Spring 2009 - Texas Wesleyan School of Law - Texas Wesleyan ...

Texas
Wesleyan
spring/summer 2009
A magazine for
alumni and friends

inside
features
2 Paying it Forward
14 Jumping Head First
into the Real World of Legal Practice
18 She’s Walked in Their Shoes
42 Service & Leadership
sections
6 Around Campus
Notes of interest about campus events
20 In Academia
Notes about Texas Wesleyan law faculty and administrators
26 Legal Perspectives
A survey of faculty viewpoints on today’s issues
Other People’s Money: Implications of the Bernard Madoff Scandal
on a Charitable Director’s Fiduciary Duties Regarding Investments
30 Alumni Report
News from the Office of Advancement
& Alumni Relations
36 Alumni News & Notes
A digest of news, notes, events and features
44 Career Services
Answers to your career-related questions
Texas
Wesleyan
2009 z volume 9 z issue 1
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
1515 Commerce Street • Fort Worth, Texas 76102
(817)212-4000
law.txwes.edu
DEAN
Frederic White
ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Aric Short
ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR buDgET & PLANNINg
James Hambleton
ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR gRADuATE & CERTIFICATE PROgRAMS
Vickie Rainwater
ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR FACuLTy RESEARCh & DEvELOPMENT
Michael Green
INTERIM DIRECTOR OF ThE LAW LIbRARy
Joan Stringfellow
ASSISTANT DEAN FOR CAREER SERvICES
Arturo Errisuriz
ASSISTANT DEAN FOR STuDENT AFFAIRS
Patti Gearhart Turner
ASSISTANT DEAN OF ADMISSIONS & SChOLARShIPS
Sherolyn Hurst
PRESIDENT
Dr. Harold G. Jeffcoat
PROvOST & SENIOR vICE PRESIDENT
Dr. Allen Henderson
EDITORIAL STAFF
EDITOR
Dan Brothers
MANAgINg EDITOR
Abby E. Dozier
COPy EDITOR
Janna Franzwa Canard
Please direct correspondence to:
Abby E. Dozier, managing editor
Wesleyan Lawyer
1515 Commerce Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
adozier@law.txwes.edu
Wesleyan Lawyer is published twice a year for the benefit of Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law graduates, faculty and friends. The views and
opinions expressed in Wesleyan Lawyer are those of the authors and not
necessarily those of Texas Wesleyan University School of Law.
The School of Law is approved and fully accredited by the Council
of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the
American Bar Association, 321 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60610,
800-285-2221, www.abanet.org.
Texas Wesleyan University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of
the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate,
master’s, and doctoral level degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges
at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500
(Web site: www.sacscoc.org) for questions about the accreditation of Texas
Wesleyan University.
Texas Wesleyan University shall not discriminate against any individual
because of race, color, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, age,
disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation or any other reason prohibited
by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

message
I frequently say that “opportunity awaits” at Texas
Wesleyan University School of Law. Learning awaits
our students as they interact with their peers and
our superior faculty. Community awaits all of us in
the Texas Wesleyan School of Law family through
our many programs and initiatives that involve
faculty, staff, students, alumni and the public at
large. Finally, through their diligent and hard
work, we are confident that success awaits
our graduates. At Texas Wesleyan School
of Law we are proud to continue to offer an
affordable, quality legal education.
As members of the local and legal
communities, we see countless
opportunities to get involved in the
world around us. Our cover feature
for this issue focuses on three
members of the law school family
– a current student, an alumnus,
and an adjunct professor who many
of you know as president-elect of the
State Bar of Texas – who are taking
steps to give something back to the legal
profession they are so proud to be a part of.
Their passion for serving the profession
– whether through mentoring, state
bar board work, or teaching students
about the benefits of pro bono work – is
truly motivating.
Our outstanding faculty continues to
shine, and I encourage you to turn to
page 18 to learn more about Professor
Huyen Pham and the path that led her to
the field of immigration law. On page 26,
Professor Terri Helge discusses the recent
financial scandal surrounding Bernard
Madoff and the implications on directors
of charitable organizations.
This semester we welcomed Wade Savoy
as our practitioner-in-residence. As the
former in-house counsel for Wal-Mart
Stores, Savoy provided us a wealth of
information about the ever-expanding
field of intellectual property law.
from the dean
Preparing students for the field of legal practice is
about more than textbooks and lectures. Students at
Texas Wesleyan School of Law are encouraged to get
“real world” experience before heading into practice,
and our feature on page 14 highlights the experiences
of three students who sought out opportunities in
family law, sports and entertainment law, and
criminal defense.
1
We would not be the school we are today
without our alumni. Starting on page 30, you
will find updates from throughout your alumni
community, including a recap of April’s annual
alumni reunion weekend and a letter
from Rick Steeno ’08, whose reflections
on his law school experience were of
great interest to my colleagues and me.
You will also find a story on Khayan
Williams ’96, an alumnus whose longtime
participation in the local and legal
communities has opened the door
for him to develop his leadership
capabilities as a member of the
inaugural class of LeadershipSBOT.
As you can tell, great things are
happening at Texas Wesleyan School
of Law. I hope you will plan on joining
us this fall as we celebrate the 20 th
anniversary of the law school. As always,
I look forward to your comments.
Sincerely,
Frederic White
Dean and Professor of Law

