houck2040/law huggingface dataset:
Texas A&M School of Law welcomes a health law, policy, and ethics scholar to its faculty. William Sage, MD, JD, will join the faculty serving in a multi-faceted role that will include appointments at the law school, School of Medicine, Health Science Center, and the Bush School of Government & Public Service.

A member of the National Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of the Hastings Center on bioethics, Dr. Sage has taught since 2006 at the University of Texas at Austin, serving in the School of Law as James R. Dougherty Chair for Faculty Excellence and in the Dell Medical School as a professor of surgery and perioperative care. He previously was a tenured professor at Columbia Law School, and also has taught at New York University, Emory University, Yale University, and Harvard University.  In 1993, he worked in the White House as part of the Task Force on National Health Care Reform. 

Dr. Sage’s background in health law and policy strengthens the university’s goal of expanding health research and resources in Texas.  

 Dr. Sage will be the founding director of a future university-wide institute for health care access to be based in Fort Worth. These efforts will further expand the health law program and aid in research, education, and care delivery models that promote affordability and justice in the healthcare system, according to Dr. Sage.  

“Developing our strengths in health law and policy is among the key priorities of the university and law school,” said Dean Robert Ahdieh. “Given its intersection with other existing and planned pillars of excellence at the law school — alternative dispute resolution, intellectual property, environmental/energy law, and privacy/cybersecurity law — I could not imagine a better contributor to those efforts than Dr. Sage." 

Dr. Sage welcomes the new opportunity to build upon the university’s network and various partners. 

“The opportunity to do something meaningful at the academic system level in Texas was irresistible,” said Dr. Sage. “I’ve done a lot of work at my time in Austin, but Texas A&M has a unique reach and diversity of its components, and I think that it’s very exciting to be able to contribute to improving health and healthcare in Texas.”
Professor Gabriel Eckstein, director of the Texas A&M Energy, Environmental, and Natural Resource Systems Law Program (EENRSLP) and an expert in international and transboundary water law, represented Bolivia at the International Court of Justice public hearings on Monday, April 4 in The Hague, Netherlands.
“Having focused much of my research, publications, and work experience on international and global water issues, it is an absolute thrill to have the opportunity to appear before the International Court of Justice,” Eckstein said.
While the facts of this case are specific to the locality, this is one of few international tribunal cases to ever focus on international water law.
The case — Dispute Over the Status and Use of the Waters of the Silala (Chile v. Bolivia) — involves water that emerges from springs in Bolivia in fragile wetlands, and flows to Chile through artificial channels that were installed nearly 100 years ago by a private company for use in Chile.
The springs and the channels are located on the edge of one of the driest regions in the world — the Atacama Desert — where every drop of water is precious.
Eckstein says the main legal issues focus on the rights and obligations that the two nations have to this water — right to use; rights and obligations to conserve; obligations to prevent harm to the other nation through the use of the water; obligations to notify each other prior to undertaking any activity related to the water.
Professor Eckstein is serving as legal counsel to Bolivia on a team of about a dozen lawyers. He is one of four advocates who will plead Bolivia’s case before the International Court of Justice and also advised Bolivia’s scientific experts, preparing them for cross-examination. He is scheduled to present again in court on April 13 for the second round of Oral Arguments for Bolivia.
Eckstein said, "It is truly an honor and privilege to serve as counsel to a nation, to represent its interest, and to defend its rights under international law in a case that centers on my particular expertise — the intersection of law and science, especially freshwater resources.”


 
Updates on the case can be found here.
Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp, along with government and business leaders from Fort Worth and across Texas, announced plans today to build a new research campus and collaborative innovation hub in downtown Fort Worth.
A new “state-of-the-art educational environment” for Texas A&M School of Law would serve as the front door and academic anchor of the urban campus, according to the press release.
The Texas A&M System Research and Innovation Center would be constructed alongside a new Education Alliance Building, which would host conferences and house professional, technical and university courses offered by the Texas A&M School of Law, Tarleton State University, Texas A&M University, the Texas A&M Health Science Center and other alliance members. 
So far, six notable Fort Worth employers — Alcon, AT&T, Bell, Elbit Systems of America, Lockheed Martin, and Philips — have also expressed interest in collaborating in particular research areas.
“The A&M System is making a Texas-sized commitment to Fort Worth,” Chancellor John Sharp said. “Welcome to Aggieland North.” 
Learn More about "Aggieland North"
The recently published article The Most-Cited Legal Scholars Revisited from the University of Chicago Law Review lists Texas A&M Law Professor Peter K. Yu sixth among the most-cited legal scholars born after 1970 across all fields.



 The study was conducted by Fred Shapiro, Associate Library Director at Yale Law School and the editor of the Oxford Dictionary of American Legal Quotations.

