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Texas A&M University School of Law Dean Andrew P. Morriss shares his encouraging words and future plans for the law school during the meet-and-greet reception at the Belo Mansion in Dallas.
 
DALLAS, Texas – More than 75 people attended the Texas A&M University School of Law’s meet-and-greet reception for Dean Andrew P. Morriss the evening of July 18. Despite the rainy weather, students, alumni, faculty, staff and local attorneys all showed up to the Belo Mansion in Dallas to meet the dean and support the law school.
After discussion and laughter amongst the group, Arturo Errisuriz, director of career services at the law school, gathered everyone around the festively decorated Aggie stage. Errisuriz introduced Dean Morriss to a round of applause. The crowd quieted to listen to his encouraging words and future plans for the law school.
Chris Parvin, law school alumnus and Dallas attorney, made a generous pledge to the law school of $25,000.
From L-R: Casey Oliver, director of marketing & external affairs;
Chris Parvin; Dean Andrew P. Morriss.
“With our faculty and staff and the Aggie Spirit, Texas A&M University School of Law is ready to educate the next generation of Texas lawyers. What better professional network than that of the former students of Texas A&M University and our law school,” Morriss said.  
Morriss closed by saying he is excited for what the future holds for the law school.
The host committee was represented by: Chris Parvin, Mike Baggett, Mike Regitz, Sherri Anderson, Florentino Ramirez, Sr., Florentino A. Ramirez, Rob Ward and Audrey Moorehead.
Law school alumnus and Dallas attorney, Chris Parvin, also made a generous pledge to the law school of $25,000.
“It’s largely because of these contributions that the law school will thrive academically and can initiate new programs. Mr. Parvin’s gift will help us accomplish many things, and the law school is grateful for his support,” Morriss said.
Guests enjoyed delicious hors d'oeuvres, including crab cakes, beef Wellington and much more.
For those who weren’t able to attend the Dallas reception, Texas A&M School of Law will host another meet-and-greet with Dean Morriss in Fort Worth in September. Event details coming soon.
To view more photos from this event, view the album on Facebook.
Photos by Jared Bower.
“Around the globe, nature is dying, and the prices of her rarest works are going up.”
—    Bryan Christy, National Geographic
Texas A&M University law students will venture to Costa Rica for the law school’s first wildlife law pro bono trip July 13-18, led by Vice Dean Aric Short. They will be working with the Proyecto Asis Wild Animal Shelter Center in the Arenal Volcano area.
Costa Rica is internationally known for its vast wildlife, but with the rise of human development, the safety of these animals becomes increasingly at risk to being exploited through wildlife trafficking and the Black Market.
Proyecto Asis is committed to the rescue and restoration of Costa Rican wildlife. As animal crime and trafficking continue to rise, they know that lack of awareness is the first roadblock to finding solutions. The Asis staff has asked that the law students focus their efforts on ways to bring the knowledge and experiences they gain in Costa Rica back to America for exposure.
Asis and the Monteverde Conservation League will spend the first day with the students in an orientation, educating them on each animal they house — their diets, their habitats and their threats. Two days will be spent focusing on wildlife law and educating the center’s visitors, including a group of about 60 American high school students. The last day will consist of hands-on work at the center, assisting with animal maintenance, building cages and other labor.
The group will be staying at Texas A&M University’s Soltis Center for Research and Education in San Isidro. The center’s mission is “to serve as the official institutional representation of Texas A&M University in Costa Rica and to assist in the internationalization of education, research and outreach programs in support of the university’s goals.”
Students will also get the opportunity to participate in a guided rainforest tour, zip lining and a hike to Arenal Volcano. Despite the recreational activities, Short has made the mission very clear: the students will come home with solutions to one of the world’s most overseen and lucrative criminal trades.
The Costa Rica pro bono trip will serve as the pilot to our Texas A&M University School of Law Service Blog, launched July 11. Get daily updates of what our students are doing in Costa Rica.
FORT WORTH, Texas - 2L Carla Green (pictured at left) is the first Texas A&M University law school student to be selected for an Energy Institute Fellowship sponsored by the Texas A&M University Energy Institute and ConocoPhillips.
The fellowship rewards “excellence in energy research, promoting future research important to our energy future and encourages students to pursue careers in energy.”
Green's application was among the top 10 selected from a pool of 62 applicants, representing 20 various Texas A&M graduate programs.
In the academic year ahead, Green will be engaged in researching the policy and history behind the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 and the implication of lifting restrictions on the exportation of crude oil from the U.S., according to faculty mentor, Professor Gina Warren. Her intent will be to identify the best energy policy model for the currently banned exportation process.
