s u m m e r
2 0 1 1Docket Call is published by the Baylor
University School of Law for its alumni,
faculty, sta≠, students, supporters and friends.

V o l u m e

B a y l o r

The Baylor School of Law, established in
1857, was the first law school in Texas andone of the first west of the Mississippi River.
Today, the school has more than 7,000 living
alumni. It is accredited by the American
Bar Association and is a member of the
Association of American Law Schools.
President, Baylor University

Hon. Ken Starr
EditorJulie Campbell Carlson
Contributing Writers

Davin Allen, Brittany Hardy, Franci Rogers,
Berkley Scroggins,Contributing Photographers

Robert Rogers & Matthew Minard

u n i v e r s i t ys c h o o l

o f

l a w

1 1 8

M a g a z i n e

feature stories

32

Angus
Stewart
McSwain, Jr.,
Dean Emeritus
Baylor Schoolof Law
Angus McSwain, dean emeritus of Baylor
Law School, passed away May 29, 2011.

Design and Art Direction

McKinleyBrown & Bradley
Baylor School of Law Faculty

Brad Toben, Dean
Leah W. Jackson, Associate Dean
Larry T. Bates, Ronald L. Beal,
Matthew C. Cordon, W. Jeremy Counseller,
Thomas M. Featherston, Bridget Fuselier,David Guinn, Laura Hernandez, Jill Lens,
Rachel Little, Luke Meier, Elizabeth S. Miller,
Michael D. Morrison, Connie Powell,
Gerald R. Powell, Brandon D. Quarles,
R. Michael Rogers, Rory M. Ryan,
Brian J. Serr, David G. Swenson, James
Underwood, Patricia Wilson, Jim Wren
Baylor Law Alumni Association

President: Traci Kenner, ’87, Tyler
President Elect: John Ginn, ’89, Sulphur Springs
Past President: Jerry Clements, ’81, Austin
Secretary/Treasurer: Leah Jackson, ’85, Waco
2012/2014 Executive Committee
Members

2012

Ed Blizzard, '78, Houston
Jerry Clements, '81, Austin
Hon. Ed Kinkeade, '74, Dallas

2013

Hon. Robin Malone Darr, '82, Midland
Casey Moore, '06, Dallas
Roy Barrera III, '02, San Antonio

2014

Vincent Allen, '99, Dallas
Bill Brian, '74, Amarillo
Libby King, '01, Richmond, TX
John Ginn, '89, Sulphur Springs

Non-profit postage paid at Waco, TX.
Please send address changes andcorrespondance to:Docket Call, School of Law, Baylor University,
PO Box 97288, Waco, TX 76798-7288
254.710.1911 phone / 254.710.2316 fax
jerri_cunningham@baylor.edu email© B a y l o r U n i v e r s i t y S c h o o l o f L a w, A l l R i g h t s R e s e r v e d .

35 Eulogy toAngus Stewart
McSwain, Jr.
By Gerald Powell,
the Abner V.
McCall Professorof Evidence andMaster Teacher
Professor Gerald Powell delivered a moving
eulogy to Angus McSwain during funeralservices June 1, 2011.

feature stories

Feature Focus:

News briefs

G i v ing B a ck

4 Advocacy Teams Enjoy
Success During 2010-2011

18 Walt Shelton’s

6 Brittney Johnson Plays
Both Sides of the Court

Longtime Adjunct Professor
Walt Shelton (JD ’89) finds
the balance between practiceand teaching.

8 Baylor Law School Receives the 2010
Commitment to Service Award
from Access to Justice Commission

Balancing Act

10 Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
Reminds Baylor Lawyers of theImportance of Civics Education

22 When it Comes

to Winning, Little’s
Big League

12 Distinguished Judges Panel Presides
at M.D. Anderson Foundation
Moot Court Competition

Robert Little goes from talented
student trial advocate to
dedicated trial advocacy coach.

13 Three Baylor Law Students
Selected for Texas Accessto Justice Internship Program

24 Jaworski Fellows

14 Baylor Law School Claims Highest
Pass Rate on Texas Bar Exam

Provide a New
Point of View
for a TimeHonored Program

The Jaworski Fellows Program
brings the expertise ofoutstanding trial lawyers to
Baylor Law students.

38

14 Baylor Law School Wins Five
Awards at CASE District Conference
15 Out with the Old, In with the New

Yale Law Grad Soars as‘Top Gun’ Trial Lawyer in
Baylor Law’s National Mock
Trial Competition

16 CASA the Big Winner at
Inaugural Professor Auction
17 A Challenge to Exercise
the Mind and Body
Law school alumni

53 Student Leadership Leads
to New Role at Baylor Law

Sarah Chervinsky of Yale walked away with $10,000 as winner of the
National Top Gun Mock Trial Competition.

27
Transforming
Dreams into
Reality

54 7,027 Baylor Lawyers
56 Big Trial Case Files Needed
57 2011 Alumni Weekend- Oct 7th-8th

42 With a Little Helpfrom Our Friends

57 Alumni Photos
62 Judge Ed Kinkeade Named2010 Baylor Lawyer of the Year

The National Top Gun Mock Trial Competition stayed innovative withthe help from some well-known faces.

Jim and Mary Clawson’s
generosity has resulted in morethan 19 Baylor Law students
receiving much needed financial
support for their education.

Baylor School of law Faculty

Dallas Baylor Lawyers organize
new Dallas alumni group.

65 Baylor Law Alumni Electedto Baylor Board of Regents,
Baylor Lawyer Named Chairman
67 Baylor Law Alum Installed
as President-Elect of Texas
Trial Lawyers Association
68 Baylor Law Graduate Chosen
As President of LitigationCounsel of America

30 Networking and

Fellowship are
Goals of Dallas
Alumni Gatherings

64 Baylor Law Alumnus Receives
Scholarship Award from American
Agricultural Law Association

44

47

49

50

Baylor Law
Welcomes Fourto Faculty –Judge Ken Starr,
Luke Meier, Jill
Wieber Lens andRachel Little

Baylor Law
Professor’s“Pre-embryosin Probate”
Article Wins
Inaugural Award
from ABA Law
Section

Baylor Law
Professor
Receives “Glass
Cutter” Award
from ABABusiness Law
SectionBeal’s “Fromthe Bench:
Judicial
Perspectives on
Environmental/
Administrative
Cases” Video
Series Now
Available in State
Bar’s Online
Classroom

71 Two Baylor Law School Alumni
Receive Baylor Meritorious
Achievement Awards
73 Baylor Law Alumnus Mike Baggett
Receives Morris Harrell
Professionalism Award
74 Alumni Class Notes
78 Alumni Obituaries
Development

52 Dawson Scholarship Donors

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

1

A m e s s a g e f r o m D ea n T o be n
But one alumnus,
What would
Dean
Emeritus
Angus
Baylor Law School
McSwain,gave
unmatched
do without its
alumni? They provide service to Baylor Law
an inordinate amount ofservice to their alma mater.
Teaching, coaching, giving,
recruiting and networking– they do it all.

2

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School, and in this issue
we celebrate his life – a lifethat ended unexpectedly
on Sunday morning, May
29, 2011. In the loss ofDean McSwain, theBaylor Law communityand our university havelost an iconic figure anda beloved friend.
Dean McSwain(to our last visit a couple
weeks before his passing,I just could never bringmyself to call him Angus;
for me, he was always “theDean”) began teaching at
Baylor Law back in 1949.
He was a member of theGreatest Generation, forwhom hard work, sacrificeand service to country andcommunity were a way oflife. He was a paradigmof the teacher-scholar.
His leadership on the law
faculty across the decades,
beginning with his joining
the faculty and throughhis 19 years as dean of the
Law School from 1965 to
1984, set the standards
and established a culturethat have allowed our
Law School to thrive, andthrough our alumni, tohave a profound impact
upon our profession, ourstate and beyond.
When he becamedean in 1965, the Deanemphasized classroom
teaching as the Law
School’s primary objective.
During the early yearsof his tenure, a numberof new and eventuallylegendary faculty members
arrived, including Erv
Elias (1956), a skilledteacher and a true “gentle”
man; Loy (“the Snake”)
Simpkins (1965), who madeDomestic Relations into averitable “second Practice
Court;” David Guinn(1966), who was eventually,
like Dean McSwain,
honored as Master Teacher
and is currently our
senior faculty member;

Matt “Mad Dog” Dawson(1971), a 1938 graduate of
Baylor Law School who iscredited with the modern
conformation of thePractice Court program;Frank Newton (1972), wholater served as the deanof Texas Tech University
School of Law for 16 years;
and Peeler Williams, Jr.
(1972), a man of humor
and learning who inspired
many an anecdote. And
there were many others.
Dean McSwain
presided over some
important additions
to the law school. The
Law School renovatedMorrison Constitution
Hall for the first time in1974, adding the Leon
Jaworski Wing, which
nearly doubled thecapacity of the law libraryand provided ample
faculty offices as well as
lounge and study spacefor students. In 1984, theAdvocacy Wing, completewith four much needed
courtrooms, law review,placement office andconference room space, wasadded. Also, in 1966, Judge
Frank M. Wilson, thelong-time teacher (19461971) of the Practice Court
program, donated to the
Law School his collectionof 2,135 rare books and 50
documents dating backto the Middle Ages. For
all his time, effort andenergy invested in these
improvements to the oldbuilding, Dean McSwain
was one of the most excitedand vigorous supporters of
our plans hatched in 1992
to move to a new campus,
our law center that wascompleted in 2001.
We all so loved,
admired and respected
the Dean. In the days
following his passing, I
visited with a panoply of
Baylor lawyers and friends
who shared the sadnessof his passing, but also
lovingly recalled the small,endearing aspects of thisgentleman. For instance,
Dean McSwain neverwasted a piece of paper;
he faithfully would writeon the back side of lettersand documents that wereno longer needed. Only
when both sides werefilled and had been used
to full purpose would thepaper be discarded (it wasrecycled even before being
recycled!). Some recalled
the Dean’s doodling when
he would patiently listen
to epistles and pleas. The
doodle? Always that a of
duck’s side profile, repeatedover and over again acrossthe page, standing as asort of monument to apatience not shared by allof us. In earlier years, theDean, while reflecting,would spin his blackhorn-rimmed glasses
by one ear piece, prettymuch reeking havoc on
the snugness of the glasses
when worn. The solution

to loose-fitting glasses? A
stout rubber band worked!
The winter, spring and fallmonths were marked by
the Dean wearing suits,
generally dark in color, butwith the advent of warm
weather, the Dean sported
an unforgettable look inblue and white seersucker
suits.
I am at this timereminded of not only
the Dean, but his dearly
beloved Betty Ann, who
passed away suddenlyin 2002. There is a large
round table in the faculty
lounge, one of only afew pieces of furniturethat made the trip to
the new law center from
Morrison Constitution
Hall in 2001. The table
has a history – many afaculty meeting occurred
around it during the 50s
and 60s; most of the law
center project meetings
occurred at this table…
but, most poignantly,
it was at this table that
Dean McSwain tutored
Betty Ann in schoolwork
when Betty Ann was anundergraduate. The rest of
the story . . .
After Dean
McSwain left the dean’s
office in 1984, the Deantaught full time until heofficially retired fromthe faculty in 1994. Afterretirement, he continued
to teach as an adjunct –fully engaged – until a few
years ago. He then took

a hiatus, insisting to me
that he wasn’t up to theclassroom anymore (soprofoundly wrong!). We
had a small faculty andstaff luncheon honoringhim. At that occasion, I
enjoyed teasing him forbeing a “slacker,” daring
to give up teaching after“only” a near six decades!
I visited the Dean in his
home sometime later andcajoled him to return fromhis brief retirement. He
repeatedly digressed fromour discussion, going into
various subjects, including
World War II militaryhistory (what a library
the Dean had on militaryhistory!), again and again
for over an hour. Finally,
he relented, acknowledgedthat he “needed a schedule”
and returned for anothertour of teaching.
Indeed, theDean practiced the two
greatest Commandments– to love God with all
your heart, all your soul
and all your mind andto love your neighbor as
yourself. Somehow, it isappropriate that he passed
away while driving tochurch. He was, indeed, inall he did, an understatedgentleman who always
sought to do his best, toserve others, and to live a
quiet life of faith. His wasa life well lived.

Students into Peers
Many of Dean McSwain’s students went on to
become colleagues. Professor Beth Miller, whoearned her JD in 1985 and joined the faculty in
1991, said the Dean had a knack for forging aconnection with his colleagues who were former
students. Bridget Fuselier, also a former student
and current faculty member, said he was thekindest man she has ever known and influenced
her more than he ever knew.

A number of faculty changes occurred in the late1970’s and early 1980’s, and many of the current
law faculty whom Dean McSwain hired arrived
during this time. These faculty members include
Mike Morrison (1977), Tom Featherston (1982); Bill
Trail (1982); David Swenson (1982); Ron Beal (1983);
Mike Rogers (1984); and myself (1983).

www.facebook.com/BaylorLawSchoolwww.twitter.com/BaylorLawSchool

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

3

News Brief

Advocacy Teams Enjoy
Success During 2010-2011

F

rom California
to New Yorkand points in
between, Baylor
Law’s various
advocacy teams racked up
a number of awards during
the academic year. The Law
School sent students to 29
competitions, including three
ABA national competitions
after wins at regionals.
A Baylor Law teammade the semifinals at the
ABA Labor Law Mock Trial
Competition that took placein Los Angeles, Calif., in
January. In November, theteam of Danielle Odom, Joel
Towner, Brian Harrison andSteven Lopez clinched theregional championship in
Dallas by defeating teams
from Loyola University - New
Orleans, The Universityof Houston, Mississippi
College and The Universityof Colorado. Another Baylor
Law team of Caleena Svatek,
Shawn Latchford, Huma
Patel and Mark Walravenalso competed at the regional
competition. The teams werecoached by Professor JeremyCounseller and Adjunct
Professor Dan Tilly.
A Baylor Law Schoolteam went 5-0 in oral
argument rounds to becomechampions at the ABA
Regional Appellate Advocacy
Competition, which was held

4

The Docket C all

the last weekend in February
in San Francisco. With thewin, the team automaticallyqualified for the national
finals, which took place early
April in Chicago.
“The ABA competition
is considered the mostsignificant moot court
competition in the nation,in terms of both the quantityand quality of the teams,”
said Baylor Law Professor
Brian Serr, who served ascoach. “I want to thankeach of our advocates for so
impressively representing
Baylor Law School.”
The Baylor teamof Brittney Johnson andDavid Schlottman won oralrounds against teams from
Cal Berkeley, Golden Gate
Law School, Northwestern,
Phoenix School of Law,
and Minnesota. In the final
round against Minnesota,
Johnson and Schlottman won
all five ballots by an average
exceeding 20 points per ballot.
Johnson also was named thesixth top oral advocate in theregional competition.
Brittany Johnson wason another team that made it
to national competition (seestory page 6). The Baylor Law
School team of Johnson andPaul Green won the ABA
Regional Client CounselingCompetition, which
automatically qualified themBrittney Johnson, Jose Magana Salgado, Kathryn Childress, Kacey VanDeaver, David Schlottman,
and Molly Hinshaw at the ABA Moot Court Regional competition in San Francisco.

Paul Green, Brittany Johnson, Craig Stango and Michelle Hanlon made up Baylor Law’s
ABA Regional Client Counseling team.

for the National Competition in
Norman, Okla.
“I enjoy the competition
because it gives you a feel forthe real world,” Green said.
“You aren’t memorizing a script,
but reacting and interactingwith the client. It is just a funcompetition. You are just having
a conversation and following
up on possible issues spottedthroughout the conversation.”In the regional competition,
the Baylor team was seeded No.
1 following preliminary rounds.
A second Baylor team of Craig
Stango and Michelle Hanlon madethe break of the top six teams,
but lost in the semi-final round.
The team was coached by Waco
attorney and Adjunct Professor
Vik Deivanayagam. Will Kingand Lauren Sepulveda served as
student coaches. The regional
tournament was held at the
University of Wyoming Feb. 12-13.

Wechsler First Amendment
Pamela Sieja and Ben Yelverton
Coach: Professor Larry Bates andProfessor Rory RyanJohn Marshall Information
Technology and Privacy
Kristen Blakely, Huma Patel andEric Pursley – Octafinalist
Coaches: Professor Connie Powell
and Professor Patricia Wilson
National Criminal Procedure
Rafael Rodriguez and Adrienne
Morris – Octafinalist, Third Best
Speaker (Rodriguez), Best Brief(Resp.)
Claudia Hernandez andMark Walraven
Coach: Adjunct Professor
Greg White

Asylum and Refugee Law
Kelly Hodge and Claudia
Hernandez
Rafael Rodriguez and Grace
TaylorCoach: Professor Laura
Hernandez
National Sports Law
Akilah Craig, John Litzler, andJohn Headrick – Octafinalist
Coach: Professor Rory Ryan
National Products Liability
George Cowden and Sara Kocian
Coach: Professor Jim Underwood
and Professor Jill Lens

Duberstein Bankruptcy
James Willis, Kristen Blakely andDustin Lucas – Second Place
Trey Duck, Kyle Counce andPepperdine Entertainment Law
Josue Caballero – Octafinalist
Akilah Craig, Bill Thompson and Coaches: Judge Larry Kelly, Bill
Kelly Hodge – Semifinalist, Third Drabble and Kathy SerrBest Speaker (Craig), Second PlaceChild Welfare and Adoption Law Team
Brief (Resp.)
Shelby White, Kacey VanDeaver
Coach: Professor Lauraand Eugene Olshevskyy –2010-2011 Interscholastic Teams Hernandez
Quarterfinalist, Fourth Best
National Moot Court
Speaker (VanDeaver)
Moot Court
Chaille Graft, Andrew Guthrie,
Coach: Professor Patricia Wilson
and
Joey
Hance
–
Regional
Third
TYLA
FBA Thurgood Marshall Memorial Team
Jessica MacCarty, Travis Plummer, Place
Reagan Vernon and Pamela Sieja –Coach: Professor Rory Ryan
Brandon Wilson – Second PlaceThird Place
Coach: Kathy Serr
George Washington National Security Law Coach: Professor Rory Ryan
Stephanie Almeter and Will
Emory Civil Rights
Thomas –Semifinalist, Third Best CLIENT COUNSELING
Brittney Johnson, David
Brief
Schlottman and Laci Gallier –ABA Client Counseling
Ben Doyle and Caroleene Hardee
Semifinalists
Brittney Johnson and Paul Green
Reagan Vernon, Andee Hartig and Coach: Professor Bridget Fuselier– Regional Champion
Holly Raines – Quarterfinalists,
Pace National Environmental Law
Craig Stango and Michelle
Fifth Place Brief
Matt Smith, Sara KimbroughHanlonCoach: Professor Larry Bates
and Kelsi Lauger – Finalist, Two
Student Coaches: Lauren
Preliminary
Round
Best
Speaker
Sepulveda and Will King
Mack Kidd Administrative and Public Law
Awards (Lauger)
Coach: Adjunct Professor
Jose Magana and Sarah Judge –Coach:
Professor
Luke
Meier
Vik DeivanayagamFirst Place, Best Speaker in Final
Round (Magana)
ABA National Appellate Advocacy
MOCK TRIAL
Joel Towner and James Willis—
Brittney Johnson and David
Second Place, Best Speaker in
Stetson Pretrial Competition
Schlottman – Regional
Preliminary Rounds (Towner)
Jessica MacCarty, Travis Plummer,
Champion, Sixth Best Speaker
Trey Duck and Kyle Counce –Dustin Lucas, Victoria Weaver(Johnson)Top 5 finish
Coaches: Professor Jim
Jose Magana, Kathryn Childress
Coach: Kathy Serr
Underwood and Adjunctand Molly Hinshaw
Professor Mike Berry
Coach: Professor Brian Serr

Lone Star
Ana Ene, Landon Ramsay, Lucas
Machicek, Wes LeRouax –Best Opening Statement Award(LeRouax)
Coaches: Professor JeremyCounseller and Adjunct Professor
Dan Tilly
National Trial Advocacy Competition
Caleena Svatek, Peter Kerr, Kevin
Giddens and Luke Mott
Coaches: Professor Jim Wren andAlex Bell
Tournament of Champions
Jennifer Salim, Ashley Yearick,Aaron VonFlatern and Victoria
Honey
Coach: Robert Little
ABA Labor Law
Brian Harrison, Danielle Odom,
Joel Towner and Steven Lopez –Regional Champions, National
Semifinalists
Caleena Svatek, Shawn Latchford,
Huma Patel and Mark Walraven
Coaches: Adjunct Professor
Dan Tilly and Professor JeremyCounseller
National Trial Competition
Wes LeRouax and Ashley YearickRegional Finalists
Ashley Stebbins and Beth Ballew
Coach: Robert Little
American Association for Justice (AAJ)
James Ray, Joel Towner, Chaille
Graft and Mark Walraven –Regional Finalist
Danielle Odom, Sarah Brandt,
Robert Wharton and Ben
Yelverton
Aaron VonFlatern, Adam
McLane, Michael Bernick, Steven
Lopez, Sarah Judge and Michael
Roberts
Coaches: Professor Jim Wren andKathy Serr
ABA Criminal JusticeDanielle Odom, Joel Towner,
Jessica Frankland andSteven Lopez
Coach: Adjunct Professor
Dan Tilly

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

5

By Brittany Hardy

Brittney Johnson Plays
Both Sides of the CourtNot many
law students
have theopportunity
to be on one
nationalsqualifying advocacy team in asingle year. Brittney Johnson
was on two.

6

The Docket C all

The Baylor Law student
was a member of both the Client
Counseling and Moot Court teams
that qualified for nationals. Bothcompetitions were held this spring.
The highly-regarded
advocacy program is what initiallydrew Johnson to Baylor Law School,
after receiving her undergraduate
degree from Texas A&M.

“I knew I wanted to be atrial lawyer,” said Johnson, whois originally from Winnie, Texas.
“There’s really no better place than
this place to be. The advocacy
program suited me for what I want
to do in life.”
She enjoys Client
Counseling because of its
impromptu nature, what shecalls “a mixture of legal theory
and theatre.”“Client Counseling is fun
because you don’t know what’s
going to happen,” said Johnson,
who is set to graduate in February
2012. “They give you a topic of
the year. This year’s topic wasprofessional responsibility. All you
know is that your client will

News Brief

have a problem within that subject matter. You
don’t have a script. You just solve their problem.”
Johnson compares the Client CounselingCompetition to “taking a law school exam out loud.”In Moot Court the competitions are
more scripted. Overall, though, it is Johnson’s love
for quick thinking and public speaking thatallows her to compete well in varying kinds of
advocacy competitions.
“[In Moot Court], if you’re the petitioner you
get to go first and frame your story the way you
want, but I almost like being the respondent better
because you can just think on your feet, withouta script. You learn what the judges want and givethem something they love.”
Although they are very different, Johnson said
she does not have a favorite kind of competition.

“I like them for different things,” shesaid, “In Client Counseling you’re interactingwith a client, coming up with an answer as
fast you can and trying to make it sound likeyou rehearsed this all along. And Moot Court
is totally different. You’re giving a speech.
You can decide how closely you want tofollow the script.”
In both competitions Johnson
credits her success to the chemistry sharedby the team.
“The judges thought we had known
each other for years,” she said, “That’s why
we did so well.”
All this competing has kept Johnson
especially busy, even for a normally-busy
law student.
“There were times when I didn’t havemore than a couple of full weeks of classwithout taking a break for a trip; every
other week and half I was gone somewhere,”Johnson said. “We went to some amazing
places with good food and good people, but
it’s busy. My classes don’t stop, and I had towork to catch up on a lot of things.”
The weight would be heavier, though,if it were not for the flexibility of the Baylor
Law coaches, Johnson said.
“The coaches are really understanding
and flexible,” she said, “Both coaches had
selected certain days that were crunch time
for one team or the other. That was good. It
could have been worse if that wasn’t the case.”
After graduation, Johnson hopes
to become a trial lawyer. Ideally, she said,
she would like to work at a medium-sized
or small firm, in order to begin trial work
immediately.
“I hope to be at a firm where I could dothings similar to the competitions,” Johnsonsaid. “I think my experiences have prepared
me well for that type of situation.”

There weretimes when
I didn’t havemore than acouple of fullweeks of classwithout taking
a break fora trip; every
other week andhalf I was gonesomewhere.”– Brittney Johnson

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

7

Students work on a Habitat for Humanity house during fall orientation.

Baylor Law School
Receives the 2010
Commitment to Service
Award from Access toJustice Commission
8

The Docket C allNews BriefBaylor Law School
received the 2010 Law
School Commitment
to Service Award
that is presented by
the Texas Access toJustice Commission.
The award honors
the law school that has most distinguisheditself by actively educating its students about
access to justice issues, thereby carrying forward
one of the finest traditions of the legal profession.
It is open to each of the nine accredited law
schools in Texas. The Law School wasrecognized at the New Lawyer Induction
Ceremony on Nov. 22 in Austin.
“The profession of law is one of noblest
professions because of its emphasis on service
to others. At Baylor Law School, we stress toour students that our mission is to formin our students a commitment to service
and leadership within one’s profession andcommunity as well as ensure meaningful
public access to our system of justice,” said
Baylor Law Dean Brad Toben.
During the last few years, Baylor
Law School has implemented several new
programs that emphasize and increase theopportunities for students to participate
in pro bono work, as well as other service
activities. The Bear P.A.W.S. (People At
Work & Service) program encourages
Baylor Law students to become involvedin the surrounding community throughpro bono and community service work. The
program helps connect students with service
opportunities, tracks hours performed andrecognizes students for their service.
“We hope to expose students to theneeds of the Waco community and beyond;
impart to students the responsibility they
have as attorneys to serve; help students
learn to find time to serve while managing
a heavy workload; provide students witheducational experiences to enhance theclassroom learning experience; and develop
the desire in students to make pro bono worka priority once they begin practicing,” said
Heather Creed, assistant dean of Professional
Development & Student Relations.
Since its inception, students have
performed approximately 2,000 hours ofservice. The pro bono work undertaken by
students has included contacting potential
aid recipients through Lone Star Legal
Aid’s Public Benefits Project; volunteering
at the Advocacy Center for Crime Victims& Children; assisting attorneys with pro
bono adoptions; serving as Court Appointed
Special Advocates; analyzing evidence that
contributed to convictions through thelocal Innocence Project; working in the
Voter Protection Program; meeting withimmigrants through Catholic Charities ofCentral Texas - Waco Immigration Legal
Services; assisting with the People’s Law
School; and volunteering at the Greater
Waco Youth Law Advocacy Project.
In addition to the work the students
perform during the academic year,
Baylor Law School created Public Interest
Summer Fellowships to enable students

to intern during the summer for not-forprofit or governmental organizations
serving underrepresented populations.
Public interest employers for purposes ofthese fellowships included government
programs that serve indigent populations,not-for-profit organizations that serve
indigent populations, legal aid, and publicdefenders offices. The students worked
on various issues, including poverty andwelfare, domestic and family, immigration,
civil rights, workers’ compensation, andbankruptcy. In the summer of 2010,
Baylor Law School awarded $49,600
to fellows who worked a combined 124
weeks with organizations as far afieldas the Immigration Unit of AYUDA in
Washington, DC; & the Office of the Public
Defender on the island of Kauai, Hawaii.
Other service opportunities Baylor
Law School has undertaken include
hosting its fifth National Adoption Day
in November 2010 and holding its popular
People’s Law School in February 2011.
Beginning with the Fall 2010 academic
quarter, Baylor Law took an extra step incommunicating the importance of service byincorporating a community service project
into each entering class’s orientation. Eachclass has participated in projects benefiting
the Waco community. Organizations served
include Habitat for Humanity, the ReStore,
City of Waco (roadside and river clean-up),and Meals on Wheels. Approximately 150
students have participated.
The Texas Access to JusticeCommission was created in 2001 by theSupreme Court of Texas to develop andimplement policy initiatives designed to
expand access to and enhance the quality ofjustice in civil legal matters for low-income
Texans. The Commission has created several
initiatives to increase resources available to,and awareness of, legal aid programs.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

9News BriefF(far top) Former U.S. Supreme
Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor(above) Justice O’Connor
with Heather Creed, assistantdean of Professional Development& Student Relations

10

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ormer Supreme
Court Justice
Sandra Day
O’Connor is
disturbed that
U.S. school
children can
name the three
judges on“American Idol” but few can name thejustices on the U.S. Supreme Court. She
is setting out to change that through aninnovative website that engages children
while teaching them about the threebranches of government.
During a special dinner hosted by
Baylor Law School, O’Connor spoke about
her iCivics website with a group of Baylor
Law alumni, public school educators, andspecial guests, including Baylor University
President Ken Starr and Texas Supreme
Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson.
O’Connor was in Texas to generate interestin the free educational website.
“We are facing in our politicalculture a sad set of circumstances,” said
Baylor Law Dean Brad Toben. “Since thefounding of our nation, untold numbers
have sacrificed in the most profound ways,
including the loss of life, in our nation’s
service. Yet, despite the noble work of both
our forebears and our armed services today
in protecting our system of government,
many of our citizens, children andJustice
Sandra Day
O’ConnorReminds
BaylorLawyersof theImportanceof Civics
Education
adults alike, have but a hazy or
misbegotten knowledge of thevalues, underpinnings and historyof our great country. iCivics
addresses a pressing public policy
issue. We face in the public squarea yawning void of ignorance
and misinformation about theessentials of government and civic
life. This is an issue made all themore tragic in a time of drastic
cutbacks in the support of public
education. We are honored andblessed to have Justice O’Connor
not only speaking out forcefullyon this issue, but providing asolution, at least for the allimportant middle school years of
our children.”iCivics is a web-based
education project designed toteach students, particularly
those of middle school age, civics
and inspire them to be active
participants in the democratic
process. iCivics is the vision ofO’Connor, who is concernedthat students are not getting
the information and tools theyneed for civic participation, andthat civics teachers need better
materials and support. A generallack of understanding about theway the courts work led to its
creation, but since then iCivics
has expanded to also tackle thelegislative and executive branches
as well.