The issue features essays examining the work of more than a dozen of the most cited legal scholars. In one of these essays, University of Louisville Law Professor John T. Cross explores Lessons to be Learned from Peter Yu.

“Peter has had an indelible impact on the intellectual property law debate for many years,” Cross writes of Yu, who serves as Regents Professor of Law and Communication and Director of the Center for Law and Intellectual Property at Texas A&M University School of Law.

The five lessons Cross identifies are as follows:

Write on a wide array of topics.
Analyze topics from multiple perspectives.
A body of scholarship should be like a high-quality zoom lens.
Try to come at an issue from a new angle.
Provide the reader with a full background.

“Much of my research focuses on legal problems that can benefit from a global, interdisciplinary perspective. I am deeply honored that fellow researchers have found my work useful to their scholarship,” said Yu.

Professor Yu holds a joint appointment at the School of Law and the Department of Communication at Texas A&M University. Under his leadership, the intellectual property law program at Texas A&M University has been transformed into a leading international hub for research and education in the field. In the past five years, peer surveys conducted by U.S. News and World Report have ranked Texas A&M continuously among the top 10 intellectual property law programs in the United States.
The new Environmental & Natural Resources Systems Clinic at Texas A&M Law places it among the relatively few law schools across the country with such a program. The clinic will build on the work of the school’s Energy, Environmental, And Natural Resource Systems Law Program (currently ranked 34 nationally). 
There are two primary and interrelated objectives for the clinic: addressing critical environmental and natural resource issues, while helping to equip Aggie law students with hands-on, practical experience to lead change in these areas.
Professor Gabriel Eckstein, who directs the clinic, says there is a shortage of environmental advocates in the U.S., and especially Texas. “This leaves communities, habitats, and species at substantial risk,” he says.
“In Texas, for example,” Eckstein explains, “we have communities like Sandbranch (just outside of Dallas) and numerous Colonias suffering from environmental injustice (lack of sewage or running water, situated in pollution zones, etc.); routine violations of water pollution laws; increases in industrial facilities engaging in unauthorized air pollution causing serious health effects; endangered species being unlawfully trafficked and sold; growing challenges from climate change; and more.”
Eckstein hopes the clinic will inspire more future lawyers to reduce that shortage by allowing students to work with real clients at the forefront of substantive environmental legal and policy areas, like energy law, water law, and endangered species law. “When they take their place in society and the legal profession, they will have to deal with these issues on a regular basis,” says Eckstein.
Sara Thornton, principal attorney with Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend, P.C. in Austin, and one of the top environmental law attorneys in the state, will be co-teaching the clinic along with Eckstein.
As they work in the clinic, students will also be building skills crucial to their legal profession more broadly: developing attorney-client relationships; professional communication; interviewing clients, experts, and other professionals; and preparing position and policy papers and reports.
"This clinic is a great addition to our clinical program and experiential offerings that focus on equipping students with the necessary skills and insights to tackle important legal needs in our communities," said Associate Dean for Experiential Education Luz Herrera.
Texas A&M Law already has many established working relationships with agencies like the Trinity River Authority, Texas Target Communities, Texas Water Foundation, and Tarrant Regional Water District. That list is likely to grow significantly as the clinic expands the work to other types of clients.
Unlike some of the other clinics at Texas A&M Law, the Environmental & Natural Resources Systems Clinic will not take cases to court. Instead, its focus will be on policy issues, legislation, and providing legal support to ensure that companies, governmental units, and individuals are doing what is necessary and sustainable for the environment, communities, and the economy.
Allison Pawlowski

I completed my master's degree in higher education this past year. I now help Texas A&M Law School students find the right professional resources to ensure their wellness. I use a model to wellness that has eight facets: emotional, physical, financial, environmental, social, occupational, intellectual and spiritual.

Area of Service: Student Affairs, Wellness
Years of Service: One year
Describe your law school tenure in three words.
​
My entire law school tenure has been during the pandemic; so, three words describe my experience: unconventional, learning and connecting.
Why are you proud to work at Texas A&M Law?

Everyone is proud to be here. That's why I'm also proud to work at Texas A&M Law. I have never worked at a place where you can feel the excitement until now. Even though we're in Fort Worth, or as Dean Ahdieh likes to say--Aggieland North--the Aggie pride is infectious. Everyone lives and breathes for the success of Texas A&M University in this area.

What's your go-to productivity trick?

I use Microsoft Outlook to the highest extent possible [smile]. I also put all of my tasks on my calendar.

What is a question that you answer most commonly while at work?

What is a wellness coordinator? My position covers many things, and I am not meant to necessarily solve all problems but rather help students get to the professional resources they need. We try to address the whole student because we know that it all impacts academics.

