was hosted on campus for December 2021 graduates.
STCL Houston’s Student Bar Association continued the decade-long tradition of serving as the largest academic contributor — continued on next page
President and Dean Michael F. Barry, and Gala co-chairs Jill Willard Young ’96 and Chris Hanslik ’95
THANK YOU TO OUR GALA 2021 SUPPORTERS
STCL Houston’s annual fundraiser, The Gala, drew more than 400 guests to The Revaire in October, raising more than $275,000 for student scholarships. Chris Hanslik ’95 and Jill Willard Young ’96 co-chaired the successful event that featured a wine pull, a “paddles up” auction, and touching accounts from two grateful scholarship recipients. The Gala was the culmination of the law school’s Reunion Week, which celebrated faculty, alumni and the school’s nationally ranked advocacy program, with a total of nine events over the course of the seven days.
RECEPTION SPONSOR BOYAR MILLER
PLATINUM SPONSORS RICHARD ANDERSON, JR. ’82 LAURENT A. BAILLARGEON ’74 DEBBIE BECK ’92 AND ANNIE BECK ’11 RICHARD ANDERSON, JR. ’82 LAURENT A. BAILLARGEON ’74 DEBBIE BECK ’92 AND ANNIE BECK ’11 CHRIS HANSLIK ’95 AND JILL WILLARD YOUNG ’96 KATINE NECHMAN MCLAURIN LLP
GOLD SPONSORS
ABRAHAM, WATKINS, NICHOLS, AGOSTO, AZIZ, & STOGNER BAKERHOSTETLER HON. TERESA W. CHANG ’96 AND DR. PETER CHANG COKINOS ENERGY CORPORATION APARNA M. DAVE ’02 FROST BROWN TODD LLC GRAY REED GREENBERG TRAURIG, LLP HAUN MENA PLLC HAYNES BOONE MICHAEL S. HAYS ’74 HOWRY, BREEN & HERMAN, LLP HUSCH BLACKWELL JENKINS & KAMIN, LLP BARBARA J. JORDAN AND DON D. JORDAN ’69 SALLY J. LANGSTON ’91 THE LANIER LAW FIRM, PC LAW OFFICE OF JOSE R. LOPEZ II, PC MARTIN|WALTON, HON. D’LISA SIMMONS/J. KEN JOHNSON QUAN LAW GROUP PLLC SORRELS LAW VINSON & ELKINS LLP
SILVER SPONSORS THE ALFRED FIRM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS BAKER HUGHES GENORA K. BOYKINS ’85 JUDGE KYLE CARTER ’00 FOLEY & LARDNER, LLP PROFESSOR ROBERT GALLOWAY ’91 BRADFORD J. GILDE ’04 MICHAEL K. HURST ’90 STEVEN J. KHERKHER ’89 HON. DEBRA IBARRA MAYFIELD ’99 BENJAMIN ’06 AND REBECCA MILLER DISTRICT ATTORNEY KIM OGG ’85 NAIMEH SALEM & ASSOCIATES HON. E.J. SALCINES ’63 AND ELSA SALCINES THE TAFT LAW FIRM, PC TINDALL ENGLAND PC HON. LESLIE & TERRY W. YATES
IN BRIEF
Tam “Tom” Pham (second from left) joins fellow veterans to help resettle Afghan refugees in the U.S.
Recent STCL Houston grad, Army veteran helped resettle Afghan refugees
Tam “Tom” Pham, 11-year U.S. Army veteran and December 2021 STCL Houston graduate, loved serving his country in the Middle East for multiple tours from 2005-16, but he always felt his service wasn’t complete. When the Travis Manion Foundation called for veterans who had served in the Middle East to help resettle Afghan refugees into the U.S., Pham jumped at the chance. “Everyone encouraged me to go – my wife, my professors and the judges I work for. My wife said, ‘Go; this is important, and you need this.’ ”
So in the midst of his final two classes, Pham — the son of refugees himself — flew to New Mexico and was driven to a huge “city” of air-conditioned tents housing Afghan men, women and children. For two weeks, Pham teamed up with seven other veterans to load a truck full of items like clothes, water, personal-care products, toys for the children. Every day, 12 hours a day, they would personally deliver supplies to as many as 500 families.
“We helped more than 10,000 people in just two weeks,” Pham said. “It meant so much to the families, but it meant as much to me. I felt a sense of closure, and I got to serve. That’s what I want to do for the rest of my life — find a way to serve.”
2L Javon Cole, SBA vice president
— continued from previous page to the ABC13’s Share Your Holidays 2021 food drive, benefiting the Houston Food Bank.
When the drive officially ended Dec. 4, the STCL Houston community had raised $21,024 from 387 contributors and donated more than 225 pounds of food.
Because $1 provides three meals, the South Texas community helped provide more than 63,000 meals to people in need this holiday season.
“The goal was to help feed the hungry, and that’s exactly what we did!” said 2L Javon Cole, SBA vice president. “I am proud to be a student at South Texas.”
Four clinical studies faculty receive tenure, promotions
Debra Berman, director of the Frank Evans Center for Conflict Resolution, is passionate about helping students develop their legal skills through experiential opportunities. In 2020, Berman received an AALS Teacher of the Year award for her contributions as a professor of clinical studies at STCL Houston. Recently, her excellence in teaching and success as director of the nationally recognized alternative dispute resolution program culminated in a grant of tenure and promotion to full professor of law. Under her leadership, South Texas students have earned 21 first-place finishes at national and international ADR competitions.
In 2021, STCL professor Robert L. “Rob” Galloway ’91 was named vice president, advocacy, honored as the W. James Kronzer Jr. Distinguished Professor of Advocacy, and granted tenure and promotion to professor of law. Galloway was honored for his outstanding service
BERMAN
IN BRIEF
with an STCL faculty excellence award for 2020-21. Throughout his career, he has led advocacy competition teams to countless victories, keeping South Texas consistently GALLOWAY ranked among the nation’s best by all those who rank advocacy programs.