In response to the 1967 Oil Embargo, Congress banned the exportation of crude oil in 1975 by enacting the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. Nearly 40 years later, many producers and policy makers are calling for Congress to lift the ban, Warren explained. This is due to the significant increase in national (and Canadian) production.
Green said, “It is my hope that my research could help inform federal policy makers of possible needed changes or reforms to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.” Her research is entitled "Is the Bakken Formation and Keystone Pipeline the Last Nail in the Coffin? Implications of Lifting the Forty-Year-Old Export Ban Under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act."
Green credits Warren for her evolving interest in energy. “It was through Professor Warren’s Oil and Gas and Energy Law courses that my spark in this subject matter began,” she said. “I am proud to be a Texas A&M School of Law student, especially with the caliber of professors we have at our law school guiding us to wonderful opportunities like this one.”
Dean Andrew Morriss said, “We are incredibly proud of Carla for getting this prestigious fellowship. This demonstrates exactly the kind of faculty-student relationship that enables our students’ successes.”
Green is currently spending her summer in Dallas as an associate at Haynes & Boone, a renowned international firm that is known for its legal work in domestic and international energy. She is working on energy-related topics in the litigation and bankruptcy departments. She is the executive editor for the Law Review and a teaching assistant for Academic Support at the law school. She was also a mock trial winner as a 1L.
All of the fellowship recipients will showcase their research at an energy conference in College Station in the upcoming academic year.  The list of all the fellowship recipients is available on the Texas A&M Energy Institute's website.
FORT WORTH, Texas – When Texas A&M University School of Law Dean Andrew P. Morriss began his appointment as the law school’s dean July 1, Interim Dean Aric K. Short transitioned into the Vice Dean position.
In his nearly 12 years of service to the law school, Short served most recently as interim dean, leading the law school in its transition to Texas A&M University. Prior to that, Short was the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs where he emphasized and expanded experiential learning and professionalism training. He began at the law school as a professor of law specializing in Property and Wills & Estates law courses.
As Vice Dean, his primary responsibilities will be to help investigate, develop and implement strategic academic initiatives at the law school. “In particular, I will be looking at interdisciplinary programs with other Texas A&M colleges, like engineering, business and medicine,” he said.
“We will also explore joint degree programs, as well as any new degree programs that would be valuable for our students and our school.  In addition, my office will oversee international programs, including possible collaborations with foreign schools and study abroad opportunities for our students.”
In collaboration with Dean Morriss and faculty, one of his first efforts will be leading the development of a brand new professionalism program geared towards incoming 1L students, as well as upper-division students in the fall of 2014. In this program, a number of activities will introduce law students to the practice of law and what it means to be a professional.
“Through the course of their law school experience, our students not only learn the law and how to analyze and communicate; they also begin to form their professional identities,” Short said. “We can and should be more intentionally involved in that process.”
According to Short, the creation of the Vice Dean position will allow for resource expansion in the broader Texas A&M community. “The law school looks forward to exploring and implementing programs that will set the school apart from other law schools and provide students with meaningful training and experiences,” Short said. “In addition, some of these new programs may allow us to diversify the law school’s offerings and degrees beyond the traditional J.D.”
Texas A&M University School of Law professor Gabriel Eckstein recently returned from a trip to Uganda where he co-lead a workshop on international water law and transboundary waters negotiations in a first-ever course organized by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the European Union.
Approximately 16 students were part of a three-day session held at the Makerere University School of Law June 25-28. The session included presentations by Eckstein and other water policy experts, small break out groups and concluded with a mock negotiation of a treaty over an international river.
Prof. Eckstein (seated at left) leads a mock international river treaty negotiation at Uganda's Makere University School of Law
“The region of Eastern Africa needs support and advice on transboundary water management and transboundary water law,” Eckstein said, adding that the focus of the workshop was on helping the countries develop their own capacity to empower them to manage these issues on their own.
The newly established and developing Environmental Law Center at the School of Law of Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, was selected to serve as a regional center for water law and policy and provide specialized training to officials from Eastern Africa, according to an article on the Makerere University’s website. 
Eckstein hopes to help establish these programs and develop their agenda as well as become further involved with follow-up meetings on related topics, including water law and policy negotiations, management of transboundary aquifers and data sharing.
Following the workshop, Eckstein spent some time in his element, rafting a portion of the Victoria Nile – a major source and tributary to the Nile River. View photos from the sessions and Nile rafting.
Learn more about Professor Eckstein or view his scholarship on SSRN.
Texas A&M Law Professor Gabriel Eckstein (standing) conducts the inaugural regional training course on international water law,
part of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Inland Water Resources Management Program
Texas A&M University School of Law students achieved Global Top 100 honors last week in the worldwide Business Strategy Game (BSG) competition for “thinking like a client and not like a lawyer.”