Is there a Texas A&M Law student who has left an impression on you? What qualities did this individual have that you remember?

Messages
Pinterest
Insight Timer

What advice would you give to an admitted TAMU Law student?
I would want them to know that law school is going to be stressful, but if they prepare and ask about the resources available to help them, it can save a lot of emotional strain later on. It’s beneficial to have a plan and to know where to go or what to do when you need help (such as me)!


In support of the Texas A&M University mission, the Office of Student Affairs at the Texas A&M School of Law contributes to student learning and development. The department provides services and programs that promote student success, embody the Aggie spirit, foster a diverse and inclusive campus community and exemplify Aggie Core Values — Loyalty, Integrity, Excellence, Leadership, Selfless Service and Respect.
Texas A&M School of Law continues to reset expectations, climbing to the 53rd-ranked law school in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. "Our staff fuel the engine," says Dean Robert B. Ahdieh. Get the facts and learn more about the law school's journey.

Texas A&M School of Law continues to reset expectations, climbing to the 53rd ranked law school in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. "Our staff fuel the engine," says Dean Robert B. Ahdieh. Get the facts and learn more about the law school's journey.
SHARON JEFFERSON
“One day chicken, next day feathers.”

I enjoy volunteering for the Texas Rangers (I pass out promotional items at the gates), taking photographs (nature and baseball mainly) and spending time with my two 
grandsons.
Area of Service: Dee J. Kelly Law Library
Years of Service: 17 years (at Texas Wesleyan School of Law and Texas A&M School of Law)
Describe your law school tenure in three words.

Variety
Fortunate
Friendships 

Do you have a favorite Texas A&M Aggie Core Value?
Selfless Service – I think it is important to help others. Even a small act can make a difference to someone. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, but I observed my parents helping others by giving their time to friends, family and the church.

In the future, I hope to devote time to helping the American Red Cross and area food banks. I am an introvert, and volunteering provides me with the opportunity to meet people.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Early Bird – As a child, I wasn’t allowed to sleep in. As an adult, I always got up early to go to work or take my daughter to school. I am more productive and energetic in the mornings, especially after a chai tea latte.
If you could keep only three apps on your phone, what would they be?

Facebook
Candy Crush Soda
Google

What was your favorite tv show growing up?
There were several I loved watching…The Brady Bunch, Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons, Columbo, CHiPs, Dukes of Hazzard, Dallas, and Knots Landing.
Share something that few people know about you.
I love 80s heavy metal/hair bands like Van Halen, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Def Leppard and Bon Jovi to name a few.
Who has influenced you the most, when it comes to work? Give us three takeaways.
My Dad.

Work Ethic/Professionalism – He went to work everyday. I do not remember him ever missing work unless there was a labor strike. Even then, he found another job to fill in that time. He taught me to take pride in my work.
Life Isn’t Fair – His favorite saying is “One day chicken, next day feathers.” I think it means that one day may be going great, but the next day could be the opposite. It's probably best to expect chaos and hope for the calm.
Laugh at Yourself –  He’s a very serious person, but he has a sense of humor. No one is perfect.

The Dee J. Kelly Law Library is an essential and integral component in the educational life of the law school. This exceptional research facility offers access to the law and law-related resources in addition to a wide range of services that support the law school curriculum and programs, promote the advancement of legal scholarship and fulfill the information needs of our library users.

Texas A&M School of Law continues to reset expectations, climbing to the 53rd ranked law school in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. "Our staff fuel the engine," says Dean Robert B. Ahdieh. Get the facts and learn more about the law school's journey.
XIYAO HUANG
"If there is something I can finish today, I get it done."

Area of Service: Curriculum & Instructional Design
Years of Service:  Two
I am very passionate about designing high-quality, learner-friendly courses that engage adult learners to achieve success. Instructional design is the "glue" that connects instructors and students for the finest experiences.

I moved to the U.S. after earning my bachelor's degree in China, and I earned my master's degree in curriculum development and instructional technology from State University of New York at Albany. I'm looking forward to completing my doctoral degree next summer.
What's a recent professional accomplishment?
Migrating existing online courses to Canvas during a pandemic. Pivoting quickly was a challenge but also an opportunity.

Canvas is a course management system that supports online learning and teaching.
Describe your law school tenure in three words:

Extremely busy
Challenging
Exciting

Do you have a favorite Texas A&M Aggie Core Value?
I'm most drawn to leadership, and it excites me. Without solid leadership, you may lose focus. Like a ship that navigates through rocky waters, a good leader can calm the path forward for organizational success.
Why are you proud to work at Texas A&M Law?
I am confident that I can help build an online environment that improves experiences for working professionals. Twenty-five percent of our law students do not live in Texas. They matter.