Elizabeth A. Dennis has served and led at STCL Houston for 35 years. She received tenure and promotion to professor of law in 2021. She has taught courses including Comparative Refugee and Asylum Law, International Criminal Law, and Law Office Management. Dennis also provides outstanding service as director of academic internships, domestic and international, and the DENNIS Animal Law Clinic. She is faculty advisor to the South Texas Law Review, Currents: Journal of International Economic Law and Construction Law Journal. Professor Betty Luke ’92 received tenure and promotion to professor of law in 2021. For many years, she has focused on legal skills courses. At STCL Houston, she merged her interests in teaching and community service, becoming the second LUKE managing attorney and leading the integration of several discrete clinics into what became the law school’s unified civil legal clinics.
She currently teaches Family Law Advanced Clinic, Estate Planning Clinic, and Client Interviewing and Counseling.
Luke performs pro bono legal services as a licensed practicing attorney and has gifted her time and talent far in excess of the State Bar recommended 50 hours per year.
Texas Access to Justice Commission honors student for service
Kathryn “Kate” G. Tavakoli, a December 2021 STCL graduate, received a special student commendation for her “outstanding contributions to the provision of legal services to the poor” from the Texas Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission. She was nominated for the 2021 ATJ Law Student Pro Bono Award by Eric Kwartler, public interest attorney with the Landlord-Tenant Clinic.
Tavakoli poured her time, knowledge and passion for helping others into ensuring underserved Houston-area residents were able to stay in their homes.
TAVAKOLI
Clinic prevents evictions, faculty and students serve community
In 2021, the Landlord-Tenant Clinic helped approximately 1,200 families fight illegal evictions. Through more than 20 Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics, students and licensed attorneys continue to provide roughly 35,000 hours of pro bono legal services annually to underserved Houston residents, valued at $1.8 million. They assist veterans, fight human trafficking, help immigrants and more.
New full-time South Texas faculty
In fall 2021, two scholars joined the fulltime South Texas faculty. Ryan H. Nelson is an assistant professor of law. Before coming to South Texas, he completed a research fellowship with the Harvard Law School Project on Disability and taught on the adjunct NELSON faculty at Boston University School of Law, New England Law | Boston, and New York Law School. His expertise includes employment law and discrimination. D’Andra Millsap Shu SHU is an assistant professor of law. Prior to joining the STCL Houston faculty as an assistant professor of law, Shu taught legal writing and served as the co-director of the Legal Writing program at Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. Her legal expertise includes legal research and writing, appellate litigation, and disability law.
Beloved Shaun Devine retires after three decades
When Shaun Devine ’93 walked on the South Texas campus as a first-year student in 1990, she couldn’t have known she’d be staying 32 years. Devine, who retired in January, recalled fondly how her efforts to organize a student event sparked an opportunity to work closely with the late Dean T. Gerald Treece for the next three decades as the South Texas advocacy program grew into one of the most dominant in the country.
“I was in the Student Bar Association, and one of my thoughts was to have a faculty debate luncheon for students,” Devine said. “Dean Treece was one of the featured participants, and that’s where I first got to know him. He was an exciting, fascinating person to deal with, and we started working together while I was still a student. I enjoyed helping him so much, and I just stayed.”
In January 1992, a few months before her graduation, Devine accepted a full-time position assisting Dean Treece with the development of the school’s advocacy program. Devine recalled the excitement of winning a prestigious national title shortly after joining the staff full-time.
“One of the highlights for me was our first win at the National Moot Court Competition in New York City,” she said. “We had been knocking on the door but weren’t able to kick it in until 1994. Several of us were in the office late, waiting for the results, when we got the good news. It was incredible.”
See Shaun’s online congratulatory book at stcl.edu/shaun.
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Levels of Incapacity
Judge Steve M. King, Tarrant Probate Court One
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South Texas faculty and staff are always learning, reading and listening. Their thought-provoking media recommendations for this winter include something for everyone, from powerful memoirs to legal podcasts, and even a lighthearted children’s book.
Meagan McNeil
Public Interest Attorney, Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics 1 Know My Name (2019) by Chanel Miller After her victim impact statement goes viral, Chanel Miller, formerly known only as Emily Doe, reclaims her identity and her power. After being sexually assaulted, Miller was reduced to a nameless victim by the media and criminal justice system. In “Know My Name,” Miller tells the story of her life before and after the assault. While the story is powerful in its own right, Miller’s writing is beautiful and elicits an array of emotions as she walks you through the trauma of both the assault and the legal system. While uncomfortable to read at times, this is a story of resilience. By sharing her story, Miller empowers victims, reclaims her identity, and even changes California law. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to feel inspired.
Monica Ortale
Associate Director for Public Services, Fred Parks Law Library
2 Forget The Alamo, The Rise and Fall of an American Myth
(2020) by Brian Burrough, Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford A well-written and highly entertaining interrogation of what truly went on in the early 1800s, Burrough, Tomlinson and Stanford pull together the factual events that led to the Battle of the Alamo. They examine the Texan side of issues but also present the viewpoint of the Tejanos and the Mexican government as they dealt with these early American settlers. Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, William Barret Travis and Sam Houston are discussed as men with varied backgrounds who made their way to Texas and into history for specific economic reasons — not for noble reasons of liberty and freedom as has often been the narrative.
Ryan H. Nelson
Assistant Professor of Law
3 Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive
the Bus! (2003) by Mo Willems
Got kids? Hate boring, predictable children’s books? Enjoy intransigent wildlife and/or alluring modes of public transportation? Then, boy howdy, do I have the book for you. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is the perfect children’s book for young readers, ages 2–6. It’s ideal for kids and grown-ups alike because it’s silly, unexpected and legitimately funny. It begins with a bus driver asking you, the reader, to watch his bus for him while he steps away for a bit. He only asks one thing — don’t let the pigeon drive the bus. The trouble is, this pigeon really, really wants to drive the bus. And it’ll say and do anything to get its way.
D’Andra Milsap Shu
Assistant Professor of Law
4 Make It Stick (2014) by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel In Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, the authors set out to teach the reader about learning and, in doing so, debunk some of the most cherished beliefs about how people best learn. Drawing on an impressive array of empirical studies, they explain how one of the most common learning methods — rereading source material and notes — is not nearly as effective as self-quizzing to force recall. Though the entire book is fascinating and packed with stories and supporting data, readers can get a lot of value from reading just the first two chapters. So before that next big oral argument or closing statement, when you need to retain a wealth of information but don’t want to rely on notes, check out this book for some techniques to help that information stick.