Baylor Law Dean Brad Toben, Beth Toben, Justice O’Connor, Judge Ken Starr

Baylor Law alumna Wendy
May, a partner at Hartline
Dacus Barger Dreyer LLP in
Dallas, serves as the iCivics Texas
coordinator and helped facilitate
the reception and dinner.
“I first became involved with
iCivics through my International
Association of Defense Counsel
membership,” May said. “I heard

Justice O’Connor speaks with Jeff Jury

Justice O’Connor speak about her
concern for the civics education
deficiency at one of the IADC’s
annual meetings. She was very
passionate about the need forintervention, and I was moved
to immediate action. Once you
spend any amount of time on thewebsite and see the tremendous
appreciation from the social

studies teachers for this freeresource with such excellent
quality, it becomes very easy to
devote significant time and energy
to this project. This resource
really has the potential to change
generations of Americans, making
our future leaders much more
informed citizens. It is hard not tobe passionate about it.”

Baylor Law Alumna Wendy May serves as
Texas Coordinator for iCivics

Since the launch of iCivics,
O’Connor has found thatstudents are enthusiastic about
the activities on the site, however
schools have been slow to adopt
iCivics into the curriculum.
“I hope that if we can get
Texas classrooms to use iCivics
lessons, then the rest of thecountry will follow,” she said.

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson
and Baylor President Ken Starr

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

11

I
Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett, Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht, Baylor President Ken Starr,
Texas Supreme Court Justice Dale Wainwright, and Justice Jan Patterson, formerly of the Texas Third Court of Appeals,presided at the finals of the M.D. Anderson Foundation Moot Court Competition.

Distinguished
Judges Panel
Presides at
M.D.Anderson
Foundation
Moot Court
Competition
12

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t’s not every day that Baylor
Law students get to present oral
arguments to a former U.S. Solicitor
General, three Texas Supreme Court
justices and a former justice of the
Texas Third Court of Appeals, but that isexactly what happened to Blayne Thompson,
Derik Scott, Hunter Oliver and Harrison
Powers. The four were the finalists in Baylor
Law School’s M.D. Anderson Foundation
Spring Moot Court Competition and delivered
their arguments to what has to be one of themost distinguished judges’ panel for a law
school competition.
Baylor President Ken Starr; Justices
Nathan Hecht, Dale Wainwright and Don
Willett of the Texas Supreme Court; and Justice
Jan Patterson, formerly of the Texas Third
Court of Appeals, presided at the finals. They
were joined by current Baylor Law students
Matt Czimskey and Matt Smith, winners of
Baylor Law’s fall 2010 Dawson & Sodd Moot
Court Competition. When the judges returned
their decision, Thompson and Scott emerged as
the winner in a close 4-3 vote.
“I was so grateful to be given theopportunity to just be in the same room as
the panel, let alone actually meet them anddeliver a case to them,” Scott said. “It was awonderfully pleasant occurrence to meet thepanel beforehand. Every single one of the judges
was personable and it felt almost easier to talkto them than it should have been.”
Thompson agreed, saying, “What an
opportunity for a first-year law student to
get to argue before such a distinguished andexperienced panel. It was extremely generous ofeach of them to take the time out of their busy
schedules to take part in this with us. It was
truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
The M.D. Anderson Foundation Moot
Court Competition, an internal competition for
Baylor Law students, ran for almost a month.
Sixty-nine teams entered the competition.
Students from the Appellate Advocacy Course
are required to participate, but many upperclassmen also choose to compete. All four of the
finalists began law school in fall 2010.

News Brief

Three
Baylor Law
Students
Selectedfor Texas
Access to
Justice
Internship
Program
By Brittany Hardy

Three Baylor Law Students were
accepted into the Texas Accessto Justice Internship Program.
Through this program, Lee Roy
Calderon, Brittany Cravens andBrittany Wray were awarded
the opportunity to participate
in internships with non-profit
providers of civil legal services.
For the summer of 2011, theCommission has partnered with six
legal services programs, offering a
total 26 eligible legal services offices.
Fifteen internships were available.
The internships are open to law
school students attending law school
throughout the country; however, atleast one student was selected fromeach of the nine Texas law schools.
A stipend of $400/week (a lumpsum of $4,000) was provided toevery student to help defray living
expenses. Students must commit toa 10-week placement.
The goals of TATJC program
are to encourage students to addresscivil legal problems of underserved
individuals and communities andto educate future attorneys about
those matters. Each law student
will receive hands-on training by
working with accomplished lawyers
and providing direct legal services to
low-income clients, while learning
about access to justice matters, legal
decision-making, advocacy skills,
attorney-client relationships, andlegal institutions.

Cravens worked at Legal
Aid of NorthWest Texas inWaxahachie. Interns were selected
through a process established by
TATJC, found online.
Calderon was employed by
Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid.
“Getting a job with TRLA
was fairly simple and done througha few phone calls, emails and a
resume submission,” Calderon said.
“After that, I had to apply for the
ATJ Fellowship to receive a stipend
and other benefits while employedwith TRLA.”
TRLA’s application processstrongly considers the applicant's
interests in working with
underprivileged communities.
“My volunteer work as anundergrad at University of Texas
for various organizations played a
big part in the application process,”
Calderon said.
Additionally, the application
involves specific skills andinterests that help law students
in employment with a legal aid
program.
“Working for TRLA’s
Edinburg office was always
something I wanted to do,” said
Calderon, who grew up in the Rio
Grande Valley and recognizes theneed for legal services for thoseunable to afford it. “ I was happy
when TRLA offered me the job andwould have done it for free because
it gives me an opportunity togain valuable legal experience in aregion that is very important to me.
Receiving a Texas ATJ Internshipwas icing on the cake, and I was
honored and humbled uponreceiving the award.”

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

13

News Brief

Baylor Law School
Claims Highest Pass Rateon Texas Bar Exam
For the 14th time since2001, Baylor Law School students
claimed the top pass rate on the
Texas State Bar Exam with 94.64
percent success rate, the highest
pass rate for students from thenine Texas law schools who took
the July 2010 exam. Of the 112
Baylor students who took thethree-day exam in July, 106 passedon their first try.

The overall state pass rate
was 86.37 percent, with 1470
successful candidates out of 1702
who took the exam for the firsttime. The University of Texas
was second behind Baylor with a
92.80 percent pass rate, while theUniversity of Houston was third
with a 90.39 percent pass rate.
“This is yet again proof
that our longstanding andBaylor Law
School Wins
Five Awards
at CASE
District
Conference
At the 2011 CASE (Council
for Advancement and Supportof Education) District III andIV Fusion Conference Feb.
20-23 in New Orleans, Baylor
Law School won five awards,
including two grand awards(gold), two awards of excellence(silver) and one special award

14

The Docket C all(honorable mention). CASE
recognizes achievements in theareas of marketing, advancement,
communications, alumni relations
and fundraising, among others.
Headquartered in
Washington, D.C., with offices in
London, Singapore and Mexico
City, CASE is an international

proven approach of integrating
the teaching of legal theory withpractical skills training is a model
for legal education that works(and is an approach heartily
endorsed in both the MacCrate
Report and the Carnegie Reporton Legal Education). I thankeach person, within and outsideof our school – faculty, staff,
our remarkable alumni, ouruniversity colleagues, and ofcourse our terrific students – allof whom by their hard work,
creativity, focus and ‘buy-in’ makethe consistent successes in our
program possible,” said Baylor
Law Dean Brad Toben.

professional association serving
educational institutions andadvancement professionals.
CASE District IV includes
more than 200 schools, colleges,
universities and other educationalorganizations in Arkansas,
Louisiana, New Mexico,
Oklahoma, Texas and Mexico.
Each of CASE's North American
districts offers awards programs
to recognize outstanding
programs and individuals.
Among other work, district
awards honor various categories
of work from annual reports to
websites to distinguished service
to new professionals.
CASE has 22,500 memberswith more than 3,400 colleges,
universities, independent
elementary and secondary
schools, and educational
associates in 68 countries.
CASE is one of the largest
nonprofit education associationsin institutional membership,
serving more than 60,000
advancement professionals.

2011 CASE District IV awards
to Baylor Law School
Category 4 - Most Improved
Alumni Program• Grand Award (Gold) - “BetterThan-Ever Reunion Weekend”
Category 51 - World Wide Web Page
• Grand Award (Gold) Baylor Law Prospective Students
Landing Page
Category 23 - Visual Design• Excellence Award (Silver) Annual or President’s Reports
Category 27 - Visual Design, Special Pieces• Excellence Award (Silver) Graduation Invitation
Category 53 - World Wide Web
Sub Site or Sections• Special Award - Visiting
and Living in Waco

Out with
the Old,
In withthe New

Have you visited Baylor Law’s
website lately? If not, then you arein for a wonderful surprise when
you launch www.baylor.edu/law.
In September, the Law School
unveiled a robust, user-friendly andvisually appealing website. The
new site features many elementsthat will engage alumni and otherconstituents. Read the latest faculty,
alumni and student news or view
our photo galleries and videos.
Click on one of our many calendars
and see what’s going on. Visit our
advocacy section to see competition
results. Read through Class Notes
or submit one of your own throughour alumni section. You can evenshare photos with fellow Baylor Law
alums or give online to Baylor Law.
So troll through the new site,
get to know it and share it withothers. And be sure to let us knowwhat you think. Email Berkley
Scroggins at Berkley_Scroggins@
baylor.edu or Julie Carlson at
Julie_Carlson@baylor.edu yoursuggestions on what would makethe law school website more useful
to you and others.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

15

The bidding was heated at the Professor Auction, which benefitted CASA.

CASA
the Big
Winner at
Inaugural
Professor
AuctionS

ome fierce
biddingwars
broke
out atan auction at Baylor
Law School, but the
big winner was the
Waco chapter of Court
Appointed Special
Advocates (CASA).
On Friday, Dec. 3,
Baylor Law’s Phi Alpha
Delta chapter held theinaugural Professor

16

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Auction in which
students and staff bid
on unique activities toshare with Baylor Law
professors. The auction
raised more than $2,800
for CASA.
“My mother’ssorority actually had
something similar when
she was in college. WhenI mentioned the idea toProfessor Bates, he told methat Harvard Law also hasa similar auction. He wasvery enthusiastic about
the idea,” said Ashley
Parker, president of Phi
Alpha Delta.
Bates’ “mystery
event” was one of the top
sellers of the auction, but
the highest priced item wasProfessor David Guinn’sskeet shooting and dinner,which fetched a whopping$380. Jordan Pauluhn
purchased this chance tospend an afternoon withthe legendary professor.
“This whole auction
was about the kids who
CASA helps. I knowthat if I imagine my very
worst day in law school,
it is nothing compared towhat these children haveto endure. I don’t mind
spending the money tohelp CASA put smiles on
their faces,” he said.
Another top itemat the auction was Prof.
Mike Rogers “Field
Trip to Ferrell.” Rogers,
who serves as Baylor
University’s faculty athletic
representative and chairof the NCAA Division
I amateurism cabinet,
took the winner to Baylor
basketball practice and tomeet with Baylor coaches
Kim Mulkey and Scott
Drew. A bidding war also
broke out for “Gumbo,
Grits, & Gravy,” in which
Prof. Connie Powell gave a
cooking lesson followed bya scrumptious dinner in
her home.
Other auction items
included three-on-threebasketball with Prof. Brian
Serr, a day of shoppingand fashion advice with
Prof. Bridget Fuselier,golfing with Prof. Luke
Meier, bowling with Prof.
Matt Cordon, a hike andbike and dinner with
Associate Dean Leah
Jackson, dinner and a
Baylor softball gamewith Dean Brad Toben,
attending the Baylor vs.
Kansas men’s basketballgame with Prof. Jill Lens,a Cajun cookout with
Prof. Fuselier, an outdoor
barbeque and campfire
with Prof. Rory Ryan,
and a run and dinnerwith Prof. Ron Beal. Law
student Reggie Blakeley
served as auctioneer.
“I am so proud of
the work of the student
volunteers who worked so

hard to make the auction
such a success,” said Baylor
Law Dean Brad Toben.
“Our students and mycolleagues understand,and embrace, the fact that
we are privileged to be apart of the profession, andwith that privilege comes
the obligation to serve.”
The auction wasanother way Baylor Law
students participate
in community service
activities. The Public
Interest Society andthe Law School hosted
Adoption Day ceremonies.
Law students also took
part in Service Saturday,
in which they helped
renovate a warehouseowned by Habitat for
Humanity, and eat lunch
once a week with students
at an inner city elementary
school. For its many
service activities, Baylor
Law School was awarded
the 2010 Law School
Commitment to Service
Award that is presented by
the Texas Access to JusticeCommission.

A Challenge to
Exercise theMind and BodyP

rofessor
Ron Beal
attendedeveninglawschool in
St. Paul,Minn.,
andworked full-time during the day.
This type of a schedule tended tocause him to eat the wrong foods
at the wrong times and virtually
never exercise. After playing footballand other sports in high school andcollege, this regime was a radical
change from the past. One day on theway to work, he felt miserable in themind and the body and decided to dosomething about it.
Beal decided to start jogging,which he had never done regularly
as an athlete, and to start eating
the right type of foods and not asmuch of them. His first excursion
out jogging was two blocks out fromhis apartment and two blocks back,which wholly exhausted him. He
did not quit and eventually lost 60
pounds. He has been jogging eversince 1978.
Over the years, he foundthat not only did jogging keep him
fit, it made him feel better, especiallyas to clarity of thinking. While
practicing law, he found jogging
relieved him of a great deal of tension,cleared his mind and gave him moreenergy to excel in the practice oflaw. Thus, regardless of the healthbenefits, regular exercise made him
a better lawyer.

Beal teaches LAPP in the 3rd
Quarter of the first year at Baylor
Law School. He noticed that a lotof students by then had given up
regular exercise, if they had everdone so, with the excuse that there
was no time to do it, and they weregenerally not eating well due to theirschedule. Therefore, in Spring 2011,
he challenged the Fall 2010 Class totry for 30 minutes of vigorous exercise
at least five days a week during thequarter. Weekly, he sent them all
articles demonstrating the benefits ofexercise to their body and mind. The
net result? Twenty-five students out of
105 met his challenge and received a“LAPP Exercise Nerd” T shirt.
“Needless to say, I wasdisappointed. Only a quarter of thestudents met the goal, which in fact
is the national average for adults who
exercise at least five days a week. I
could not convince more of them of
the benefits and that one always has
an hour a day to devote to fitness ofthe mind and the body. However, I
will not give up, and I will continue
to challenge each entering class with
the need to take care of the mind andbody. If not today, maybe someday
the message will be heard,” Beal said.

News Brief“I will not give up,
and I will continue tochallenge each enteringclass with the need totake care of the mind
and body.”– Ron Beal

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

17

Giving Backfocus Feature

Walt Shelton’s
Balancing Act

If Walt Shelton (JD ’89) were a circus performer, he would be up on thetightrope, amazing all with his feats of balance. By Franci Rogers

18

The Docket C allsponsorchairmanadvisorattorneysupervisor

professorBut this long-time Baylor
Law adjunct professor
executes a different kindof balancing act that is still
awe inspiring. After all, heis a law school professor who teaches threeenvironmental courses, advises students,
supervises externships and sponsors a
student organization; he chairs the law
school committee of the Environmental andNatural Resources Law Section (ENRLS)of the State Bar of Texas and is a former
member of its executive committee; andhe works as a successful private practiceattorney, and has been named in The Best

Lawyers in America for the last five years.
Through all his activities, Shelton maintains
his equilibrium and he is passing on thatknowledge of finding balance to Baylor
Law students.
A year after graduating from Baylor
Law School, where he graduated first in hisclass and was editor-in-chief of the Baylor
Law Review, Shelton returned as an adjunctprofessor to teach one class in Environmental
Law. He was working full-time at a successfulenvironmental law firm in Austin, Texas.
The father of two children, Shelton
commuted back and forth to Waco one day
each week, every other quarter for five years.

“I enjoyed that so much,” Shelton said.
“It was the only Environmental Law course
Baylor had at the time.”
In 1995, Shelton proposeda second course, Business and State
Issues in Environmental Law, to Dean
Brad Toben. The course was created, and
Shelton alternated teaching the introduction
class and the business issues class, every
other quarter.
“That was when I made my own
vocational choice, you could say,” said
Shelton. “I wanted to prioritize teaching.
Practicing law is what I like to do. Teaching iswhat I love to do.”B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

19

“I wanted
to prioritizeteaching.
Practicing
law is what
I like to do.
Teaching iswhat I love
to do.”

walt

shelton

20

The Docket C allTwo years later, Shelton proposed athird course, Natural Resource Protection
and Water Law. When he began teachingthat course, he considered himself apermanent, part-time adjunct professor.
Shelton now keeps an apartment in
Waco, and goes home to Austin for part ofeach week. Now that his children are grown,
his wife (a second-grade teacher) joins him
in Waco during the summers.
“When the kids were younger, it was
harder for me not to be home. I made day
trips for many, many years. Time with mykids was more important than anythingelse,” he said. “The hardest thing about myunique work life is that I’m really a homebody. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”Shelton does maintain his own
Austin practice, where he focuses mainlytransactional and regulatory matters.
Prior to going solo, Shelton was part ofenvironmental practice groups with Baker
Botts, L.L.P., and Haynes and Boone, L.L.P.
He has expertise in issues associated withremediation of contaminated properties,
brownfield programs, and water quality.
He also has substantial experience inenvironmental aspects of real estate,
corporate, lending, and other transactional
matters. He also works extensively with theState Bar of Texas, serving as the chair of thelaw school committee of the Environmental
and Natural Resources Law Section. He
was also a past member of the Executive
Committee of ENRLS.
In addition to his teaching duties
at the law school, Shelton acts as facultysponsor to the Baylor Environmental
and Natural Resource Law Society. The
society is the sponsor of Baylor’s annual
Environmental Forum, held each spring.
Each year, the society selects a topic ofcontemporary interest and brings experts on
the subject to a one-day summit.
Juggling all those responsibilities isnothing new for Shelton, and it’s a skill hehopes he passes on to his law students.
“The first year of law school is brutal
for everyone; my first year of law school, I
was also my son’s soccer coach,” said Shelton.
“I tell my students that law school is awonderful time to work on finding balancein your life.”

S

heltonearned his
undergraduate
degree in history
from the Universityof Texas (1977,
summa cum laude),and a Master ofArts in Religion
from Baylor (1979, magna cum laude).
“I had a hard time deciding what I
wanted to be, what I wanted to do,” he said.
“I never had an inclination to go to law
school. My wife suggested it once, and I told
her, ‘No way.’” So Shelton entered the workforce, as an insurance adjuster, a job he held
for seven years.
“It really was beneficial to me
to have the perspective and time working
with a lot of lawyers,” he said. “I got to knowsome of them pretty well, and they changed
my perception of law practice. I saw thatwhat they were doing was important tomany people.”
Shelton continued to work as an
adjuster during his first year of law school,
adding another element to try to balance.
“I remember running from the end ofclass to the student union to make calls tosettle claims,” he recalled. “But it really wasgood training. It led me to what I was reallypassionate about.”
And no one can mistake what
Shelton’s true passion is about: teaching.
Professor Ron Beal, who was first oneof Shelton’s teachers and is now a colleague,
admires Shelton’s passion.
“He truly enjoys life, and so he does
what he loves to do,” Beal said. “He has anunbelievably successful law firm in solo
practice, is really respected by everyone as
an excellent lawyer, and is also an amazingteacher. The faculty here truly appreciates
him, and the students do, too.”

Although Shelton is technically an
adjunct, Beal doubts that many students
realize he is not a full-time professor.
“He advises students; he whollydeveloped the environmental externshipprogram; he acts like a full-time
professor. He’s just not here all the time,”
said Beal. “But he is so dedicated to thisschool and his students.”
While it’s not typical for an adjunctto have so many roles within a school,
Beal contends that there is not much that’s“typical” about Shelton.
“He’s an excellent environmental
lawyer, but he’s not the typical one who sits
in a plush office raking in money,” Beal said.
“But then, he’s not a typical professor either.
I guess that’s just who he is. He goes beyond
what’s expected.”
To Shelton, however, going beyond iswhat he expects from himself.
“I am most thankful to Baylor andespecially to Dean Toben for giving me theopportunity to be a part of the faculty anddo what I do, including expanding my roleover the last 20-plus years,” Shelton said. “I
don’t see an end to what I do here. At somepoint, I see reducing my time practicing; but
retirement – or semi-retirement – for me,
may be what I do here at Baylor.”

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

21

Feature Focus

Giving back

When it Comes
to Winning,
Little’s Big League
By Franci Rogers“It is suchan honor to
be get that
one-on-one
coaching by
someonelike Robert,
who truly
understands
how tomake youbetter in the
courtroom.”— Wes LeRouax

W

hen Robert Little started his undergraduate
studies at Baylor University, the politicalscience major didn’t know what he wanted
to do after graduation. But he knew hedefinitely didn’t want to be an attorney.
“I’m not sure why I was so set against it,” Little said. “My father
is an attorney, and I guess I was just trying to make my own mark.”
By his junior year, however, Little realized that he was not only
drawn to the legal field, but that he had a real talent for it. He began

22

The Docket C all

making plans to attend Baylor Law. He graduated from Baylor in2002 and the law school in 2005.
“I was on the debate team. I really enjoyed the intellectual
sparring and the give and take of making a good argument,” he said.
“Now I love to litigate; it’s a natural extension of debate. That’s thepart of my job I love.”
As a litigator at Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee in Waco, Little’s
practice touches a little bit of everything that’s done at the firm. He
has worked on toxic torts, insurance defense, commercial litigation,

Robert Little gives his advice during a Tournament of Champions Practice Session.

much rather learn that inschool with a great coachthan in a federal judge’s
courtroom with a client
sitting next to me.”That honest
feedback is what Yearickcollections matters,
teams, having won bothyouth may be considered credits to helping her toproduct liability and some tournaments and national a pitfall by some,overcome being timid infamily law & appellate law. championships.
the courtroom.
Powell believes it is“I like the stuff“My favorite thing“I’m more confident
one of the reasons Little
that’s really intellectually
about mock trials isthan I ever was before,”is so successful.
challenging,” he said.
that it reminds me of all“Robert communicates she said. “It’s the greatest“Especially doing
the things I love about
thing he’s given me.”with the students very
appellate work and statute being a lawyer,” Little
Wes LeRouax,
well,” he said. “He speaks
work, you have to get into said. “I loved it when I
another team member
their language, and they
complicated minutiae, and was in school. It gave me
who graduated in therelate to him as well.
I love it. I like the stuff I
more confidence in thespring, also feels likeHe just brings so much
don’t know, but I can learn courtroom and just made enthusiasm to it. If you’re Little is a big part of hisabout. It makes it fun.”me a better lawyer. And
confidence.
going to succeed, you
Little brings histhat’s what I hope it gives need to have enthusiasm,“I really feel like I
passion for his work
to my students now.”
have the ability to try aand he has that. His
to students at Baylor
His former Baylor
students feel that and get case in my first year out ofLaw, where he coaches
Law professors have nolaw school,” he said. “Andcaught up in it, too.”mock trial and mootdoubt that he is bringing
that’s the dream! That’sAshley Yearick,court teams. In fact, hethat and much more totremendous! Mock trial
a team member whocoaches Baylor’s teams
his students.
teams gave me that ability
graduated in the spring,for two of the top three“He was just very
and confidence.”
agrees that Little’s
competitions in thegood as a young trial
LeRouax also agrees
enthusiasm is contagious.
nation: the Tournament
lawyer in practice court,”that those lessons didn’t“He cares so muchof Champions (to which
said Gerald Powell,always come easy.
about his students,
only 16 schools are
the Abner V. McCall“He’ll push you asbeyond winning theinvited) and the National Professor of Evidence.
competition or even being a coach. He’s not afraid
Trial Competition (where “We put him on a mocka good lawyer,” she said. “I to tell you when you dothe top 28 out of 300
trial team, and he won afeel like he cares about his bad, that it was terrible,”teams compete).
national championship.
he said. “But by the end,
students individually.”
During the season
In fact, the first year heit will be the best. That’s
That’s not to(which lasts for about
was on the team, he won
where he turns on thesay, however, that hefive weeks, twice a year),every competition hemagic. He really forces
isn’t tough.
he and his team practicewent to.”“He’s very straight- us to work harder andabout three hours a day,As a coach and aharder to be the best. It is
forward and direct,”
five to six days a week.
mentor, he brings thatsuch an honor to be get
Yearick said. “He’s neverHis dedication
experience as a studentthat one-on-one coaching
going to tell you it’shas brought a great
and as a young lawyer toby someone like Robert,
ok if it’s not, and he isdeal of success to thehis students. And while
who truly understands
brutally honest. But I’d

how to make you betterin the courtroom.”
And while he ispushing his students,
Little is also pushinghimself. It’s in his nature,according to Powell who,
having gone to bothundergraduate and law
school with Little’s father,has known Little since hewas born.
“Robert is going to
be an outstanding trial
lawyer in Texas; he justneeds the experience to
get there. He’s got theability and the brains,”
Powell said. “He’s alreadya formidable opponent
for anybody, and he canharness that and pass it
on to his own students isa great thing.”

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

23

Jaworski Fellows
Provide a New
Point of View for
a Time-Honored
ProgramFeature Focus

N
The program is namedfor Baylor Law’s favorite son,Col. Leon Jaworski, who
graduated from Baylor Law School
in 1925 and went on to become
Watergate special prosecutor
and managing partner of theinternational firm that bears his
name – Fulbright & Jaworski.
Seven alumni – John Minton,
Jack Ayres, George Chandler,David Hill, Mark Mann, Kyle
Dreyer and Carol Traylor – have24

Giving Backo one can quibble that Professors Gerald Powell, Jim Wren and Jeremy Counseller
provide a plethora of wisdom in the art of trial advocacy to Practice Court students,
but sometimes a different perspective is a good thing. Providing that different
approach to students is the reason for Baylor Law’s new Jaworski Fellows program.
“We believe that only outstanding trial lawyers and judges can provide
outstanding trial advocacy training,” said Powell, director of Practice Court and theAbner V. McCall Professor of Evidence Law. “We also recognize that Baylor Law
alumni include some of the best trial advocates in the nation. The Jaworski Fellows
Program brings the expertise of these outstanding alumni to our students.”

completed the program. Anotherseven alumni are actively meeting
the requirements.
“Everyone has beenenthusiastic about the
program. We have a broadarray of practice areas & venues
represented among those whoare participating in the program.
The biggest hurdle we have faced
is scheduling,” Powell said.
	Each Jaworski Fellow
candidate commits to spend

five afternoons during theyear supervising Practice
Court exercises in one of thecourtrooms. After consultation
with the full-time PC facultyon teaching methods andprocedures, each candidate
observes the regular faculty
critiquing advocacy exercises.
Then, the Jaworski Fellow
conducts advocacy exerciseswith students in both jury
selection and jury trial exercises.

With the completion of thisrequirement, these lawyers andjudges are designated Jaworski
Fellows and may return in
subsequent years to supervise
additional advocacy exercises.
	Mann became involved
with the program approximately
two years ago when four students
traveled to Rusk County topresent motions for summary
judgment and responses to local
district judge Clay Gossett.

“I would say my general experience
with the program in going to the trials has
been worth the drive and worth the time. I
always pick up something that is said or donethat I would like to use in my practice, andhopefully, I have given some good suggestions
that have been useful to the students inimproving their advocacy skills,” Mann said.
Hill, Ayres and Mann admit that the
program does require time on their part, but
all feel that they owe the law school so much,that they are willing to put in the hours. They
also enjoy meeting the new crop on future
Baylor Lawyers.
“Our students need and our faculty andadministration deserve all the support that
we can give them as alumni of this great law
school. To most of us, it is the tireless work ofother lawyers, judges, and professors that madewho we are today. I feel we have an obligation
to give back to our profession and to our law
school,” Ayres said.