I am also proud to work at Texas A&M Law because I get to work with great people and learn from them.
If you could keep only three apps on your phone, what would they be?

WeChat - It's a one-stop-shop. I can communicate with my family and more.
Instagram - I love the visual storytelling.
Gmail and Outlook

How do you prefer to start your day?
I listen to music, journal and watch morning news. I just added "One More Day" by King Sis to my playlist; and, watching Good Morning America reminds me of when I lived in New York. Seeing images of Rockefeller Center make me nostalgic.

What is your go-to productivity trick?
I ask myself if I'm procrastinating. If there is something I can finish today, I get it done.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
I am an early bird, when it comes to work. I believe that it's easier to build and stick to a routine in the morning. 
What is a question that you answer most commonly while at work?
What do you do here? My answer? I help faculty members design online courses. I make them feel comfortable and help to optimize their coursework online. It's like a fashion designer. To design the perfect piece for a client, he/she take into account body shape, uses, strengths and weaknesses and more.

To me, an instructional designer is always wearing multiple hats. He/she is not just a technical person but also a person who can master project and relationship management in an academic setting.

Texas A&M School of Law continues to reset expectations, climbing to the 53rd ranked law school in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. "Our staff fuel the engine," says Dean Robert B. Ahdieh. Get the facts and learn more about the law school's journey.
CHAD BALLENGER
"What’s done in the dark will come to the light."

Area of Service:  IT
Years of Service:  14 years as Texas Wesleyan Law and Texas A&M Law
Who has influenced you the most when it comes to work? Share three takeaways.
I was taught by my father to remove the phrases, I can’t or I don’t know. The takeaway is not to give up when things are hard and to always seek knowledge and understanding in areas that you lack knowledge.

I was taught by my mother that working seven days a week, nights and weekends was normal for 40 hours of pay. My mother also told me frequently that life is not fair, but you need to control what you can control. You can always control your work ethic.

The last but most important came from my grandmother. She would say what’s done in the dark will come to the light. What I take from this is when you are working on projects alone and spending time away from work caring about your job and think you are not getting credit, keep working hard. What you do in the dark will soon come to light.
Describe your law school tenure in three words.

Exciting
Impactful
Encouraging

If you could keep only three apps on your phone, what would they be?

E*Trade
CNN
Instagram

Do you have a favorite Aggie core value?
Definitely, leadership. It's my favorite because I had and still have great leaders around me, starting with my paternal grandparents who were educators in a small east Texas town when it wasn't popular to be so. Not having solutions or not being self-assured just isn't acceptable.
What was your favorite tv show growing up?
The Incredible Hulk with Lou Ferrigno. My cousin and I would wrestle when we were little, and before we would start a "match," I'd do my own transformation just like Bill Bixby. LOL. I competed regionally in high school wrestling. Maybe that mindset helped me win.

I also loved the A-Team and Knight Rider.
Share something that few people know about you.
I was a high scorer on the SATs and was in the top 10 percent of the nation.
What about this past year made an impression?
The law school had an online discussion for faculty, staff and students after the George Floyd murder. On it, I talked about how racial bias is commonplace for me and other people of color. I'm shocked about how many people on the call reacted to an experience I had cutting my lawn. Someone driving by asked me how much I charged for my services. He assumed that I wasn't the homeowner. Whereas that may be a reason to shout for others, it's a shame that I'm used to it. I knew even more so then that we have to talk about racial inequities to heal and move forward.

Texas A&M School of Law continues to reset expectations, climbing to the 53rd ranked law school in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. "Our staff fuel the engine," says Dean Robert B. Ahdieh. Get the facts and learn more about the law school's journey.
Texas A&M Law advocacy competition students are international champions of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) Nelson Mandela International Negotiation Competition. The team of 3L Maya Fitzpatrick and 2L Tyler Phillips won the competition in March. They were coached by law school adjunct Kay Elliott.
Law school students are also regional champions of the American Bar Association (ABA) Representation in Mediation Competition, hosted by Texas A&M Law. The team of 2Ls Taylor Garner and Isabelle Chapman have advanced to the national finals, which will be held virtually early April. This team was also coached by Kay Elliott.
Jennifer Ellis, advocacy program director, says, "We are very proud of our teams! Not only did they have to overcome the challenges of a virtual competition, but they also had reduced ability to practice due to the winter storm in February. Their hard work paid off though."
See the number of top advocacy award for Texas A&M School of Law:

Four (4) international championships
12 national championships
24 regional championships
One (1) state championship
16 Best Advocate awards
13 Best Brief awards