Crystal Washington
Public Interest Attorney, Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics 5 Levels of Incapacity (2005) by Judge Steve M. King, Tarrant County Probate Court One This 2015 article written by Tarrant County Probate Judge Steve M. King highlights the evolution of the term "incapacity" in the history of Texas law and lays out the different standards of capacity by which a person's mental state might be evaluated. The article also narrows in on the cognitive functioning one must be able to display in order to be considered capacitated for certain important life tasks. A nonexhaustive list of tasks mentioned in the article include executing a last will and testament, signing a contract, making a donation and hiring an attorney. The article also briefly touches on restorations and interesting issues such as the competency of a witness in trial. I highly recommend this article for anyone who plans to practice in elder law, specifically guardianships.
Cara Shaffer
Legal Writing Specialist
6 National Security Law
Podcast hosted by Bobby Chesney and Steve Vladeck This year, I’ve enjoyed listening to The National Security Law Podcast hosted by two law professors from The University of Texas, Bobby Chesney and Steve Vladeck. Professors Chesney and Vladeck are insanely well-versed in all sorts of legal issues — and their differing political views make for some fascinating and fun (but always good-natured) debates. Listen at nationalsecuritylawpodcast.com.
CLASS NOTES
1970-1979
Judge Damon J. Faldowski
’76, a mediator/ arbitrator with Noblemediation LLC, will begin a three-year term on the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Board of Governors at the conclusion of the association’s May 21 House of Delegates meeting. One of 12 zone governors who serve on the PBA Board, Faldowski will represent Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland county lawyers.
William Torrey
’76 has been re-elected to his third term as Milam County District Attorney in Cameron, Texas.
1980-1989
Judge Robert G. Fegers ’83
earned an honorable mention award in the General Nonfiction category and in the Biographies category in the 2021 Los Angeles Book Festival for his debut book “Grant Justice: The Untold Story of the Finest Attorney of a Generation.” The biography chronicles the life of Los Angeles attorney Grant B. Cooper from his days as a high school dropout to when he defended Sirhan Sirhan, the man who murdered presidential candidate Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. Cooper is noted for delivering the finest closing argument in modern times during one of the most significant trials in the history of the United States. Roland Garcia ’86 was renamed a Super Lawyer in Texas by independent research and peer review this past year. He was also lead counsel in a complex jury trial that was selected for inclusion in the Texas Lawyer’s Hall of Fame as one of the highest-grossing verdicts in Texas from 2014 to 2018. The jury verdict and $15.7 million judgment also was named a Top 20 Verdict in 2018 by Texas Monthly Magazine, and the number two verdict for all contract cases. The two-week jury trial included 19 witnesses, 10 experts, thousands of exhibits, and millions of documents.
Steven Laird
’80 has been named the recipient of the 2021 Blackstone Award, the Tarrant County Bar Association’s most prestigious honor. The Blackstone Award is presented annually during the TCBA’s Law Day Celebration to an attorney whose career embodies ethical ideals, courage, and service to the legal profession. The award is named after British jurist and judge Sir William Blackstone. His "Commentaries on the Laws of England" is considered the foundation of legal education in England and North America.
Judge Robert Schaffer ’85
has been named to the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee to assist in developing rules and procedures for Texas Courts.
Randall Sorrels
’87, Partner at Sorrels Law has been named to the Top 100: Texas Super Lawyers list, the Top 100: Houston Super Lawyers list, and the Texas Super Lawyers list for 2020. This marks his 18th year to be recognized on the Texas Super Lawyers list, his 15th year on the Top 100: Houston Super Lawyers list, and his 14th year on the Top 100: Texas Super Lawyers list. Following the selection process that considers nominations, independent research based on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement, and peer evaluation by practice area, only the top 5% of attorneys practicing in Texas are selected to the annual Super Lawyers list.
Fred Wahrlich
’81 has been named to the 2020 Texas Super Lawyers list. Super Lawyers is a rating service of notable lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who achieved a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
1990-1999
Andrew Bevan ’96 is running for the U.S. House of Representatives, District 17 of Florida, for 2022.
Joseph Gutheinz ’96
was extensively quoted in a March 2021 National Geographic story about his 1997 investigation of both the Russian Space Program and the Russian Mir Space Station fire and collision. Gutheinz conducted these investigations as a senior special agent with NASA OIG, in part when studying for and taking the bar exam. The name of this March 22, 2021, story is “Remembering near-death dramas on a Russian space station” by Bill Newcott.
Michael K. Hurst ’90 has been named Lawyer of the Year in commercial litigation for Dallas by Best Lawyers, Top 100 Lawyers in Texas for the 11th time by Texas Monthly and Law & Politics magazines, Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, and One of the Best Lawyers in America by U.S. News & World Report. Hurst has consistently been recognized as one of the top trial lawyers in the country for large and high-stakes commercial and intellectual property litigation and has won many high-profile verdicts. Hurst has also been named as a member of The International Society of Barristers.
Stephen J. Hyland ’96
has returned to practice in Texas, joining the Werner Law Group in Victoria, Texas, after taking early retirement in 2012. His legal practice focuses on estate planning, probate, trusts and estates, family law, elder law, and LGBT law. In addition, he will be establishing an elder law practice and farm and ranch law practice for the firm. Hyland joins the firm with a diverse legal background having practiced estate planning, elder law, and LGBT family law at several New Jersey firms and as a solo practitioner there. He also served as legislative liaison for the NJ State Bar Association, for which he was honored with the 2007 Distinguished Legislative Services Award by the NJSBA Board of Trustees. In 2004-05, he authored "New Jersey Domestic Partners: A Legal Guide (Rutgers University Press). Stephen continued legal studies following graduation from STCL Houston, earning a 2009 Estate Planning Certificate from Temple University School of Law: Graduate Tax Program, and studied estate planning at Cornell Law School.
CLASS NOTES
As a co-founder of the Gay and Lesbian Law Students group at South Texas College of Law Houston, he continues to be an active advocate for LGBT civil rights as a member of the National LGBT Law Association.