Photo by Glen E. Ellman
Service comes in many forms. Whether
it is for a long-term commitment
or a few donated hours, a wellknown
cause or a quiet mentorship,
there are always individuals who
go the extra mile to give something
back. From student to alumnus to
fellow practitioner, Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law is fortunate
enough to see and experience this
service to the community and to the
legal profession every day and at
every stage of the profession.
As the fi rst state bar president from Fort Worth since 1958,
Roland Johnson said he is looking forward to helping his
colleagues and community members at the state level.
Helping lawyers
Help clients
Sit down for a conversation with
Roland Johnson of Harris, Finley &
Bogle, P.C., and it quickly becomes
clear that his passion for improving the
legal profession, of which he has been a
part of for more than 30 years, is widereaching
and sincere. He is an active
member of several legal organizations
including, but not limited to, the
American Law Institute, the American
Board of Trial Advocates, the Texas
Bar Foundation, the Texas Center for
Legal Ethics and Professionalism, and
the Tarrant County Bar Foundation.
He currently serves as a member of
the Dean’s Advisory Council for Texas
Wesleyan School of Law and has been
a member of two of the school’s dean
search committees.
In June 2008 Johnson was sworn in as
president-elect of the State Bar of Texas,
and he sees the position as a way to
help his colleagues on all levels.
“In the fall of 2007, the phone rang and
I was asked if I would put my name
in the hat to start the president-elect
process,” Johnson said. “I was almost
scared to take that risk. But in talking
it over with [my wife] Cindy and [my
sons] Wes and Ben, they convinced
me that I ought to do what Cindy and
I had been teaching our boys, which is
that you’ve got to step out, you’ve got
to try, and so what if you lose, that’s
the way life is.”
2
By Abby E. Dozier
Johnson’s election marks the fi rst
time in 50 years that Fort Worth
can boast a state bar president. He
said he considers himself lucky to
have been asked to take part in the
interview process and to have had the
opportunity to run for the position.
In choosing to step out and take the
kind of risk he had taught his sons
to embrace, he recognized his own
responsibility to others as a lawyer.
“I think lawyers are, by defi nition,
leaders,” Johnson said. “Citizens,
whether they be individuals or
companies, come to lawyers in times
of need. That almost thrusts you into
a leadership position, meaning that
you can either help it or hurt it, but
you’re going to do something. Helping
is what we are called to do.”
For Johnson, running for the position
– which encompasses a three-year
commitment, fi rst as president-elect,
then president, then past-president –
was not only a chance to help within
the legal community, but in the civilian
community that he and his colleagues
serve daily.
“Tarrant County lawyers are a good
group of professionals, and [I thought]
if the home team could get our chance
to do more state bar work, I was willing
to take a risk and try,” Johnson said.
“Also, after practicing for 30 years … it
was a great time to circle back around
and say that service to the profession
is as important as working for clients.
It’s also important to try to work for the