Pictured above: Maya Fitzpatrick and Tyler Phillips


Pictured above: Maya Fitzpatrick and Tyler Phillips

About the TAMU Law Advocacy Program

Moot Court (appellate advocacy)
Mock Trial (trial advocacy) 
Aggie Dispute Resolution “ADR” (negotiation, mediation and arbitration)

The comprehensive, experiential-based program led by experienced professors, judges and attorneys prepares ​future lawyers to tackle a variety of complex challenges.
Through extensive, individualized instruction and feedback, as well as numerous opportunities to compete against teams from other law schools around the nation and against fellow Texas A&M law students, the program develops confidence, competence and integrity.
From the Office of the Texas A&M University Office of the Provost:

Three Texas A&M University faculty were selected for the 2021 University Professorship award, including Texas A&M Law's Nancy Welsh. University Professorships recognize faculty who have demonstrated significant and sustained accomplishments in their discipline and who have gained recognition both nationally and internationally. The award also acknowledges a commitment to inclusivity and diversity and excellence in teaching and service.
Recipients receive an annual $5,000 stipend for three years and will retain the right to use the title so long as they remain a faculty member in good standing.

The 2021 University Professorships are: 

Nancy Welsh, School of Law
R. Malatesha Joshi, Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture, College of Education and Human Development
Simon North, Department of Chemistry, College of Science

Nancy A. Welsh is a Professor of Law and Director of Texas A&M’s nationally ranked Dispute Resolution Program. She is a leading scholar and teacher of dispute resolution and procedural law and examines negotiation, mediation, arbitration, judicial settlement, and other processes in U.S. and international contexts. Her work has influenced the development of court-connected programs and ethics rules. Professor Welsh is co-author of Dispute Resolution and Lawyers and co-editor of Evolution of a Field: Personal Histories in Conflict Resolution. She is a member of the American Law Institute, was a Fulbright Scholar in the Netherlands, and chaired the American Bar Association’s Section of Dispute Resolution and the Association of American Law Schools’ Alternative Dispute Resolution Section. Professor Welsh frequently provides keynote addresses at national and international gatherings, advises policymakers, and convenes roundtables and symposia on pressing topics. Previously, she was Professor of
Law and William Trickett Faculty Scholar at Penn State’s Dickinson Law School.
Saurabh Vishnubhakat, professor of law at Texas A&M School of Law, has some suggestions for the Biden-Harris Administration on science and technology policy, especially diversity in the U.S. innovation system. Vishnubhakat contributed to the Day One Project’s Transition Document for the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a policy memo with over two dozen actionable recommendations for the nation’s innovation agency. The memo was jointly authored by a select group of academics, current and former government advisers and other policy experts.

The Transition Document especially includes recommendations about Equity, Diversity and Inclusion—a section that Vishnubhakat has amplified in an op-ed on the leading IPWatchdog blog.

Vishnubhakat, a member of Texas A&M’s nationally ranked Center for Law and Intellectual Property, also involves his students directly with the conversation about diversity in innovation. Last month, he hosted a panel event for the Law School called Innovation and the University: A National Perspective with Andrei Iancu, the Under Secretary for Intellectual Property in the U.S. Department of Commerce and Hope Shimabuku, Texas Regional Director of the USPTO.

In 2019, he jointly authored a public filing to the USPTO with Alexandra Fuchs (’20) and Lora Elkins-Naismith (’21) for the agency’s Study of Underrepresented Classes Chasing Engineering and Science Success (SUCCESS) Act. Their joint filing focused specifically on the participation of women in patenting and entrepreneurial activities.

“Diversity is essential to innovation, just as innovation is to social progress,” says Vishnubhakat. “But it is not enough to study the data and refine the policy. We must also equip our students to see its value and contribute to its success.”

Diversity and access to the innovation system has been part of Vishnubhakat’s research and policy agenda for almost a decade. His 2014 study Gender Diversity in the Patent Bar was an early data-driven exploration of that subject and was cited last December in a letter to Under Secretary Iancu by Senators Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Chris Coons of Delaware. As an advisor to the Chief Economist of the USPTO from 2011 to 2015, Vishnubhakat also worked on the USPTO initiative under the America Invents Act to study the diversity of patent applicants.
In October 2020, Professor Irene Calboli published the Cambridge Handbook of International and Comparative Trademark Law, which she edited with Professor Jane Ginsburg of Columbia Law School.

The book gathers U.S. and international experts in the field and provides extensive analysis of the international and comparative framework of trademark law.

As highlighted in the introduction, “Trade in goods and services has historically resisted territorial confinement.” However, trademark protection remains territorial and practitioners, policy-makers and academics need to understand principles of international and comparative law.