Michael Lyons ’99, co-founder of the trial firm Lyons & Simmons, LLP, has earned recognition among the Top 100 attorneys in Dallas-Fort Worth in the 2020 edition of Texas Super Lawyers. Lyons earned additional recognition among the state’s leading plaintiffs lawyers for general personal injury litigation. Selection is based on a statewide survey of lawyers and extensive review by the editorial staff of Super Lawyers. The honor comes on the heels of Lyons & Simmons’ recognition as the top personal injury law firm in Dallas by the readers of Texas Lawyer magazine.
Reid WM. Martin ’91 of Martin Walker PC has earned recognition in the 11th edition of Best Law Firms for the firm’s work in medical malpractice litigation. Selection among the 2021 edition of U.S. Nwews’ Best Lawyers, Best Law Firms rankings are based on evaluations and direct feedback from clients and peers, and only given to those firms with at least one attorney listed among the Best Lawyers in America. Reid was recognized in the guide’s 2021 edition for his successful work on behalf of plaintiffs in medical malpractice matters.
Bridgett
Matthes ’99 was honored by AIG Life & Retirement, a division of American International Group, Inc., with the AIG Life & Retirement Community Spirit Award, along with a $7,500 grant for Child Advocates, Inc., in honor of her significant volunteer dedication. A 20-year volunteer, Matthes has served as an advocate on four cases, each of which lasted two years or longer.
Tiffanie McDonald ’97
was promoted to vice president of inclusion and diversity at Cox Enterprises. Since joining Cox in 2019, McDonald has helped the company set actionable inclusion, diversity and equiyt (ID&E) goals, including improving people of color executive representation by 50% over the next five years, expanding inclusion capability through education and training, and establishing an ID&E policy for Cox employees.
T. Jason Smith
’98 has joined Elevate Services as managing director in the firm’s Houston office.
John F. (Jack) Walker, III ’92
of Martin Walker PC has earned recognition in the 11th edition of Best Law Firms for its work in medical malpractice litigation. Selection among the 2021 edition of U.S. News’ Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms rankings is based on evaluations and direct feedback from clients and peers, and only given to those firms with at least one attorney listed among the Best Lawyers in America. Walker was recognized in the guide’s 2021 edition for their successful work on behalf of plaintiffs in medical malpractice matters.
2000-2009
James Alpert ’04 is a shareholder in Posz Law Group, PLC, a small patent preparation and prosecution firm in the Washington, D.C. suburbs. The firm was recently recognized by patentbots.com, a well-known patent statistics enterprise, as being one of the top firms nationally for patent quality.
Thad H. Armstrong ’02
was selected for inclusion in the 2020 Super Lawyers list. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area.
Matthew D. Cavenaugh ’07
was selected for inclusion in the 2020 Super Lawyers list. No more than 5% of the lawyers in Texas are selected by Super Lawyers.
Eddy L. De Los Santos ’03
joins Munsch Hard Kopft & Harr, P.C. as a shareholder. De Los Santos practices a wide variety of commercial litigation, including health care, construction, toxic tort, product liability, personal injury, transportation, maritime, real estate, commercial collections, subrogation, and general business law in both federal and state courts.
Luka Erceg ’02 was certified as an Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor (CIRA) by The Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors (AIRA). Erceg is the Managing Director of Erceg Partners in San Diego, California. The firm focuses on turnarounds and restructurings of investment funds for investment managers, institutional investors, and asset managers when faced with “zombie” fund issues. To receive this coveted certification, Erceg successfully completed an in-depth financial insolvency and restructuring examination which covered all aspects of bankruptcy cases, reorganization plan development, insolvency accounting, financial reporting, and related tax issues.
Christopher ’Bryan’ Fears
’03, co-founder of Fears Nachawati Law Firm, has been recognized as an agent of change by Texas Lawyer magazine in its 2020 listing of Texas Trailblazers. Fears was selected for his leadership in transforming the North Texas law firm, co-founded in 2006, into one of the top products liability plaintiffs firms in the nation. The firm remains focused on high-stakes litigation that includes representation of state and public entities on a contingency basis, pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, business-interruption insurance disputes, in addition to catastrophic injury and death litigation.
Juan C. Garcia
’04 has been named officer and vice president of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Joel R. Glover ’05 was selected for inclusion in the 2020 Rising Stars list. Each year, no more than 2.5% of Texas lawyers are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to be named to the Rising Stars list.
CLASS NOTES
Rachel Palmer Hooper ’02
became partner at BakerHostetler in January 2021. She is a trial lawyer who concentrates her practice on civil and litigation with broad experience in various industries and an emphasis on multifaceted investigations, criminal issues, and state and federal constitutional and statutory questions. Hooper also served as a Harris County assistant district attorney and was previously an associate at the firm. She is a member of the Litigation Practice Group.
Jared Howenstine ’09
has been promoted to partner at Cantor Colburn LLP, the number four patent law firm in the country. He focuses his practice on patent prosecution, counseling, licensing and patent infringement litigation, representing companies from a broad range of industries, with clients of all sizes, from solo inventors to start-up companies to Fortune 100 companies.
Lewis S. Kasner
’05 was selected for inclusion in the 2020 Super Lawyers list. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. No more than 5% of the lawyers in Texas are selected by Super Lawyers.
Marianne G. Robak ’04
was promoted to partner at McCathern, PLLC in July 2021. Marianne’s practice focuses on business disputes, oil and gas law, real estate, and fraudulent transfer litigation.
Brant Stogner
’06 partner at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, has been named to the Top 100: Texas Super Lawyers list, the Top 100: Houston Super Lawyers list, and the Texas Super Lawyers list for 2020. This marks his eighth consecutive year to be recognized on the Texas Super Lawyers list and his second consecutive year to be recognized on both Top 100 lists. Following the selection process that considers nominations, independent research based on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement, and peer evaluation by practice area, only the top 5% of attorneys practicing in Texas are selected to the annual Super Lawyers list. Attorneys who earn the most points during the patented multiphase selection process are recognized on the Top 100 lists.