3Ls Jason Bewley and Andrew Dammann, and 2L Justin Comeau, were among the top finishers out of thousands to compete for the week of June 23. The competition offers an opportunity to explore business problems from a client’s perspective, thus enhancing the students’ perspective and ideally, creating better, more effective business-minded individuals, according to Professor Frank Snyder.
2L Justin Comeau, at center, strategizes on best business practices while teammates 3Ls Andrew Dammann (left) and Jason Bewley (right) collaborate. The trio recently achieved top honors in the Business Strategy Game global competition.
The trio strategizes in competition from week to week as part of Snyder’s summer course, Business Fundamentals for Lawyers. The group is responsible for running their own athletic footwear company in competition with other students in the class, in addition to other universities and corporations worldwide. “Each ‘week’ is one year of time,” Snyder said. “So, each week of class the team members have to set their strategy and make all the nuts-and-bolts decisions businesses have to make.”
Going into this competition, Comeau admits he was a bit intimidated competing alongside business majors and other corporations. However, the spirit of competition engaged him. “I spent a lot of time studying up on what was in the game and how everything affected everything else,” Comeau said. “At some point, my inner gamer took over … I asked, ‘How can I optimize the numbers?’ or ‘What affects the most values?’” He and his teammates spent hours each week going over their plans and focusing on business goals.
Four teams of three represent the law school, while other larger businesses and schools have as many as 60 teams. The competition’s creator, Arthur Thompson at University of Alabama, says Texas A&M School of Law is the first law school to participate.
Each year about 50,000 students in 3,000 class sections at 600 universities in 50 countries take part in the BSG competition. The Texas A&M Law teams compete against business majors and MBA students who use the game as part of their capstone courses in business strategy.
“This competition has shown me that we all have strengths we may not have realized we had,” Comeau said. “Our school is blessed to have a lot of talented, driven and intelligent students. This was a reminder that we all have areas where we can excel.”
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers announced Texas A&M School of Law professor Michael Z. Green as a Fellow of the College Class of 2014.
As a newly elected Fellow, the word that comes to mind for Green on this achievement is “humble.”
“It’s humbling,” he said, “to have my peers and people I admire decide that I should become a Fellow. It’s humbling to be noticed and appreciated by my peers.”
Election as a Fellow is the highest recognition by colleagues of sustained outstanding performance in the profession, exemplifying integrity, dedication and excellence.
Green will be inducted as a Fellow Nov. 8 in Los Angeles, during the American Bar Association (ABA) Labor and Employment Law Section’s Continuing Legal Education Conference. He joins more than 1,300 College members in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and eight providences in Canada.
Dean Andrew Morriss commends this prestigious honor: "This is a well-deserved recognition of Professor Green as a national expert in this key area. Labor and employment law touches virtually everyone and our students benefit enormously from leaders like Professor Green."
The College was established in 1995 through an initiative of the Council of The Section of Labor and Employment Law of the ABA. It operates as a freestanding organization recognizing those who, by long and outstanding service, have distinguished themselves as leaders in the field.
“As a law professor, part of what you do is you provide expertise. Labor and employment law is like that for me. I love it. Knowing that others who are doing the same thing recognize you – that’s gratifying,” Green said. He credits this accomplishment chiefly to the support of his colleagues and faculty at the law school.
Green frequently presents his expertise at ABA meetings and regularly publishes papers and scholarly works. View or download his publications. For more information, consult his faculty profile.
For more about the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, visit the organization’s website.
Texas A&M University School of Law professor Milan Markovic will present two papers at the International Legal Ethics Conference VI at City University London, July 10-12.
“Subprime Scriveners” discusses the responsibility of lawyers for the financial crisis through their work on mortgage-backed securities offerings. “Disruption Rhetoric and the Market for Legal Service” offers a skeptical account of the concept of disruptive innovation in the law, which suggests that lawyers and law firms cannot compete with technology-savvy new entrants that are able to deliver legal services more cheaply and efficiently, Markovic said.
The conference, Legal Ethics at a Time of Regulatory Change, is the sixth bi-annual conference by the International Legal Ethics Association. The gathering attracts hundreds of international scholars, practicing lawyers and higher education professionals.
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Texas A&M University School of Law adjunct professor Mike Ware received the Percy Foreman Lawyer of the Year award from the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (TCDLA). He was honored at the 27th Annual Rusty Duncan Advanced Criminal Law Course. The event was held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, June 12.
Ware was lauded for his recent success obtaining the release of four innocent San Antonio women who had each served over twelve years in prison for a crime they did not commit and have become collectively known as the “San Antonio Four.”
