The Sidebar

June 2018

Texas Tech Law secured second place in the inaugural American Bar Association Competitions Championship.

The national championships rank law schools by points earned through team achievements and participation in the ABA Law Student Division’s four practical skills competitions: Arbitration Competition, Negotiation Competition, Client Counseling Competition, and National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC Moot Court). The ranking criteria and the point totals for the top teams can be found here.

The Competitions Championship was established to recognize law schools that go above and beyond to prepare students for practice. This year, over 1,300 students from 156 law schools participated in one or more of the competitions sponsored by the ABA’s Law Student Division.

This ranking recognizes Texas Tech Law’s commitment to training students to become highly skilled lawyers and the success of the advocacy program as a whole. Congratulations to Rob Sherwin and all our wonderful students and coaches!

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June 2018

The Texas Tech Innocence Clinic, working in conjunction with the Innocence Project of Texas, provides students the opportunity to review convictions in complex, high-grade felony cases in the hopes of exonerating an innocent person who was wrongly convicted of a serious crime.

In October 2017, the Court of Criminal Appeals set aside the wrongful conviction of one of the Innocence Clinic’s clients Jesse Griffith. This extraordinary work was recently recognized on the National Registry for Exonerations. You can see the post here.

That is just one example of outstanding work that the Innocence Clinic does every day. Congratulations to all the Innocence Clinic students, and to Professors Allison Clayton (’07) and Pat Metze!

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June 2018

Texas Tech Law honored 20 outstanding alumni and friends during the reception held in conjunction with the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting in Houston. The awards recognized individuals for their contributions to Texas Tech Law, their communities, and various bar associations, and for career achievements. Read more…

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June 2018

Texas Tech Law is pleased to welcome Sofia Rodriguez-Chapman, Ph.D. as its new assistant dean for student life.

Chapman was the Managing Director of the Office of Student Conduct at Texas Tech University in which she oversaw campus discipline. She has served in various administrative roles dealing with issues related to admissions and recruitment, judicial/conduct affairs, Greek life, leadership programs, volunteer programming, financial aid, new student orientation, alcohol education, managing distressed students, multicultural affairs, as well as oversight of auxiliary areas such as the Student Union facilities

Chapman received a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Texas Tech University in which her research consisted of assessing the success of Latinas who completed the terminal degree process. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Higher Education program.

“I am excited to have Sofia join the Texas Tech Law team,” Nowlin said. “She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this important position. Her commitment to student support makes her an excellent fit for the significant role of student life in our educational mission.”

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June 2018

On Friday, June 8, 2018, Texas Tech Law hosted a Municipal Law Seminar. The event was coordinated by City Hall Essentials, a division of the Bojorquez Law Firm.

The 8-hour seminar featured presentations by 7 municipal attorneys from across the state, all of whom were Texas Tech Law alumni. Topics included Open Government, Ethics, Land Use, Economic Development, Code Enforcement, and Social Media. A reception following the seminar allowed Texas Tech Law alumni and seminar attendees the opportunity to re-connect with friends and colleagues.

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June 2018

Texas Tech Law hosted the 12th Annual John Huffaker Ag Law CLE on May 24–25. Presented by TexasBarCLE, the two-day course was sponsored by Texas Rural Mediation Services; The National Agricultural Law Center; Crenshaw, Dupree & Milam, L.L.P.; Joe William Ross, P.C.; Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee, PLLP; Baker Moran; James D. Bradbury, PLLC; Law Offices of J. Pete Laney; Texas Farm Bureau; and The Waggoner Law Firm, PLLC.

Course co-directors Trace R. Blair (’97) and David K. Waggoner (’98) welcomed participants and gave an overview of the CLE. Topics included easements, solar leases, and the reservation of ground water.

John Huffaker (‘74) and David Lebas presented on the “Things an Agricultural Lawyer Should Know.”

Those not able to attend the live conference have an opportunity to view the video broadcast at the Texas Farm Bureau in Waco on August 2-3.

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June 2018

Ricardo, an Associate in Fish & Richardson’s Dallas office, was named an On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyer for 2018 by the American Bar Association (ABA) Young Lawyers Division. This prestigious award is given to attorneys who exemplify a broad range of high achievement, innovation, vision, leadership, and legal and community service. Ricardo will be profiled in the Young Lawyers Division’s TYL magazine this summer.

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June 2018

Texas Governor Abbott appointed Lori to the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation Board of Directors. The board oversees the provision of affordable housing for low income Texans. Lori is the principal owner of Cobos Law Firm, where she specializes in representing and counseling clients on legal, regulatory, public policy, legislative, and business development matters in the Texas energy industry.

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June 2018

A partner at Goranson Bain, Tom was recognized as the Dallas/Ft. Worth Lawyer of the Year in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America by Woodward White, Inc. Tom is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal specialization and is a Fellow of the prestigious American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyer.

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June 2018

Roger was presented the Charles Butts Pro Bono Award by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association at the 31st annual Rusty Duncan Advanced Criminal Law Course in San Antonio. Roger was named assistant general counsel for the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles in 2003, and resumed private practice in Austin in 2009.

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June 2018

Nestor has been named Who’s Who Legal leading corporate immigration attorney 2018. He is a partner at Foster LLP, one of the largest immigration law firms in the U.S.

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June 2018

Skip joins Greenberg Traurig as an Appellate Practice shareholder in its Austin office. He focuses his practice on high-stakes appeals in Texas.

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June 2018

Read more for an update on Faculty Media & Scholarship. Read more…

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April 2018

A memorial service in honor of Texas Tech School of Law Professor John Krahmer was held on Wednesday, April 25 at the Law School.

Many reflected on the impact he had on their lives and shared treasured memories including, Walter Huffman ’77, Charles P. Bubany, Dean G. Pawlowic, Brian Shannon, Gerry W. Beyer, Richard D. Rosen, Sally McDonald Henry, Texas Bank Lawyer 2L Editor Cassy McGinnis ’19, and 3L Editor Julia Wisenberg ’18. Professor Krahmer’s three children, Alyssa ’95, Ana and Ben, also paid tribute to their father.

Professor Krahmer will be remembered as an intellectual giant in commercial and banking law, someone who loved a good joke, and someone who was deeply committed to his students. You can find his full obituary here.

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April 2018

Texas Tech Law hosted 70 accepted students and their guests for the 2018 Admitted Students Weekend.

A two-day program provided an opportunity for students to mingle with professors and potential classmates while getting a feel for Texas Tech Law School. Participants attended panel discussions where they heard the perspectives of notable alumni, a mock class taught by Professor Gerry Beyer, and a reception where they had an opportunity to meet faculty and current students. Also featured were presentations from career services and financial aid, along with an information fair where they learned more about law school programs, including the advocacy programs, the clinics, and dual degree programs.

The weekend concluded with the Student Bar Association Annual Chili Cook-Off giving our accepted students a taste of Texas Tech Law’s community. We are excited to welcome the Texas Tech Law Class of 2021 in August!

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