Matthew Talley
’08 has been promoted to shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. Matthew is a member of the Firm’s Construction and Litigation practices. His construction practice focuses on providing advice to clients throughout the various phases of construction projects, and routinely drafts and negotiates complex construction contracts and professional service agreements. Talley also represents owners, general contractors, design professionals, and subcontractors in complex litigation and disputes. In addition to his construction practice, he assists corporate policyholders in the evaluation of insurance coverage issues for both first-party and third-party insurance and reviews and drafts risk management-related provisions in commercial agreements.
Glenn P. Valentine ’07 was recently named to the 2021 Texas Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers. Super Lawyers recognizes up-andcoming attorneys in each state who are under the age of 40 or have practiced law for 10 years or less. Of those nominated, only 2.5% of all lawyers per state are named on the Rising Stars list.
Lauren E. Waddell ’02
founded the firm Waddell Law Firm, P.C. in Houston, which focuses solely on family law issues. The firm was recognized as a Best Law Firm for 2020 by U.S. News’ Best Lawyers, and Waddell was also named a Best Lawyer in America by Best Lawyers for the fifth consecutive year. Waddell is also a contributing editor to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers’ Financial Issues in Divorce, A Client Handbook, published in 2020, and is a past president of both the HBA Family Law Section and Association of Women Attorneys. She was a panelist for the HBA Gender Fairness Committee on "Business Development for Women: How to Overcome Obstacles and Thrive" and the Nerdy Girl Success nonprofit’s "Breaking Barriers — Career and Leadership Summit for High School Girls."
2010-2019
Rene Amaya ’17 was selected to be General Counsel by Texas State Representative Penny Morales Shaw, District 148.
Stephanie Grace Crump
’12 is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, having earned that distinction in 2020.
Gwyndolene
Elliott ’16 had her second baby, a girl named Lachlan Leigh Elliott, Nov. 21, 2020. She joins her big brother Holden, who was born in 2018.
Nancy Flores
’19 has joined the law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner as an associate. Her current legal practice at Abraham Watkins focuses on a wide range of personal injury matters, including catastrophic injuries, workplace injuries, premises liability, wrongful death, and 18-wheeler, commercial vehicle and automobile accidents.
Cody Gomora ’16 has opened a family law practice in Arlington, Texas. He served in law enforcement for four years after graduating from STCL Houston. Gomora looks forward to the new challenges that come with running a law firm. He will continue to practice law and grow his firm in Tarrant and surrounding counties while promoting the advocacy skills and prominence that STCL Houston graduates show in court on a daily basis.
Jared Grodin ’12 was promoted to Partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. Grodin focuses his
CLASS NOTES
practice on commercial lending, finance, and real estate transactions.
Iris Guillen ’18
gave birth to Walker Nolan Onassis on Oct. 21, 2020.
Carey L. Hain
’11 was selected for inclusion in the 2020 Rising Stars list. Each year, no more than 2.5% of Texas lawyers are selected.
Christine D. Herron ’10
joined Edwards Law Firm PLLC as Of Counsel. Herron specializes in energy, business litigation, and insurance law.
Christopher M. Jordan ’13
was recently named to the 2021 Texas Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers. Super Lawyers recognizes up-and-coming attorneys in each state who are under the age of 40 or have practiced law for 10 years or less.
Teia Moore
Kelly ’10 has been promoted to shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. Teia is a member of the firm’s Litigation and Construction practices, where she provides counsel on commercial litigation matters within the construction, energy and surety industries. Kelly routinely handles construction defect and equitable adjustment claims, payment and performance bond claims, and breach of contract claims on behalf of owners, general contractors, and sureties involved in complex construction projects. She has been named to Thomson Reuters’ Texas Rising Stars list four consecutive years.
Clint Kolby
’17 was elected Mayor Pro Tem of the Brenham City Council.
Evan Korngold
’16 and Ana Beatriz Korngold are thrilled to announce the birth of their son, Feivel Alexander Korngold, born Feb. 23, 2021.
Emily T. Krone
’14 started her own law firm in October 2020. The firm’s practice focuses primarily on commercial real estate and business transactions.
Lena Laurenzo ’15 of the personal injury law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner has been recognized on the Texas Rising Stars list for 2021. This is Laurenzo’s fifth consecutive year to be included on this annual list, which is published in the Texas Rising Stars issue of the Super Lawyers magazine and Texas Monthly magazine.
Christopher Lemons ’14
recently joined the Houston office of the national law firm, Chamberlain Hrdlicka, as an associate in the Commercial Litigation practice. Lemons brings more than five years of commercial litigation experience, representing a wide variety of clients and companies in numerous practice areas of litigation, including insurance law, medical malpractice, and personal injury defense. At Chamberlain Hrdlicka, his practice will focus on complex commercial litigation, business litigation, energy litigation, securities litigation, professional malpractice claims, complex tort litigation, and insurance coverage involving errors and omissions, directors and officers, commercial general liability, commercial property, and commercial auto and garage.
Lindsey C. Moorhead ’11
was selected for inclusion in the 2020 Chambers USA Guide. Each year, Chambers and Partners identifies leading practitioners and law firms in the United States and around the world through the culmination of thousands of interviews with attorneys and clients conducted by more than 200 research analysts. Criteria for selection include recommendations by clients, the attorney’s visibility in his or her area of law, and the volume, complexity, and size of work undertaken.
Nicholas O’Conner ’18
joins McGlinchey Stafford PLLC in Houston, Texas as an associate in the firm’s national Consumer Financial Services Litigation and Commercial Litigation divisions. O’Conner represents McGlinchey’s financial services clients, including auto lenders, banks, and mortgage loan servicers in federal and state courts in a wide variety of commercial litigation and financial services litigation matters, with a primary focus on defending consumer financial services litigation claims in lender liability actions.
Derek Pershing ’13, a shareholder with Wilson Cribbs + Goren in Houston, was named to the Houston Business Journal’s 40 under 40 class of 2020, which celebrates young professionals who have significantly contributed to their companies, industries and communities.
David A. Polsinelli ’13
was promoted to shareholder Jan. 1, 2021, at Crain Caton & James, P.C. Polsinelli focuses his practice on commercial litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. He regularly handles disputes involving contracts, construction, oil and gas, real property, and trade secrets. Polsinelli has worked on several appeals and jury trials with successful results. While Polsinelli takes pride in achieving victories for his clients in court, he also enjoys helping clients find solutions that do not require litigation. Polsinelli’s work has been recognized by Texas Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), as he was named a Rising Star for the years 2019 and 2020.