Ware teaches Post-Conviction Actual Innocence Claims at Texas A&M School of Law and is a criminal defense attorney in Fort Worth, Texas. His Aggie Law students benefit from his 30 years of experience in criminal trial, appellate, and post-conviction practice including death penalty cases, in state and federal courts throughout the U.S. Ware has been named a Texas Monthly Super Lawyer as both a defense lawyer and a prosecutor.
Ware devotes innumerable pro bono hours to investigating and litigating claims of actual innocence and serves on the Board of the Innocence Project of Texas.
From 2007 to 2011, Ware headed the Dallas County District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit. The unit made national and international news for investigating claims of wrongful convictions and securing the release and exonerations of 15 wrongly convicted, innocent men, some of whom had served more than 25 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. His article, “Dallas County Conviction Integrity Unit and the Importance of Getting it Right the First Time,” was published in the New York Law School Law Review in 2012.
Texas A&M School of Law adjunct professor Mike Ware (seated at left) receives the Percy Foreman Lawyer of the Year award from TCDLA
The Rusty Duncan Advanced Criminal Law Course is the premier seminar for the TCDLA and is generally acknowledged as the premier criminal law course in the nation, with more than 800 criminal defense practitioners from around the state in attendance. TCDLA is the largest statewide association of criminal defense lawyers in the country, as well as being the oldest - now celebrating 43 years defending individual freedoms.
Find more information on Ware’s firm.
See the TCDLA award announcement press release.
(Photos courtesy of The Law Office of Michael L. Ware)
Texas A&M School of Law professor Gabriel Eckstein participated as a forum panelist in the third annual Istanbul International Water Forum in Turkey May 27-29. His topics included trans-boundary water cooperation and the right to water and sanitation. Eckstein also participated in a side event with a focus on water quality guidelines.
“The forum was extremely diverse in terms of participants, and the conversations were fascinating,” he said, describing it as worthwhile for open discussions about water at an international level. This year’s topic was water law and water security. This was the first international event that Eckstein says he’s ever seen dedicated to water governance and water law.
The forum offered viewpoints from more than 400 professionals discussing water policy at a global level with over 4,500 participants from 100 different countries in attendance.
Prof. Gabriel Eckstein with IWRA Executive Director Tom Soo
He also participated in an executive board meeting for the International Water Resources Association (IWRA) as the organization’s treasurer. Eckstein is working with Texas A&M University to start a student organization through this same association. The student group will probably be called: "Texas A&M University Chapter of the International Water Resources Association." Its primary focus will be to continue the advancement of leaders in water resource management and education while furthering conversations among key partners, including lawyers and environmental leaders. He anticipates this group will be available for Texas A&M University law students to join as soon as this fall.
Professor Q&A:  "Shared Waters"
Read the interview in The Battalion
Eckstein serves as an expert advisor and consultant on U.S. and international environmental and water law issues and has worked with the United Nations, U.S. Agency for International Development, World Commission on Dams, Organization of American States, International Association of Hydrogeologists, and various local water entities in the United States. Eckstein directs the Internet-based International Water Law Project with the mission to serve as the premier resource on the Internet addressing the future of international water law and policy.
Eckstein recently organized and moderated the Texas A&M University School of Law Water Lecture Series program "Is Texas Missing an Opportunity? Lessons from Australia" featuring Professor Mike Young of the University of Adelaide and current Harvard professor.
Professor Eckstein has been on the law faculty since 2010 and is a member of the Graduate Faculty at Texas A&M University as well as of the Texas A&M University Water Management and Hydrological Science Graduate Faculty. Previously, he was a law professor at Texas Tech University School of Law where he held the George W. McCleskey Chair in Water Law and directed the Texas Tech Center for Water Law & Policy.
Marta Miller, Texas A&M School of Law director of academic support, had her article, “Lesson in a Box: Critical Thinking,” accepted for publication in The Learning Curve summer 2014 issue. In the article, she outlines a lesson plan to teach first-year students the art of critical thinking. This is an exercise that can be implemented during first-year academic programs.
In the article Miller states, “The goal of the exercise is to demonstrate for students that the process of critical thinking is fluid. It does not stop once a point is made. Rather, students must keep an open-mind, evaluate alternative systems of thought, and recognize and assess their assumptions, implications and practical consequences.”
The Learning Curve is the well-recognized, official publication of the AALS Section on Academic Support, showcasing brief articles treating theoretical or practical ideas related to student support and teaching excellence.
About the Association of American Law Schools (AALS)
Texas A&M University School of Law is a member of AALS, a non-profit educational association of 176 law schools representing over 10,000 law faculty in the United States. The AALS is legal education’s principal representative to the federal government and to other national higher education organizations and learned societies. The purpose of the Association is “the improvement of the legal profession through legal education.”