He also has been particularly helpful
to students during voir dire exercises.
“After participating in several exercises,
I decided that it would be advisable to try tohelp the students a little bit more with someof their voir dire skills. In conjunction with anumber of lawyers and judges who gave freelyof their time, and we put together the ‘Jaworski
Fellows Voir Dire project,’ which was thengiven to the students,” Ayres said.

The 19-page instruction manualaddresses the nuts and bolts of jury selection.
Suggestions include forgoing notes whenaddressing the panel (notes cause the attorney
to break eye contact and is a distraction); what
to do if the case has received media attention;
identifying adverse jurors; and experiencing
stereotypes on a jury, among others.
May graduate Jennifer Salim said
she thinks the Jaworski Fellows program
adds to the Practice Court experience.
Traylor supervised voir dire and also critiqued
Salim’s Big Trial.
“Baylor Lawyers have the same skill
set but they have different styles,” Salim
said. “I liked that she offered very practicaladvice, especially during voir dire, andprovided feedback to each individual student.
It was clear that she knew what she is talking
about. It also was great seeing a successful
female trial lawyer.”

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

25

T

hese alumni
also takethe time tothoroughly
research thecases they
have been assigned, just as though
they were going to court.
“I always request that thelawyers (students) send to me thecase, as well as summaries anddepositions, so that I can get atrue idea as to the issues,” Hillsaid. “I want to see the bad facts,
because that is where a trial lawyer
really earns his keep, handling thebad stuff. You must formulate astrategy to attack it because theother side is certainly going toparade it against you. I want toencourage young lawyers to thinkcreatively outside a sterile fact
pattern and figure a way to stretch
and persuade the folks in the box
to go their way. They must think,what is it about this case that thejurors are going to want addressed
and answered, if they could ask
the questions.”
The Jaworski Fellows arewilling to put in the time. They
see the program as a way to pay
forward the time others took
to share their expertise to make
Baylor students better lawyers.
But they also want to emphasize
to students the importance of trialby jury even if the student has nointerest in becoming a trial lawyer.
“When I graduated, it wasso much easier to get a trial,”
Hill said. “We were able to try
worker’s comp cases and personal
injury cases often. Unfortunately,that opportunity has vanished,
and getting in front of a jury has
become so much more difficult intoday’s legal environment.”

26

The Docket C all

Mann concurs. “Theprogram is important to me
because I think it is one of theways that we help preserve
trial by jury, which is certainly
under attack in our nation.
There has to be a way for law
students to know that advocacy isimportant, not only for the clients
but for the preservation of thelegal system,” he said.
The Jaworski Fellows
encourage more trial lawyer
alumni to become involved
with the program but they
have no intention of riding
away into the sunset.
“I would cautiously
encourage any Baylor trial
lawyer to become involved in
the program, but only if they arewilling to expend the time to get
to know the trials that are being
presented,” Hill said. “Cautiously,
because I do not want anyone
to take my spot. I enjoy it thatmuch. We, as Baylor lawyers,
are privileged to stand on theshoulders of those great Baylor
lawyers before us, those whotaught us, and the great reputationof Baylor Law School. Givingback what we can really shouldcome naturally.”

Jaworski Fellow Jack Ayres works with a student during Big Trial.

“I want toencourage young
lawyers to thinkcreatively outside asterile fact pattern
and figure a way
to stretch andpersuade the folks
in the box to go
their way.”— David Hill

focus Feature

Giving BackJ ud g e J i m C law s o n , J r .

Transforming
Dreams into
Reality
By Davin Allen

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

27

J ud g e J i m C law s o n , J r .

R

aised in the lean and austere circumstances of the Great
Depression, as one of 14 children, Judge Jim Clawson, Jr., wasdetermined to get an education… and “get in the war.” Little did
he know, his wartime zeal would be his ticket to study at Baylor
Law and the launching pad for his future success.

Judge Clawson(JD ’48) enlisted in the
Army Air Corp after two
years of college in San
Marcos and after spendinga short time working inan aircraft assembly plant,
impassioned to help seize
the World War II victory.
Destiny struck again.
While at aviationtransition school in Del Rio,it was the voice of an angel inthe church choir that struck
the chords of Jim’s heart.
That angel, Mary, became

28

The Docket C all

his wife a year later, andtogether, they embarked
on a journey seasoned
with generosity and faithfor the impossible.
V-E Day, the closing
scene of World War II,
brought excitement, peace
and the opportunity torekindle old dreams. “In
1941, I had gone to Baylor
Law School to see if there
was any way in the world I
could go to school without
spending any money—andI received the bad news,”

Judge Clawson recalled,jokingly. “Then, with theend of World War II andwith the G.I. Bill available asa scholarship, and my smart,industrious wife, I went tolaw school.” Mary gave up
her educational pursuits towork to ensure the judge
could accomplish his.
The next few years
proved to be a formative
time in Judge Clawson’s
journey. He studied under
extraordinary professors
such as Abner McCall,

“All of us can give something.
If you make it a habit to givesomething every year, then thefirst thing you know, it all amounts
to something big.”
former Baylor President andAssociate Justice of the Texas
Supreme Court, and developed
an “insatiable curiosity about
the law” that has been acornerstone for his career. Judge
Clawson became a servant to theRule of Law, concluding the law
makes every decision rather
than personal bias or opinion.
And with that, he can sleep
easy at night.
He has never soughtpromotions, but good rapport,diligence and impartiality have
paved the way for his career.
From modest beginnings as alawyer in Houston to presiding
judge of the third administrative
judicial region, where he oversaw
29 counties, to his current seat asa senior district judge of Texas,
the escalation of Judge Clawson’s
appointments is a testament
to his character and integrity.
However, when he and Mary
count their blessings, they always
trace the line of success directly
back to Baylor Law.
“Some people go to
Baylor Law School and earn an
education that absolutely changes
their lives and makes all things
possible for them, but they don’treact by sending somethingback to Baylor,” Judge Clawsoncommented. “I think you owe it
to yourself to repay, in some way,
for all the goodness that comes toyou for being a Baylor Lawyer.”

Filled with deep gratitude
for his education and esteem
for the caliber of lawyers who
graduate from Baylor Law
School, Judge Clawson was eager
to establish a scholarship, but heand Mary hadn’t accumulated
many assets. Through the help of
the dean of the Law School at thetime, the Clawsons discoveredthat they could donate the 4-acrepiece of land they owned andbegin their legacy of impacting
generations through the James F.
& Mary Louise Clawson Baylor
Law School Scholarship Fund.
“There wasn’t any way inthe world that Mary and I could
give $40,000, if it weren’t for theland,” Judge Clawson explained.
“There are a few Baylor graduates
who make millions and can givea whole lot, but all of us can givesomething. If you make it a habit
to give something every year,
then the first thing you know, it
all amounts to something big.”Judge Clawson
has lived
more than
the adventureof a lifetime
from thetarmac to thecourtroom—he has intentionallyinvested in generations tocome. Beyond sending his own
two daughters to Baylor andmentoring Baylor Law students,
Judge Clawson has regularly
made financial gifts to
Baylor almost every year since
his graduation.
Jim and Mary Clawson’sforesight and indelible generosity
has already resulted in morethan 19 Baylor students receivingmuch needed support to fulfill
their dream of a Baylor Law
education. And their impact ismultiplying as several recipients
have already begun giving back.
Jonathan Brush, associatewith Rogers, Morris & Grovers,
L.L.P., held high aspirations for
his future as a lawyer, but it was
the Clawsons’ scholarship thattransferred his hopes into reality.
At Baylor Law School, he gained
the practical skills necessary
to bring justice through civil
litigation and excel as a legal
professional.
“Scholarships madeBaylor Law affordable for me,”Brush recalled. “And because theClawson’s gift, among others,

made it possible for me to receivea Baylor Law education, I always
wanted to give back and help
provide someone else’s way.”
We hope you, too, will join
the Clawsons and Brush in theirventure to empower the next
generation of Baylor Lawyers.
Through The President’s
Scholarship Initiative, President
Starr has called the entire Baylor
Nation to respond to the growing
financial need. To learn how you
can rally behind this three-year
initiative to raise $100 million
for student scholarships, contact
Julie Corley at 254.710.8799 orJulie_Corley@baylor.edu or visit
www.baylor.edu/law/give to
make your gift to an endowed
scholarship fund.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

29

focus FeaturE| Giving Back

Networking and
Fellowship are Goals
of Dallas Alumni
Gatherings
By V i n c ent J . A ll en , J d ’ 9 9Baylor lawyers
in Dallas
now meetquarterly toreconnectwith oldclassmates and meet new
friends. Historically, the Baylor
Law Alumni Association andthe Law School have co-hosted
receptions and lunches in many
cities throughout the state on
a rotating three-year cycle.
Lawyers in Dallas thought itwould be beneficial to meet ona more regular basis. With thehelp of the Law School and thesponsoring law firm, Carstens& Cahoon, the first reception
took place in June of 2010 at

30

The Docket C all

the Tower Club in downtown
Dallas and was attended bymore than 50 Baylor Lawyers.
A steering committee
comprised of a number of Baylor
Lawyers practicing in Dallas
was set up to help organize
events and select a Baylor Lawyerof the Month to be honored
at each reception. The lawyers
selected for the honor wererecognized at the receptions
and on Baylor Law’s website.
Thus far, Ike Vanden Eykel (JD’73) and Marilea Lewis (JD ’78)
have been recognized. Federal
District Judge Ed Kinkeade (JD’74), who was selected as the
Baylor Lawyer of the Year by the
Law School, was also honored at

one of the events.
The receptions have been
well received by the Baylor Law
community in Dallas. Baylor
Lawyers and their firms have
lined up to sponsor the events,
with sponsorship commitments
filled for the remainder of theyear. Previous sponsors include:• Vincent Allen (JD ’99) of
Carstens & Cahoon, LLP;
• James Greer (JD ’98) of Kane
Russell Coleman & Logan;• Andy Payne (JD ’94) andTodd Ramsey (J.D. ’96) ofPayne Mitchell Law Group;• Collen Clark (JD ’90) of the
Clark Law Firm;• Jeff Domen (JD ’00, B.A.
‘97), Kevin Fuller (JD ’84),

Ike Vanden Eykel ( JD ’73), andAmber Steiss Rechner( JD ’09)
of Koons Fuller;• Angela Buchanan (JD ’09
BBA ’06), Travis Gamble(JD ’97, BBA ’92), David Kent
( JD ’78, BA ’75), Neil Rambin(JD ’79, BA ’76), Vance Wittie(JD ’85, BA ’83), Alan Vickery(JD ’86, BBA ’83), and George
McCall (JD ’77) of Sedgwick.
Brett Lamb (JD ’99)
of Gardere has committed tosponsor a future reception.

One winter event washeld during the week Dallas
experienced an unrelenting
ice and snow storm. Dean
Brad Toben and director ofdevelopment Julie Corley werescheduled to be in attendance
and made it as far as the Trinity
River, but turned around after
seeing one too many accidents

on the interstate. Despite the ice
and snow, many Baylor Lawyers
risked life and limb to attend
the reception at Payne Mitchell’s
offices, where the Booker T.
Washington Jazz Ensemble
entertained guests as stories weretold about recent experiences
driving on ice.
If you are in the Dallas

area and have not been receiving
notice of the events, we ask thatyou update your email address
with the Law School at www.
baylor.edu/law/alumni/updateor e-mail Berkley Scroggins,
Assistant Director of Alumni
Relations at Berkley_Scroggins@
baylor.edu. You can also receive
notice of future Dallas events by

joining the Baylor Law Networkgroup on Facebook.
If you would like tosponsor a future event, or if
you are not in the Dallas area
and are interested in setting up
similar events in your area, pleasecontact Scroggins at Berkley_
Scroggins@baylor.edu or call her
at 254.710.4546.

Vincent Allen, JD ’99, Todd Ramsey, JD ’96, Jeff Domen, JD ’00, and James Greer, JD ’98, have hosted Dallas Baylor Lawyer receptions.

Dallas Baylor Lawyer Steering Committee
Vincent J. Allen (JD ’99) isa partner at Carstens & Cahoon,
an intellectual property law boutiquein Dallas. He is a Baylor Law
Alumni Association Executive
Committee member. He spearheads
the organization of regular meetings
in the Dallas area.

Vincent Allen, JD ’99

Jeff Domen, JD ’00, BA ‘97

Hunter Lewis, JD ’10, BA ‘07

Carstens & Cahoon, LLP

KoonsFuller, PC

Matt Anderson, JD ’94

Susan Duesler, JD ’07

McCurley Orsinger McCurley
Nelson & Downing, L.L.P.

Munck Carter, LLP

Susan E. Duesler

Angela Buchanan, JD ’09,
BA ‘06

Carmen Eiker, JD ’78

Todd Ramsey, JD ’96
Payne Mitchell

Sedgwick, LLP

McCurley Orsinger McCurley
Nelson & Downing, L.L.P.

Michael Clark, JD ’96

James Greer, JD ’98

Quilling, Selander, Cummiskey& Lownds, P.C.

Kane Russell Coleman & Logan,
PC

Louis Cole, JD ’71, BA ‘68

Brett Lamb, JD ’99

Louis I. Cole, PC

Kim Young, JD ’81
Northern Trust

Gardere, LLP

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

31

A

Upon dischargengus

Bryan, and then attended

StewartTexas A&M University

from the Army after World

McSwain,from 1940-1943, when he

War II, he reentered Texas

Jr., deanenlisted in the United States

A&M and graduated with aemeritus

Army. He reached the rank

Bachelor of Science degreeof Baylor School of Law,of 1st Lieutenant in thein civil engineering in 1947.

died on Sunday, May 29,

Corps of Engineers. With

Engineering was not to be

2011. Services were held

his engineering training at

his career, however. One of

Wednesday, June 1, at the

A&M, Angus was assigned

his duties during the war had

Austin Avenue United

to a Treadway Bridge

been serving as a trial judge

Methodist Church with theCompany, which was a unit

advocate in court martial

Rev. Chris Mesa officiating.

that erected river bridges

proceedings in his unit, even

Gerald Powell, the Abner V.

so that troops, equipment,

though he wasn’t a lawyer

McCall Professor of Evidence

and supplies could cross. His

at the time. This “little taste

Law at Baylor Law School,

unit served with the Seventhof lawyering,” as he referreddelivered the eulogy (seeArmy in the European

to it, led to an illustrious

page 35).

Theater of Operations,career. Though he had neverAngus McSwain

arriving in France in earlythought of becoming a

was born in Bryan, Texas,

1945. His company hadlawyer before the war, Angus

on November 26, 1923. Hereached within 100 miles ofdecided to attend law school.

graduated from Stephen

Munich, Germany, when the

He received an LL.B. from

F. Austin High School in

war ended on May 5, 1945.

Baylor University School

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

33

law in Waco. Andy and his wife,

Sunday school, served on many

Chris, have one son, Angus

church committees, and was a

Stewart McSwain, of whom

pillar of the church community.

Angus was particularly proud.

And as he said to the Sunday

He was predeceased by his

school class he taught: “It isparents, Angus S. McSwain,

not the work of a minute, orSr., and Lois Pipkin McSwain;a week, or a year. The goingas well as his two brothers,

is rough. But every day, as we

Edward Pipkin McSwain andmake decisions that seemJames Brooks McSwain.

small and unimportant, we areSurvivors include his

fitting together the pieces ofsister, Mary Lois McSwain

the pattern which will show theBland; and her children Marsha,

pictures of our real self.”
Angus McSwain createdBruce, Lisa, Gay, & their families.

Angus and Betty Ann McSwain in front of Morrison Constitution Hall.

of Law in 1949, with highest

articles in law reviews andhonors, and an LL.M. from thelegal journals. He was named

University of Michigan in 1951.

a Master Teacher by Baylor

Before he graduated

University in 1990. He wasfrom law school, McSwain's

named Baylor Lawyer of thelife took another change inYear in 1984.

direction. Judge Abner McCall,of the State Bar of Texas

School, approached him about

responsible for codifying thejoining the Baylor Law faculty.

modern era of marital property

He was promoted to Professor

rights in the 1960s, Deanof Law in 1956, and became the

McSwain was the architect ofDean of the Law School in 1965.

numerous provisions of the

He served in that capacity for

Texas Family Code, drafting its

19 years. As Dean, McSwain

marital property provisions.

was instrumental in

He retired from teaching in

integrating minority students

2008, but continued to teachinto Baylor, and he led Baylor

Texas Land Practice and

Law School to a position ofJurisprudence until recently. His

preeminence in legal education,

students included the children

with a unique emphasis on

and grandchildren of his priorteaching excellence.

students. Dean McSwain is

Recognized as an expert

revered by his colleagues, his

in Property Law, the course hestudents and all who had thetaught for more than 40 years,

privilege of working with him.

were long time members oflife – it is a genuine masterpiece.

the Austin Avenue United
Methodist Church. He taught

Alvan Wells, president of Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity, with Baylor Law Dean Angus McSwain
during the fraternity’s annual alumni breakfast in November 1969.

Angus McSwain wascourses in Trusts & Estates,

preceded in death by his

Estate Planning, Administration

wife of 46 years, the formerof Estates, Texas Land Practice,

Betty Ann McCartney. They

Domestic Relations, Oil &had one son, Angus EarlGas, Civil Procedure, Torts,“Andy” McSwain, who wasConstitutional Law, Local

born on Angus' birthday inGovernment, Insurance, and1958. Andy, also a graduate

Jurisprudence. He co-authoredof Baylor Law School and afour books and numerous

student of his father, practices

34

by his works a picture of his own

Chairing the committee

then Dean of Baylor Law

Dean McSwain also taught

Angus and Betty Ann

Angus McSwain visits the old Coca-Cola bottling plant.
The Docket C allA young Angus McSwain in front of the Baylor Drug Store in 1955.

Eulogy to Angus Stewart McSwain, Jr.
By Gerald Powell, the Abner V. McCall Professorof Evidence and Master TeacherI

invite you to go backbook containing … the law. And

springing executory interests.

case you knew for sure that you

with me to the Fall of

he really never looks at it.

And we struggled over whether

would be called upon to discuss

1974. The Viet Nam“This is a course in the

we had a Possibility of Reverter,

the next case in the casebook.

war is winding down.

law, that is to say, that is, in theor merely a Reversionary

And so on down the row. And of

Watergate is on everyone’s

law of, that is, property.” Baylor

Interest? Our heads throbbed

course, since you could predict

mind. And I am oblivious tolawyers have been imitating

trying to understand thesea day in advance which case you

both. I am a 22-year-old Baylor

Angus McSwain for 60 years.

seemingly archaic legal

would have, you felt a great deal

law student, in my first class

And it is the sincerest of flattery.

principles, each of which toof pressure to get it right andof law school. I sit in Room 105

We didn’t realize it at

Dean McSwain was mere meatbe very knowledgeable about

and potatoes.

the particular case – the Deanof Morrison Constitution Hall.

the time, but Angus Stewart

Robert Little, you are there by

McSwain, Jr., was about to

He drew it on thewould expect it. We read themmy side. Brad Toben, you’rechange our lives. It didn’t takeblackboard for us. There wasall, of course… but we each gave

there too. And so are you, Louie

long at all for us to learn that hethe oft conveyed tract of land

extra attention and preparation

Gohmert. We are waiting forwas brilliant. It wasn’t just thatknown as Blackacre: “O to A forto “my case.” It gave us all a

the arrival of our professor,

he knew the law of property;

life, with a remainder to B.”

feeling of security, maybe eventhe legendary Dean Angus

he was the law of property. We

Part of this course

safety, in knowing exactly what

McSwain. His name, of course,

sat mesmerized as he taught us

required students to read

would happen and knowing wescares us. We have visions ofthat ancient body of law, deeply

cases from a casebook, andwere ready for it.

a Scottish Highland chieftain

rooted in medieval England.

the professor called on themBut sometimes, thewielding a verbal claymore

He spoke with reverence ofto discuss the cases in class.

natural order of things shifted.

broadsword. And in he walks.

the Rule Against Perpetuities,

It is always a terrifying thing

You see, occasionally weHe’s 51 years old, not quite as

the Rule in Shelley’s case, thefor a law student. But Dean

would hear him say, “the nexttall as a Highland chieftain. He

Fertile Octogenarian rule

McSwain had his own way ofcase is really, that is, not that

doesn’t seem fearsome, in fact,

and its polar opposite, thedoing this – we called it theimportant, I think we will

he appears quite gentle. He has

Precocious Toddler rule. And“Dean’s Beam.” He would go

skip it, that is to say, movea reddish complexion, blackthen there was the Unborn

down the rows, focusing on

on, that is, to the next case inglasses, somewhat bookish it

Widow rule and the Doctrine ofstudents, not randomly, but

the casebook, ... Mr. Powell.”seems to us. And in fact he has

Worthier Title. We labored overin order, so that if your class

If you listened carefully youa large book under his arm, amind-numbing concepts like

mate to the right got a certain

could always hear soft gasping

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

35

Human character isbuilt up of the innumerable
and apparently insignificant
choices a person must makein the course of a lifetime.”– Angus Stewart McSwain, Jr.
small and unimportant, we areplanner and the organizer. But

fitting together the pieces of

it didn’t take long before Angus

the pattern which will show the

took up where Betty Ann left

pictures of our real self.”

off – he invited the neighbors
to go to the Greek Food

Angus McSwain received the Herbert H. Reynolds Award during Homecoming in 1992.

By his choices, his

Festival with him, and then atdecisions, his actions, great

Christmas there were goodies

and small, Angus touched

for each household on thethe lives of so many people.

street. Every 4th of July Angus

Consider his students. Judgewould give the invocation at

Leonard Davis sent me an

our neighborhood parade.

email: “I can say without any

And then one time he hosted asounds. And then the next ten

In fact, my brother, Bob, met

reservation that I would notdinner at his house. He put out

law students would frantically

his wife, Penny, when they bothbe where I am today if he had

the good table cloths and the

begin turning pages in theattended Angus’ college classnot taken a chance on letting

good china and every salad fork

casebook. It was only years

back in the early 1960s.

me in, and then spent time

and teaspoon was in its proper

later that Angus admitted to

Not too long ago Angus

with me showing me how toplace. As we left, the ladies

me that he was not entirely

taught a Sunday School lesson

be a good student, lawyer andof the neighborhood agreed,unaware of the effect this hadon how to live your life; how toperson.” Judge Davis is now one“Betty Ann would be proud.”on us. And he said it with abecome a good disciple. Listen,of the most respected federal

twinkle in his eye.

if you will, to some things hejudges in America. Anotherimportant to him. Betty Ann

told his class:student, Tom Featherston,

was the love of his life, and they

after a successful career in thewere an incomparable team,Angus’ students worked
hard. We wanted to do well in

His family was very, very

his course, not really so much

• “What a person makes

practice of law, became Angus’

weren’t they? An evening withfor ourselves, but for Angus. Weof himself in this life lies infaculty colleague and close

the McSwains was always fun

didn’t want to let him down.

the decisions – the choices

friend. Tom wrote: “whether

and interesting. He was sothat he makes.”

he was my teacher or dean as aproud of Andy, as any father

student, or as a confidant whenwould be of a son. But especially

For almost 40 years
now, I have had the privilegeof knowing Angus McSwain.

• “What we do is a projection

my career in Houston didn't

so, I think, because he also had

He was my teacher, then myinto the outside world of what

go as I wanted, or as dean andthat greatest of privileges, to becolleague, then my neighbor,

we are.”boss, or as colleague and friend,

Andy’s teacher. Chris, of course,

a true gentle, but wise man.

became such an important partand always my friend. Forme, he was one of the most• “Human character is built

Always there with open door,of his family, especially after

influential people in my life.

up of the innumerable andwhatever the topic— legal,

Betty Ann died. And Stewart,

apparently insignificant choices

history, family, personal.”

your grandfather positively

And he loved his

glowed when he spoke of you,neighbors, of course. Afteryour accomplishments andBetty Ann died, we were

the things you did. No matterAll his life, Angus touched
the lives of people around him.

a person must make in the

He influenced many lives in thiscourse of a lifetime.”very church. Angus loved thischurch, didn’t he? The last thing• “It is not the work of a minute,concerned that maybe

whether it was basketball, Boyhe did on this earth was drive toor a week, or a year. The going

Angus would stay to himself

Scouts, school work or what,

his church. He taught a Sundayis rough. But every day, as weand not get out. You see, Betty

when Angus told us about

School class for years and years.

make decisions that seem

Ann had always been thewhat you did, you could see the36

The Docket C alllove and pride all over his face.

that great highway, as far as theAmericans don’t know what tomy heart that something else

He would say, “Stewart waseye can see in both directions,

expect. An officer gets out, andhappened later. Somewhere in

terrific! Terrific!”

is a long column of German

he is accompanied by several

Germany, sometime in the lastsoldiers, four abreast, worn andenlisted men. The officer isten years, an aged veteran ofdidn’t just touch the lives

tattered field-gray uniforms,

wearing his pistol. The young

the German army sat with hisof people he knew. Just likemarching east to west.

American lieutenant points at

grandchild on his lap. And told

he told his Sunday School

Probably heading to a prisoner

the pistol. The officer pulls it out

him of that day long ago whenclass, a person’s character isof war camp near Munich.

of his holster and hands it over.

life seemed to him so bleak

measured by the innumerable

They still have their weapons.

The American lieutenant takes

and hopeless, when a young

seemingly insignificant choices

The young lieutenant has an

the pistol, and then goes over toAmerican showed himthat he makes. Let me conclude

uneasy feeling about it. Therehis jeep, reaches into the backkindness and mercy.

by telling you about a choice

are no other Americans in sight,

and picks up boxes of rations.

that he made over 65 years ago.

and there are thousands andHe gives them to the Germans.

said it best: “to know even

Imagine with me Germany

thousands of armed Germans.

They collapse to the ground,

one life has breathed easierin May of 1945. The war has

I suspect that when some of

devouring the food. They hadn’t

because you have lived. This

just ended. A young American

the lieutenant’s men look ateaten in days. They didn’t realize

is to have succeeded.”lieutenant, not yet 23 years old,that long gray column, they

it at the time, but those beaten

rides with a small group of his

see in them the cause of muchand weary, down-hearted

men in their jeep out into theof the world’s misery, theGerman soldiers had just been

Professor Gerald Powell

German countryside. They godeath of millions, the killers

touched by Lt. Angus Stewart

delivered this eulogy during

to see a modern marvel – theof so many G.I.’s.

McSwain, Jr., a good disciple.

Dean McSwain’s funeral

But Angus McSwain

Autobahn. They stop by theside of the road. And there on

And then a German Staff
car pulls up and stops. The

I don’t know this for

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Amen, Angus. Amen.

on June 1, 2011.

sure, but I believe with all of

Baylor Law Legends: Matt “Mad Dog” Dawson and Angus McSwain.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

37

Feature

Tom Cruise might not have been in attendance, but Baylor Law brought
in an all-star cast and crew for its own Top Gun. Federal and state judges,
noted trial lawyers, two Texas lawmen, a top psychology professor, a Heisman
Trophy candidate – they were all there, and in the end, a young woman fromYale turned in an Oscar-caliber performance.
38

The Docket C allNational Top Gun Mock Trial winner Sarah Chervinsky, Roy Barrett and Hayes Fuller of Naman Howell Smith & Lee.

The 2011 National
Top Gun Mock Trial
Competition, which is in
its second year, was limited
to 18 law schools and isunlike any other mocktrial competition in thenation. A single student
represented each school,
instead of the usual two;
participants did not receive
the details of the mockcase they argued until amere 24 hours before thecompetition began; andthe winner was awarded$10,000. Baylor, as theorganizing institution, did
not field a team.
Sarah Chervinsky,
who graduated fromYale Law School in 2011
and will be working as apublic defender in New
Orleans, was crowned thewinner. She represented

the defendant in the finals of the Practice Court
against Shannon O’Guin
Program. “For four days
from Samford
University’s she got a small dose of
Top Gun winner Sarah Chervinsky receives her prize from Roy
Cumberland
Schoolof Fuller ofwhat
BaylorlawLee, PLLC.
Barrettand Hayes
Namanour
HowellSmith &
Law for the plaintiff.
students experience on a
“The winningdaily basis. And she waslawyer, Sarah Chervinsky, on cloud nine that she had
told me that it was the
succeeded against all odds.
most intense thing she
What a great achievement.
had ever done,” said
It is very gratifying to give
Gerald Powell, the Abner
these young advocates
V. McCall Professor of
the opportunity to growEvidence and director
and mature as lawyers.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

39

Robert Griffin, III, faced an onslaught of questions during his deposition during the National Top Gun.