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big issues, like access to justice or fair
representation for all Texans no matter
where they stand in terms of gender,
ethnic diversity [or] geographical
location. Whatever we could do at the
state level to help lawyers help their
clients, I wanted to be a part of that if I
had a chance to.”
Professional Identity and values
Johnson’s reach goes beyond his fellow
practicing attorneys. He said he was
fortunate enough to become acquainted
with former Texas Wesleyan University
President Jake Schrum, and then with
current President Dr. Harold Jeffcoat
and his wife, Marie. Johnson said he
has always admired the leadership and
vision of these individuals. With Texas
Wesleyan University School of Law
less than a mile from his downtown
Fort Worth office, Johnson saw a way
to reach out to his future colleagues.
His interactions with the law school
started in 2001 when he inquired
about teaching a course in law practice
management. Johnson joined the law
school as an adjunct professor for law
practice management and later taught
an ethical lawyer practicum with Patti
Gearheart Turner, assistant dean for
student affairs.
Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in
education and said he has always had
a deep and abiding concern for the
education of students. He feels that
Texas Wesleyan’s emphasis on public
service and pro bono work will benefit
its students and the community.
“I think Texas Wesleyan law school
is poised to put out lawyers who not
only know the law, but who also have
deep professional roots that say ‘we
came here to learn how to help people
and we’re going to go back out into
the communities with our new skills
to help make a difference,’” Johnson
said. “Wesleyan law grads will be
leaders in the good sense of the word.
Problem-solving, helping people have
better tomorrows. It will be based
in [something] like stewardship as
opposed to thinking that practicing
law is just another ‘what’s in it for
me?’ type of mentality.”
It is easy to see that the stewardship
Johnson hopes will be rooted in
these students is something that has
been instilled in him when he talks
about lawyers being able to help or
hurt a situation.
“I think over time you pay more
attention to your professional identity
and your professional values,” Johnson
said. “When you talk to a lawyer,
it can become pretty clear, pretty
quickly, what motivates one as a [legal
professional]. Lawyering is not just a
business, it’s much broader than that.
It’s a way of helping others each day as
one decides what is the best action or
advice I can give next for my client or
community. It is living the belief that
you can help and make a difference.”
grounded in
Public interest
People come to law school with various
ideas about what they want to pursue
in the legal field. Some arrive planning
to study a specific area of practice
while others may seek to enhance
their current careers. With an interest
in public service work, 2L Roxanna
Manoochehri saw the benefits to be
gained from a fellowship position,
and she wasted no time in applying
for a fellowship to work with Human
Rights Initiative of North Texas during
the summer of 2008.
“With agencies and firms that deal
with underserved communities, it’s
so much more than a legal problem,”
Manoochehri said. “A lot of times their
clients have so many other issues that
are factoring into their legal problems
3
2L Roxanna Manoochehri sees herself and her peers as
a resource for public interest lawyers who need legal
help but might not be able to pay for it. She encourages
public interest work as a way to gain experience
and to learn the value of helping people in need.
that it’s really important for an
agency that’s providing free legal
service to account for that. It’s more
of a broad life circumstance than
just a legal issue.”
Working with HRI gave Manoochehri
the opportunity to further explore her
interest in immigration initiatives and
public service from a legal perspective.
But it also helped her with another
undertaking. Right before she began
her fellowship, she was appointed
president of the Texas Wesleyan Law
Fellowship for the 2008-09 academic
year. While she already harbored an
interest in public service work, her
personal experience has fueled her
passion for it, and she has used that to
educate her peers about the benefits of
fellowship work.
“I thought it was important to educate
the other students and provide
opportunities for students to explore
those options for themselves,”
Manoochehri said of her decision to
Photo by Glen E. Ellman