Texas A&M University School of Law Professor Mary Margaret “Meg” Penrose attended the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Workshop on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues in Washington D.C., June 5-7. As an invited panelist, she discussed Family Formation and Divorce, as well as Marriage and Fundamental Right to Divorce. The event is part of the AALS mid-year meeting.
Penrose spoke on the issue of divorce as it relates to same-sex marriage. This workshop was attended by AALS section members and teachers of civil rights, critical race theory, feminist legal theory, family law, human rights, juvenile law, and women and the law.
In addition to her work with AALS, Professor Penrose is also a leader in the classroom, courtroom, and community.  
About the Association of American Law Schools (AALS)
Texas A&M University School of Law is a member of AALS, a non-profit educational association of 176 law schools representing over 10,000 law faculty in the United States. The AALS is legal education’s principal representative to the federal government and to other national higher education organizations and learned societies. The purpose of the Association is “the improvement of the legal profession through legal education.”
Dean Andrew Morriss, along with co-author Richard Gordon (Case Western Reserve), lead a round-table discussion of their recent paper "Moving Money: International Financial Flows, Taxes & Money Laundering" with Geoff Cook, CEO, Jersey Finance.
The event hosted by the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation (CSFI) was held at the London Capital Club in London, England, June 5, 2014.
Morriss's "Moving Money" report was discussed in the businesslife.co article "Arguments against international finance centres are 'flawed', new study finds."  In the article, Jersey Finance CEO, Geoff Cook, commented "'Moving Money' is an extremely important contribution to the global debate in this area."
More news:


Read Dean Morriss's recent article "On the Usefulness of a Flat Economics to the World of Faith" in the Econ Journal Watch, volume 11, issue 2, published May 2014. The article is part of an online symposium.


Dean Morriss made Brian Leiter's list of "Top Ten" Lateral Moves for 2013-14 on his blog "Brian Leiter's Law School Reports," a member of the Law Professor Blogs Network.
"Andrew Morriss (law & economics, labor & employment law, energy law, environmental law, business regulation) from the University of Alabama to Texas A&M University [formerly Texas Wesleyan Law], to become the Dean.  A prolific and well-known scholar, Morriss previously held tenured posts at the University of Illinois and Case Western Reserve University."
Huyen Pham, Texas A&M University School of Law associate dean for faculty and research and professor of law, travels to Vietnam at the end of June to teach and present her research.
“This is an example of international collaboration and the international reach of our research and teaching,” Pham said. She will be teaching a condensed course on administrative law at the University of Economics and Law in Ho Chi Minh City, part of the prestigious Vietnam national university system.
Law in Vietnam is an undergraduate major, and so many of her Vietnamese students will be younger than her students at Texas A&M School of Law. "Vietnam is a civil law system, so the students will understand the U.S. administrative law focus on codes. But the U.S. administrative law system depends on having an independent judiciary to check agency power, a concept that doesn't exist in the Vietnamese legal system. I look forward to teaching U.S. administrative law and having good discussions with my students."
She and her co-author, Van Pham (associate professor of economics at Baylor University), will also present their research, "Domestic Migration and the Divergence in State-Created Immigration Climate," at the Vietnam Economist Annual Meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, June 24-25.
Prof. Huyen Pham (front, left) in Vietnam on a Fulbright teaching grant in 2011
This isn’t the first time Pham has taught in Vietnam. She received a Fulbright teaching grant to teach in Vietnam for the 2010-2011 academic year. Her primary concern is being able to give back to others.
“If you’re a doctor, you can provide medical care for the poor. If you’re a law professor, you teach ... I want to go back to help advance legal education in Vietnam,” she said in a previous law school alumni magazine interview. See the complete article.
Pham’s scholarship focuses on immigration law and the role of subfederal governments in immigration law enforcement. In the immigration policy debate, the question of who enforces our immigration laws can be as significant as what those policies are, and Pham’s most recent projects have explored the implications of changing enforcement roles for the federal government, local governments and private parties.
Read Professor Pham's faculty profile to learn more.
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Chris Watts, a negotiation coach at Texas A&M School of Law and Texas Wesleyan University School of Law alumnus, was elected Mayor of Denton on May 10. A member of the Denton City Council from 2007 to 2013, Watts garnered nearly 61% of the record turnout in a race against two opponents. The swearing-in ceremony occurred May 20 in the Denton City Council chambers.
"I am humbled by the resounding show of support by Denton voters seeking significant change in leadership at City Hall," Watts said. "I look forward to guiding the city to ans improved financial footing through optimization of resources and a robust, proactive approach to economic development."