Someday, somewhere a client will benefit from what
the competitors learned at Top Gun – what theylearned about the art of trial advocacy as well as what
they learned about themselves.”
Chervinsky concurred with Powell about the
rigor of the competition.
“The Top Gun was the most intellectually andemotionally grueling thing I have ever experienced,”
said the personable Chervinsky, who teared up when
she was announced as the winner. “I have competed inmock trial since I was a freshman in high school, andI have been inches away from a national championship.
I have been chasing this since I was 14 years old.”
The competition is sponsored by the law firm
Naman Howell Smith and Lee, PLLC, which has
offices in the Texas cities of Austin, Fort Worth,
Harker Heights, Temple and Waco.
“Everyone was impressed by the philanthropyof our decades-long friend Naman, Howell, Smith &Lee in underwriting the Top Gun prize,” said Baylor
Law Dean Brad Toben.

40

The Docket C all

Organizers say the event was designed to provide
a venue for schools with strong trial advocacy programs
to go head-to-head with one another.
The competition kicked off June 1 whencompetitors attended orientation and a welcome
dinner. At 7 a.m. Thursday, June 2, they received
the case file, and also assisted in taking a depositionof a witness, who was portrayed by Baylor’s stellar
quarterback Robert Griffin III, in preparation fortrial. Additionally, they reviewed existing depositions,records, and photographs and took a tour to the actual
places where events in the case supposedly occurred.
The preliminary rounds began Friday morning,
June 3. All competitors participated in at least four
rounds with the top four competitors after thoserounds advancing to the semifinal rounds. New
information was presented Saturday night before
the semifinals on Sunday, June 5. The final four
were presented with new facts, two new experts andthe opportunity to take two expert depositions thatnight with only minimal time for preparation. Eachstudent was able to bring a coach but many were at“Therewere times
during thecompetition
where I
actually
forgot that I
was watching
law students
rather thanseasoned
litigation
attorneys.”— Luke Meier

Luke Meier took the roles of Barrett and Bellduring the finals.
“Both the competitors did a fantastic
job,” Lens said. “The winner, Sarah
Chervinsky, did an especially good job crossexamining me. She even had me convincedthat my character killed her husband to get
the life insurance proceeds.”
Meier agreed with Lens about thecaliber of the contestants.
“The students in the finals were simply
amazing. It was so much fun to watch themstruggle with the realities of trial practice.
There were times during the competition
where I actually forgot that I was watching
law students rather than seasoned litigation
attorneys. I was prepared for my trial
testimony by the eventual winner, Sarah
Chervinsky. Within two minutes of beginningto work together I could tell that she had abright future as a litigator ahead of her. She
had a firm handle on all of the moving parts
associated with a jury trial,” he said.
All rounds were presided over bystate or federal judges with experienced
trial lawyers serving as members of the jury.
During the finals, Andrew Hanen, UnitedStates District Judge from the Southern
District of Texas, presided. Serving on thejury were Baylor lawyers Roy Barrett andHayes Fuller of Naman Howell; Louisthe competition on their own, including the Muldrow, professor emeritus and former
eventual winner Chervinsky. However, she
director of Baylor Law’s Practice Court
was quick to credit her former trial team
Program; Mark Mann of the Mann Firm
partner, 2009 Yale Law graduate Andrew
in Henderson, Texas; and Jason Stephens,Thomas, for being a virtual coach and muse. founding partner of Stephens, Anderson
This year’s problem, which was written & Cummings, LLP.
by Professor Jeremy Counseller, Powell“We thank our devoted friends – aand Practice Court Assistant Will King,
several score Baylor judges (federal and state),
involved a life insurance policy dispute. In
who took time away from their chambers,
the fictional case, Barrett v. Amicable Life
their offices, their families and a weekend –Insurance, the policy holder has died in ato serve as judge and jurors. To have esteemed
fall from Lover’s Leap and the insurance
federal judges and state district judges presidecompany has claimed it should not pay theat each of the 39 trials that unfolded overplaintiff and widow, Mrs. Cordelia Barrett,the days of the competition put us on a level
because she murdered her late husband.
of credibility that was simply unparalleled
She claims that the fall was an accident orin legal education's interscholastic circles,”that he was murdered by a business partner,
Toben said.
Russell Bell. The finals featured testimony
Chervinsky, who earned herfrom actual Texas Rangers, a professor ofundergraduate degree from the University
psychology, who portrayed an expert witness, of Chicago, was the student director of theand Griffin, who portrayed a non-party
Trial Advocacy Team at Yale Law School
witness. New faculty members Jill Lens andand actually founded the program as a 1L in

2009. Since that time, the Yale team madea name for itself on the national stage. In
only three years, the team won two NTC
New England Regional Championships. It
was a quarterfinalist at the NTC nationals
last year, and this year missed the breakfor the quarterfinals by only one point. It
also competed in the AAJ for the first time
this year and placed third in the New Yorkregional. Chervinsky, who competed in eachof the competitions, received the award for
the Best Advocate at the NTC regional in2009 and 2011.
O’Guin is a two-year memberof Cumberland’s National Trial Teamand was the 2010 AAJ regional winner andthe 2011 AAJ regional finalist. She also
received Cumberland’s Advocate of theYear award for 2011.
In addition to Yale and Cumberland,
other schools that sent competitors to the
Top Gun were Akron University Law
School, Barry University School of Law,
Chicago-Kent School of Law, Denver
School of Law, Duquesne University
School of Law, Georgetown University Law
Center, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles,
Northern Kentucky University College ofLaw, Northwestern University School ofLaw, South Texas College of Law, Stetson
University College of Law, Suffolk University
Law School, Temple University School ofLaw, University of South Carolina School ofLaw, University of Wisconsin Law School
and Washington University School of Law.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

41

By Jeremy Counseller Professor of Law

FeatureWith a Little Helpfrom Our Friends

Thanks to some goodfriends, Baylor Law
School successfully
hosted the 2011 Top
Gun National Mock
Trial Competition,
the most realistic andinnovative law student advocacy competitionin the country.
		 Last year Baylor Law School createdand hosted the first Top Gun Competition.
The inaugural competition received rave
reviews from competitors and coaches alike,largely because the format of the competition
was truly unique.
We invited the best student trial
advocates in the country to Waco. We gavethem the problem just 24 hours before theirfirst trial. Unlike all the other mock trial
competitions, the students would not havemonths to memorize prepared arguments andexaminations. The tournament was winnertake all. First place was $10,000.00, and, in
keeping with the Top Gun theme and thenature of trial practice, there were “no points
for second place.”

42

The Docket C all

We also provided the witnesses. The
competitors would not get to use wellrehearsed teammates as witnesses.
Following the success of the 2010 Top
Gun Competition, everyone involved struggledwith an important question—how could weoutdo the 2010 tournament in 2011?
I learned the answer one afternoon
in the office of Professor Gerald R. Powell,director of the Practice Court Program andcreator of the Top Gun competition, when hesaid, “In Top Gun this year, I want real Texas
Rangers to refresh the memory of a key witness
through hypnosis.”
This seemed like a great idea and I
immediately started thinking about the detailsof bringing Powell’s idea to life. Of course
we would need some Texas Rangers and a“key witness.” On the Ranger front we were
fortunate. One of our newest colleagues is Jim
Huggins, who recently retired from the Rangers
to teach forensic science at Baylor. He agreed
to serve as an expert and he also recruited his
fellow Ranger, Frank Malinak, to help as well.
We were all set on the Ranger front.
Of course, if we had a Texas Ranger
testifying as to the effectiveness of hypnosis,

we’d need an honest-to-goodness expert
testifying as to its ineffectiveness. Dr. Charles
Weaver, professor of psychology in Baylor’s
department of psychology, was kind enough tolend us his considerable expertise.
With our experts in place, all we needed
was the key witness. Powell had one morewrinkle to deliver on this front.
“I want Robert Griffin, III, to be thewitness whose memory the Rangers refresh,”he said.
“All right,” I said, but I had a question.
“At the competition, who is going to play thepart of RG3?”“RG3 is going to play RG3,” Powell said.
He would accept no substitutes and who
can blame him? There is only one RG3.
Our law school colleague Mike Rogers
works closely with Baylor’s athletic department
on a wide variety of issue, and he asked RG3
if he would be interested in playing himself
as a witness.
Robert Griffin said yes immediately.
Last year, our competitors had only 24hours to prepare before trying the case. The
same was true this year, but they also faced a newtwist—discovery had not yet been completed.

Texas Ranger Frank Malinak, BU quarterback Robert Griffin, III, Ranger Jim Huggins appeared as witnesses in the Top Gun National Mock Trial Competition.

A few hours after receiving the problem packet
each competitor had to participate in taking thedeposition of a nonparty fact witness.
The competitors arrived at thedeposition to find that the nonparty fact
witness sitting before them was Heisman
Trophy Candidate Robert Griffin, III.
In order for him to play this role, we
had to fill his head with a ton of details (manyof which were conflicting) in a short amountof time, and he had to remember them while
being questioned by the nation’s best student
advocates. It was a very good thing for us that
Robert has a steel trap for a mind, but that’s
exactly what we expected from a young man
who finished his degree in less than four
years and has started graduate school while
becoming an All-American in track andleading Baylor football back to a bowl game.
During his deposition, Robert displayeda quick wit. One competitor asked him if he
had ever heard the name of one of the otherimportant witnesses in the case—a man
named Russell Bell. Quick as a whip, Robert
responded by saying “it doesn’t ring any bells.”
The competitors who reached thesemifinal round were required to conduct“I want real Texas
Rangers to refreshthe memory ofa key witness
through hypnosis.”

The Rangers and Dr. Weaver devoted
most of their weekend to the tournament,
and all they received in exchange was a plateof barbecue. Robert Griffin gave up several
afternoons for prep sessions and the better
part of two different days for his competition
testimony. He not only didn’t complain, hethanked all of us for letting him participate.
Robert didn’t even get a plate of barbecue for— Gerald Powellhis trouble, but for what it’s worth I can tellan expert deposition by deposing Ranger
everyone that all the great things they’ve heard
Huggins, Ranger Malinak, or Dr. Weaver,about Robert really are true.
depending on which party they represented.
Top Gun 2011 was an enormous
The deposition had significant consequences
success and the most innovative mock trial
because the competitors were stuck with thecompetition ever held. Baylor Law School
depositions they conducted and defended
could not have pulled it off without the help
for the semi-final and final rounds of theof dozens of students, staff and faculty at thecompetition. All the competitors learned what law school. A special thanks is in order toit’s like to depose a real expert because theRangers Jim Huggins and Frank Malinak, Dr.
Rangers and Dr. Weaver are real experts. The
Charles Weaver, and Robert Griffin whose
Rangers and Dr. Weaver also testified live incontributions helped set the competition apartthe final round of the competition.
from the rest and who were willing to help
Robert also returned to the law school for simply because another member of the Baylor
the final round of the competition, but whenfamily asked for it.
he returned his testimony had changed thanks
to the hypnosis session Rangers Huggins andMalinak (pretended to) perform on him.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

43

Faculty

Baylor Law Welcomes
Four to Faculty

Baylor Law School added four new faces — Judge Ken Starr, Luke Meier,Wieber Lens and Rachel Little — to its faculty this year.
Judge Ken StarrOn June 1, 2010, the Honorable
Kenneth Winston Starr became the14th president of Baylor University.
Judge Starr was elected unanimously by the
Baylor Board of Regents on Feb. 12, 2010,
following a search process that included
representatives from all parts of the Baylor
family. He also serves as the Louise L.
Morrison Chair of Constitutional Law, theoldest endowed chair at Baylor University, andis teaching a constitutional law class at Baylor
Law School in fall 2011.
Starr has had a distinguished career inacademia, the law and public service. Prior tocoming to Baylor, he served for six years as theDuane and Kelly Roberts Dean and Professorof Law at Pepperdine, where he taught current
constitutional issues and civil procedure. He
also is of counsel to the law firm of Kirkland& Ellis LLP, where he was a partner from1993 to 2004, specializing in appellate work,
antitrust, federal courts, federal jurisdiction
and constitutional law.
As Solicitor General of the UnitedStates from 1989 to 1993, Starr argued 36 cases
before the U.S. Supreme Court. He also served
as United States Circuit Judge for the Districtof Columbia Circuit from 1983 to 1989, as law
clerk to Chief Justice Warren E. Burger from1975 to 1977 and as law clerk to Fifth Circuit
Judge David W. Dyer from 1973 to 1974.
Starr was appointed to serve as IndependentCounsel for five investigations, including
Whitewater, from 1994 to 1999.
Starr previously taught constitutionallaw as an adjunct professor at New York
University School of Law and was a
distinguished visiting professor at George

44

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Mason University School of Law andChapman Law School. After graduatingfrom San Antonio’s Sam Houston HighSchool, he earned his B.A. from George
Washington University in 1968, his M.A.
from Brown University in 1969 and his J.D.
degree from Duke University Law School in
1973. He is admitted to practice in California,
the District of Columbia, Virginia and the
U.S. Supreme Court.
He is the author of more than 25
publications, and his book, First Among
Equals: The Supreme Court in American
Life, published in 2002, was praised by U.S.
Circuit Judge David B. Sentelle as “eminently
readable and informative... not just the besttreatment to-dateof the Court after(Chief JusticeEarl) Warren, it islikely to have that
distinction for along, long time.”
He has received
a multitudeof honors andawards, including
the J. Reuben
Clark Law
Society 2005
DistinguishedService Award,
the 2004 CapitalBook Award, theJefferson Cup
award from theFBI, the Edmund
Randolph Award
for Outstanding
Service in the
Department ofJustice and the Attorney General’s Award forDistinguished Service.
Starr was born on July 21, 1946, in
Vernon, Texas, and was raised in San Antonio.
He and his wife Alice have three children andfour grandchildren. The Starrs made theirhome in Malibu, Calif., from 2004 to 2010,
and lived in McLean, Va., from 1978 to 2004.
He has volunteered many hours teaching in
the inner city and assisting disadvantaged
students with summer internships, afterschool programs and guidance for financing acollege education.

Jill Lens

Lens, assistant professor oflaw, joined the Brandeis
School of Law as a
Visiting Assistant Professor in
July 2009. She taught torts in the2009 fall semester.  
Professor Lens graduatedwith highest distinction fromthe University of Iowa College of
Law in 2005, is a member of theOrder of the Coif, and received
the West Publishing Company
Award for Outstanding Scholastic
Achievement at graduation. She
also served as a Note & Comment
Editor of the Iowa Law Review.
She also was a member of theOrganization of Women Law
Students and played intramuralsports, specifically flag football.
Prior to entering
academia, Professor Lens
practiced commercial, appellate,and class action litigation at
Husch Blackwell Sanders, LLP,
in St. Louis, Missouri. She isadmitted to practice law in
Missouri and Illinois.
Professor Lens’ researchinterests include civil procedure,evidence, torts, and federal
court jurisdiction.
She is the author of
Punishing for the Injury: Tort
Law’s Influence in Defining theConstitutional Limitations on
Punitive Damages Awards,

39 Hofstra L. Rev. (forthcoming2011); Honest Confusion: The
Purpose of Compensatory
Damages in Tort and Fraudulent
Misrepresentation, 59 U. Kan.
L. Rev. 231 (2011); and The(Overlooked) Consequenceof Easing the Prohibition of Expert
Legal Testimony in Professional
Negligence Claims, 48 U. Lou.
L. Rev. 53 (2009), reprinted inDef. Law J., Vol. 60, No. 1, at
103 (Feb. 2011).

Luke MeierL

uke Meier, who is no
stranger to Texas, earned
his bachelor’s degree
cum laude from Kansas Stateand his J.D. with high honors
from the University of Texas in2000. While at UT, he served
as managing editor of the Texas
Law Review and was a memberof the Chancellor’s Honorary
Society. He also served as research
assistant for professors Charles
Alan Wright and Bill Powers.
In 2000-2001, he clerked
for Judge Michael Murphy,
United States Court of Appeals
for the Tenth Circuit. He was an
associate for Vinson & Elkins
LLP in Austin and worked as
assistant attorney general in the
Office of the Texas Attorney
General from 2002-2004. He
also served as Visiting AssistantProfessor of Law at the Universityof Nebraska-Lincoln College of
Law from 2005-2007. While at
Nebraska, he was selected UpperClass Professor of the Year andFirst Year Professor of the Year.
He joined the Drake facultyin 2007 and was named Drake
University Law School Professorof the Year, as voted on by
graduating class for 2010.

His fields of expertise
include Federal Courts, American
Legal History, Natural Resources,
Property and Torts. His list of
publications includes Using Tort
Law to Understand the Causation
Prong of Standing, 80 Fordham
L. Rev ___ (2012, forthcoming);
Why Twombly is Good Law(But Poorly Drafted) and Iqbal
will be Overturned, 87 Indiana
L.J. ___ (2011, forthcoming);
Facial Challenges and Separationof Powers, 85 Ind. L.J.; Tort Law
and the Relationship between the
Establishment Clause and the Free
Exercise Clause, 40 Ind. L. Rev. 519(2007); RLUIPA and Congressional
Intent, 70 Alb. L. Rev. 1435
(2007); Constitutional Structure,
Individual Rights, and the Pledge ofAllegiance, 5 First Amen. L. Rev.
162 (2006); and A Broad Attack on
Overbreadth, 40 Val. U. L. Rev. 113(2005). He also has appeared as apresenter or panelist at academic
conferences at Washington
University Law School, theUniversity of Denver’s Strum
College of Law and at Chongqing
Jiaotong University in China.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

45

Rachel LittleR

achel Little became theReference Librarian for
the Baylor Law Libraryin June 2010. She is responsible forproviding research and reference
services to the faculty andstudents of the Law School, theUniversity, the legal community,
and the general public. She
additionally assists with legal
research instruction and oversees
the library’s public services
department.

46

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Little has a bachelor’s
degree in International Political
Economy from the Universityof Puget Sound and earned
her J.D. from the University of
Houston, where she won two
awards for scholastic excellence
in legal research and writing.
She practiced immigration law
with Tindall & Foster P.C. (nowFosterQuan LLP) in Houston for
two and a half years. Little later
returned to graduate school andcompleted her Master of Sciencein Information Studies at the
University of Texas at Austin.
While in Austin, she served as a
Tarlton Fellow at the UT Tarlton
Law Library, where she received

almost two years of on-the-job
training as a part of the library’s
reference and public services
staff. In addition to her legal andlibrary experience, Little spent
five years working on domestic
violence and immigration issues
with nonprofit organizations in
Washington, D.C., and El Paso.
During two of those years, she
served as a volunteer with two
Lutheran-based organizations:the Lutheran Volunteer Corps
and the Border Servant Corps.
Little grew up on the West
Coast and in Hawaii, though
she has called Texas home forthe past 10 years. She speaks
Spanish fluently, studied abroadin Mexico, and loves travelingin Latin America (with her mostrecent trip being to Peru).

Faculty“Pre-embryosin Probate”Article Wins
Inaugural Award

Baylor Law Professor’s

from ABA Law SectionBrridgetFuselier,
associate professorof law at Baylor Law
School, received theinaugural “Section
Award” presented by
the Real Property,
Trust and Estate
Law Section of

the American Bar
Association for her
article “Pre-embryosin Probate: Property,
Person or Something
Else?” The article
appeared in the
September issue ofProbate & Property.
A more in-depth
version of the article,
which also ties intosome other issues,
can be found in
the Benjamin N.
Cardozo University
Journal of Law and
Gender.
“Professor
Fuselier’s article
was in large partthe impetus for theSection Award. The
article is unique,well-written andwell-researched andhas appeal for both
real property andtrusts and estates
lawyers across thenation,” said Edward
T. Brading, editor of
Probate & Property.
“I was just in
shock when I foundout. You think noone will read yourarticle, and then you
find out that not
only did they readit, but they liked it,”
Fuselier said.
In the article,
Fuselier discusses
the probate issues
involved incryogenicallypreserved embryos

following the deathof one or both ofthe donors.
“It’s acomplicated area
and is getting more
complicated. This
topic not only is ofinterest to probate
and property law, butalso to family law,criminal law, tort law

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

47

and others. The areas
just converge. There
aren’t laws to deal
with it and disputes
are happening. Afterall, at last count there
are 500,000 embryosthat are cryogenicallypreserved,” she said.
Fuselier
became interested
in the issue when
she began teachingher first property
class. She wanted toshow her students
that “property” could
be more than justland. In responseto her students’interested reaction,
she began researchon her first article,“The Trouble With
Putting All of Your
Eggs in One Basket:
Addressing Potential
Property Issues
With Cryopreserved
Embryos,” which was
published in
the Texas Journal
on Civil Liberties& Civil Rights. She
also has spoken to
Baylor University’s
pre-medical society
and to its medical
ethics society about
the topic.
“This is awonderful example
of where science, law
and medicine cometogether, but thelaw is not moving
as swiftly as thescience and medicine.
There needs to be
discussion among thedisciplines,” she said.
Fuselier plans
to continue to study

48

the subject and will
look at embryo
adoption in a future
article. She also hasa homestead article
forthcoming in the
St. Mary’s Law Review
and a forthcoming
textbook on
common interest
community law that
she co-wrote with
Campbell University
Law Professor Pat
Hetrick.
Fuselier
received herundergraduate
degree in politicalscience at Lamar
University in 1994.
While at Lamar,
she was selected for
the Pi Sigma Alpha
Political Science
Honor Society. She
earned her J.D.
magna cum laude from
Baylor Law School
in 1998, where she
served as Editor-inChief and AssistantManaging Editorof the Baylor Law
Review. She also
competed in the 1998
George Washington
Law School National
Security Law Moot
Court Competition,
where she was amember of the firstplace team and wasnamed Best Orator.
She also was amember of the Orderof Barristers.
After receiving
her J.D., Professor
Fuselier moved
to Beaumont andjoined the firm ofMehaffy Weber, PC,

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There aren’t
laws to deal
with it anddisputes are
happening.
After all, atlast countthere are500,000
embryosthat arecryogenicallypreserved.”— Bridget Fuselier
as an associate in1998 and was elected
as a shareholder in
2004. Her litigation
experience includes
the successful
representationof defendants inmedical malpractice,
premises liability,and employment
discrimination
cases. In 2006, she
was selected as theJefferson County

Outstanding Young
Lawyer. She was also
selected as a RisingStar by Texas Monthly
in 2005 and 2006
in the area of civil
litigation.
She joined the
Baylor Law facultyin 2006 and teaches
Property I and II and
Texas Land Practice.
She coaches anumber of advocacy
interscholastic teams

and is the facultysponsor for Baylor
Law's Public Interest
Society. She also
serves as contributing
editor in the areaof Real Estate Law
for General PracticeDigest. She had
worked as a guest
member for the
National Board of
Bar Examiners, Real
Property Drafting
Committee.

Fuselier wasrecognized as the
Baylor University
Outstanding
Professor(Untenured/Research) duringcommencement
exercises in May.
Baylor awards one
non-tenured (tenure
track) research award
from all schools of
the university.

Faculty

Baylor Law Professor
Receives “Glass Cutter”
Award from ABA Business
Law Section

Elizabeth Miller, professor of law at Baylor
Law School has received the 2011 Jean
Allard “Glass Cutter” Award from theAmerican Bar Association Business Law
Section. Miller accepted the award at
the Section luncheon at the 2011 Spring
Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.
	Miller was nominated for the award by the leadershipof the LLCs, Partnerships and Unincorporated Entities
Committee of the ABA Business Law Section, in which she
has been active for many years and of which she served as
Chair from 2004-2007.
“Jean Allard was widely celebrated among hercolleagues for her legal acumen, professionalism,
commitment to service and generous mentoring, especiallyfor other women in the profession. Beth Miller holds inabundance those same characteristics, and Baylor Law Schoolis immensely proud to claim her as one of our own,” said
Baylor Law Dean Brad Toben.
A Baylor Law alumna, Miller has taught at her almamater since 1991 and is a nationally recognized authority on
the law of limited liability companies (LLCs) and limited
liability partnerships (LLPs). She has helped draft legislation
affecting Texas business organizations and was a principal
drafter for the ABA’s Revised Prototype Limited Liability
Company Act and Prototype Limited Liability Partnership
Agreement. In addition to her service to the ABA Business
Law Section, she has held leadership positions for the StateBar of Texas, including Chair of the Business Law Section of
the State Bar of Texas. She also has served as president, vicepresident, secretary and treasurer of the Waco-McLennan
County Bar Association. She is an elected member of theAmerican Law Institute, the American Bar Foundation, andthe Texas Bar Foundation.
	Miller writes and publishes frequently, and is highly
regarded for preparing and publishing summaries of nearly
every LLC and LLP case decided in every jurisdiction. She
is also the co-author of a three-volume treatise (with annual
supplements) on Texas business organizations law publishedby Thomson/West (Vols. 19, 20 and
20A, Business Organizations, Texas
Practice Series).
“Of the many extraordinary
women I have had the opportunity towork with on the Committee over thelast 15 years, as well as in my general
private practice over the last 25 years,
I can think of no one who has madeas meaningful a contribution to theprofession and to the Business Law
Section as Beth while at the sametime demonstrating the highest levelof professional excellence in thealternative entity field,” said Louis G.
Hering, partner at Morris, Nichols,
Arsht, & Tunnel LLP in Delaware.
	Miller received her J.D. from
Baylor Law with highest honors
and was first in her graduating class.
While at Baylor Law School, she
was Editor in Chief of the Baylor Law

Review and the recipient of numerous
academic awards. Upon graduation,
she received the highest score in theState of Texas on the July 1985 bar
examination. She received her B.A.
from Baylor University in 1982, summa
cum laude.
Given annually since 1993,
the “Glass Cutter” Award recognizes
an exceptional woman businesslawyer who has made significant
contributions to the profession and
the Business Law Section. The award
is named for Jean Allard, the firstwoman to Chair the Business Law
Section in 1989-1990.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

49

Faculty

Beal’s “From the Bench:
Judicial Perspectives on
Environmental/Administrative
Cases” Video Series Now

Available in State Bar’s
Online Classroom
50

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I met foralmost twohours with eachof the judges,
and we spoke
about different
aspects ofadministrativelaw, which is
unique.”— Ron BealA

series ofinterviews
that wasconducted bya Baylor Law
professor withsome of Texas
most influential judges is now available
as part of the State Bar of Texas CLE
Online Classroom. Prof. Ron Beal’s“From the Bench: Judicial Perspectives
on Environmental/Administrative Cases”
features sessions with the Chief Justiceof the Texas Supreme Court, two Third
Court of Appeals Justices, the Chief
Administrative Judge of the Travis County
District Court and four administrative
law judges. The interviews were taped anddigitalized for access via the internet.
Participating in the interviews wereWallace Jefferson, the Chief Justice of

the Texas Supreme Court; Chief JusticeJ. Woodfin “Woodie” Jones and Justice
Bob Pemberton, both of the Third Courtof Appeals; Judge Craig Bennett, Judge
Ami Larson and Judge Travis Vickeryof the State Office of Administrative
Hearings; Judge John J. Vay, Groundwater
Conservation District Hearings Examiner;
and Judge John K Dietz, 250th Judicial
District Civil Court.
The interviews are available at nocharge to members of the State Bar of
Texas’ Environmental Law Section and
Administrative Law Section and at anominal charge for all members of the bar.
“I went to Austin six or seventimes to conduct the interviews,” Bealsaid. “It was really quite fun. I met foralmost two hours with each of the judges,
and we spoke about different aspects ofadministrative law, which is unique. The

judges were all fired up to participate,and I think we have some very valuable
information in the interviews.”
Each judge suggested appropriatequestions to Beal, who said his goal was toproduce content filled with “what lawyers
would want to know.” In the interviews,
the judges discuss what they like, explain
procedural issues and give a “how to”
for effectively writing briefs. In addition
to general information, some discussed
specific aspects of administrative law. For
example, Larson focused on personal
licensing and Bennett discussed TCEQ
mega licensing. Each interview runs from 1
hour to almost 2 hours in length.
Beal is the author of Texas
Administrative Practice and Procedure andnumerous law review articles that havebeen cited as authoritative by the Texas
judiciary. He has taught training courses
for administrative law judges and lectured
in advanced courses for practicing lawyers.
He also has served as Editor-in-Chief of
the General Practice Digest of the General
Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section of
the State Bar of Texas for the last 25 years
and has been the contributing editor for
Texas Administrative Law for 25 years.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

51

Development

Dawson Scholarship Donors
Professor Matt “Mad Dog” Dawson iscredited with creating the modern Practice
Court program, Baylor Law’s award-winning
program to educate young lawyers in not
only the law of procedure but also thepractical application of both procedural law
and the companion skill of trial advocacy.
Dawson served as the director of the Practice
Court program from 1971 to 1983. Better
known as “Mad Dog” Dawson by Baylor
students and lawyers who faced him in theclassroom or courtroom, Dawson instituted
the “mini-trial” into Practice Court so Baylor
law students would receive the maximum
possible trial experience in the course. An

important component of the mini-trial process
in Dawson’s Practice Court program was atournament in which students competedagainst one another until a final winningteam was determined. The tradition continues
today in the form of the intrascholastic Bob
and Karen Wortham Top Gun Competition
with the winner receiving the “Mad Dog,” astatuette of Dawson.
In 2009, the “R. Matt Dawson
Endowed Professorship in Trial Practice”
was established to honor Professor Dawson.
More than $620,000 has been raised so far
to ensure the Practice Court program willcontinue for future generations. If you aregrateful for the training “PC” provided you,please honor Professor Dawson with your giftof support. www.baylor.edu/law/give

Vaughan, Julia

Baylor Law School

Brian, William H. +Fuller, Hayes +Kelly, Joseph John

Mueller, Leslye A.

faculty and staff

Buchanan, Michael R.

