The Sidebar

June 2017

During the State Bar of Texas annual meeting in Dallas, Associate Dean Wendy-Adele Humphrey (’01) received the Judge Sam Williams Award. This award honors one individual who demonstrates a commitment to fostering and maintaining the relationship between his or her local bar and the State Bar of Texas. More specifically, the award recognizes an individual for his or her dedication to improving the community, commitment to pro bono legal work, contribution to the public’s understanding of the legal system, and impact on students regarding the legal profession. The award was established in 1990 in honor of Judge Sam Williams, an outstanding leader of the Northeast Texas Bar Association who exemplified the highest ideals of the position.

Associate Dean Humphrey is only the second attorney from Lubbock to be selected for this prestigious award; Ralph Brock received the award in 2008. In addition to being the current President of the Lubbock Area Bar Association, she is President of Law Focused Education, Inc., a two-term member of the Local Bar Services Committee, and a member of the Texas Board of Disciplinary Appeals. She also serves on a number of national boards and committees in the legal writing community.

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June 2017

Jack Nowlin will serve as the seventh dean of Texas Tech University School of Law. Dean Nowlin will assume his role on July 17, 2017.

On his first visit to the Law School after accepting the position, Dean Nowlin rang the “Job Bell” located in the Career Services Center. He joins hundreds of Tech Law students and graduates who have celebrated career success by ringing the Job Bell upon acceptance of a new job.

“We celebrate every new job enthusiastically as it represents the individual’s success and their personal reward for diligence and persistence in developing a legal career” states Paula Smith, Director of Career Services.

Dean Nowlin also joined us at our Alumni Reception held in conjunction with the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 22 at the Hilton Anatole Dallas.

To learn more about Dean Nowlin, please see the official press release.

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Students

June 2017

Texas Tech Law claimed the championship title at the 2017 Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) State Moot Court Competition in Dallas. Tech Law also won the state championship last year making this the second time in the school’s history teams have secured “back to back” victories (the other being 2008 and 2009).

Erin Garza (’17), Brandon King (’17), and Jason Judd (’18) were named champions after facing Baylor Law School in the final round. Erin Garza was named the state’s second-best advocate, and Brandon King’s brief finished third.

This win marks the fifth time Texas Tech Law has taken the championship at the TYLA State Moot Court Competition in the past 10 years—no other school has won more than two in that same period. This win also marks the law school’s 100th state/regional advocacy championship.

The TYLA State Moot Court Competition is held over three days and requires teams to argue in seven preliminary rounds over the first two days. On the last day of competition, the final four teams face off in the semifinal round for a chance to compete in the final round, which is judged by the Texas Supreme Court or the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (depending on whether it is a civil or criminal problem). This year was judged by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Tech Law alumni Brandon Beck (’12), Drew Robertson (’15), and Larry Doss (’99), all helped the team prepare through practice rounds. Congratulations again to Erin, Brandon, and Jason!

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June 2017

Texas Tech Law presented awards to 17 alums at the annual reception held in conjunction with the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting in Dallas. The awards recognized individuals for their contributions to Texas Tech Law, their communities, various bar associations, and for career achievements. Read more…

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June 2017

On Wednesday, June 14, in honor of Flag Day, VetStar, a veterans aid group, presented donated U.S. flags to various local organizations for their support of veterans.

Veterans performed a flag-folding ceremony, where each fold of the flag was explained by Colonel Davis Lewis, U.S. Air Force retired, from VetStar. The flag was then presented to Interim Dean and U.S. Army Colonel (retired) Rick Rosen. Flags were also presented to Breedlove Foods, Hospice of Lubbock, KRFE 580 AM, and Reagor-Dykes Auto Group.

This was the first year VetStar has presented flags to community supporters.

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June 2017

Texas Tech Law hosted the fifth TTU Pre-Law Academy this month. The Pre-Law Academy is a four-week multidisciplinary program designed to prepare undergraduate students for the competitive law school admissions process and the demands of law school, while also helping students to create a vision for themselves as law students and lawyers. Students selected for the Academy are required to take three courses for a total of seven credit hours, and they also have the option to participate in an internship in the legal profession.

Associate Dean Wendy-Adele Humphrey (’01), along with Co-Director Dr. Katie Langford, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, taught the Academy courses, which introduced critical concepts such as legal rhetoric, analysis, and advocacy.

Throughout the Academy, both professors use creativity in the classroom to stimulate student learning. With that in mind, Dean Humphrey discusses the importance of CREAC—the “layers” of the discussion section in a legal memo—with her “Liquid Lasagna” skit.

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June 2017

During the State Bar of Texas’ Annual Meeting in Dallas, Derek Mergele-Rust (’17) and Adam Greenup, a recent graduate of the University of North Texas Dallas College of Law, received $5,000 scholarships for their demonstrated contributions to LGBT legal issues. These scholarships are administered by the Austin Bar Foundation and fundraised for by the Austin LGBT Bar Association.

Derek founded the Lavender Law Student Bar Association, which has hosted many public lectures that drew large crowds. He helped create the Gender Marker and Name Change Pro Bono Project to assist indigent transgender people change their gender identities on official documents.

Derek and the Lavender Law student organization are also actively working to establish an LGBTQIA Service Scholarship. The purpose of this scholarship will be to reward the accomplishments of a Texas Tech law student, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Scholarship funds will not be distributed until the balance of the account exceeds $25,000 or by the end of the 2021-2022 academic year.  For more information about this scholarship, please contact Lisa Green, Manager of the Texas Tech Law School Foundation, at lisa.green@ttu.edu or 806-834-4663.

Congratulations to Derek Mergele-Rust and Adam Greenup for receiving the Austin Bar Foundation and the Austin LGBT Bar Association law student scholarship.

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June 2017

Law school is a time for students to gain an extraordinary education along with invaluable professional experiences; however, these professional experiences often come at a cost.

Fortunately, Texas Tech Law students have access to a Student Professional Development Fund (PDF) to offset the cost of traveling to gain an array of professional experience. Due to the generosity of numerous Texas Tech Law donors, $25,000 is available to students each year to present at professional or academic conferences, travel to clerkships, or gain experience at other unique professional-development opportunities.

Students have used the PDF to attend events such as the Center for American and International Law Annual Energy Litigation Conference, the Texas Game Warden Training Academy, the Young Energy Professional General Counsel Forum, and judicial clerkship interviews.

For more information about the Professional Development Fund, please contact Lisa Green, Manager of the Texas Tech Law School Foundation, at lisa.green@ttu.edu or 806-834-4663.

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June 2017

Dan launches Woodall Batchelor PLLC with longtime friend Charles Batchelor. The firm will specialize in transaction work for clients in the real estate and construction industries, as well as in insurance-related litigation and construction and business disputes.

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June 2017

Matthew joins Professional Finance Company as an associate attorney for the PFC legal team.

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June 2017

Benjamin rejoins Greenberg Traurig, LLP’s Phoenix office as a shareholder in the firm’s Corporate & Securities Practice.

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June 2017

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

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