Calboli and Ginsburg gathered comparative perspectives on substantive issues in trademark law, such as geographical indications, advertising law, and domain names. Comparing common law and civil law approaches, particular emphasis is placed on the United States and the European Union in light of the role these systems have played in the development of trademark laws. However, the analysis extends to several other jurisdictions in Asia and the Pacific, Africa, and South America.

Praise for the book has come quickly from academics, practitioners, the judiciary, and officials in international and regional organizations.

Francis Gurry, former Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, said, “with brands assuming ever greater importance and value in the global market, this work is a much needed, comprehensive and insightful contribution from leading global experts.”

According to Antony Taubman, Director, Intellectual Property, Government Procurement and Competition Division at the World Trade Organization, “this substantial volume meets the consequent need for an authoritative and systematic survey of this brisk evolution, internationally and in key national jurisdictions."

Fernando dos Santos, Director General, African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), noted, “this book is a remarkable resource for diverse stakeholders, including users, policy makers, lawyers and academics."

About Professor Calboli:
Irene Calboli is internationally well-known and widely cited for her research in the field of International IP Law and Trademark Law. She is regularly asked to advise international and regional organizations in matters related to Trademark Law. She is the co-founder of the IP & Innovation Researchers of Asia Network, which has become the premier academic forum in Asia, and the IP Researchers of Europe Conference, a forum to promote international dialogue between U.S. and European scholars, both of which are supported by the World Intellectual Property Organization and the World Trade Organization. In the United States, she founded the International IP Roundtable, an annual gathering of senior academics interested in International IP Law.
Texas A&M School of Law Professor Peter Yu is among the top 250 legal authors (both current and deceased) listed on HeinOnline. The list is created based on an analysis of all the articles in the database, including those from the past two centuries.

In addition to preeminent legal scholars in the nation, this list is considered distinguished and includes Supreme Court justices Louis Brandeis, William Brennan, Felix Frankfurter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Antonin Scalia; noted appellate judges Guido Calabresi, Frank Easterbrook, Harry Edwards, Henry Friendly and Richard Posner; and legal giants such as Ronald Coase, Ronald Dworkin, John Hart Ely, Lon Fuller, H.L.A. Hart, Karl Llewellyn, Roscoe Pound, William Prosser and Herbert Wechsler.

Professor Yu directs the Center for Law and Intellectual Property at Texas A&M University School of Law and holds a joint appointment at the School of Law and the Department of Communication at Texas A&M University. He is an award-winning teacher, a prolific scholar and a world-renowned expert on international intellectual property law.

Under his leadership, the intellectual property law program at Texas A&M University has been transformed into a leading international hub for research and education in the field. In the past four years, peer surveys conducted by U.S. News and World Report have ranked Texas A&M consistently among the top 10 intellectual property law programs in the United States.

The following methodology was used to create the HeinOnline list:

"[HeinOnline] ranked each author in each category: number of times cited by articles, number of times cited by articles written in the past 10 years, number of times cited by articles written in the past 12-24 months, number of times cited by cases, and number of times accessed and averaged the rankings to produce this list of the 250 authors that scored the highest when averaging all categories."

HeinOnline is a premier online database containing more than 182 million pages and 281,000 titles of historical and government documents in a fully searchable, image-based format. HeinOnline bridges an important research gap by providing comprehensive coverage from inception of more than 2,800 law-related periodicals. In addition to its vast collection of academic journals, HeinOnline contains the entire Congressional Record, Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations, complete coverage of the U.S. Reports back to 1754, and entire databases dedicated to treaties, constitutions, case law, world trials, classic treatises, international trade, foreign relations, U.S. Presidents and much more.
Texas A&M School of Law faculty members analyze and discuss portions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) in a four-part, free webinar series starting April 6. 

Providing fact-based answers and a practical interpretation of this historic legislation, these "TAMU Law Answers" webinars address the impacts of the CARES Act for individuals, small businesses, the health care sector, and real estate. 

April 6 - Individual Incentives Under the CARES Act: What’s in it For Me?
April 7 - Small Business Incentives Under the CARES Act: Will it Help My Business?
April 13 - Health Care Implications Under the CARES Act
April 16 - CARES Act Implications for Housing, Commercial Real Estate, and Bankruptcy

The CARES Act provides $2 trillion dollars of emergency relief intended to stabilize the United States economy and help protect employees and businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Each 60-minute webinar features Texas A&M School of Law faculty expert panelists.