Gillam, Harry L.

Kelly, Larry E.

Myers, Thomas E.

would like to thankBustamante, Luis C.

Gilstrap, J. Rodney +Kelsoe, Anderson,

Palmer, Susan T.

Waldrip, Glenn J.

the following donors

Campbell, William L.

Giotes, Johnny

Peden, R. Scott

Watanabe, Corinne K.

for their support

Carden, William R.

Kent, David Charles

Pickett, James D.

Weber, John W. +of this important

Carrington, Royle P.

Glenney, Cynthia S.

Key, Terry David

Rambin, W. Neil +Williams, John Eddie *initiative:

Clark, Mary Lou M.

Hale, Linda A.

King, Steve M.

Ruffino, Carolyn L.

Clements, Jerry K. * +Harris, David Alan

Kirkman, Bill L. * +Sage, Robin Dale

* Lead giftCole, Cole andHaworth, Steven C.

Langston, Robert T.

Saringer, John R.

+ CoordinatedEasely, P.C.

Henderson, Carl R.

Larkin, Lee M.

Scroggins, Joanclass letter

Henderson,

Lewis Law Firm

Elizabeth

Lewis, J. Craig

Shaddock,

3M Foundation
Apffel, E. A.
Atlas & Hall, L.L.P.

Conrad, Dennis
MichaelAustin Community

GeorgeRichard Allan

Khoury & Clark, PC *Foundation for the

Crain, Gayla Campbell

Hill, David

Long, Crawford

William C. * +Capital Area, Inc.

Cumbie, B. Allen

Hurt, Joseph RichardMann, J. Mark

Sifford, Lewis R. +Cunningham, John P.

Jackson, Leah

Marilee Neff

Simpson, Mike * +WitcherBank of America
Foundation, Inc.

Davis, Derek

Doud Trust

Smith, Gary E.

Batista, Paul Jennings

Davis, John A.

Johnson, Roland Kent

Matkin, Karen Cable +Stacy, Frances Hujar

Black, H. D.

Davis, Richard H.

Johnson, Vaughn, &Mays, Jeff Warren

Staggers, Allen C.

Blizzard, Edward * +Denny, Otway B. +McBride, Ralph D. +Steinke,

Blodgett, Warren

Dillard, Jack Kelly

Jones, Fred Mickey

McCall, Richard V.

Eiker, Carmen Elaine

Joseph D. & Lillie H.

McConnico,Terrell

HeiskellJamail Foundation *Stephen E. +Theodore Paul
Stone, R. Dary * +Sutton, Deborah E.

Blount, Justin Robert

Fenwick, Lynda Beck

Bonath, Keane

Fisher Boyd Brown

Judin, Carl Henry

McFate, Robert W.

Swindle, Mack Ed

Boudreaux &Kee, Richard Dow

McGee, Becky

Taylor, Amanda G.

Boyd & Brown PC

Huguenard * +Keeshin, Scott A.

Meyer, Jim

Tindel, Andy +Brantley, Rickey *Fitzwater, Sidney

Keith, John R.

Moe, Barbara S. +Torrance, Gregory S.

Boulware, Dan M. *52

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ElizabethA l u m ni

Berkley Scroggins (JD ’10) is serving as Baylor Law’s assistant director of alumni relations.

W

hen Dean Brad
Toben speaks ofthe success of the
Baylor Law School, he neverfails to mention one of its mostimportant elements: its alumni.
In that spirit, Toben
recently created a new staff
position, assistant director ofalumni relations, and hired
Berkley Scroggins (JD ’10) to
fill the role. Scroggins, former
Student Bar Association Executive
President and now Baylor Law
alumna, transitioned fromstudent to staff upon graduation.
“What a privilege tojoin the incredible Baylor Law
team,” she said. “I am thrilled
for the opportunity to keep
you connected to our law school
and to our community of
Baylor Lawyers.”
An Amarillo native,
Scroggins attended the
University of Texas at Austin
as an undergraduate where
she received a degree in public

relations. She is actively
involved in the Waco and Baylor
communities. A member of St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church, she isa Sunday School teacher for the
pre-K and kindergarten classand is a provisional memberof the Junior League of Waco,
where she is placed on the
Talitha Koum committee. She
is a Court Appointed Special
Advocate (CASA) of McLennan
County and is currently
advocating for her seventh
CASA kid. Additionally,
Scroggins participates in the
Greater Waco Community
Education Alliance Reading
Program and reads to a student
each week at J.H. Hines
Elementary School in East
Waco. On Tuesdays, she eatslunch with the kindergarteners
at Sul Ross Elementary School,
Baylor Law’s Adopt-a-School
partner, as part of a lunch
program she established while
she was a second-year law

relationsStudent
Leadership
Leads to
New Role
at BaylorLawstudent. Scroggins also serves on
the Sears Methodist Foundation
Events Committee for Wesley
Woods Alzheimer Care Center.
On the Baylor campus, she
serves as an advisor to the Kappa
Alpha Theta sorority and is amember of Baylor Round Table.
“As a Baylor Law graduate,
I have a strong allegiance to the
Law School, and I look forward
to connecting with alumni
soon. Baylor Law School has an
outstanding community of Baylor
Lawyers, and with their support
and active involvement, together
we can continue the Baylor
Law legacy,” she said. “Please
let me know how I can makeyour alumni experience moremeaningful – I am here for you.”
Scroggins is excitedabout her new role, citing thepartnership of her office, Toben
and Director of Development
Julie Corley as ideal for Baylor
Law alumni.

“Our alumni/ae know
Julie, and have experienced
first-hand how genuine andcaring she is and how very
dedicated she is to our law
school,” Scroggins said. “Julie
understands the law school, andshe understands our communityof Baylor lawyers. It is anabsolute blessing to work with
Julie Corley and Dean Toben.”
Scroggins is eager to meetthe needs of the law school’s
alumni in creative ways.
“I am here to serve you.
Whether you are looking
to connect with a classmate
or professor, want to planan alumni event in yourhometown, or just need a Baylor
Law Alumni decal for your car,I’m just a phone call or e-mailaway,” she said.
To contact Scoggins,call her office at 254.710.4346
or e-mail her at Berkley_
Scroggins@Baylor.edu.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

53

7,027 Baylor Lawyers
W

here do our 7,027
Baylor Lawyers live?
Baylor Lawyers livein 49 states, Guam, the Virgin
Islands, Canada, Australia, China(PRC), Netherlands, UAE, UK,
and Anguilla. The only state in
the U.S. without a Baylor Lawyer

is Maine – if you are an alumnus/a
who lives in Maine or want tomove to Maine, so there will be a
Baylor Lawyer in every state, just
let us know.
Our records are only as
good as the information we
receive or collect. Will you

Baylor Lawyers
in the World

help us update our records? To
update your contact information,please visit www.baylor.edu/law/alumni/update. Please let Berkley
Scroggins, Assistant Director of
Alumni Relations, know how
we can help keep you connectedto Baylor Law School and to
our community of 7,027 Baylor
Lawyers. You can contact Berkley
at Berkley_Scroggins@Baylor.edu
or 254.710.4346.

1
MANITOBACANADA

1

8

VIRGIN ISLANDSALASKA

1
GUAM

26

2

WASHINGTON

18MONTANA

7

OREGON

IDAHO

85

17

6

1
NORTH DAKOTA

4
SOUTH DAKOTA

4WYOMING

13

NEVADANEBRASKA57

UTAH

CALIFORNIACOLORADO

41
ARIZONA

58

23
KANSAS

35
OKLAHOMANEW MEXICO12
HAWAII

54

The Docket C all

5621
TEXAS

2

Ochiltree

11Hartley

Moore

1

16

Oldham2

Potter

Gray

38

1

BaileyDonley11CastroSwisher

Childress

1

7

1

Lamb

Hale

1

1

Clay

2

Reeves2

Brewster

Baylor Lawyers

11

Throckmorton

3

Jack

Young

3

120 200
7
DentonCollinWise

1 Refugio
8 San Patricio 2
60

1

3

Duval

Jim Wells

7

Nueces39

16

Cameron

ME

18

6

35
ILLINOIS

27
28
ARKANSASMISSISSIPPI33
LOUISIANA

NJ

OHIO

6

CT
DE

WV

VA

40
Bowie

MD

2 VERMONT
4 NEW HAMPSHIRE
6 MASSACHUSETTS
1 RHODE ISLAND
6 CONNECTICUT
18 PENNSYLVANIA
7 NEW JERSEY
1 DELAWARE
8 WASHINGTON, D.C.
12 MARYLAND

24 NORTH CAROLINA

TN

11

MA

PA

KENTUCKYMISSOURI

NH

RI

11

8
INDIANAVTNEW YORKMICHIGAN

IOWA

Titus

2

Hidalgo5

3 6 10

Bee

7
WISCONSIN

11

1

Red River

4

Webb

9

Lamar

Victoria

by Texas Counties

MINNESOTA

10

1

FanninNewton1

Crockett

GraysonMorris41

Midland

36

3

Cooke

Franklin

2

1

2

3

Montague10
Hopkins
Hunt
Cass
1Camp
1 10 10 2 Marion
33 566 912 48
Wood
ParkerTarrant
DallasUpshur
ScurryJones
Shackelford
Palo Pinto
20 6
29
Kaufman Van Zandt
78 Harrison
18 Hood 36
41
143
3
3
2
34
1
Johnson
7
Ellis
Smith
Eastland
12
MitchellNolanTaylorCallahan
37Erath
16 Panola
Henderson
19
20
1
NavarroHill
11
17 Rusk
Comanche93
4Bosque1 14
6Runnels
7 Anderson Cherokee 14 Shelby
Brown
ColemanHamilton
10 Freestone
Nacogdoches
442 Limestone
21 McLennan
14458
Tom Green27
4 Coryell
Houston
1
Leon
Angelina
Falls
3
Lampasas
2
McCulloch
1
San Saba106
Trinity
Robertson
2Bell
2 Madison
1
9
Menard6122
94 Burnet
66 2 Walker
Milam
Polk
82
Tyler
Brazos
Llano
Williamson
2
Grimes1
1
Burleson
SuttonKimble
69
7
8
2
458
Lee
Montgomery
Gillespie
7
Travis
8 Hardin 5
Washington
1434
Liberty
12 Kerr
BastropHays
3
8
1
1 Austin Waller
4
98
3
558
Kendall
Edwards
17
FayetteCaldwellHarris2 Jefferson
Comal
1 Bandera
2
Chambers
1759
Colorado1Fort Bend
203 Guadalupe Gonzales
4
30
2
3
Bexar
3
LavacaUvaldeMedina3
28
Wharton2
WilsonBrazoria
1
2
2 De Witt 16 Jackson
2123Matagorda
KarnesMaverick
ZavalaFrio
Atascosa
Kent

3

Howard1

3

2

DawsonCulberson

22

WichitaArcher

Lynn

Ector

Wilbarger

Lubbock

2

26

1

Cottle2

El Paso1

Hardeman34

2

Hockley43

1Wheeler1

Randall1

relationsA l u m ni

6

Hutchinson

7 SOUTH CAROLINA

732

ALABAMAGEORGIA46
FLORIDA

2 WEST VIRGINIA
65 VIRGINIA
31 TENNESSEEFORCES
1 ARMEDAMERICAA l u m ni

r e lati o ns

Big Trial Case Files NeededT

he capstone of thePractice Court
experience forevery Baylor Law
student since 1920 has been
the “Big Trial.” This final testof skill has for decades given
soon-to-be attorneys a taste of
the “real world” of practice, by
requiring them to take a casefrom pleadings to post-judgment
motions. The tradition of
preparing students for the “realworld” of practice remains thesame today - but the world ofpractice has evolved.

56

The Docket C all

During their last quarterof Practice Court, students are
assigned to represent a party in acase assigned by the instructors.
These cases are constructedfrom actual case files in real
lawsuits– ranging from medical
malpractice and toxic waste
disputes to complex businesslitigation.
Students must engage indiscovery, depositions, motion
practice, voir dire, and ultimately
a final trial on the merits before
student-judges and jurors. It isthrough this process that Baylor

students have been trained tohit the ground running, earninga well-deserved reputation for
excellence along the way.
To ensure that Practice
Court continues to produce thebest young trial lawyers eachyear, fresh Big Trial case files areneeded. You can help to ensurethat future generations of Baylor
lawyers continue to receive thebest training in the nation by
donating your closed case files to
the Practice Court program. No
case is too big or too small, too
straightforward or complex. If

you or your firm have closed casefiles that you think would help
provide students with valuable
exposure to modern litigation,
you are invited to contributeto an important Baylor Law
teaching tradition.
Please contact thePractice Court Associate,Will King for further details.
Contact Information
Email: will_king@baylor.edu
Office Phone: 254.723.0663
Fax: 254.710.2817

2011 Alumni Weekend
October 7th–8th

RSVP at:www.baylor.edu/law/alumni/weekendJ

oin us for the 2011
Baylor Law Alumni
Weekend on
October 7 & 8, 2011.
Festivities include a Friday
Night Fiesta at the home ofJudge & Mrs. Ken Starr, Baylor
vs. Iowa State football game,
Burgers & Blue Bell at thehome of Dean & Mrs. Brad
Toben, and a morning at theSheila and Walter Umphrey
Law Center.
In the past, Baylor
Law Reunions celebrated
certain graduation classes.
This year we invite ALL
Baylor Lawyers, families &guests to the first annual
Baylor Law Alumni Weekend!
We’re on the hunt forClass Reps. If you would
like to organize a class eventfor your group, please let us
know. We are glad to provide
support. For more details,
please visit the Alumni

Weekend website at www.
baylor.edu/law/alumni/
weekend or contact Berkley
Scroggins, Assistant Directorof Alumni Relations, direct
at 254.710.4346 or Berkley_
Scroggins@Baylor.edu.

A l u m ni P hotos

Alumni Admitted to Bar of SCOTUS
Eleven Baylor Lawyers
were admitted to the Barof the Supreme Court of theUnited States on Tuesday,
Nov. 30, 2010. The Honorable
Ken Starr, Baylor University
president, appeared in court
to move the admissionof the group.

Alumni who were admitted were Larry
P. Boyd, Richard E. Brophy, Jr., David
Michael Guinn, Jr., Martin Edward Loeber,William Gregory Looser, John H. Minton,
Jr., Woodrow Milton Roark, JoAl Cannon
Sheridan, Michael A. Simpson, M. Richard
Warner and Thomas W. Wilkins

Front row (left to right):

Second row (left to right):

Judge Ken Starr (Baylor University
President), Rick Brophy (Waco, JD ’77),
JoAl Cannon-Sheridan (Austin, JD ’92),
Chief Justice John Roberts, Mike Simpson(Bridgeport, JD ’77), Woody Roark(Tyler, JD ’71), and Marty Loeber(San Antonio, JD ’92).

Dean Brad Toben (Waco, JD ’77), John
Minton (Tyler, LLB ’56), Richard Warner(Austin, JD ’75), Tom Wilkins (McAllen,
LLB ’66), Greg Looser (Houston, JD ’94),
Professor David Guinn (Waco, JD ’63), Larry
Boyd (Houston, JD ’82), and David Guinn,
Jr. (Lubbock, JD ’89).

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

57

Baylor Law Reunion Weekend
October 1-2, 2010, Waco

A l u m ni P h otos

Jeff Mays (JD ’75), Dana Mays, Lee Mays

Judge Ken Starr and Beth Toben

Victoria Honey (TOC team member), Jennifer Salim (TOC team member), David Weaver, Pat Weaver (JD ’85),
Robert Swafford (JD ’85), Steve Ogle (JD ’05), Lisa Ogle, Erin Hilary Huber (JD ’04), Aaron VonFlatern (TOC team member),
Ashley Yearick (TOC team member)

J. Michael Tibbals (JD ’72) and Bunny Tibbals

58

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Alice Starr and Judge Ken Starr

Melissa Kinkeade, Hon. Ed. Kinkeade (JD ’74), Michael Wray Price (JD ’74), Susan Price,
Ted Steinke (JD ’75)

Dinner & Dialogue with the Starrs
May 5, 2011, Tyler

Noley Bice, LLB ’61, Nancy Crawford, Tracy Crawford, JD ’62, BA ’60, Dean Brad Toben, JD ‘77

Guests applaud Professor Jerry Powell, JD ’77, for his leadershipof the Practice Court program and the Top Gun National
Mock Trial Competition.

Dean Brad Toben, JD ’77, Alice Starr, Judge Ken Starr skyping with Col. Benjamin Butler Ferrell,
LLB ’50, BBA ’51 before the Dinner & Dialogue with the Starrs

Far top: Noley Bice, LLB ’61, Woody Roark, JD ’71, Judy Roark
Above: Ann Steger, wife of the late Hon. William M. Steger

Mark Mann, JD ’97, Dean Brad Toben, JD ’77, Judge Ken Starr, Alice Starr

Dr. Jerry Haag, Vice President for University Development,
BBA ’88, MBA ‘89

John Minton, LLB ’56, BA ’54, Mark Mann, JD ’97, Dean Brad Toben, JD ’77, Judge Ken Starr

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

59

State Bar Alumni Reception
June 23, 2011, San Antonio

A l u m ni P h otos

Dean Brad Toben (JD ’77), Judge Wyatt Heard (LLB ’52 ), Judge Jim Clawson (LLB ’4 8 ),Judge C.W. Duncan (LLB ’50)

Far top: Rick (JD ’77) and Carolyn Brophy

Steve Brown (JD ’85), Judge Rick Morris (JD ’75), Bill Henry (JD ’88),
Bart Westmoreland (JD ’77)

Jim Wray (LLB ‘47), Harper Estes (JD 79), Gib Gayle (LLB ’54) and Wayne Fisher (LLB ’61)

Above: Baylor Law Alumni Association President Traci Kenner(JD ’87) and Dean Brad Toben (JD ’77)

JoAl Cannon-Sheridan (JD ’92) and Joe B. Cannon

60

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Dee and Harper Estes (JD ’79)

SBOT President Elect Buck Files, Judge Diane De Vasto (JD ’74)

Homecoming Breakfast
October 23, 2010, Waco

Taylor Lyons, Mike Elkins, Natalie Arledge

Far top: Jessica La Rue (JD ’11) and Daniel Harper (JD ’10)

David Mead (JD ’10), Becky Mead, Landry Mead

Hon. Ed Kinkeade (JD ’74), Jerry Powell (JD ’77), Colin Powell

Above: Ed Merritt (JD ’81), Alan Brown (JD ’81)

Harry Wright (LLB ’54), Jim Price (LLB ’54), Betty Price, Brad Toben (JD ’77)

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

61

A l u m ni

Sto r i e sJudge Ed Kinkeade
Named 2010 Baylor
Lawyer of the YearT

he Honorable
Ed Kinkeade,
U.S. District
Judge forthe Northern Districtof Texas, was named the2010 Baylor Lawyer of
the Year by Baylor Law
School. Judge Kinkeade
was honored at a luncheon
at noon Nov. 19 at thePetroleum Club in Dallas.
“Judge Ed Kinkeade
personifies the selection
criteria for the Baylor
Lawyer of the Yearrecognition,” said Baylor
Law Dean Brad Toben.
“I have known Judge
Kinkeade for over 25
years. I have, with others,
followed his progression
from being a respected
and admired practitioner,
to taking the criminal
court trial bench, then to62

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and magnetism that makehim the antithesis of thestereotypical image ofa federal judge – stern,removed, lacking humor.
Ed to the contrary is amagnet in any room,
makes everyone feel
special as a person andhas a disarming humor
that leaves everyone
amused even in difficult
circumstances. The Judgenever fails to impress – andquick elevation to the state make an indelible impact
district court bench, andupon – all whom hethence to appointment on meets, professionally and
the Texas Court of Appeals personally. He has been
for the Fifth Judicial
universally lauded for theDistrict.” From this bench, very characteristics that are
Judge Kinkeade in 2002
required of a nominee for
was appointed to the
Baylor Lawyer of the Year.”federal bench by President
Kinkeade earned his
George W. Bush.
undergraduate degree in“Since that time, in
1973 and his law degree ina position of considerable
1974 at Baylor University.
power, prestige andHe earned a master of laws
standing, Judge Kinkeade degree from the University
has gained an across-theof Virginia in 1998. Heboard reputation as a jurist was in private practice asof humility and insight.
an attorney from 1974 to
He shows compassion
1980, first with the firm
when warranted and aof Dennis G. Brewer,
no-nonsense approachInc., and then he became
when deserved. The
a partner at the firm ofJudge has the intellect,
Power and Kinkeade in
dedication, and work ethic Irving.
that are expected in an
In 1981, he left
outstanding lawyer andprivate practice at the age
jurist. He exudes a warmth of 29 when he was electedjudge of County Criminal
Court No. 10 in Dallas.
Eight months later Gov
William P. Clements
appointed him to be
judge of the 194th Judicial
District Court. After sevenyears on the district bench,
Kinkeade was appointed
to the Court of Appeals,
Fifth District, in 1988
also by Gov. Clements.
He was appointed to
the federal bench of theNorthern District of Texas
in November 2002 by
President George W. Bush.
An adjunct professorof law, Judge Kinkeadehas taught Professional
Responsibility at Baylor
Law School. He alsoteaches legal ethics
courses at Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law
in Fort Worth. He hascoauthored two books,
Kinkeade & McCollochs
Texas Penal Code Annotatedand A Practical Guide to
Texas Evidence: Objections,
Responses, Rules and PracticeCommentary, and numerous
law review articles. In
2004, Texas Wesleyan
University awarded Judge
Kinkeade an Honorary
Doctor of Laws degree,
and that same year Dallas
Baptist University awarded“He has been
universallylauded forthe verycharacteristics
that arerequired of anominee for
Baylor Lawyerof the Year.”— Brad Toben
him an Honorary Doctorof Humanities degree.
In addition to
his law career, Judge
Kinkeade is active in his
community, having served
as chairman of the boardof trustees of the Baylor
Medical Health Care
System. He also servedon the Baylor Medical
Center at Irving boardof trustees, the Dallas
Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Task
Force on Alcoholism, theBaylor University Alumni
Association, the Baylor
Law Alumni Association,
the Dallas Volunteer
Center, the board of the
Downtown YMCA,
and as a charter memberof the Board of Irving
Schools Foundation.
Judge Kinkeade wasnamed Outstanding
Young Alumni of Baylor
University in 1988, andreceived the W. R. White
Meritorious Service Award
from the Baylor University
Alumni Association in
2003. He was named
ABOTA Jurist of the Yearfor the State of Texas for2010. As a volunteer, Judge
Kinkeade trained his
yellow Lab, Bo, as a pettherapy dog, and he andBo work with disabled
patients at various Baylor
Health Care facilities in
the area.
Kinkeade is acharter member of theFellowship Church, which
his family and otherindividuals started in 1989
as a mission of Irving’sFirst Baptist Church.
His wife, Melissa who
also is a Baylor graduate,teaches reading for Irving
ISD and was named
Teacher of the Year forthe district in 2008-2009.
Their children are Mandy
Kinkeade Anderson, aBaylor University graduate(BBA ’01) and a new
Regional Director of the
Baylor Women’s Network;
Mandy’s husband, Thomas
Anderson, a Baylor
University graduate (BBA’02) and a graduate ofTexas Wesleyan University
School of Law (JD ’05); andBrad Kinkeade, a Baylor
lawyer (BBA ’05, MBA ’09,
JD ’10) who works in Waco
as the in-house counsel for
Lindsey Contractors. Judgeand Mrs. Kinkeade also
have one grandchild, Carol
Beth Anderson.
“Judge Ed Kinkeade
embodies the strong
character and importantqualities of a Baylor
Lawyer,” said Jerry
Clements, chair of Locke
Lord Bissell & Liddell andpresident of the Baylor
Law Alumni Association.
“In upholding the traditionof those honored before
him, he is not only a great

attorney and outstanding
jurist, he is perhaps mostimportantly a good anddecent human being with astrong sense of fairness anda commitment to service.
Judge Kinkeade makes us
all proud to be his fellow
Baylor lawyers.”
The Lawyer of
the Year award is given
annually to an outstanding
alumnus who has brought
honor and distinction
to Baylor Law School
and the legal profession.
Past recipients include
Watergate Special
Prosecutor Leon Jaworski,
former Texas Lt. Gov.
Bob Bullock, former
F.B.I. director William
Sessions, former U.S. Rep.
Jack Hightower and Gov.
Price Daniel Sr., among a
panoply of distinguishedpractitioners and public
servants. The award has
been presented by Baylor
Law School since 1963.
LEFT: Judge Ed Kinkeadeshowed off his Baylor boots at the
Lawyer of the Year celebration.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

63

Baylor Law
Alumnus
Receives
ScholarshipAwardfrom American
Agricultural Law AssociationBaylor Lawalumnus
Stuart R.
White wasnamed the 2010 AALA
Student ScholarshipAward Winner by theAmerican Agricultural
Law Association at its 2010
annual Agricultural Law
Symposium. The AALA
Student ScholarshipAward is awarded torecognize excellence inrecently-published law
review articles related toagricultural law. White
received the award for
his Winter 2010 article
titled “Guitar Holding:
A Judicial Re-Write ofChapter 36 of the Texas
Water Code?” thatappeared in the Baylor
Law Review.

64

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White’s article
focused on groundwater
law in Texas, with his
central analysis focusing
on whether a recent
decision from the Texas
Supreme Court, Guitar
Holding Co. v. Hudspeth
County Underground Water
District, is in concert
with, or contradictory
to, existing Texas
groundwater regulation.
“Guitar Holding: A
Judicial Re-Write ofChapter 36 of the Texas
Water Code?” was selected
as the award winner
because water law andpolicy issues are of great
importance to agriculturallaw practitioners andbecause White’s erudite
analysis of the impactof a court decision in anarea that has previously
been reserved to legislative
action is applicable acrossall facets of agriculturallaw. The citation for thearticle is 62 Baylor L. Rev.
313 (2010).

“Having grown
up in Uvalde, acommunity dependent
upon farming andranching, I realized how
important water rights areto everyone and my father
explained to me at an
early age how importantwater rights would be in
the future,” White said
about his article.
He also praised
Baylor Law adjunctprofessor Walt Shelton,
who teaches courses thatdeal with environmental
law issues, for his
assistance with the article.
“Professor Shelton
was amazing,” While said.
“He was always willing tomeet with me to look overa draft or to bounce ideas
off of.  Professor Shelton
really went the extra mile
working with me and I
could not have asked fora better professor to haveworked with.”

After graduation,
White served as law clerk
to the Honorable Andrew
S. Hanen in the UnitedStates District Court for
the Southern Districtof Texas. In August, hebegan working with Sico,
White, Hoelscher andBraugh, a plaintiffs
trial firm which has
offices in Corpus Christi
and Los Angeles.
The AALA is anational professional
non-profit organization
focusing on the legal issues
affecting agriculture.
It provides a network
through which those withan interest in agriculturallaw, practitioners,
educators, government
attorneys, policymakers,
researchers, and those in
the industry can share
information and ideas.

A l u m ni

Stories

Baylor Law Alumni
Elected to Baylor Boardof Regents, Baylor
Lawyer Named Chairman

T

wo Baylor
Law alumni
have been
elected to
Baylor University’s Boardof Regents while another
Baylor Law alumnus has
been named Chairman of
the Board. M. Jay Allison
and Jerry Clements, bothof whom received their
JDs in 1981, were elected
at the May meeting of
the Board of Regents.
Additionally, Neal T.
“Buddy” Jones of Austin
was elected chairman of
the board. He follows
Dary Stone, also a Baylor
Law alumnus. Currently
six Baylor Law alumni—
Allison, Clements, Jones,
William K. Robbins,
Jr., Philip Stewart, andStone—are serving on
the board of 23 members.

Neal T.“Buddy”Jonesis principal/owner of
HillCo Partners, LLC,
an Austin public affairs
firm excelling in lobbying,public relations, crisis
management, direct
mail and phone, grassroots, investor and media
relations. Previously
in private law practice,
he served as District
Attorney, 66th District ofTexas, and was a memberof the Texas House ofRepresentatives, District
34. He also served as
County Attorney of Hill
County, Texas. Jones

serves on the board of
the Austin SymphonyOrchestra and is theformer board chair for theDell Children’s HospitalFoundation of Austin,
Bachelors of Austin, andKnights of the Symphony.
He has been selected on
multiple occassions as oneof the “25 Most Powerful
Texans” by Texas Monthly
magazine. He earned a
B.A. from Baylor in 1973
and his J.D. in 1975.