A Denton real estate investor, Watts has coached the law school's American Bar Association (ABA) Student Division negotiating teams since 2000. Watts' teams have qualified for the ABA National Competition seven times and, in 2011, his team was named ABA National Champion.
Watts is currently in his second term as president of the board of directors of Texas Municipal Power Agency (TMPA), a power production station located outside of Bryan/College Station, Texas. TMPA is owned by four member cities: Bryan, Denton, Garland and Greenville. Watts has served as both vice president and treasurer of TMPA since his appointments to the board by the Denton City Council, in 2009, 2011 and 2013.
Watts earned a bachelor's degree in computer science (1983) and a master's degree in education counseling and student services (1983) from the University of North Texas. In 2000, he was awarded a doctor of jurisprudence by Texas Wesleyan University School of Law.
- Article and photo courtesy of Pati Haworth, Graham Public Relations
Texans are “brave, courageous and different,” and could be influential in national water management discussions, according to Professor Mike Young of Adelaide, Australia. Young was the keynote speaker at a luncheon hosted at Texas A&M University School of Law in Fort Worth April 25, sponsored by Water Asset Management, LLC.
Young holds a Research Chair in Water and Environmental Policy at the University of Adelaide, and for the past academic year, served as the Gough Whitlam and Malcom Fraser Chair in Australian Studies at Harvard University.  
He spoke on Australia’s response to severe water scarcity in his presentation “Is Texas Missing an Opportunity? Lessons From Australia.” The presentation was part of the School of Law’s Water Lecture Series: Perspectives on Law and Policy. Young gave a related presentation April 28 at Texas A&M University in College Station entitled “Allocating and Sharing Water: Lessons From Australia.”
Young described the water entitlement and allocation regime in Australia as akin to holding shares in a corporation. Like shares, water entitlements can be traded within basins and a regulated market helps determine best uses. Moreover, the environment is an equal participant in the Australian system and similarly is allotted shares that are used as deemed appropriate by environmental managers. Young encouraged Texas to understand its water scarcity situation and learn how water can be an investment leading to community prosperity.
“Water is so critical to so many Texas businesses. If you get it right, people will come here and prosper,” Young said.
As part of the School of Law and Texas A&M University Water Management and Hydrological Sciences Program’s pursuit of a better water future, this joint series is intended to increase awareness of water challenges facing our state, explore similar challenges plaguing other communities and nations and consider various water management, allocation and conservation strategies from around the world.
Texas A&M professor of law Gabriel Eckstein, a noted water law and policy expert and director of the International Water Law Project, explained that by 2060, population growth in Texas is expected to increase 80 to 90 percent, but that the state’s water resource availability is projected to decline 15 to 20 percent. He and other researchers at Texas A&M University in College Station, including professor Ronald Kaiser, Chair of the Texas A&M University Water Management and Hydrological Sciences Program, are committed to being part of the discussion of how Texas could meet the water demand as the population grows.
View a video of the presentation at the law school in Fort Worth. The next event in the series is planned for Nov. 18 and 19, 2014.
To subscribe to Young’s “Water Droplets” e-newsletter, visit www.myoung.net.au.
Keynote presenter Professor Mike Young and Texas A&M professor of law Gabriel Eckstein pose with executives from Water Asset Management, LLC, (lunch sponsor) and Water Property Investors, LP. L-R: Disque D. Deane, Jr., Matthew J. Diserio, Marc Robert, Mike Young, Gabriel Eckstein, and Lynn Sherman.
- Article contributed by Daniella Wiedel. Photos by Christy Cleger.
L-R: Marty Holmes ’87, Vice President, The Association of Former Students; Kathleen Gibson ’81, Chair of the Board of The Association of Former Students; Texas A&M Law School 3L Erin Bullard ’10 with Buck Weirus Award certificate; Dr. Mark Hussey ’79, Interim President, Texas A&M University; and Lt. Gen. Joe Weber ’72, Vice President of Student Affairs, Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University School of Law’s 3L Erin Bullard was one of 51 Texas A&M University students to receive the 2014 Buck Weirus Spirit Award for spirit and leadership. The awards ceremony, held at Texas A&M University in College Station on April 13, with interim University president Mark Hussey and Lt. Gen. Joe Weber, vice president for Student Affairs, in attendance.
The Buck Weirus Spirit Award is given to student leaders who create positive experiences in the Aggie community, impact student life, and enhance the Aggie Spirit. “The best of the best,” according to Rusty Thompson, director of Student Activities at Texas A&M and chair of the Buck Weirus award selection committee.
Bullard says she is honored to be selected. “This award symbolizes the relationships formed and lessons learned at law school, and that’s the most valuable thing I will take away from this experience,” she said.