Ryan Revisore ’12 has joined Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.’s Health Care practice division. Revisore most recently served as Legal Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Principle Health Systems, where he advised the company on regulatory issues, mergers and acquisitions, and organizational structures.
Michelle Rice
’12 is now a senior associate at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz &
CLASS NOTES
Nearly 1,000 students from 29 states and three countries are engaged in the lively classes and distinctive education offered at South Texas.
Stogner and will be serving as a member of the firm’s Management Committee. Rice will be the first female attorney added to the firm’s management team.
Rachel Sechelski
’18 joined Lone Star Legal Aid’s Rebuild Texas team in March 2019. As part of the Rebuild Texas team, she provided a variety of legal services to survivors of natural disasters in Southeast Texas. In less than two years of practice, Sechelski has established her place as one of the rising stars within Lone Star Legal Aid by providing direct client legal services in practice areas varied as landlord-tenant, family law, probate, title clearing work, and helping low-income Texans access public benefits. In January 2020, she joined Lone Star Legal Aid’s Foreclosure Prevention Project. Here her focus narrowed to legal issues affecting homeowners and helping her clients prevent the loss of their homes. Sechelski has accomplished much for her clients in just over a year with the Foreclosure Prevention Project. Sitting as first chair counsel, she obtained injunctive relief to stop illegally scheduled foreclosure auctions on two different occasions. She successfully obtained her most recent injunctive relief virtually, getting one of the first Zoom TROs within the firm. She also sat second chair in a virtual trial with a homeowners association that sought to force the sale of her client’s home. Additionally, she is currently handling federal cases in both the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas, sitting first chair in both.
G. Braxton Smith ’19 joins the law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner as an associate. His current legal practice at Abraham Watkins focuses on a wide range of personal injury matters, including catastrophic injuries, premises liability cases, and serious automobile, 18-wheeler, and motorcycle accidents.
Jonathan
Sneed ’12 of the personal injury law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner has been recognized on the Texas Rising Stars list for 2021. This marks Sneed’s first year to be included on this annual list, which is published in the Texas Rising Stars issue of the Super Lawyers magazine and Texas Monthly magazine. Susan Soto ’10, a staff attorney at Lone Star Legal Aid, has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star for 2021. Super Lawyers, a division of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from
CLASS NOTES
Student Services reorganized in 2021, combining enrollment services, student financial services, student engagement and student support.
more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. While up to 5% of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5% are named to the Rising Stars list.
Angelina Wike
’16 of the personal injury law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner has been recognized on the Texas Rising Stars list for 2021. This marks Angelina’s second consecutive year to be included on this annual list, which is published in the Texas Rising Stars issue of the Super Lawyers magazine and Texas Monthly magazine. Timothy Word ’20 joins Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. as a first-year associate. Word is a member of the Firm’s Litigation practice, with an emphasis on the construction industry.
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FACULTY NOTES
JAMES ALFINI
Dean and Professor Emeritus Lexis Law Publishing has published the sixth edition of Dean Alfini’s, “Judicial Conduct and Ethics,” co-authored with Charles Gardner Geyh and James Sample. He also authored "Contrasting Lawyer Ethics and Mediator Ethics: Critical Issues," in Omer Shapira’s “Mediation Ethics: A Practitioner’s Guide” (ABA Publishing). At the 2021 ABA annual meeting, he received the Chair’s Award from the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution.
JOSH BLACKMAN
Professor of Law Professor Blackman is co-authoring a 10-part series in the South Texas Law Review on the offices and officers of the Constitution, with Seth Barrett Tillman. Blackman recently had several articles accepted for publication, including: “Unreviewable: The Final Installment in the ‘Epic’ Obamacare Trilogy,” in the Cato Supreme Court Review; “Is the President an ’Officer of the United States’ for Purposes of Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment” by NYU Journal of Law & Liberty; “Corpus Linguistics and Heller” by Wake Forest Law Review; “The ‘Essential’ Second Amendment” by Texas Review of Law & Politics; and “Can President Trump run for re-election if the Biden Administration prosecutes and convicts him for insurrection?” by the Illinois Law Review Online. Additionally, his article, co-authored with Tillman, “The Unresolved Threshold Issues in the Emoluments Clauses Litigation: The President Has Three Bodies and There Is No Cause of Action for Ultra Vires Conduct,” was accepted for publication in the Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy.
ELAINE A. CARLSON
Professor of Law Professor Carlson recently completed her annual update of her six-volume treatise, “McDonald & Carlson, Texas Civil Practice,” published by Thomson Reuters. She also presented at several academic and public conferences, including “Procedure Update for Litigators” at The University of Texas 44th Annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference; “Superseding and Enforcing Judgments at the State Bar of Texas CLE“ for the Soaking Up Some CLE 2021: A South Texas Litigation Seminar; and “Superseding Civil Judgments in Texas” for the Houston Bar Association Appellate Section Webinar, which she copresented with Justin Kevin Jewell, of the 14th Court of Appeals for the State of Texas.
RICHARD R. CARLSON
Professor of Law Professor Carlson’s article, “COVID-19 and Our Employment- Based Medical Insurance System,” was accepted for publication in the Journal of Labor and Employment Law.
AMANDA HARMON COOLEY
Vinson & Elkins Research Professor and Professor of Law Professor Cooley was recently awarded the South Texas College of Law Houston Vinson & Elkins Research Professorship based on her outstanding record of scholarship. Her article, “The Powerful Problem of Prayer at Public School Board Meetings,” will be published in the Cardozo Law Review in 2022. As the co-chair of the Faculty Scholarship Committee during the 2020- 21 academic year, she spearheaded the creation of a junior faculty mentorship program. Finally, Cooley continues to remain an active member of the Houston Bar Association Lawyers for Literacy Committee, where she has served as a Law Week and Constitution Day Reader as part of the HBA’s efforts to promote constitutional literacy and civic education in elementary schools in the Greater Houston area.