M. Jay Allisonhas been a directorof Comstock Resources,
Inc., a NYSE oil and gas
company, since 1987 andhas been president andchief executive officer ofthe company since 1988.
He was elected chair of
the Board of Directors
in 1997. From 1981 to
1987, he was a practicing
oil and gas attorneywith the firm Lynch,
Chappell & Alsup in
Midland, Texas. Allison
was chair of the Board of
Directors of Bois d’Arc
Energy, Inc., a NYSE oil

and gas company, fromthe time of its formationin 2004 until its merger
with Stone Energy
Corporation in 2008. He
has served as a director of
Tidewater, Inc., a NYSE
oil and gas company, since2006. He received B.B.A.,
M.S. and J.D. degrees
from Baylor University
in 1978, 1980 and 1981,
respectively. A three-time
Baylor football letterman,
he played for Baylor’s 1974
Southwest Conference
championship team.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

65

Jerry Clements
serves as Chair of Locke
Lord Bissell & Liddell
LLP, and and is one of
only a few women heading
a top 100 law firm in the
country. She has been
named one of the Top 50
Most Influential Women
Lawyers in America by
The National Law Journal;
one of 30 Extraordinary
Women in Texas Law by
Texas Lawyer; one of theTop 10 Litigators in the
Dallas-Fort Worth area by
the Dallas Business Journal;

Dary Stone
one of the Top 50 Female
Litigators in the State by
Texas Monthly magazine;
and one of Texas’ Most
Powerful Women by the
Texas Diversity Council.
She is a Fellow in theAmerican College of
Trial Lawyers and serveson the Board of Trusteesof the Foundation of
the American Collegeof Trial Lawyers. She
also is a Member of theAmerican Board of Trial
Advocates, a Fellow in

William K. Robbins, Jr.
is founder and CEO
of North American Corp.,
which originated in 1971.
He serves on the boards
for several United Statesand foreign corporations.
He has served as an officer
and director of various
international subsidiary66

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the International Societyof Barristers, a Fellow in
the Litigation Counselof America, and a Board
Member of BusinessCounsel Inc. She received
her J.D., cum laude, andserved as Editor in Chiefof the Baylor Law Review.
In June, she completed
a term as President of
the Baylor Law Alumni
Board.

is president and chief
executive officer of R.D.
Stone Interests. He is
active in the real estateand financial services
industry, currently serving
as a director of Cousins
Properties, Inc. (NYSE:
CUZ), and the Tolleson
Private Bank and formerly
serving as a director ofLone Star Bank and aschair of the Texas FinanceCommission.

Philip Stewart
companies of Union
Carbide Corp. from1963 to 1971. From 1956
to 1963, he was a legal
counsel for Humble Oil
and Refining Company(now Exxon Corp.).

is the president of
Terravista Corporation,a real estate investment
firm engaged in theacquisition, development,
and management ofcommercial, multifamily, and residential
properties in Texas andCalifornia as well as theState of Jalisco, Mexico.
Prior to Terravista, he
was a partner at Vinson& Elkins, LLP and Akin,
Gump, Strauss, Hauer& Feld.

A l u m ni

Stories

Baylor Law Alum
Installed as PresidentElect of Texas Trial
Lawyers Association

S

teve Harrison,a Baylor
Law School
alumnus andpartner and founding
member of the Waco
law firm Harrison Davis
Steakley Morrison,P.C., was installed as2011 President-Elect of
the Texas Trial Lawyers
Association at its Annual
Board and Membership
Meeting on Dec. 3 inAustin. Harrison will be
the fifth Baylor Lawyer toserve as TTLA president
in the last decade, joining
George Chandler, John
Eddie Williams, Nelson
Roach and immediate pastpresident Tex Quesada.
Houston lawyer Steve

Mostyn will serve as2011 President.
“Steve has theheart and mind of aservant and has always
been moved to serve
the under-served andthe marginalized,” said
Baylor Law Dean Brad
Toben. “In the law center,
Steve and the partnersof his predecessor firm
generously underwrote
one of our courtrooms.
At their initiative, thecourtroom was to be onethat is disabled - accessible.
That sort of caring is quite
special and it’s the same
sort of character trait
that draws peers andcolleagues in the bar
to Steve as a leader.”Harrison has beena trial lawyer for 35 years.
A founding member ofHarrison Davis Steakley
Morrison, P. C., he has
successfully represented
both individuals andbusinesses in a variety ofsophisticated catastrophic
injury, product liability,
toxic tort and businesslitigation matters.

An accomplishedcivil litigator, Steve isdouble board certified,holding that distinction
in both civil trial andpersonal injury trial work.
He has been a memberof the TTLA for 30 years
and also is a memberof the invitation-only
trial organization, theAmerican Board of Trial
Advocates (ABOTA), an
organization founded
to promote ethical andtechnical standards ofpractice in the field of
advocacy. He served formany years as a memberof the National Board of
Directors of the ABOTA.
Additionally, he is amember of the Christian
Trial Lawyers Association,
is a Life Fellow of the
Texas Bar Foundation andis the former Presidentof the Waco-McLennan
County Bar Association.
Harrison was leadcounsel in the case that
resulted in the largest
jury verdict in the historyof McLennan County,
Texas, as of that date. He

also was lead co-counsel
in what has been reported
as the nation’s first jury
verdict to hold a bus
manufacturer liable for its
failure to install passenger
seat belts and safety glass.
Steve lectures
frequently at Baylor Law
School and at various
continuing legal education
programs, such as TTLA’s
Advanced Personal
Injury Seminar. He
also has testified in the
Texas Senate concerning
the effects of proposed
legislation concerning
litigation. He has
authored and coauthorednumerous papers andpresentations, including“The Case Against theCertified Repair StationPlaintiffs Approach,”presented to the Tort andInsurance Section at the
ABA Annual Meeting inToronto; “Aviation Tort
Law,” in Texas Torts &Remedies; “Removal andRemand - Who MovedMy Cheese? - Practical
Tips for the Prevention& Cure of Relocation

Anxiety” presented at
the TTLA’s Advanced
Personal Injury Course;and “Referral Fees in
Texas” presented at
TTLA’s Advanced
Personal Injury Course.
Harrison is amember of First Baptist
Church Woodway. He
was appointed by the
Mayor of Waco to asteering committee to
implement a plan to end
chronic homelessness inWaco, a program thathas become a model forthe nation. He served aschairman of the Boardof Directors of Hillcrest
Health System and has
served on that board andthe Board of Trustees ofHillcrest Baptist Medical
Center for more than
27 years.
The Texas Trial
Lawyers Association was
founded in 1949 and is a
professional association
comprised exclusivelyof attorneys whose
primary area of practice isrepresenting plaintiffs in
the civil justice system.

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

67

Baylor Law
Graduate
Chosen As
Presidentof LitigationCounselof AmericaBaylor Law School
alumna Sharla
J. Frost has been
inducted as
President of Litigation Counsel ofAmerica. The Litigation Counselof America is a trial lawyer
honorary society composed of
fewer than one-half of one percentof American lawyers.
In keeping with the guiding
principles of LCA, Frost has anational reputation for effective
client representation. Licensed infive states, including both Texas
and Oklahoma, Frost serves
as a member of the trial teamfor several different companies
in products liability and toxic
tort matters. She also defends
clients in a broad variety of civil
litigation matters, including
employment, breach of contract
and other business disputes.
“I tell people that I throw
myself between juries and myclients’ money,” she says, whendescribing what she does.

68

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Frost attended Baylor Law
School on a Jaworski Scholarship,a full tuition scholarship awarded
as the result of her college debate
experience. She was active in theStudent Bar Association, where
she was elected to the positionof executive secretary. She was amember of the ABA moot court
team in the fall of 1986 under thetutelage of Professors Bill Trailand Mike Rogers. She received theBest Oral Advocate Award for theschool moot court competition
as a second-year student and theprestigious Williams, Pattillo andSquires Outstanding AdvocateAward when she was a graduating
senior. She also won the Dawson& Sodd Moot Court Competitionand claimed the first prize of a
two-week, expenses paid trip toEngland. She says that one of her
most vivid memories from law
school would be the grilling she
and her partner received from
Practice Court Professor Louis
Muldrow on the morning of their
final moot court round.

“He kept us on ourfeet for almost the entire
hour of the class. We
knew it was just his special
way of wishing us goodluck,” she says.
In addition to
her work as an advocate
on behalf of her clientsand the legal profession,
Sharla maintains ties with
Baylor Law School andher Baylor classmates. She
was invited to speak on
the topic of “Negotiating
the Profession: Benefits
and Burdens of a Women
Lawyer” to the Women
Law Student Seminar
Luncheon in February
2008 and will participate
in the Jaworski Fellows
Program in the trial
advocacy program.
“I am hopeful thatmy position with LCA will
inspire the next generationof Baylor lawyers – bothmale and female – tocommit themselves tothe important workthat litigators do in oursystem,” she says. “Wecannot have trials without
trial lawyers, and no place
trains them better than
Baylor does.”
One of the founding
members of Powers &Frost, headquartered in
Houston, Texas, Frost
serves as the managing
partner of the firm,a certified majority
woman-owned business.
In addition to her workwith LCA, she is amember of two otherelite bar associations:
the American Board of
Trial Advocates and theInternational Associationof Defense Counsel.
Active in issues

related to women in thelaw, she has served on theSupreme Court Nominee
Evaluation Committee for
the National Associationof Women Lawyers foreach of the nominee
evaluations over the
past five years. She is
the vice-chair (and only
woman from the UnitedStates) of the DRI Europe
Liaison Committee. She
also is active in the DRI
Women in the Courtroom
Committee and the ABA
Women Rainmakers.
Recognized as a Texas
Monthy Super Lawyer
each year since 2005, she
is a frequent speaker andwriter on a broad range oflegal issues. She provided
the Charge to the
Fellows at LCA’s spring
conference in California,emphasizing the crucial
importance of the jury in
American jurisprudence
and exhorting her fellow
LCA members to protect
the integrity of the jury
process.
LCA Fellows
are selected based
upon effectiveness andaccomplishment inlitigation, both at thetrial and appellate levels,and superior ethicalreputation. The LCA isaggressively diverse in its
composition. Established
as a trial and appellate
lawyer honorary society
reflecting the Americanbar in the 21st century,
the LCA represents
the best in law amongits membership.

A l u m ni Stor ies“We cannot
have trials
without trial
lawyers,
and no place
trains thembetter than
Baylor does.”B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

69

A l u m ni

70

Sto r i e s

The Docket C allTwo Baylor
Law School
Alumni
Receive Baylor
Meritorious
Achievement
AwardsT

Cary Gray

wo Baylor Law
School alumni
received Meritorious
Achievement Awards
at a Board of Regents dinner on
Oct. 21. Cary Gray was named
Alumnus of the Year while Sen.
Kirk Watson received the Pro
Texana Medal (for Civic Service).
Gray, Watson and eight othermembers of the Baylor family were
honored for their contributions
to the university and society andwere special guests at several
Homecoming events on Oct. 23.
The Baylor Alumnus of
the Year is awarded annually toa graduate of Baylor University
who has demonstrated remarkableachievement in the previous
year. While consideration for theaward is not based solely upon theindividual’s contribution to the
University, contributions to theprestige and betterment of Baylor
University bear a fitting weight inthe selection process.

Gray, BBA ’79, BA ’80,
JD ’83, was president of Sigma
Alpha Epsilon and a memberof Baylor Law’s 1983 National
Quarterfinalist Mock Trial
Competition team. He is president
and managing director of thecommercial law firm Looper,
Reed & McGraw P.C. in Houston
and has been recognized a “Texas
Super Lawyer” by Texas Monthly
and Law & Politics magazines.
Throughout the years, Grayhas remained actively involved
with Baylor as a member of the
Old Main Society and Athletic
Director’s Club and by servingon the board of directors of the
Baylor Bear Foundation andthe Friends of Baylor Steering
Committee. An avid sports
fan, Gray has supported capitalprojects, excellence funds andstudent-athlete scholarships
relating to baseball, football,men’s golf and men’s basketball.
He has generously supported
Hankamer School of Business,
Baylor’s Student Foundation andB aylor U niversit y School of L aw

71the Houston Women’s
Association Scholarship.
Additionally, he has
contributed to Baylor
Law’s faculty fund,alumni endowment andbuilding campaign.
He and his
wife, Amber, havethree children.
“Cary is always
there to help theuniversity and the law
school, often behind thescenes,” said Baylor Law
Dean Brad Toben. “He
exemplifies superbly the
Baylor Lawyer who servesin every venue in which
he is found.”

The Pro Texana
Medal of Service isawarded to an individual
whose contributions infurthering the missionof Baylor University inthe public or non-profit
sector have made an
immeasurable impact.
Former Mayorof Austin and current
Texas Senator Kirk
Watson earned his BA inpolitical science in 1980
and a law degree in 1981.
While attending Baylor
Law School, Watson was
editor-in-chief of the
Baylor Law Review andgraduated first in his class.
He clerked for the U.S.

Court of Appeals for
the Fifth Circuit.
In 1991 Watson was
appointed by Gov. Ann
Richards to serve as chairof the Texas Air Control
Board, the state agency
that was charged withprotecting air quality in
Texas. In 1997, he waselected mayor of Austin.
Watson was elected to the
Texas Senate in 2006. In
2009, he was recognized
by Texas Monthly
magazine as one of thestate’s “10 Best Legislators,”
among other recognitions.
He has been named
an outstanding young
alumnus of Baylor, Young

Baylor Lawyer of theYear, and the Outstanding
Young Lawyer of Texas.
He is currently a partnerwith the law firm
Brown McCarroll, L.L.P.,
working as a lawyer,
mediator, publicaffairs consultant.
Sen. Watson has
been married to his wife,
Liz, for more than 27
years. They have two sons.
“Kirk has achieved
a commanding profile
in every endeavor inwhich he has served– in the bar, in theprofession and in the
public sector. He neverfails to impress allwith whom he works,”
Toben said.
“What an honor it
is to have the opportunity
to recognize thesemagnificent individuals
and their exceptional
contributions to thebetterment of Baylor
and society,” said Baylor
President Ken Starr, who
also serves as the Louise
L. Morrison Professorof Constitutional Law at
Baylor Law School. “Eachone is a fitting exampleof how and why Baylor
University continues to besuch a remarkable place.”

Kirk Watson

72

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A l u m ni

Baylor LawalumnusGeorgeChandler
was named the 2009
recipient of the Texas
Bar Foundation's Ronald
D. Secrest Outstanding
Trial Lawyer Award. The
Ronald D. Secrest Awardis handed out annually by
the Texas Bar Foundation.
It was established in 2002B

aylor Law
Schoolalumnus
W. Mike
Baggett, Chairman
Emeritus and Dallas
Shareholder of Winstead,
was named the 2010
recipient of the Morris
Harrell ProfessionalismAward. The award ispresented annually by the
Dallas Bar Association andthe Texas Center for Legal

StoriesGeorge Chandler Receives
Prestigious State Trial
Lawyer Award

by Houston law firm
Beck, Redden & Secrest inmemory of the late trial
lawyer Ronald Secrest.
The award honors anactive trial lawyer who,by his or her practice, hasdemonstrated outstanding
trial and advocacy skills,
high ethical and moral
standards and exceptional
professional conduct,thus enhancing theimage of the trial lawyer,
according to the Texas
Bar Foundation.
Additionally,
Chandler was namedthe 2009 Baylor
Lawyer of the Year andreceived the Lifetime
Achievement Award for2009 of the Texas Trial
Lawyers Association
for contributions to thejustice system.
Chandler,founder and chairmanof Chandler, Mathis &Zivley in Lufkin, Texas,
graduated from Baylor
University in 1960 witha bachelor’s degree inhistory. He received his
J.D. in 1962. He served
as the 2003 Presidentof the Texas Trial
Lawyers Association,an organization he has
been involved with since1974. He has served as
director and director
emeritus of the TTLA
and has sat on the TTLA
Executive Committee

since 1999. Additionally,
Chandler is a memberof the prestigious
International Academyof Trial Lawyers,limited by invitation
to 400 trial lawyers
worldwide. He is a
Diplomate of both theAmerican Board of
Trial Advocates and the
National Board of Trial
Advocacy and has served
by appointment onvarious committees of theState Bar of Texas.

Baylor Law Alumnus
Mike Baggett Receives
Morris Harrell
Professionalism Award

Ethics and Professionalism
to the “attorney who best
exemplifies, by conductand character, truly
professional traits whoothers seek to emulate
and who all in the bar
admire.” Baggett received
the award at the Dallas
Bar Association’s Annual
Meeting on Nov. 5 at theBelo Mansion.
Baggett received
his B.B.A. from Texas

A&M and his J.D., cumlaude, from Baylor Law
School. He clerked for
Justice Price Daniel, Sr.,of the Texas Supreme
Court and was awarded aBronze Star for Viet Nam
service as a first lieutenant
in the U.S. Army.
Baggett served as
the chairman and CEOof Winstead from 1992
through 2006. Baggett isboard certified in Civil

Trial Law, past memberof the board and executive
committee of the StateBar of Texas, and pastpresident and chairmanof the board of theDallas Bar Association.
He serves as a fellowof the American Bar
Foundation; former
chair of fellows andcurrent trustee, Center
for American andInternational Law;

past chair of fellows
and trustee, Texas
Bar Foundation;
past chairman, trustee
and fellow, Dallas Bar
Foundation; and fellow,
Litigation Councilof America. He is aprevious recipientof the Judge Sam
Williams LeadershipAward from the StateBar of Texas.

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A l u m ni

C lass N ot e s

1973

1980

— Don D. Martinson, a name partner in
Dallas-based Fanning Harper Martinson Brandt& Kutchin P.C., argued the case, In re Universal
Underwriters of Texas Insurance Company, No.
10-0238, before the Supreme Court of Texas on
December 8, 2010.

— Michael W. Johnston has been
designated as a Texas Super Lawyer for thesixth year in a row. The Super Lawyers list is “acomprehensive, good-faith and detailed attempt
to produce a list of lawyers that have attained
high peer recognition, meet ethical standards, andhave demonstrated some degree of achievementin their field.” The majority of Michael’s cases
involve civil commercial matters including
representing insurance companies in first-party
and third-party disputes and large subrogation
cases. Michael resides and practices in Fort
Worth, Texas where he served as a partner inseveral major law firms prior to opening Johnston
Legal Group in 1997. In addition to the principal
office in Fort Worth, Johnston Legal Group
has an office in Houston, Oklahoma City, San
Antonio and Lubbock.

1 974

1965
— Former Texas Governor MarkWhite was appointed as Counsel on Rural
Broadband Development.

1967— Jack Klein of Jackson Walker was selected
as 2010 Dallas Top Lawyers by LexisNexis. Thisis the inaugural year of the Top Lawyers award,
and the attorneys are chosen as the best in theirfield by both their clients and peers. The list was
published in the December 2010 issue of SmartBusiness Dallas magazine.

1971— Gary D. Compton joined the Jackson
Walker L.L.P. in its Austin office in December
2009 as a partner in its Environmental &Legislative group.

1972— David McCall was honored at Chabadof Plano’s 19th annual “Evening of Leadership,
Friendship and Purpose.” McCall received theDistinguished Civic Leadership Award from
Rabbi Menachem Block.
— Charles M. Meadows, Jr., founding
partner in the Dallas law firm of Meadows,
Collier, Reed, Cousins & Blau, has received
the Jules Ritholz Memorial Merit Award fromthe American Bar Association Tax Section’s
Committee on Civil and Criminal Tax Penalties.
Meadows, who is Board Certified in Tax Law
by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization andis also a Certified Public Accountant, has morethan 35 years of experience in representing public
and private corporations as well as individuals
in litigation involving tax and white collar legal
defense matters.

74

The Docket C all— The Honorable Ed Kinkeade,
U.S. District Judge for the Northern District ofTexas, was recognized as Jurist of the Year by the
Texas regional chapter of the American Board of
Trial Advocates (ABOTA) at the group’s annual
meeting in Fort Worth on Oct. 16, 2010.

1975— Tom Forbes has moved to Longbow
Partners, LLP, in Austin to work in government,
regulatory and business consulting withcompanies and institutions. He also is Of Counsel
with the Cox Smith law firm, which has its main
office in San Antonio and offices in Austin,
Dallas, McAllen and El Paso.
— Ken Stohner has been named 2010 Dallas“Top Lawyers” by LexisNexis. Stohner practices
at Jackson Walker.

1976— Steve McConnico was selected asDistinguished Lawyer of 2010 by the Austin Bar
Foundation.

1981— Linda A. Hale, Of Counsel to Clouse
Dunn Khoshbin, LLP in Dallas, Texas, waselected to membership in the Fellows of the Texas
Bar Foundation. Ms. Hale is also a Fellow of theDallas Bar Foundation and practices in the areasof business litigation and employment law.
— Mark G. Sessions has joined Strasburger& Price, LLP in its San Antonio office as Of
Counsel in the Litigation Practice Unit.

1982

1977

— Don Swaim has been named one of Texas’
Top Attorneys in the Texas Super Lawyers list.

— William C. (Bill) Lowrey of Shell Oil
Company is the new chair of the Houston Bar
Foundation.

1983

1978
— Carmen Eiker, partner in the Family Law
firm of McCurley Orsinger McCurley Nelson& Downing, L.L.P., has earned recognition in
D Magazine’s 2010 listing of the Best Women
Lawyers in Dallas.
— David Kent was named “2010 Volunteer of
the Year” by the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadershipof North Texas organization at its annual
leadership conference held May 13-16, 2010 on the
TCU campus. David is with the Dallas office of
Sedgwick Detert Moran & Arnold LLP.

— Keith Branyon of Jackson Walker was
selected as a 2009 Fort Worth “Top Attorney”
by Fort Worth, Texas magazine in the November
2009 issue.
— Keith Nelson has been recognized on the2010 listing of the Best Lawyers in America. He
is a partner in the Family Law firm of McCurley
Orsinger McCurley Nelson & Downing, L.L.P.

1985— Shareholder Wayne W. Bost has
been named head of Litigation and Dispute
Resolution Department at Winstead PC. Bost
replaces Shareholder Jay Madrid who was elected
to Winstead’s Executive Committee in December
2009. Bost was formerly chair of Winstead’s

Commercial Litigation practice group. As thehead of Winstead’s Litigation and Dispute
Resolution Department, Bost will oversee morethan 90 attorneys in six practice groups, including
Appellate, Commercial Litigation, Construction,
Intellectual Property, Energy and Environmental,
and Labor, Employment and Immigration.
— Ruth Ann Daniels, a name partner in
Dallas’ Gibson, McClure, Wallace & Daniels,
L.L.P., has earned selection to the Texas Super
Lawyers list of the state’s top attorneys. Daniels,
a 25-year trial lawyer, specializes in employment
litigation defense for a variety of companies. Her
work includes defending employers against claimsof sexual harassment, wrongful termination andage, sex and racial discrimination.
— Winstead Houston Shareholder
Mark Guthrie was elected as the new chairof the Texas Association of Workforce Boards(TAWB) during the board meeting held in Dallas
on Nov. 17, 2010. Guthrie has served TAWB as
a representative of the Gulf Coast Workforce
Development Board since 2001, has chaired its
Policy Committee Chair since 2001 and served asits Vice Chair since 2007.
— David Henry has joined Dykema’sIntellectual Property (IP) Department as amember in the firm’s Dallas office. Prior tojoining Dykema, Henry was a partner with
Patton Boggs LLP, where he headed the Texas
IP practice. He will also spend time in Dykema’s
Washington, D.C., office.
— Cynthia S. Olsen, a shareholder in
Wilson, Cribbs & Goren, P.C. in Houston,was elected to a two-year term as Director on
the Board of CREW (Commercial Real Estate
Women) Houston, an organization dedicated tothe advancement of women in commercial realestate.
— Mark K. Sales has become an equity
member in Dykema Gossett, a new firm in the
Dallas legal market. Sales’ practice will continue
to focus on probate, trust and fiduciary duty
related litigation and will also encompass all typesof commercial litigation.

1986— Dallas attorney Blake L.
Beckham has partnered with Roger L. Mandelin the formation of their new firm, Beckham &Mandel. Beckham has led The Beckham Groupsince 1994, establishing an overwhelming recordof success in commercial litigation.

— Stephen Cockerham has joined Brown — Brian L. Bunt merged his law practice in
McCarroll, L.L.P., as a partner in the Dallas office summer 2009 with Shore Freeman Mills PC ofand chair of the firm’s labor and employment
Longview, Texas.
practice.
— Lauren Beck Harris joined Porter— Thomas J. Farmer of Dallas’ The Law& Hedges as a partner and head of the Firm’s
Offices of Frank L. Branson was named a Texas
Litigation Appellate Group.
Super Lawyer for 2010. The 2010 Texas Super
Lawyers listing appears in the October edition of 1 9 9 1— Dallas attorney Bryan R.
Texas Monthly magazine and Texas Super Lawyers
Haynes with Scheef & Stone has been electedmagazine.
to membership in the Fellows of the Texas
1988
Bar Foundation. Fellows of the Foundation— Charles A. Spain, Jr. has been appointed are selected for their outstanding professional
associate judge of the City of Houston Municipal achievements and their demonstrated
Courts by Mayor Annise Parker. He will continue commitment to the improvement of the justice
to serve as a senior staff attorney at the Court ofsystem throughout the state of Texas.
Appeals for the First District of Texas.

1992

1989
— Kirstin L. Humann has joined the
Seattle Office of Stoel Rives LLP as of counsel.
She will focus her practice in estate planningand tax-exempt organization law where she willcounsel clients on tax, trust and estate, charitablegiving, real estate and family business law
matters.
— Austin Labor and Employment
Shareholder Peyton Smith has
been named Winstead PC’s new firm-wide
lateral hiring shareholder. Smith holds various
leadership positions in the legal and civic
community and was recently named a Fellow of
the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA) anda charter member of the LCA Diversity Law
Institute.

1990— Eric D. Beal has co-authored a new bookon the strategies and challenges of practicing
Texas Divorce and Family Law. From the “Inside
the Minds” series, and titled Strategies for Family
Law in Texas, the book targets practicing attorneys
and others interested in recent trends and tips
for life in the Texas family law arena. The
just-released collection, written in conjunction
with other experienced matrimonial attorneys,
provides a look at everything divorce lawyers
see on a regular basis, from adultery to drug andalcohol abuse. Eric is the senior attorney at the
Beal Law Firm, with offices in Southlake andFort Worth and practices exclusively family law.
He is married, with five children.

— Strasburger & Price, LLP partner
Francine Breckenridge earned her
Board Certification in Labor and Employment
Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Breckenridge counsels and represents companies
in all areas of labor and employment law
and in a variety of business disputes. She
handles arbitrations, Fair Labor Standards
Act and Department of Labor audits, Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission andrelated state statute claims, Texas Workforce
claims, Occupation Safety & Health matters andassisted employers during Bureau of Immigration
and Custom Enforcement investigations. She
frequently conducts training seminars for
managers and non-managerial employees onimportant issues confronting today’s work force,is a frequent speaker on important employment
and labor topics, and writes and publishes articles
in conjunction with her lectures.
— Duane L. Coker has secured the AV
Preeminent Peer Review rating from MartindaleHubbell. Duane L. Coker & Associates, P.C. is afull service family law firm representing divorce,family law, and guardianship clients primarily in
Denton County and Collin County, Texas. Coker
is past chair of the Denton County Family Law
Section and the President Elect of the Denton
County Bar Association (will serve as President in
the 2012-2013 fiscal year).

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A l u m ni

C lass N ot e s— Michael C. Smith of Marshall received
the Cy Pres: Impact on Justice Award in May
2009 in recognition of a recent award of cy presfunds totaling $230,160 to help bolster legal aid in
Texas. He helped settle a federal case and played
an instrumental role in awarding the resulting
cy pres funds to the Texas Access to JusticeFoundation. He also was recently appointed as
Chair of the Board of Editors for the Texas Bar
Journal, the monthly publication of the State Barof Texas. Smith is a partner in the Marshall officeof Siebman, Burg, Phillips & Smith, LLP, and has
served on the editorial board for the Texas Bar
Journal publication since 2005, most recently asvice chair for two years.

1993

1996

1998

— Leane C. Medford with Elrod PLLC
has been elected to membership in the Fellowsof the Texas Bar Foundation. She also has beenrecognized as a “Texas Super Lawyer” in Texas
Monthly Magazine from 2007 to 2010, and in 2009
she was named as one of the “Top 50 Womenattorneys” in Texas. She has also been named oneof the “Top 40 Lawyers Under 40” for commercial
litigation and appeals in Dallas by D Magazine.