The webinars include live question and answer sessions. The video, transcript, and presentation slides from each webinar will be posted at TAMULawAnswers.info.
March 2020 has been a busy month for Texas A&M Law’s Dispute Resolution Program.  
U.S. News released its 2021 specialty rankings, and we were proud to see that Texas A&M Law is now ranked 6th in the nation in the Dispute Resolution category. 
The Texas A&M program also overcame a looming pandemic to hold a virtual version of this year’s symposium: ADR’s Place in Navigating a Polarized Era.  With the March 20 date approaching and coronavirus warnings dire, most presenters and moderators were able to re-arrange plans and meet by Zoom to make their planned presentations and offer feedback on each other’s draft articles.  Jonathan Cohen, Jill DeTemple, and Baruch Bush started it off in the morning.  In the afternoon, participants discussed presentations by Nancy Rogers, Sharon Press, Howard Gadlin, and Noam Ebner.  The resulting articles will be published in upcoming issues of the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution and the Texas A&M Law Review.  These issues also will include articles by Jennifer Reynolds and Deborah Eisenberg who were unable to participate in the online conference.

Despite the distance and disruption, human connections were palpable over the Internet.  One presenter wrote to thank Texas A&M for “organizing it, re-organizing it, and including me!”  Others described it as “inspiring,” “wonderful,” “satisfyingly stimulating,” and “a fascinating day among wonderful folks.”  Finally, a presenter said, “ I cannot imagine all of the different challenges in putting together an online conference at a time like this, but I appreciate that you all did it.”  We likewise appreciate all that our presenters gave to us.  In addition, the day would not have been possible without the work of Texas A&M Law’s IT staff, as well as staff members Kirsten Evans and Andrea Hudson, and moderators Professors Carol Pauli, Michael Green, and Guillermo Garcia Sanchez.
Once the crisis is past, the Aggie Dispute Resolution Program hopes to celebrate with the full in-person symposium—people in the seats in our Lecture Hall, hotel rooms, refreshments, the works.  
And as if the month were not busy enough, there were significant developments on the curricular front at Texas A&M.  In her Mediation class, Professor Welsh hosted a panel of Dallas-Fort Worth mediators, including Adjunct Professor Karen Washington (who also co-teaches Mediation with Professor Welsh), Cecilia Gordon, Sharon Corsentino, and Sharmeen Ladhani, who presented to students and faculty regarding their practices.  Also in March, Texas A&M Law’s faculty approved a Tax Dispute Resolution Clinic.  This course joins two other new dispute resolution offerings at Texas A&M:  Legal Analysis, Research and Writing III – ADR, taught by Adjunct Professor Karen Washington, and Professor Garcia Sanchez’s course, International Oil and Gas Dispute Resolution.
Texas A&M University School of Law Professor Glynn S. Lunney, Jr. is one of seven university scholars named Distinguished Professors. It is the university’s highest faculty honor. The 2020 class of University Distinguished Professors includes faculty from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Engineering, the College of Geosciences, the School of Law, and the College of Science.

Professor Lunney specializes and teaches in the areas of patent, copyright and trademark law. His teaching experience includes time at Vanderbilt University, Tulane University, Washington University and the University of Texas at Austin.

"I enjoy interacting with students and helping them gain an understanding of what the law is and what it can be," says Lunney.

Lunney received his law degree from Stanford Law School and his master's and doctorate degrees in economics from Tulane University. He is an Aggie, completing his undergraduate degree in College Station.

He clerked with the Honorable John Minor Wisdom of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; and, before law school, he worked as a production engineer for Chevron in the Los Angeles basin. 

The designation identifies faculty members who are preeminent in their fields and who have made at least one landmark contribution to their discipline. Their research and advancements are considered central to any narrative of the field. Past recipients of the lifetime title participate in the selection process, growing the ranks of Distinguished Professors by just a handful of scholars each year.

Distinguished Professors retain their current title but add the new distinction, along with additional salary support during the summer for three years and an annual bursary of $5,000 for five years.

“It is a privilege to recognize these faculty and honor the impact they have made on the world through scholarship and advancements in understanding,” Provost and Executive Vice President Carol A. Fierke said. “Distinguished Professorships celebrate the high caliber and global significance of research underway at Texas A&M University.”

The 2020 University Distinguished Professors are:

Richard Gomer, Department of Biology, College of Science
Dallas Little, Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering
Glynn Lunney, School of Law
Helen Reed, Department of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering
Patrick Stover, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Edriss Titi, Department of Mathematics, College of Science
Ping Yang, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, College of Geosciences

The seven honorees will be inducted at a ceremony in March.

More information, including a complete list of University Distinguished Professors, is available at http://dof.tamu.edu/Awards-and-Honors/University-Distinguished-Professor.

Continue reading on Texas A&M Today
Texas A&M University School of Law welcomes Hannah Bloch-Webha and Brendan S. Maher to its faculty. Bloch-Webha's scholarship in cybersecurity and Maher's expertise in health law will buttress burgeoning programs at the law school in Health Law, Policy & Management and in Cybersecurity & Privacy Law & Policy. Both Bloch-Webha and Maher will begin teaching in the fall.