Bullard is the current Student Bar Association (SBA) president and was previously the social chair. She has lead SBA and other student organizations through the transition from a private school to a public university, including working with the Texas A&M University Graduate Student Council on drafting requirements for law school student organizations. In addition, she launched the SBA Liaison program and implemented Honor Council elections. Bullard also organized a Thanksgiving feast for the entire law school community.
Bullard celebrates the Spirit Award win with her family
She was also vice president and alumni relations manager for the Texas Aggie Legal Society. As a member of the Board of Advocates, she served as a volunteer judge for intramural competitions and competed in several ABA mediation competitions. Bullard won first place in both the 2013 Texas A&M Law Moot Court event and in the 2012 Texas Wesleyan Law Client Counseling competition.
Bullard graduated from Texas A&M University in 2010 and studied political sciences and journalism and. She will receive her J.D. from Texas A&M School of Law this May.
The award, named for Richard “Buck” Weirus ’42 recognizes students for their outstanding contributions to student life programs at Texas A&M. Mr. Weirus served as Executive Director of The Association of Former Students from 1964 to 1980. Because of his unique leadership, vision, and support of student involvement, this award was established in 1982 in his honor. Award recipients received a unique commemorative watch and framed certificate.
3L Joakim Soederbaum, editor-in-chief of the Texas A&M Law Review, was selected as the winner of the 2013 National Sports Law Student Writing Competition by the Marquette Sports Law Review for his article titled, “Leveling the Playing Field—Balancing Student-Athletes’ Short- and Long-Term Financial Interests With Educational Institutions’ Interests in Avoiding NCAA Sanctions.” His winning article was published in Volume 24, Number 1, Fall 2013, of the Marquette Sports Law Review.
photo courtesy of Ryan Rau, Marquette Law, and Kevin Flach

As the winner of the competition, Soederbaum was invited to attend the National Sports Law Institute's annual fall conference "Current Legal and Business Issues Affecting Collegiate, Olympic and International Sports" held October 18, 2013, at Marquette University Law School, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Soederbaum was presented with his award at the conference by Matthew J. Mitten, Professor of Law and Director, National Sports Law Institute and LL.M. in Sports Law Program for Foreign Lawyers, Milwaukee, WI; and member Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne, Switzerland.
“That prominent sports law scholars believe that my article adds to the already broad body of scholarship on NCAA regulations, the ongoing discussion on "amateur" athletics, and the protection of student-athletes is truly exciting. I am honored to receive this award and to be published in the Marquette Sports Law Review, and I hope that more Texas A&M University School of Law students will pursue this type of great opportunity. Attending the conference in Milwaukee was not only a great educational experience but also a wonderful opportunity to meet and interact with successful professionals,” Soederbaum said.
The Marquette Sports Law Review is the first biannual scholarly journal devoted entirely to legal issues in sports law in the nation.
Texas A&M School of Law professor Gabriel Eckstein discusses the law regarding water rights in the American West in The New York Times article “West’s Drought and Growth Intensify Conflict Over Water Rights” by Michael Wines published March 16, 2014.
Mr. Wines interviewed Professor Eckstein, a noted expert in water rights of the American West, to gain an understanding of the background, history, and legal issues involved.  Professor Eckstein is also quoted in the article. Read the entire article.
Professor Eckstein is also the director of the International Water Law Project. The mission of the Project is to serve as the premier resource on the Internet for international water law and policy issues. Professor Eckstein currently serves on the executive board of the International Water Resources Association.
Professor Eckstein, Texas A&M Law School, and Texas A&M University Water Program will collaborate to host a unique water law event at Texas A&M School of Law on April 25, 2014. The Water Lecture Series: Perspectives on Law & Policy presentation “Water Scarcity: Is Texas missing an opportunity? Lessons from Australia” will be presented by Professor Mike Young, the Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser Chair in Australian Studies at Harvard University.
Professor Young played a key role in the development of the sharing and trading arrangements in Australia. A recent advisor on water reform options to the OECD and the UK, Dutch and Alberta governments, Professor Young believes that Texas’ water right and allocation systems are working to the simultaneous detriment of its economy, its environment and its communities. There is a win-win opportunity for change.
In Australia, Professor Young holds a Research Chair in Water and Environmental Policy at the University of Adelaide; was Founding Executive Director of its Environment Institute; and is a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. In 2006, Professor Young was awarded Australia’s premiere water research prize – the Land and Water Australia Eureka Award for Water Research.
Texas A&M School of Law 1L Matthew Masek was named Big Brother of the Year for Dallas County.
Almost five years ago Matthew was matched with his “little” Jordan, now a 15-year-old student at Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill. Matthew has continued to be a constant in Jordan’s life despite two deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as an Air Force flight medic. The two continue to have weekly lunches and Matthew makes time to be a guiding factor in Jordan’s life. In addition to having fun together, Matthew challenged Jordan to work on his average grades and Jordon is now on the honor roll.