— Mathew Jacob joined the Dismuke,
Waters & Sweet law firm as a shareholder. His
practice is focused on estate planning and probate,
corporate transactions and litigation. Whileat Baylor, he received an award in Alternate
Dispute Resolution, and later interned for Federal
Magistrate Dennis Green.

— Andrew Weber has joined Kelly Hart &Hallman as a partner in the firm’s Austin office.
Immediately prior to joining the firm, Weberserved as First Assistant Attorney General at the
Texas Attorney General’s Office.

— Lynn Gray Ruvang of Thompson &Knight LLP was recognized in the November
2009 issue of Fort Worth, Texas magazine. In its
ninth annual listing, Fort Worth, Texas magazine
features Tarrant County’s “Top Attorneys” inselected fields who were nominated by their peers.

2000

1997

— Rance M. Bryson has joined the Dallas
law firm of Stacy & Conder, LLP. Mr. Bryson
received his B.A. degree from Texas Christian
University. He was active in Baylor’s nationallyrecognized trial advocacy program and coached
Baylor’s lacrosse team.

— Amber L. Slayton announces the— Ivan A. Andarza was elected Chairman
formation of Lafferty & Slayton, PLLC, inof the Board of Directors of the Texas Guaranteed Dallas. The firm offers legal services in the areas
Student Loan Corporation. He was originallyof litigation and appeals, business transactions,
appointed to the board by Governor Perry andand municipal law.
confirmed by the Texas Senate in 2007.

— Lisa L. Havens, Scott & White
Healthcare’s director of Risk Management andsenior vice president of Legal Counsel, has been
named “Risk Manager of the Year” by BusinessInsurance magazine.

— Brad Adams recently joined The
Brinkmann Corporation in Dallas as its GeneralCounsel. Brad and his wife, Jen Cannella Adams,
live in Dallas, together with their three children.

2001

1995
— C. Scott Gladden has been added to theEnergy & Environmental Law Practice Group of
Winstead PC’s Fort Worth Office. Gladden is ofcounsel, and he was formerly with K&L Gates.
He is Board Certified in oil, gas & mineral law by
the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
— Kristie Wright was named Attorneyof the Year at the Texarkana Bar Association’s
September 2009 meeting. The award recognizes
an individual who represents the profession by
exhibiting honesty, integrity and professionalism
while also contributing to the bar andcommunity. Kristie is the first female recipientof the award. She practices with the law firm of
Haltom & Doan in Texarkana.

76

The Docket C all— Greg Baird, an Assistant State Attorneywith the State Attorney’s Office in Clearwater,
Florida, appeared on the episode, “Written inBlood” from the Investigation Discovery networkshow Solved, about a capital murder case he helped
prosecute in 2007. Greg is currently assigned
to the Special Prosecution section of the State
Attorney’s Office.
— David Johnson from the Fort Worthoffice of Winstead PC was recognized as a Texas
Rising Star by Texas Monthly magazine. Johnson
works in the Appellate Practice Group.
— Eric J. Weatherford of Brown
McCarroll’s Dallas office has been named a
Texas Rising Star in Health Care Law by Texas
Monthly magazine.

— John T. Wilson IV, a member of
Kelly Hart & Hallman’s Appellate and Litigation
practice groups, has been named a partner.
Wilson was a summa cum laude graduate of thelaw school.

2002— G. Edel Cuadra has been promoted fromassociate to senior attorney for the Austin officeof Godwin Ronquillo PC. Cuadra is a member ofthe Labor and Employment section. He routinely
counsels clients on workplace issues, including
compliance, best practices, internal investigations,policies and procedures, and human resources
guidelines. He also assists with litigation andarbitration, training, government proceedings
and investigations, employee disputes, and claim
prevention.
— Bryan L. Larson has been elected topartner at Thompson & Knight LLP. Larson, amember of the Firm’s Real Estate and Banking
Practice Group in Dallas, focuses his practiceon the acquisition, disposition, financing,development, and leasing of commercial realestate. He has significant experience representing
special servicers in the CMBS market, handlingforeclosures, receiverships, loan sales, loan
modifications, and restructuring.

— Aimee L. Van Winkle Stone is board
certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by
the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
— Alex Valdes has been elected ashareholder at Winstead PC and also wasrecognized as a Texas Rising Star and wasfeatured in the April 2010 Texas Monthly
magazine. Valdes is a member of the Litigation/
Disputes Resolution Practice Group.

2003— Paige Castaneda from the Austin officeof Winstead PC was recognized as a Texas RisingStar and was featured in Texas Monthly magazine.
Castaneda is a member of the Corporate &Securities Practice Group.

2004— Jason R. Bernhardt has joined the
Houston office of Winstead PC as an associate.
Bernhardt was previously with Lewis Brisbois
Bisgaard & Smith LLP. He represents clients ina variety of litigation matters and has significant
trial and appellate experience in product liability,
professional liability, premises liability, personal
injury, insurance, real estate, fraud, consumer
protection and commercial construction disputes.
His practice is focused on business litigation,
including business tort and contract disputes, aswell as risk management and planning for his
clients. Bernhardt is a member of the State Barof Texas, the Texas Young Lawyers Association,
the Houston Young Lawyers Association, the
Houston Young Lawyers Foundation, and he wasnamed a Texas Rising Star in 2010 and 2011.
— Leslie L. Hunt, a senior associate with
Decker Jones McMackin McClane Hall & Bates,
P.C., has been named the 2011 Outstanding Young
Lawyer of Fort Worth and Tarrant County by
the Fort Worth-Tarrant County Young Lawyers
Association (FW-TCYLA).
— Hamilton Lindley has joined
the Dallas-based litigation firm of Goldfarb
Branham LLP as an associate. Lindley represents
shareholders in securities litigation nationwide.
He recently was honored in the 2010 Texas Rising
Stars listing published by Thomson Reuters,
Legal Division. He is a member of the Federal Bar
Association’s Executive Committee, and currently
chairs the CLE, Social, Judiciary and LISTA
Committees for the DAYL. He is a Life Fellow
with the DAYL Foundation and an active memberof the American Bar Association, American
Association for Justice, Dallas Bar Association andFederal Bar Association for the Fifth Circuit.

— Marilyn Montano, a Jackson Walker
L.L.P. attorney in the Austin office, who has
been selected as a Texas Monthly magazine’s“Rising Star.”

2005— Christine Adamson Nowak has
joined Dykema as an Associate in the Litigation
Department. Nowak’s practice focuses on
business and commercial litigation, with anemphasis in the areas of probate, trust, tax
and fiduciary duty litigation. Prior to joining
Dykema, Ms. Nowak was an associate with K&L
Gates, LLP (formerly Hughes Luce, LLP) in
Dallas.

2006— Ben Howell, has joined the Dallas
office of Winstead PC as an associate in theCommercial Litigation Practice Group.
— Timothy Thorne has made partnerwith Judd, Vural & Jacks, P.L.L.C., a mid-size
law firm in Fort Worth that specializes in Oiland Gas Title Opinions. Tim Thorne is the third
Baylor lawyer to become a Partner in Judd, Vural& Jacks, P.L.L.C., along with Managing Partner
Troy Judd, graduate 2005, and Milli (Alexander)Jacks, graduate 1993.

2009— Jason Gregory joined the Dallas office ofHawkins, Parnell & Thackston on January 1, 2010.

— Lara D. Pringle has joined Jones Walker
as an associate in the Business & Commercial
Litigation Practice Group. Ms. Pringle willpractice from the firm’s Houston office. Prior tojoining Jones Walker, Ms. Pringle worked in the
Houston office of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. as
an associate in that firm’s Litigation and Products
Liability sections. Pringle graduated cum laude
from Baylor Law School and served as Executive
Editor of the Baylor Law Review and was amember of the Moot Court Team.

— Justin T. Scott has joined the firm of
Baker & Hostetler LLP as an associate in the
Houston office.

2007

2010

— Sean Crandall of Jackson Walker L.L.P.
was selected one of San Antonio’s legal “Rising
Stars” in the December 2009 issue of Scene in S.A.
Monthly.

— Brian C. Brisco has joined the Cantey
Hanger law firm. He had interned with thefirm during the summer of 2009. He was senior
executive editor of the Baylor Law Review andexterned with Texas Supreme Court Justice Don
Willett. He received his Bachelor’s in Religion
from Baylor and his Masters degrees fromSouthwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in
Theology and from The University of Chicago in
Near Eastern Archaeology. Brisco spent two years
as a professor at the B.H. Carroll Theological
Institute in Arlington, Texas.

— Ashley Franklin has joined Jackson
Walker L.L.P. as an associate in its Austin office.
— Christina W. Perrone has joined The
Dallas trial law firm of Rose Walker, L.L.P.
— Scott A. Shaver has joined the Law
Office of Keith Kebodeaux in Beaumont.

2008— Matt Acosta has joined Jackson Walker
L.L.P. as an associate in its Dallas office.
— Jude T. Hickland has been named an
associate at the Dallas law firm of Quilling,Selander, Lownds, Winslett & Moser, P.C. He
represents clients in a broad range of commercial
and business matters with an emphasis on
insurance-related disputes. He holds anundergraduate degree from Clemson University.

— Gavin L. Smith has joined Husch
Blackwell Sanders’ Kansas City office as an
Associate in the Litigation Department.
Smith received his J.D., cum laude, from Baylor
Law School, where he was Senior Notes andComments editor of Baylor Law Review andattained the rank of Barrister.

— Thomas Hunter Lewis has joined
the the Family Law firm of McCurley Orsinger
McCurley Nelson & Downing, L.L.P. as an
associate in the Dallas office. Prior to joining thefirm, Mr. Lewis served as an intern for the Hon.
Elizabeth Lang-Miers at the Texas Fifth District
Court of Appeals in Dallas.

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A l u m ni Ob i t uar i e s
I n

L o v i n g

M e m o r y

Weldon Funderburk(LLB ’49), was born on
May 1, 1925, in Elkhart,
Texas. He passed away on
Oct. 27, 2010, at his home in
Houston. Mr. Funderburk
grew up in small towns
in East and West Texas.
He was a memberof the football team andplayed in the band at
Kermit High School,
graduating with many
classmates with whom hemaintained friendships formany years. In 1943, at theage of 18, he volunteered toserve in the U.S. Navy at
the height of World War
II. He served his country in
the North Pacific as a partof the Naval Construction
Force (the Seabees), 66th
N.C.B., 1022nd detachment,
building airfields in the
Aleutian Islands
and Okinawa.

78

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Upon returning
home, he attended Baylor
University and Baylor
University School of Law,from which he graduatedin 1949. He moved to
Houston where he worked
in the insurance claims
business. He opened his
own law firm in Houston
in 1955. The firm, whichbecame Funderburk &Funderburk, remains oneof the city's finest litigation
firms to this day.
During his longlegal career, he received
numerous recognitions as
an outstanding defense

attorney. He was a Life
Fellow of the Houston
Bar Foundation, wasadmitted to practice before
the Supreme Court of theUnited States, and waselected as a memberof the American Boardof Trial Advocates.
On December 9, 1961,
he married Patricia Ann
Bohannon to whom he
was happily married forover 48 years. He was amember and deacon of
Tallowood Baptist Church.
He volunteered with Big
Brothers and Sisters of
Houston and enjoyed
traveling all over the UnitedStates with his family,
coaching little league
baseball, attending hischildren's school plays andpiano recitals and rooting
for the Baylor Bears.
When Patricia
was diagnosed with aprogressive neurologicaldisorder in 1990, he became
and remained his wife's
steady caregiver for many
years until his own
health declined.
Weldon is survived
by his wife, Patricia; hischildren, David and wife
Becky, Greg and wife Kelly,
Laura and husband Mike
Fullerton, and Susan; andfive grandchildren. He is
also survived by his brother,
Larry, and his wife, Linda,
as well as nephews, Don
and Mike Kennedy, andniece Claire Funderburk.

Timothy W. Ferguson(JD ’84), 50, passed away at
his home in Beaumont, on
March 27, 2011. He was bornin Landover, Maryland,
to Mary and Paul
Ferguson, and was rearedin Alvin, Texas.
Mr. Ferguson received
his prepatory and legal
education at Baylor
University (B.A., 1982; J.D.,
1984). He was a member of
Phi Delta Phi and on the1984 Baylor Mock Trial
Team. He was admitted
to the bar to the Texas
State Bar in 1984 and theColorado Bar in 2002, andalso admitted to practice
before U.S. Supreme
Court of Appeals, Fifth
Circuit; and U.S. District
Court, Southern andEastern Districts of Texas.
He was board certified,personal injury trial law,through the Texas Boardof Legal Specialization in
1989; Certified Civil Trial
Advocate, National Boardof Trial Advocacy, 1992
Diplomat; and American
Board of Professional
Liability Attorneys, 1993.
Mr. Ferguson founded the
Ferguson Firm law practicein Beaumont and Jasperin 1994. He was named in
Texas Monthly magazine’s
Texas Super Lawyers in
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and2011. He was a member of
the Jefferson County andAmerican Bar Associations;
State Bar of Texas; Collegeof the State Bar of Texas;

Southeast Texas Trial
Lawyers Association(Executive Committee,
1991- President 1999-01);
Texas Trial Lawyers
Association (Former
Board of Directors);
American Association of
Justice; Million Dollar
Advocates Forum; andAmerican Inns in Court.
He was a Life Fellow:
Texas Bar Foundation and
AV Martindale Hubbell
Peer Review Rated. Mr.
Ferguson served Nutrition
for Seniors/Meals on
Wheels, was a supporterof the City of Beaumont's
Paint-A-Thon, and actively
raised funds for the GarthHouse-Pour Les Enfants,
as well as Breakfast with
the Bishop, and CatholicCharities. He is survived
by his wife, Sandra; andhis twin angels, Nateli
Rose and Mary Antonina
Ferguson.

The legacy, Life stories of those close to us— Gordon G. Asbury, Jr. (LLB ’57) died
July 16, 2009. He was born in Pecos, Texas, on
Nov. 16, 1930, to Mr. and Mrs. G.G. Asbury, Sr.,and moved to Abilene in 1942. He took a breakfrom his education to serve in the United States
Navy. He completed pilot training and earned
his Naval Aviator's “Wings of Gold” in 1953, atthe conclusion of the Korean War. After being
honorably discharged from the Navy, Gordon
continued his education at Baylor University
School of Law, where he served as a member of the
Baylor Law Review, and graduated with an LLB in
1957. He was married in Abilene to Janice Jennings
on Dec 22, 1955. In 1961, Gordon opened his
private law practice in Abilene. He was admitted
to practice before the United States Supreme
Court in 1974. In 1994, Gordon and his son,
Gordon Asbury III (a graduate of Baylor Schoolof Law), formed the Abilene-based law firm ofAsbury and Asbury, LLP. His survivors include
his wife of 53 years, Janice; daughter, Elizabeth
Sims; her husband Dean; and their children, Jacoband Sarah of Fairfax, Va.; son, Gordon Asbury III;
his wife Aloma; and their children.
— Major General (Ret.) C. Reuben
Autery (LLB ’57) died Feb. 23, 2010, at theage of 76. He was born Sep 23, 1933 in Corrigan,
Texas, to Willie and Pearl Autery. He graduatedfrom Baylor University and Baylor Law School.
He went on to a 30-year career in the Air Forceand a 13-year career in the private sector aspresident of GAMA. He was a member of First
Baptist Church of Boerne, a member of variousorganizations, and he served on several boards.
He was preceded in death by his parents and by
his brothers, Dr. Bill Autery and Clay Autery.
He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years,
Charlotte; his daughter, Lyn; and her husband,
Dan; and his son, Reuben, Jr.; and his wife, Beth;and seven grandchildren.
— Wingate Stuart Barron, Jr.
(LLB ’50) died Jan. 19, 2010, at the age of 85. An
attorney for 50 years, his practice focused onreal estate and oil and gas law, including trial
and appellate litigation. He was born in 1924 inBryan, Texas, to W. S. Barron and Ethel Sanders
Barron. He attended Texas A&M University and
Baylor University following his 1942 graduationfrom Stephen F. Austin High School in Bryan.
During World War II, he served for three years

in the 99th Infantry Division. He was awarded
the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star during theBattle of the Bulge. Upon discharge in 1946, hereturned to Baylor where he earned a BBA degreewith honors in 1947 and a LL.B with honors
from Baylor Law School in 1950. He served as
editor-in-chief of the Baylor Law Review and vicepresident of the law school student body. He
was one of three law graduates chosen to servea one-year clerkship as briefing attorney for theSupreme Court of Texas. In this capacity, heworked for Justices W. St. John Garwood and
Meade F. Griffin. He entered private practicein Dallas. In 1959 he joined the firm that would
become Geary, Brice, Barron and Stahl, in which
he was a partner from 1961 to 1975. In 1985 hejoined Strasburger and Price, retiring from thefirm 1993. His memberships included the Dallas
and American Bar Associations, the State Bar of
Texas and the American Judicature Society. He
has served as vice-chairman of the Continuing
Legal Education Committee of the State Bar of
Texas and served on various committees of theDallas and Texas Bar Association. He is survived
by daughters Sandra Barron of Dallas, Carol
Barron of Carrollton, Nancy Shaunessy and herhusband Pat of Coppell, and Kandace Eakin andher husband Dennis of Austin.
— William Henry "Bill" Borchers(LLB ’52) passed away unexpectedly Sunday,
Jan. 2, 2011, in New Braunfels. He was born Aug.
13, 1923, in Lavaca County. He was the eldest offour sons of Willie and Mary Schaeg Borchersand grew up in the cattle ranching business. He
graduated from Yoakum High School in 1940. He
joined the U.S. Army and served in the infantry
during World War II. After returning homefrom service, he completed his undergraduate
studies at Texas A&M University. He enrolled
in Baylor Law School, graduating in 1952. Upon
passing the bar exam, he worked as AssistantDistrict Attorney for Harris County. He laterjoined the law firm of Carl & Lee in Houston.
He met and married Joyce Word on June 30,
1956. In the fall of 1959, the family moved to New
Braunfels where Borchers began his own legal
practice. He practiced law for 56 years in the stateof Texas and was the oldest practicing attorney in
New Braunfels. He was predeceased by his wife,
Joyce. He is survived by two daughters, Marcia
McGlothlin and her husband Forrest of New

Braunfels, and Bonnie Duettra and her husband
Andrew of Santa Fe, N.M.
— Forrest Gene "Duke" Braselton(LLB ’62), 73, of Nacogdoches passed away
Sept. 18, 2010. Braselton was the eldest childof Royce Duncan Braselton and Cynthia
Gregory Braselton. He was born Oct.17, 1936, in
Beaumont and lived all of his life in East Texas.
He graduated in 1954 from Nacogdoches HighSchool and was a graduate of Stephen F. Austin
and Baylor University School of Law. Braselton
practiced law in the East Texas area for almost
50 years. He was with the Garrison, Renfrow,
Zelesky, Cornelius and Berry firm in Lufkin.
In 1975, wanting to return to his hometown, he
opened his own law office in Nacogdoches. He
was a longtime member of First Baptist Church in
Nacogdoches. He is survived by his children, Ann
Claire Braselton Staneff (and husband, Steve),
Royce Duncan Braselton II and Cameron Minard
Braselton (and girlfriend, Denise San Nicolas); his
grandchildren, Taylor Ann Braselton, Margaret
Ashlyn Braselton (and their mother, Shawna
Smith Braselton) and Simone Nadia Staneff; andhis sisters, Valerie Braselton and Sue Braselton
Woodruff (and husband, Thad).
— Joseph Robert "Joe" Brown (LLB ’63)
passed away Oct. 3, 2010, at the age of 73. He was a
graduate of Amarillo High School and received agolf scholarship and graduated from Westminster
College, Mo., and he later from Baylor Law
School. He was a U. S. Marine and was a memberof the JAG. He retired as an attorney. He issurvived by his sister, Sue McIver; brother, J.
W. Brown; three children, Caeli Blount, Robert
Brown, and Jassen Brown; three grandchildren;and one great granddaughter.
— Lee A. Clark (LLB ’60) passed away June
10, 2010, after a short illness at age 76. He was athird-generation attorney. His grandfather, Lee
Allen Clark, began a law practice in Greenville in
the late 1800s and his father, Allen Clark, joined
his father's firm in the 1920s. Lee graduated from
Baylor University Law School in 1960 and joined
his father's law firm in 1963, after serving as
assistant county attorney for two years. Prior toattending law school, he had graduated from East
Texas State Teachers College in 1955, where he
was in the ROTC. After graduation, he entered

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the Air Force as a second lieutenant and attended
pilot training, and he became a pilot flying RB50s in a reconnaissance squadron in Japan. He
was a member of the Salvation Army Advisory
Board for six years and served as its chairman
for one year. He was elected board member ofFirst Greenville National Bank and the First
National Bank of Plano. He was also a memberof the board of the United Way Fund, chairmanof the City Board of Adjustment, member of the
Chamber of Commerce Board, and he served asa deacon and Sunday school superintendent in
the First Presbyterian Church. Most recently, heserved as a member of the Entertainment Series
Board. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ann
George Clark; daughter and son-in-law Laura Lee
and John Falconer; a granddaughter, Ana Isabel
Falconer; brother Allen Clark; and two nieces.
— Warren G. Clark Jr. (LLB ’68) of
Anahuac passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010,
at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
He was born on July 13, 1942, in Beaumont to
the late Warren and Ruby Clark Sr. Mr. Clark
was a graduate of Liberty High School in 1960
and Lamar University class of 1965 where heplayed football. After law school, he was an
attorney with Provost* Umphrey Law Firm
for many years. Mr. Clark was a member ofFirst Baptist Church of Anahuac, where heserved as a Deacon. He is survived by his wife
Cynthia Clark of Anahuac; daughter, Misti
Clark of Hankamer; son, Trey Clark and wife
Laura of Orange; brother, Champ Clark of
Corpus Christi; grandchildren, Trey Traylor,
Kadi Smith, Emmalee Melancon, Quade Clarkand Hayden Clark.
— William F. Cole (LLB ’50), 84, of Wills
Point passed away Feb. 16, 2010, in Dallas. He
was born Dec. 2, 1925, to W. F. and Sarah Ellen
Cole in Lubbock. Cole was an attorney, U.S.
Navy officer (Lt. Commander) and a veteranof three foreign wars. After serving in WWII,
he completed studies at Texas Tech and Baylor
University School of Law. He then re-enlisted in
the Navy serving in the JAG Corps until 1969.
After retirement from the Navy, he was Directorof Dallas Legal Aid Society for the next 20 years,
providing free legal assistance to those who could
not afford an attorney. He was a member of theVFW, the American Legion, AMVETS, and the
Democratic Party. He was preceded in death byhis beloved wife Faye. He is survived by his sonand daughter-in-Law William F. and Kristy Cole80

The Docket C allof Los Gatos, Calif.; daughter KimberleyCole of Dallas; son Thomas Ireland Coleof Austin; stepdaugher and husband Cindy
and David Hames of West Tawakoni; andgrandchildren Jenna and Michael Oxley, Fletcher
Cole, Shannon Cole, Ireland Cole, Jason Hames,
and Amy Hames.
— Halsell Samuel (Hal) Davis III (JD’91), of Plano, Texas, died as a result of
injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident on
April 17, 2011, at the age of 57. He was born on
May 2, 1953, to Halsell Sam Davis, Jr. and Laura
Ann Parks Davis. Hal received his Bachelor ofArts degree from Baylor University and a
Masters in Business Administration from North
Texas State University. Hal graduated from
Baylor Law School in 1991. Hal was a lawyer andmagistrate, practicing primarily family law. Mr.
Davis is preceded in death by his mother, Ann.
Survivors include his wife, Ann Singleton Davis;
and son, Houston Read Davis; father Sam Davisand wife Mary Ann; brothers and sisters-in-law
Bruce and Wendy Davis, Tom and Liz Davis, andJoe and Annette Davis as well as several uncles,
aunts and cousins.
— Lawrence Dean Elliott (JD ’98) died
July 15, 2010. He was born April 17, 1956, in Fort
Worth. He graduated from L.D. Bell High Schoolin Hurst in 1974 and Baylor Law School in 1998.
Larry was a criminal defense attorney in Victoria.
He was preceded in death by his father, Quan
Elliott. Survivors: daughter, Elizabeth Elliott ofAustin; mother, Neva Elliott of Denton.
— William E. “Ed” Fulbright (LLB
’63) of Lamesa, Texas, died April 4, 2011. Born
on Dec. 9, 1940, in Temple, Texas, and raisedin Bellmead, a suburb of Waco, he was the sonof James Edward Fulbright and Minnie Ola
Wyly Fulbright. Mr. Fulbright entered Baylor
University in the fall of 1958. He graduatedwith a bachelor’s degree in political science. He
was a cum laude graduate and second in his class
at Baylor Law School. While in law school,
Mr. Fulbright served as associate editor of the
Baylor Law Review for the Winter 1963 term,
was a member of the Texas Gamma Chapter of
Alpha Chi, a national scholarship fraternity,
was elected to Who's Who among Baylor Law
School Students and held membership in the
Phi Delta Phi Law Fraternity. He was also therecipient of American Jurisprudence Awards.
After graduating from law school, Mr. Fulbrightmoved with his wife, Stephenie, to Lamesa andbegan the practice of law in the firm of Cayton
and Gresham. The firm later became the
Cayton, Gresham and Fulbright Law Firm, thenGresham, Fulbright and Casselberry Law Firm
and finally the Fulbright and Casselberry Law
Firm. He was licensed to practice law in the Stateof Texas in 1963. He was admitted to practice inthe U.S. District Court, Northern and Western
Districts of Texas in 1968 and in the U.S. Courtof Appeals, Fifth Circuit in 1975. In 1987, Mr.
Fulbright was selected a Fellow of the Texas Bar
Foundation. In 1997 he was named a Life Fellowof the Texas Bar Foundation. Mr. Fulbright's wasa member of the Optimist and Rotary Clubs andserved on the Board of Trustees of the Lamesa
Independent School District and as City Attorney
for the City of Lamesa. He has been a memberof the First Baptist Church of Lamesa since 1963.
Mr. Fulbright is survived by his wife of 49 years,
Stephenie; a daughter and son-in-law, Karen and
Eric Pollack of Santa Fe, NM; a son and daughterin-law, Russell and Robin Fulbright of Lubbock;and two grandchildren, Holly and Wyatt
Fulbright of Lubbock.
— Otto D. Hewitt III (JD ’80) of League
City passed away on April 18, 2010. He was bornon Oct. 21, 1946, in Hillsboro, Texas, to Otto D.
Hewitt Jr. and Marguerite Porter Hewitt. He
graduated from Baylor University in 1969 andthen attended Baylor Law School from 1978 until
his graduation in 1980. Hewitt was an attorney
in Galveston County until he established The
Hewitt Law Firm in Alvin, Brazoria County.
He was a member of both the US Air Force andUS Army. He belonged to Bay Harbor United
Methodist Church in League City and was
involved in many organizations. Hewitt also
worked in California as a Probation Officer
and with a special drug SWAT Team. He waspreceded in death by his father, Otto D. Hewitt
Jr. He is survived by his wife, Sunny Hewitt;
daughters, Heather Hewitt Merritt and Heidi
Hewitt Carruthers; mother, Marguerite Hewitt;and sisters, Dianna Green, Debbe Case, andDonna Leftwich.
— Kendall W. Hill (LLB ’66), 68, ofAlvord, Texas, passed away Monday, March
29, 2010, in Dallas. Mr. Hill was born on July 9,1941, in Arp, Texas, to Gerald and Doris Hill.
He graduated from Arp High School and went
to Baylor University School of Law, where hereceived his Juris Doctor. He had a successful law

practice in Ft. Worth for 30 years. He is survived
by his wife of 38 years, Cindy Hill; children,
Tiffany Hill Luedtke, Lindsy Hill Thomas andRenee Hanisko; grandchildren, Ryan, Emmaand Hill Luedtke, Reagan, Hannah and CampThomas, and Kendrik, Kolton and Kaalan
Hanisko; siblings Phil Hill and Karen Foster.
— Angela Hites (JD ’07) passed away
on July 7, 2010, at Texas Health Presbyterian
Hospital in Dallas, Texas. She was a memberof the Texas Bar Association and an associate
litigator at Patton Boggs, LLP, in Dallas since
Sept. 2007. She was very dedicated and had
passion for her career as a lawyer. Ms. Hites
was a 2000 graduate of Hillsboro High School,a 2004 graduate of Northwestern University inEvanston, IL. She was a member of St. Paul's
Lutheran Church in Hillsboro. She is survived byher parents, Nancy and Kent Hites of Hillsboro,IL.; sister, Amanda Hites (fiance Sean Priewe) of
Chicago; special friend, Patrick Towne of Dallas,
Texas; uncle, Steve Hites of Vandalia; and aunt
and uncle, Kellie and Bill Clouse of Mahomet.
— James H. Holt (JD ’75), 82, retired Army
officer, died Oct. 9, 2009 at his home in Denison.
He was born Nov. 21, 1926, in Bainbridge, Ga.,the son of W. Harmon and Lillian Graham Holt.
On finishing high school he entered Mercer
University and remained there until he entered
the U.S. Navy in 1944. After completion Navyboot camp, he received an appointment to theUnited States Military Academy, West Point. At
graduation, he was commissioned in the Cavalry.
Overseas assignments while married to his firstwife, Verlee Schelske, included Germany, Korea,
Hawaii, and Vietnam. He was awarded theLegion of Merit, Bronze Star Service Medal, Joint
Service Commendation Medal, three Air Medals,
and the Meritorious Service Medal. He retired asa Lieutenant Colonel to enter Baylor Law School.
After graduation from law school, he became thechief prosecutor in Grayson County. After his
public service, he entered into private law practiceand decided to concentrate most of his effort on
pro bono work for the poor and needy. Jim was amember of the Sons of the American Revolution,a Mason with 32nd Degree, a member of theScottish Rite, York Rite bodies, and the Shrine
temple of Dallas, a member of the American
legion. He is survived by his wife, Dortha Holtof Denison; one son, James H. Holt Jr., Pastor of
Comfort Baptist Church and wife, Janice, one
daughter, Pamela Krehbiel and husband Leslie
Krehbiel of Columbia, Mo.; step-children Alan
Hawkins, Mark Hawkins, Craig Bates, Greg Sager
and Lyn and Lee Kellogg.