MATTHEW FESTA
Professor of Law Professor Festa’s court citations, “The Origins and Constitutionality of State Unit Voting in the Electoral College,” was cited and discussed this year by both the Washington Supreme Court in Chiafalo v. Washington, and by the Tenth Circuit in Baca v. Colorado. The U.S. Supreme Court consolidated the cases and upheld the rationale in Chiafalo in July 2020.
DEREK FINCHAM
Professor of Law
Professor Fincham’s article, “The Personal Rights of Artists,” was accepted for publication in Volume 59 of the Houston Law Review.
MAXINE GOODMAN
Professor of Law Professor Goodman recently published her article, “The Expanding Role and Dwindling Protection for Private Religious School Teachers During the Pandemic: Rethinking the Ministerial Exception after Morrissey-Berru,” in the UCDavis Online Law Review. She also published “Courts’ Failure to Use Religion Experts to Decide Difficult Fact Questions Concerning Who Is a Minister for the Ministerial Exception: A Holy Mess” in the Baylor Law Review.
R. RANDALL KELSO
Professor of Law Professor Kelso has written four related articles on constitutional interpretation: “The Structure of Rational Basis and Reasonableness Review” will be published in Southern Illinois University Law Journal (2021); “The Structure of Intermediate Review” will be published in Lewis & Clark Law Review (2021); “Justifying the Supreme Court’s Standards of Review” will be published in St. Mary’s Law Journal (2021); and “The Structure of Strict Scrutiny Review.” An additional article, “Substantive Toleration and Viewpoint Discrimination” was published in the South Texas Law Review.
CHRIS KULANDER
Professor of Law Professor Kulander’s article, “Political and Economic Feasibility of Contracted American Liquefied Natural Gas for Energy Security in Poland and the Baltic States — Can the American Government Help?” was published by Białostockie Studia Prawnicze (Bialystok Legal Studies Journal — Poland). Other articles accepted for publication include: “From Downton Abbey to Dallas: the Rule Against Perpetuities and Oil & Gas Properties in Texas,”
FACULTY NOTES
in the Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law Section Report of the State Bar of Texas, and “The Executive Right to Lease in Texas and Louisiana,” published in the proceedings of the LSU Law 67th Mineral Law Institute.
KATERINA LEWINBUK
Professor of Law
Professor Lewinbuk’s article, "True Perestroika or Still Perfunctory?: A Decade of Developments in Russian Law Practice Reform," was accepted for publication by the Florida Journal of International Law.
RYAN H. NELSON
Professor of Law Professor Nelson’s article, “Substantive Pay Equality: Tips, Commissions, and How to Remedy the Pay Disparities They Inflict,” will be published later this year by the Yale Law & Policy Review. In his article, Nelson makes the argument that many employers’ tipping practices might constitute unlawful race discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because those practices often cause workers of color to take home less in tips than their white coworkers (e.g., due to customer biases), and such tipping practices may not be job related and consistent with business necessity. Shortly after publishing an early draft of the article online last year, Nelson was called upon to represent the article in Title VII litigation raising the type of claim that he had theorized.
AMANDA PETERS
Godwin Lewis PC Research Professor Professor Peters’ article, “When Coaching Becomes Criminal,” will be published in the New Hampshire Law Review later this year. The article examines novel criminal and tort laws being used to hold coaches and sports organizations criminally and civilly liable for athlete abuse.
CHARLES W. “ROCKY” RHODES
Charles Weigel II Research Professor of State and Federal Constitutional Law
Professor Rhodes was recently invited to participate in the Stetson Law Review’s symposium on the Civil Procedural Transformation after Fifteen Years of the Roberts Court, where he presented his article, “The Roberts Court’s Jurisdictional Revolution Within Ford’s Frame.” He and his co-authors, Professors Cassandra Burke Robertson and Linda Sandstrom Simard, were invited to author a review piece in the annual American Constitution Society’s Supreme Court Review entitled “Ford Motor Co.: The Murky Doctrine of Personal Jurisdiction.” His co-authored article with Professor Howard Wasserman, “The Procedural Puzzles of Exclusive Private Enforcement: On Texas’ Fetal-Heartbeat Law and Its Imitators,” is forthcoming in the American University Law Review. This article has received national attention, with invitations to present the article at several academic conferences, requests to author columns and op-eds, and media interviews. He and Professor Paul McGreal recently completed the third edition of their book “Skills and Values: The First Amendment,” and are presently working on the fourth edition of “Questions & Answers: Constitutional Law,” which will be published next year. He has contracted to author a two-volume treatise for Matthew Bender entitled “State Constitutional Law: Individual Rights and Structural Liberties.” He has made several recent presentations to fellow academics, including presenting papers on personal jurisdiction and federal courts during the annual conference of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools and participating in an academic panel at The University of Texas on masks and vaccine mandates. He has continued his frequent public presentations and commentary, presenting his annual recap to federal judges and practitioners in the Southern District of Texas regarding the Supreme Court’s recently completed term, authoring and presenting a paper on the Erie doctrine as part of a State Bar course, participating on Supreme Court review panels, discussing state constitutionalism and federal constitutionalism with civic groups, and providing commentary to national, statewide, and local print and broadcast media on numerous constitutional and procedural issues.
VAL RICKS
Professor of Law Professor Ricks’s article, “Fraud Is Now Legal in Texas (for Some People),” was published last fall in the Texas A&M Law Review. It has been downloaded nearly 500 times from SSRN and the journal’s website. A follow-up article, “Misreading Menetti: The Case Does Not Help You Avoid Liability for Your Own Fraud,” will soon appear in the St. Mary’s Law Journal. Ricks also published the fourth edition of his casebook for Contracts I, “The Story of Contract Law: Formation,” with CALI’s eLangdell® Press.
NJERI MATHIS RUTLEDGE
Professor of Law
A member of USA Today’s Board of Contributors, Professor Rutledge published two op-eds with USA Today this summer, including: “Overturning Bill Cosby Sex assault conviction is difficult to accept, but the right decision,” and “Tweens are too young for their own Instagram platform.” Additionally, her article, "Justice for Breonna – Re-envisioning Knock-and-announce," was accepted for publication with Southwestern Law Review.