When asked why he first got involved with the organization, Matthew said that he was very fortunate growing up and had great parents to look up to. Matthew wanted to give something back and give those that were less fortunate a friend to talk to. He also said there is a great need for “Bigs” in Dallas county especially Big Brothers. He encourages everyone to learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters and get involved if they can.   
Photo by ROSE BACA, Dallas Morning News.
Big Brother 1L Matthew Masek (left) and his Little Brother Jordan Corn high-five at Ellen’s Amusement Center in Cedar Hill.
Lynne Rambo, professor of law at Texas A&M University School of Law, appeared on several channel 4 news programs in February.
Professor Rambo lends constitutional law expertise to the discussion about the Texas Attorney General's plan to appeal the ruling lifting the ban on gay marriage. Professor Rambo spoke in studio on the Feb. 27 “Good Day” morning news show and was interviewed in her law school office for the evening news, both on local Fox channel 4.
Professor Rambo says many federal district courts have ruled that banning gay marriage violates the Constitution – specifically, the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, per Fox’s Lari Barager’s report.
"The Equal Protection Clause is there to ensure majorities do not enact burdensome laws on the minority just because they're different," said Rambo. 
Professor Rambo also appeared on Fox 4 on Feb. 5 in both the morning and evening news programs. The topic concerned media access to the hearing on the controversial probation terms for Ethan Couch, the drunk-driving teenager who killed four people. Professor Rambo discussed Judge Jean Boyd’s ruling to deny media access to the hearing and what is in the interest of the child.
Law school alumna, Jessica Hall Janicek ’09, made national headlines as a member of the legal team for Erick Muñoz and his family in a case generating legal, moral, and ethical debate as a judge ruled in favor of the family's wishes and ordered life support removed for a brain-dead pregnant woman, Marlise Muñoz. 
Details about the Jan. 24 ruling and the legal issues in the case can be found in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram articles "Judge orders that life support be ended for brain-dead pregnant woman," and "Texas law didn’t anticipate Munoz case, drafters say."
Recent Texas A&M School of Law graduate, Sean Hightower (class of December 2013), hosted Justice Pitak Khongchan, President of the Election Division of the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of Thailand, and Justice Khongchan's brother, Phanlop Singthong. Justice Khongchan represents the High Judicial Delegation of Thailand while traveling abroad. Hightower and Justice Khongchan discussed the differences between the U.S. and Thailand judiciaries over a meal of Texas BBQ. Hightower will join the Khongchan family this summer in Thailand. Hightower is currently preparing for the Texas Bar exam, and is an associate at the Law Office of Tim James in Nacogdoches, Texas. Hightower plans to practice primarily in the fields of criminal and appellate law.
CNN.com features Professor Sahar Aziz's article entitled "The War on Terror's Authoritarian Template." Read the article here.
Sahar F. Aziz joined the faculty in 2011 as an associate professor of law. Prior to joining Professor Aziz was an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center where she taught national security and civil rights law. Professor Aziz served as a senior policy advisor for the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where she worked on law and policy at the intersection of national security and civil rights. Prior to joining DHS, Professor Aziz was an associate at Cohen Milstein Sellers and Toll PLLP in Washington, D.C. where she litigated class action civil rights lawsuits alleging a nationwide pattern and practice of gender discrimination in pay and promotion.
Texas A&M School of Law professor Gabriel Eckstein was quoted in The New York Times and the The Texas Tribune article “A Vast River and the Legal Woes at Its Banks” which discusses the Rio Grande and water law rights. Link to The New York Times article here.  The article was also published in the McAllen Monitor and was posted in MyHighPlains.com as "Vast Rio Grande a Source of Numerous Legal Battles."
Professor Eckstein is also the director of the International Water Law Project. The mission of the Project is to serve as the premier resource on the Internet for international water law and policy issues. Professor Eckstein currently serves on the executive board of the International Water Resources Association.
The New York Times published an op-ed piece entitled "Protest Is Egypt's Last Resort" co-authored by Professor Sahar Aziz and Shahira Abouellail. Read the online version here.
Sahar F. Aziz joined the faculty in 2011 as an associate professor of law. Prior to joining Professor Aziz was an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center where she taught national security and civil rights law. Professor Aziz served as a senior policy advisor for the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where she worked on law and policy at the intersection of national security and civil rights. Prior to joining DHS, Professor Aziz was an associate at Cohen Milstein Sellers and Toll PLLP in Washington, D.C. where she litigated class action civil rights lawsuits alleging a nationwide pattern and practice of gender discrimination in pay and promotion.