— Edwin Nathaniel Horne, Jr.
(LLB ‘68) passed away on July 9, 2009, after a
courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Ed wasborn in Atlanta, Ga., to Edwin Nathaniel Horne,
Sr., and Sara Preston Horne on June 19, 1943.
After graduating from Druid Hills Baptist HighSchool, he attended Baylor University , where
he became an accomplished basketball player
earning All-Conference honors for the Southwest
Conference in his senior year. After receiving his
undergraduate degree, he later graduated from
Baylor Law School. He moved to Austin in theearly 1970s and served the state of Texas for over
35 years in several roles, most significantly as the
Director of Child Support Enforcement in the
1970s and later as Assistant Attorney Generalin the General Litigation Division for 26 years.
He is survived by his loving wife of 27 years,
Deborah Wattman Horne; son, Joedaniel ("J.D.")
Horne and wife Shannon Horne; grandchildren,
Bailey, Ireland, and Brice Horne of Austin,
Texas; daughter, Amber Horne Stratmann andhusband Joshua Stratmann; and grandson, Ethan
Nathaniel Stratmann of Houston, Texas.

grandsons, Luke Lones, Calvin Lones, Colby
House and Nathaniel House.
— Bruce Edward Hyman (LLB ‘66), 68,
a 40-year resident of Annapolis, died Aug 6, 2010,of complications of heart disease and diabetes.
He was born June 23, 1942, in Brooklyn, N.Y.
He graduated from the University of Miami
and received a J.D. from Baylor University Law
School. He was a U.S. Navy Veteran and an
attorney in private practice for several years in
Texas before coming to Washington, D.C. He
was employed for 35 years with the Department
of Veterans' Affairs before retiring in 2002 as an
Administrative Law Judge. On his retirement,
he was honored with an award by the secretaryof the Department of Veterans' Affairs. He issurvived by his wife, Risa B. Hyman; son, David
G. Hyman (Robyn) of Roswell, Ga.; daughter,
Carolyn Cordial of Bishopville; sister, Madelyn
Klapholz (Henry) of Westin, Mass.; and four
grandchildren, Kelly, Ally, Tucker and Keith.

— Thomas R. Joseph, Jr. (LLB ’50) of
Granbury died Oct. 30, 2010. Born in Houston,— C.G. "Pete" House (LLB ’49) passed away
he graduated from high school in Harlingen andon the Oct. 19, 2010, at the age of 93 following aentered Texas A&M in 1942. He interrupted his
lengthy struggle with Alzheimer's disease. He
studies to enlist in the Navy during WWII, where
was born June 30, 1917, in Rotan, Fisher County,
he served two years on a destroyer in the Pacific
Texas, the youngest child of James Washington
fleet. He received his law degree from Baylor Law
House and Theresa Maben House. He graduated School and was admitted to the Texas Bar infrom Rotan High School in 1935, attended Hardin 1950. He was elected in 1951 to the Texas House of
Simmons University on a basketball scholarship,
Representatives and served until 1958. Joseph was
and received his BS in 1939. Following graduation a private practitioner in Waco from 1955 to 1963.
from college, Pete worked for General Motors and He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Annette
the Texas Highway Department. He enlisted in
Joseph; sons, Thomas Reid Joseph of Tontitown,
the United States Navy and served in the PacificArk., and Roger Kirk Joseph of Aledo; daughters
Theatre during World War II. He obtained
Cynthia Lynn Staley of Victoria and Cordelia
the rank of Lieutenant and continued to serve
Annette Kaspar of Shiner; 12 grandchildren; andin the U.S. Naval Reserve until his honorable
one great-grandchild.
discharge in 1954. Mr. House obtained his law
degree from Baylor University School of Law in— James Marcellus Kendrick (LLB
1949 and began practicing law with his brother,’48), 88, died on Feb. 18, 2010. Born in Roswell,
R.L. House, in San Antonio. He tried hundreds
N.M. on Feb. 6, 1922, he grew up in Waco, Texas.
of cases to a jury verdict in a career that lasted
He graduated from Baylor University with MBA
more than 40 years. Pete was an active member
and JD degrees. A long time resident of Conroe,
and Deacon at First Baptist Church. He was
he was an active member of First Baptist and Westalso a 32nd Degree Mason and served as a long
Conroe Baptist Churches, Gideons Internationaltime member of the San Antonio Kiwanis Club.
and a Trustee for Buckner Baptist Benevolence.
Pete served the Board of Boysville, Inc. andHe retired from Amoco after 32 years, served
was President of the Board of Trustees in 1984.
as O/S Senior Landman (2002) and worked for
Lundells Inc. also benefited from his service as a
Hamilton Bros, Monsanto Oil, Lincam O&G,
Board Member for over 30 years. He was preceded Preston Oil and others. He was President (1975)
in death by his wife of 43 years, Barbara Becker
and O/S Landman (1983) of HAPL; a Director
House, as well as his parents, three sisters andand Recipient of the Committee and Citizenshipfour brothers. He is survived by his daughter,Awards of AAPL, a member of the Senior
Rebecca House Lones, and husband, Greg; son,Landmen, Houston Bar, State Bar of Texas andJames B. House, and wife, Catherine; and fouran Arbitrator with NASD Dispute Resolution,

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M e m o r yInc. His wife of 61 years, Margaret Elaine Bush
preceded him in death. Survivors include: sonsand daughter-in-laws Jeff and Jeana Kendrick,Blair Kendrick, Evan and Kathryn Kendrick; andgrandchildren Kara Brown, Rachel Christians,
Michelle Boyd, Andrea Kendrick, Caleb
Kendrick, Andrew Kendrick and Seth Kendrick.
— William Duke (Bill) Kimbrough(LLB ’49), 86, died in Pflugerville, Texas, onOct. 9, 2010. He was born on Oct. 30, 1923, toElizabeth Ivy and Thomas Duke Kimbrough.
A World War II veteran, Kimbrough graduatedfrom Baylor University Law School and practiced
law in Odessa for many years. He moved toAustin in 1970 when he was appointed head of
the Corporation Division of the Secretary ofState's Office. Later he was an assistant attorney
general for Texas until retiring at age 76. He
is predeceased by wife, Jane Saubert, of Great
Falls, MT; and by second wife, Nita Johnson,of Odessa. He is survived by children, Thomas
Duke Kimbrough, MD, of Galveston; Catherine
Kimbrough Wedding of San Antonio; John
William Kimbrough of Austin; and Nicole
Kubena of Chicago, IL; and by grandchildren
Christopher D. Kimbrough; Charles W.
Kimbrough, MD; Kathryn A. Kimbrough, MD;
Jane A. Bascope; and Michael F. Bascope.
— Sidney A. King (LLB ’51), 84, passed
away on April 20, 2011, at Christus St. Elizabeth
hospital in Beaumont, Texas. Born April 24,
1926, in Geneva, Texas, he served during WorldWar II in the Army Air Force. He earned a law
degree from Baylor Law School, and maintained
an active private law practice in Beaumont since1959. In addition to his career and family, hedevoted his life to his church, serving as an elder
at Ridgewood Church of Christ for almost 30
years. He served as president of the Beaumont
Coin Club and was an officer in the Lions Club.
An avid collector of stamps and Texana literature,
he loved to go fishing and play golf. He is survived
by Ann Hamby King, his wife of fifty-eight years;
daughter Karen King of Grand Rapids, MI; son
Sidney A. King, Jr., of New Albany, Indiana; andsister Mary Halloran of San Antonio, Texas.
— W.C. Lindsey, Jr. (LLB ’54) of Port Neches
died Feb. 22, 2010. He received his law degreefrom Baylor Law School and was admitted to the
Texas Bar in 1954. He was private practitioner
in Port Neches from 1954 to 1955 and from 1957
to 1962. He was assistant district attorney for82

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Jefferson City from 1955 to 1957 and served as
the Jefferson City district attorney from 1962
to 1970. He was a private practitioner in Port
Arthur from 1970 until his retirement in 2008.
He served as a president of the Jefferson County
Bar Association. He served in the U.S. Air Forceduring the Korean War. He was a member of theFirst Baptist Church of Port Neches and servedon the Executive Board of the Baptist General
Convention of Texas. A Mason since 1955, heheld membership in the Port Neches MasonicLodge # 1163. He is survived by his son, William
D. Lindsey of Beaumont; daughters, Debbie
Blackmon of Hockley and Karen Lindsey of
Bellville; sister, Ella Mae Fondren of Port Neches;and four grandchildren.
— Carl E. Mallory (JD ‘77) of Winchester,Ind., and formerly of Arlington, passed away
Sunday, July 26, 2009. He was born Oct. 8, 1946,
in McDowell County, W.Va. He received his
undergraduate degree in history from Texas
Christian University. He served in the U.S. Air
Force during the Vietnam War. He was a solo
practitioner until 1992. From 1992 until February
2007, he was a partner with Mallory & Sturns.
Mr. Mallory taught government classes at Tarrant
County Junior College and was a mentor to many
Arlington attorneys. He is survived by daughters,
Jennifer Templin and Kelli Mallory-Potter, bothof the Dallas-Fort Worth area; brothers, Robert
Mallory of Winchester, Ind., and Randy Mallory
of Florida; sister, Audre Reed of Union City,
Ohio; two grandchildren; and a host of otherfamily and friends.
— Mr. John Edward Mann (LLB ’59), 75,
passed away July 16, 2009, in Laredo, Texas. Mr.
Mann was born on March 31, 1934, to Ed andElvella Mann. He attended Texas A&M College
Station and then spent two years in the Army andafter being honorably discharged, graduated from
Texas A&I in Kingsville. John loved practicing
law and defending and supporting his clients.
For 50 years in Laredo, he defended civil liberties
and strived for and demanded justice for all. He
is survived by his wife, Linda Rash Mann; hischildren and stepchildren: Carlos Y. Benavides
III, Mary Alice Law (Steve Carter), Kellie M.
Gilpin, Guillermo D. (Susana) Benavides, Linda
Cristina Benavides (Patrick) Alexander andElizabeth Law.
— Sally Sanders McDonald (JD ’80),
born Feb. 10, 1956, died Oct.29, 2010, in Houston,

Texas. She grew up Taft, Texas, and attended
Taft High School. She continued her education
at Baylor University and graduated from Baylor
University School of Law. While attending Baylor
University she was an active member of the Pi
Beta Phi Sorority. She was an oil and gas attorney
for more than 25 years. Sally is survived by herhusband, Keavin McDonald; sons, Joe Brooky
and Jake Bailey McDonald; daughter, Julia Blayne
McDonald; father, R.B. Sanders; brothers andtheir spouses Roy and Diane Sanders and Jackand Betty Sanders; several nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her mother, Regina
Jacquelyn Sanders.
— Gregory Lewis Medley (JD ’90),
43, of Texas City, passed away Tuesday, Nov.
17, 2009, in League City. Mr. Medley was born
March 30, 1966, in Texas City and graduatedfrom Texas City High School, where he letteredin tennis. He was also a graduate of Baylor
University and Baylor Law School. He was an
attorney for the firm of Reti, Antail, Madi,& Landwell in Budapest, Hungary. He wasa member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Baylor.
Survivors include his parents Patsy and Carl
Medley, Jr. of Texas City; brother Carl Medley III
and wife Rhonda; sister Michele Rene Patterson
and husband Brent; nieces and nephews Heath
Brandon Medley, Samantha Rene Patterson andTucker Davis Patterson.
— Raymond Ross Mormino (LLB ’49),
90, passed away Feb. 9, 2011. He was admitted to
the Texas Bar in 1949. From 1949 to 1952, he wasa private practitioner. He served as a McLennan
County justice of the peace in Waco from 1953 to
1959. From 1960 to 1970, he served as a McLennan
County judge in Waco. He served as judge ofthe 170th District Court from 1971 until his
retirement in 1989. He served in the U.S. Army
Air Force during World War II. He is survived
by his wife of 55 years, JoAnn Mormino; sons,
Steven Mormino of San Antonio and R. Ross
Mormino II, Michael Mormino, Marc Mormino
and Christopher Mormino of Waco; daughters,
Jamie Mormino and Elizabeth Mormino of
Waco; and six grandchildren.
— Don Morris (LLB ’54) died peacefully
at his home in Ojo Caliente, N.M., on Aug. 9,
2010. He received his law degree from Baylor Law
School at the age of 20. Following service in the
United States Army, he joined the FBI. Don was
the youngest agent to be promoted to the status

of Inspector. He represented the Bureau as Legal
Liaison to the American Bar Association, theNational Association of Attorneys General, theFederal Bar Association, and other high level
organizations. After 11 years of distinguishedservice and multiple commendations, he began
practicing law. Licensed in Florida and Texas,
he was also admitted to practice before theUnited States Supreme Court. Mr. Morris also
built a successful entrepreneurial career. He
was active with Santa Fe Pro Musica, where heserved as President of the Board of Directors.
Other projects he spearheaded included an
exhibit which featured an original Beethoven
manuscript. In addition, he supported musiceducation programs for area youth. He is survived
by his wife of 56 years, Charmion; and hischildren: Mike and Cathy Morris, Michelle andRick Delano, Kittye and Moe Mosimann, Ariel
and Elida Flores; grandson, Justin and Alicia
Morris; and his dog Roxie.
— Joseph Lynn Nabers (LLB ‘67),
died July 31, 2010, in Austin. He received his
law degree from Baylor Law School and wasadmitted to the Texas Bar in 1967. Immediately
following graduation from the law school, he
was elected to the Texas Legislature, where heserved for 14 years. He will long be remembered
for his sponsorship of the Tuition Equalization
Grant program that assists students at private
universities. During his tenure in the House ofRepresentatives, Nabers was named one of Texas
Monthly’s Top Ten Legislators. He was honoredby the Texas Business magazine, the State Barof Texas, the Texas Youth Commission, and theTexas Army National Guard. He also was therecipient of the Texas Founders Award by the
Independent Colleges and Universities for his
work on the TEG program. He served as directorof the Texas Sesquicentennial Commission,sponsored legislation on the State Bar Act,
Medical Practice Act, Tuition Equalization
Act and a revision of the Texas Penal Code andcarried the repeal of the Property Tax Codeand others pieces of legislation dealing withproperty taxes. He served as chair of the Healthand Welfare Committee and the Criminal
Jurisprudence Committee and was a member ofthe House Ways and Means, Water, Reclamation
and Conservation, Insurance and State Affairs
and Financial Institution committees. He wasa partner in Day, Nabers, Smith in Brownwood
from 1967 to 1984 and in Brown McCarroll,
L.L.P., in Austin. He served as general counsel
to the Strategic Partnerships, Inc., in Austin. He
is survived by his wife, Mary Scott Nabers; sons,attorney Scott Nabers of Houston and attorney

Tim Nabers of Austin; and six grandchildren.

attorney practicing law in Nebraska and Texas inprivate and public sectors. Ted enjoyed serving— Zeblin Gerard Pearson (JD ‘76) of
his community through the Lion's Club, and he
Dallas died June 20, 2010. He received his law
was dedicated and devoted to AA serving a lot of
degree from Baylor University Law School andpeople through this organization. He is survived
was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1976. He also
by his loving wife of 18 years, Sherrill Schafer; hisearned an LL.M. in taxation from Southernbeloved dog of 13 years, "Little Ricky"; numerous
Methodist University in 1980. From 1980 until his cousins, and many other loving family members
death, he practiced with Bowland & Associates
and friends.
in Fort Worth and Bonney & Bonney in Dallas.
He is survived by his wife, Diane Pearson; son,
— Judge Floyd A. Shumpert (LLB
Matthew Pearson; daughters, Rachel Pearson’54), of Terrell passed away on July 17, 2009 inand Kelsey Pearson; parents; Cultus Pearson andTerrell, Texas. He was born on March 21, 1917.
Frances Pearson; brothers, William Pearson,
Judge Shumpert began his career in public service
Edwin Pearson, Kurt Pearson, and C.O. Gerard
following his return to Kaufman County, Texas,
Pearson; sisters, Anita Ryan, Candace McNeill,
after World War II. During the War, he served
and Quinn Pearson; and two grandchildren.
in the 8th Infantry Division, 28th Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Battalion of the United States— John Myles Pennington (LLB ’49),
Army. After suffering a severe injury requiring82, of Houston passed away on Sept. 5, 2010.
amputation of his lower leg when he stepped on
Mr. Pennington was born in Houston in 1928,
a land mine in the Hürtgen Forest in Germany,
graduated from Lamar HS, Baylor University and he was awarded the Silver Star and Purple
Baylor Law School. He was a JAG in the USAF
Heart. After retiring from the United States
during the Korean War and practiced law before
Army as a Major in 1945, he was elected County
becoming a property developer in Houston. John Clerk and served four years. After earning
is survived by his wife of 42 years, Mary Ann
his law degree from Baylor University, he was
Pennington; children Melinda, Theresa, Mike,elected as County Judge serving eight years. He
Greg, Charles, and Richard as well as his sister
went into private law practice in Kaufman andPenny Barger of Oregon, nine grandchildren and moved to Terrell in 1978. Judge Shumpert was
two great-grandchildren.
the second judge to ever serve from Kaufman
County in 1983, as an Associate Justice on the— James "Jim" Edward Robinson (LLB
Texas Court of Appeals from the Fifth Judicial’51), 82, of Abilene, passed away Wednesday,
District in Dallas, Texas. After serving in Dallas,
Sept. 30, 2009. Mr. Robinson was born Jan. 7,
he established his private practice Shumpert
1927, in Danville, La. He attended Texas A&M
Law Office. On Aug. 30, 1983, he was presented
before enlisting in the Navy in 1944 at the age ofwith the Key to the City of Terrell. Judge and17. He had a private legal practice from 1955 until Mrs. Shumpert were both honored with thethe late 1990s. He was president of the Abilene
Community Service Award in 1999. He was
Bar Association from 1974 to 1975. He handled
preceded in death by his parents; infant son,several cases in Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Phillip T. Shumpert in 1948; brothers, Lewis,
and the Texas Supreme Court. He was an Elder at Billy and Holton; and sisters, Ellen and Joyce.
the First Central Presbyterian Church, a member Judge Shumpert is survived by his wife of 63
of the Abilene Bar Association, and a member
years, Katherine Shumpert; children, Gregof the Texas Bar Association. Mr. Robinson was
Shumpert and wife Suzanne of Terrell, Suzy
preceded in death by his parents, one son, and a
Sullivan and husband Tom of Little Rock, Ark.,brother. He is survived by his wife, Cathy; one
Floyd W. Shumpert and wife Paula of Dallas andson, John Ruther Robinson of Fairview, Texas; aKim Honey and husband Brian of Terrell.
daughter, Janie Robinson Long of Austin, Texas;
one granddaughter, Rebecca Cathryn Robinson;— James Ewing Sims (LLB ’63) of Cleburneand four grandsons: Austin James Robinson,
passed away at his home on Jan, 8, 2011. Mr.
William Travis Long, Wade Tyler Long andSims was born Jan. 11, 1937, in Brownwood,
Wesley Tucker Long.
Texas. He attended Baylor University on the Ball
Scholarship. He began his career at the United— Ted Lane Schafer (LLB ’62), 72, wasStates Securities and Exchange Commission asborn on April 13, 1938, in Beatrice, Neb., anda federal prosecutor. He worked in the Houston
died on Oct. 29, 2010, in Jacksonville, Fla. Ted
branch of the SEC as the regional administrator.
was a graduate of the University of Nebraska
In 1976 he moved his family to Cleburne to carryand Baylor University Law School. He was anon his father's business, Sims Rental. He was

B aylor U niversit y School of L aw

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A l u m ni Ob i t uar i e s
I n

L o v i n g

M e m o r y

the owner and president of the family business
until his return to the SEC in 1990. He wasan attorney in the Fort Worth regional office
until his retirement in 1995. Mr. Sims served his
community as a member of the city of Cleburne
Planning and Zoning Commission and as amember of the First Financial Bank board of
directors. He served on the Vestry and as Senior
Warden at the Church of the Holy Comforter,
where he was a 35-year­­­member. He is survived by
his wife, Sandy Sims; their children, Keith Ewing
Sims and wife, Tammy, Laura Kay Sims andpartner, Lissy Bethmann, and James Kyle Sims
and wife, Dana; and grandchildren, Shelby Kay
Selph and husband, Kevin, James Parker Sims,
Mallary Rae Anderson and Jackson Troy Sims.
— James Henry Taylor, Jr. (LLB ’43)
died Thursday, June 17, 2010, in a Temple
hospital following a very brief illness. He wasborn on Oct. 7, 1919 to Henry and Martha Jane
(Alsup) Taylor. He was a graduate of Temple HighSchool, Temple Junior College and received his
legal education at Baylor Law School. He began
practicing law with his father on Aug 27, 1943. He
was the Bell County Attorney from 1948 to 1952,
former Temple City Commissioner from 1960 to1972, and three-term Mayor of Temple from 1960
to 1964, and 1968 to 1970. He retired from theactive practice of law exactly 56 years later andbecame of counsel to his family law
firm of Taylor, Gauntt & Guess. He is survived
by his wife, Mary Norman Taylor; children
Nancy Taylor Gauntt (John) of Temple,
Martha Taylor Guess (Darrell) of Temple, andHenry Taylor, III (Marilyn) of Austin; seven
grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; andstep-children, Dick Norman, Dutch Norman,
Denny Norman, Chris Norman, Steve Norman,
and Robin Norman Aldridge.
— Gordon F. Thrall (LLB ‘53), age 86,
passed away Saturday, July 3, 2010, in Tyler, Texas.
He was born July 28, 1923, in Jamestown, N.Y.
Mr. Thrall was a partner in the Norman, Thrall,Angle, Guy and Day, L.L.P., in Jacksonvillefrom 1972 to 2002. He was admitted to the StateBar of Texas in 1953. He was educated at Alfred
University and Baylor University. He served
as Assistant District Attorney in Dallas, Texas
Assistant Attorney General, Attorney-Advisor,
ICC, and Assistant General Counsel for the State
Bar. He was a member of Cherokee County Bar
Association. A member of First Baptist Church
in Jacksonville, Gordon had served as deacon

84

The Docket C allat Central Baptist Church for many years. He
has served on many boards and organizations
including being Co-trustee of the Summers A.
Norman Foundation from 1988 to 2002, whichinvested millions in projects for Cherokee
County. He was also in the Army in WorldWar II. He was preceded in death by wife, Betty
Thrall, in 2005. He was also preceded in deathby three brothers, Marvin, Milton and Sidney
Thrall. He is survived by his daughter, Jenifer
Heflin, and husband, David, and granddaughter,
Elizabeth Jane Heflin.
— Lt. Col. William O. Vredenburgh(LLB ’55), US Army ret., 89, passed away Feb. 6,
2010. He was a graduate of the Baylor University
Law School with an LLB Degree, and later
received a J.D. degree in 1969. William taught
middle school English. He is a Retired US
Army Lt. Col., Civitan Pres, Boy Scout Master,member of the Immanuel Presbyterian Church
and attended Sandia Baptist Church. He waspreceded in death by his first wife of 34 years,
Mildred (Munsel) Vredenburgh in 1978, threebrothers, Fletcher, Richard, and Edmond. He
is survived by his wife of 30 years, Georgia(Tillery) Vredenburgh; his son, Dr. Jesse W.
Vredenburgh, and his wife, Terry, of Corpus
Christi; one grandchild, Jesse Vredenburgh; fivestep-children, Gayle Pedrick, George Tillery,
Gary Tillery, Glen Tillery, and Gena Hoagland;and 13 step-grandchildren.
— David Earl Weaver (JD ’85) was bornon Sept. 23, 1960, and passed away on June 1,
2010. Mr. Weaver was born in Longview, Texas,
to parents Annie Mae Irby Glanden and David
Harold Weaver. He received his Associates of Arts
from Kilgore College and later his Bachelor ofArts in political science from Baylor University.
He served as General Counsel for the Texas State
Securities Board for the past 20 years. He served
a term as President of the Texas General Counsel
Forum. Weaver was a contributing member
and committee member of the North American
Securities Administrators Association. He served
as a board member on the Veterans Commission
where he organized an effort to provide financial
assistance to Texas Veterans. He was also a board
member of the Downtown Austin Neighborhood
Association. Weaver is survived by his partner ofseven years, Bonsack Phrasavath; sister, Bobbye
Sonnier ,and husband, Jo-El, of Lake Charles,
La.; sister, Dr. Shirley Barker Strange-Allen of
Ashland, Va.; brother, Roy Barker, and wife,

Donese, of Linden; brother, James Barker Jr., andwife, LeeAnn, of Wake Village; brother, Johnnie
Steed, and wife, Nicki, of Longview; and brother,
Gerald Steed of Longview.
— The Honorable Jimmy L. White(JD ’69) of Mount Pleasant died Nov. 3, 2010. He
received his law degree from Baylor Law School
and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1969. After
private practice in Northeast Texas from 1969 to
1995, Mr. White was appointed by Gov. George
W. Bush as judge for the 76th District Court,
where he served until his death. He served as an
assistant attorney general for the State of Texas.
He served as a president of the Northeast Bar
Association. He is survived by his wife of 31 years,
Carol White; sons, Jimmy L. White, Jr., andBritton Keck, both of Mount Pleasant; daughter,
Lauren White Birkenbile of Dallas; mother, Irene
Daughtry of Mount Pleasant; brother, Make
White; and sisters, Dorothy Cornstubble, Bettye
McGuyer, Mozelle Strain Belva Barrett, andJanis White.
— Glen Mitchell Williams (LLB ’50),
86, of Hope, Ark., died Tuesday, July 8, 2008, in
Lubbock. Mr. Williams was born Sept. 8, 1921, in
Hope. He was a retired attorney and a memberof Rotary International Rotary and Texas StateBar Association. He was preceded in death by his
wife, Mary Cornelia Holloway Williams.

The Gift that Gives Back:
Charitable Gift Annuity
It’s a simple contract that offers
you a tax-advantaged way toprovide additional annual income.
You receive secure income for life, backed
by the assets of Baylor University. You
may also save on income, capital gains,
gift, and/or estate taxes while receiving acurrent charitable income tax deduction.

Age does have its rewards.
Income rates are based on your age
or the age(s) of your beneficiary(ies)when payments begin. The older you
are, the higher the rate. A minimum giftof $10,000 is necessary to establish an
annuity. Payments can begin at 50 yearsof age or older.

Your gift supports Baylor Law’s
mission of academic excellenceand Christian commitment within
a caring community. By giving to
Baylor Law, you help secure a foundationfor educating the next generation of great
leaders who are committed to service
and responsibility.

Donor makes
a gift today
at currentage(s)…

…& annuity
beginsimmediately
at this rate…

…& waits 5
years before
annuity begins
at this rate…

…& waits 10
years before
annuity begins
at this rate.

50

4.2%

5.3%

7.0%

50/50

3.8

4.8

6.3

60

4.8

6.4

8.5

60/60

4.3

5.7

7.6

70

5.8

7.8

11.0

70/70

5.2

6.9

9.2

80

7.5

10.1

14.4

80/80

6.3

8.9

12.9

** These rates are for illustration purposes only and may vary dependingon the timing of your gift.

To learn more about Baylor Law’s planned giving programs, please contact
Julie Corley, Director of Development at 254.710.8799 (Julie_Corley@baylor.edu),
Susan Wommack (JD ’89), Gift Planning Legal Counsel at 254.710.8537(Susan_Wommack@baylor.edu) or visit www.baylor.edu/law/waystogive.

NON PROF IT
O r g a ni z a tionu . s . po s t a g e
pa i dSchool of Law

P.O. Box 97288 | Waco, TX 76798-7288

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