Hannah Bloch-Wehba is an assistant professor of law at Drexel University's Kline School of Law. Her scholarship examines "the intersection of civil liberties and cyber issues in the law, focusing on free expression, privacy and government accountability."

Bloch-Wehba also taught at Yale Law School, where she was a clinical lecturer-in-law, research scholar and Stanton Foundation First Amendment Fellow. While at Yale, she co-taught in the Media Freedom & Information Access Clinic, where she supervised students in litigating cases involving First Amendment and freedom of information issues tied to electronic surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and Executive Order 12,333, among other matters.  

Her articles have appeared in journals including Washington Law Review, Fordham Law Review and Brooklyn Journal of International Law.

Before entering academia, she worked as a Stanton Foundation National Security Fellow for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in Washington, D.C. She also practiced at Baker Botts LLP in Houston.

She received her JD from New York University School of Law, where she served as senior articles editor for the Journal of International Law and Politics.

Brendan S. Maher is the Connecticut Mutual Professor of Law and and the director of the independently-endowed Insurance Law Center at UConn School of Law. He is the faculty advisor for the peer-reviewed Connecticut Insurance Law Journal and a nationally-recognized expert in the regulation of insurance, pensions and health care. A leading authority on the meaning of both ERISA and the Affordable Care Act, Maher also teaches and studies procedural and evidentiary aspects of civil litigation in federal courts.

He regularly appears before the United States Supreme Court to litigate cases involving employee benefits, preemption and procedure. Maher is often consulted by states, medical providers and employee organizations as to the applicability of federal law to their activities.

A graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School, he is licensed to practice in several state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

In both the arenas of healthcare and cybersecurity/privacy, the law school is collaborating with academic and industry partners to develop innovative new programs.  Among others, those include master’s degree, certificate and executive education programs for non-lawyer professionals.
Karen Roberts Washington, adjunct professor at Texas A&M School of Law, was recognized for her mediation experience and quality by being inducted into the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN).

According to NADN, Washington is an experienced lawyer, having handled cases in state and federal courts across a broad spectrum of issues. She is also a highly-skilled mediator, having mediated more than 1200 civil disputes.

The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals is a professional association whose membership consists of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) professionals distinguished by their hands-on experience in the field of civil and commercial conflict resolution. Membership is by invitation only, and all Academy members have been thoroughly reviewed and found to meet stringent practice criteria. Members are amongst the most in-demand neutrals in their respective states, as selected by their peers and approved by local litigators.

“We’re delighted to recognize Karen Roberts Washington to the Academy’s Texas Chapter in recognition of excellence in her mediation practice,” commented Darren Lee, executive director of NADN.
Nicole Macut, '19 joins Am Law 100 firm Polsinelli’s rapidly growing Dallas office as an associate in the Medical Devices and Mechanical Engineering Patent Prosecution practice.

“Polsinelli continues to add outstanding talent to our Dallas office as the North Texas region’s business base keeps growing exponentially,” said Jon Henderson, managing partner of Polsinelli’s Dallas office and chair of the firm’s national Corporate and Transactional practice. “We believe our new associates will be significant contributors to our continued focus on these core practice areas, in support of our firm’s work not only for clients here in Texas, but also nationwide.”

Macut brings a pragmatic approach toward the business considerations and legal complexities that arise, with respect to protecting her clients’ intellectual property. She leverages her double major in both biology and chemistry to assess invention disclosures and draft thorough patent applications, with significant experience with medical devices. Her practice also includes preparing and prosecuting trademark applications and responding to formal actions from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Macut earned her J.D. from the Texas A&M University School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toledo. While in law school, she served as president of Texas A&M’s Intellectual Property association. 

Polsinelli’s Texas offices, with approximately 80 professionals in Dallas and Houston, have grown by more than tenfold in less than a decade. This robust local presence provides a gateway to a national, full-service law firm that delivers sophisticated legal counsel and client service, infused with deeply held values. Polsinelli is strongly committed to supporting businesses ranging from entrepreneurial, innovative start-up companies to middle-market leaders across a wide range of industry sectors, and the firm is significantly involved in many of the region’s key civic and community service groups.

About Polsinelli
Polsinelli is an Am Law 100 firm with 900 attorneys in 21 offices nationwide. Recognized by legal research firm BTI Consulting as one of the top firms for excellent client service and client relationships, the firm’s attorneys provide value through practical legal counsel infused with business insight, and focus on health care, financial services, real estate, intellectual property, middle-market corporate, labor and employment and business litigation. Polsinelli PC, Polsinelli LLP in California.