D’ANDRA SHU
Professor of Law Professor Shu’s article, “The Coming Causation Revolution in Employment Discrimination Litigation,” is forthcoming in the Cardozo Law Review. Last summer, Shu presented in two legal writing conferences for the Association of Legal Writing Directors. She also served on the editorial board for the Legal Writing Institute’s publication The Second Draft. The book she co-authored with fellow South Texas professor Katherine T. Vukadin, “The Legal Memo: 50 Exercises for Mastery,” is now in print with Carolina Academic Press.
MARK SIEGEL Professor of Law
Professor Siegel’s article, “Extending Abatement to Non-Probate Succession,” was accepted for publication in the Estate Planning & Community Property Law Journal.
FACULTY NOTES
40 YEARS OF SERVICE
MARK STEINER Professor of Law
Professor Steiner is a member of the Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas for the sixth year in a row. The Pro Bono College recognizes attorneys who have far exceeded the State Bar’s aspirational pro bono goal. Attorneys are eligible to join the Pro Bono College if they have completed at least 75 hours of qualified pro bono services in the preceding year.
DRU STEVENSON
Professor of Law
Professor Stevenson’s newest article, “In Defense of Felon-in-Possession Laws,” has been accepted for publication in the Cardozo Law Review. The working draft is available on the Social Science Research Network site. His article, “Litigating the Bump Stock Ban,” co-authored with Mia Romano, was accepted for publication in the Kansas Law Review.
KATHERINE T. VUKADIN
Professor of Law Professor Vukadin’s book, “The Legal Memo: 50 Exercises for Mastery,” is now in print with Carolina Academic Press. The book is co-authored with Dean Cassandra Hill of Northern Illinois University Law School and Professor D’Andra Shu of South Texas College of Law Houston. Additionally, Professor Vukadin’s article, “Delayed & Denied: Recalibrating the Attorney’s Fee Factors for ERISA Healthcare Claims,” was accepted for publication in the Villanova Law Review. Professor Vukadin presented at a symposium on accessing care for substance use disorders, at a workshop on innovative teaching, and at the Association of Legal Writing Directors biennial conference. She also served on the boards of the Journal of the Legal Writing Institute and the Monograph Series of the Legal Writing Institute, and was asked by Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law & Ethics, to serve as peer reviewer for a health law article they are considering publishing.
South Texas College of Law Houston congratulates Professors David East and Pamela George on their recent 40-year anniversaries. Our students, faculty, and staff are grateful for their contributions during more than 80 years of combined service to the law school.
Professor East, who has taught Bankruptcy, Commercial Law (UCC) courses, Contracts, Commercial Law and Human Rights, and various Property Law courses, became a professor at STCL Houston in 1981. He served as associate dean for Academic Affairs from 1987-90 before returning to full-time teaching. East developed and taught courses in Transactional Skills beginning in 1999, which led to the development of the Transactional Practice Center. The center teaches and equips law students to become business lawyers. East has provided extensive service as a member of the ABA’s Section of Business Law; the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, which he chaired in 2001-02 while also leading the Council of Chairs; and as an advisory member of the Texas Business Law Foundation. He co-authored Anderson, Bartlett & East’s Texas UniformCommercial Code Annotated (Thomson/ Reuters, current ed. 2021-22).
Professor George began teaching at STCL Houston in 1981, directed the legal writing program from 1984-87, and has taught subjects including Family Law, Marital Property, Texas Trial and Appellate Procedure, Legal Research, and Legal Writing I and II. She is board certified in both family law DAVID EAST and civil appellate law by the Texas Professor of Law Board of Legal Specialization, and she has been the lead or co-counsel in more than 100 appellate cases. To recognize 25 years teaching, alumni and family law practitioners created the Pamela E. George Family Law Award at STCL Houston. George personally created a scholarship in honor of a former student, Benny Agosto, Jr., which recognizes students who show promise in appellate law. She has led and served at South Texas and in the profession in numerous ways. She was twice named Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly Magazine in the area of civil appellate law and named by H Magazine as an Outstanding Family Law Lawyer.
PAMELA GEORGE
Professor of Law
My Testimony
Cara Shaffer
Legal Writing Specialist, STCL Houston Legal Writing Center
I once heard a judge claim he could accurately predict an advocate’s fashion sense from a single paragraph of legal writing.
F
rom that one passage, said the judge, he could tell the bow-tie wearing dandies from the overall-sporting men-of-the-people. He could tell which attorney might jauntily display a pocket watch and which attorney might forget their watch (and the time) altogether. While perhaps we are not all as skilled at sartorial prediction as the judge, his whimsical speculation reveals a truth: Writing reveals character. Indeed, most attorneys can glance at a piece of writing and divine many qualities of the author — including whether the writer is competent, combative, arrogant, generous, careful, or confident.
Writing offers a vehicle through which advocates accomplish two parallel goals:
First, it allows us to fulfill the calling of our field — to zealously represent our clients to the best of our ability. South Texas students will soon be called upon to represent those in need, articulate solutions to crises, and persuade skeptics of their claims.
Second, in this age of global crisis, writing offers a pathway to thinking through the most complex ideas and challenges of our time. As author David McCullough put it: “Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That’s why it’s so hard.”
The Legal Writing Center was launched in fall 2020 to help students polish the tool of thinking through writing. At the center, students practice articulating positions, logically organizing their thoughts, and concisely explaining complex ideas.
Strong writing is the benchmark of powerful, persuasive advocacy. At the same time, developing strong writing skills clarifies students’ ability to define their own philosophies and beliefs.
As the Legal Writing Center develops and expands, I hope it will continue to be a place of constructive critique, skill-building and mentorship. My goal is to foster an environment where students will gain confidence in their abilities to advocate on behalf of their clients and themselves. This skill will allow them to meet the challenges of advocacy in our turbulent age.
As the next generation of lawyers begins their careers, I expect South Texas students will be well-poised to adapt to the challenges at hand — in part through their ability to powerfully communicate their ideas about the world.
In this InRe feature, we share firsthand stories, opinions, and interviews from South Texas staff, faculty and alumni. Want to share your experiences or insights? Email us at news@stcl.edu with the subject line: “My Testimony.”
Professor Josh Blackman | A popular source for national media and constitutional law expert, Blackman has created his own media control room at his home office.
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South Texas College of Law Houston provides 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.