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apply for the president position. “Over
the course of the past year, as I’ve
done more fellowship activities, I’ve
gotten more and more excited about
it, because I can see how much it
benefited me to have that experience.
I would really love it if other students
could do the same.
“A lot of the fellows from last summer
who I spoke with wouldn’t have traded
their experience for anything. Just in
talking to people who are applying
for next summer’s opportunities, [I
can see they] are really excited, and
it makes me happy to see that they’re
realizing the importance, not only of
public interest work, but of doing it
as law students and getting grounded
in that public interest idea and
mindset before they go out into the
legal profession.”
A Different Reward
As a student-run organization, the
Texas Wesleyan Law Fellowship
allows students to help many local
attorneys and legal programs that are
dedicated to providing free or lowcost
legal services to people in the
Dallas and Fort Worth communities
who would otherwise be unable to
afford them. Money is raised through
fundraisers and donations and helps
fund students’ living expenses while
they work in the public interest sector
during the summer months.
Recognizing that not all of her
classmates arrived at law school with a
desire to practice in the public interest
sector, Manoochehri has encouraged
them to look at the fellowship as
an opportunity to explore their
professional options before committing
to a job or a specific area of practice.
“As law students, we’re in a good
position to explore these things
now,” Manoochehri said. “If you have
the opportunity, which I think the
fellowship provides, to do something
that you may not have considered
coming into law school, this is your
chance to feel it out. That’s something
I really try to tell my classmates.
“I also try to emphasize that these
agencies really need law students. I
think they are strapped for resources,
the funding isn’t always there. As law
students we are in a unique position
to help them. We can provide the help
that those agencies need to serve the
community more just by having a few
extra hands to write some memos, to do
research, and to make it easier on those
attorneys to do what they’re doing.”
In addition to touting the benefits of
a fellowship to her fellow students,
Manoochehri has spent her time
as president helping organize the
activities that would raise money
for and increase awareness of the
fellowship. The annual fall auction
raised $21,605, and Dean Frederic
White matched that with an additional
$21,605. In the spring, the school
hosted public interest week, an
annual event that introduced students
to summer and career opportunities
in the public service sector. Panel
discussions, guest speakers and an
informational fair filled the days of the
2009 event.
In all, $52,000 will be awarded to the
2009 fellowship recipients. Donations
from the fall auction, combined
with corporate sponsorships from
Chesapeake Energy and the Association
of Corporate Counsel, made funding
possible for 21 students.
For Manoochehri, her experience as a
fellowship recipient and a champion
for the program has only increased
her desire to continue her work in the
public interest sector. She sees Texas
Wesleyan as “a cheerleading squad for
public interest” and she hopes that
4
her classmates who choose to pursue
service opportunities will carry the
experience with them throughout
their careers.
“You feel really good when you help
someone who needs it,” Manoochehri
said. “I would hope that good feeling,
if they experience it in law school,
[would be] carried out in their private
practice or professional career. It’s a
different reward than just getting a
paycheck for your billable hours. It’s
something that’s a lot closer to them.”
all in the Family
“When I graduated from law school,
I decided I wanted to open my own
practice and perhaps be helpful to others
in addition to working as a lawyer.”
Ask Beau Sinclair ’00 about the efforts
he makes to help others through his
legal practice and the word “perhaps”
in the above statement seems rather
superfluous. Following his graduation
from Texas Wesleyan University
School of Law in 2000, Sinclair, along
with his wife, Tori Yarges, opened the
Sinclair Law Office in 2001 in Tyler,
Texas. In his desire to help others from
his position as a legal professional,
Sinclair easily came to the conclusion
that family law practice was the way
to go.
“It didn’t take us very long to decide we
wanted to focus in the area of family
law because of the people contact of
it,” Sinclair said. “Family law is an
area of law that people actually come
in contact with. Regular people. Family
is something that’s very important,
and I think American families are
really challenged.”
Not only did opening his own practice
allow Sinclair to provide legal counsel
to a group of people he sincerely wanted
to help, but it gave him an avenue in
which to help mentor young legal

Photo by Glen E. Ellman
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Beau Sinclair ‘00 remembers the positive impact of
his mentors and works to repay the favor to young
lawyers today. He regularly provides mentorship to
new attorneys and colleagues interested in family
law or who want to open their own practice.
professionals as well. Drawing on their
extensive professional backgrounds in
business – Sinclair worked for IBM for
30 years before attending law school –
the two recognized the strengths Tyler
offered for a startup practice. The
firm has grown to a current capacity
of three lawyers and six members of
support staff, and Sinclair and Yarges
regularly counsel law students and
new lawyers who are interested in
starting their own practice.
“Because of the business backgrounds
both Tori and I have, we’ve put
together a very successful business
model,” Sinclair said. “In addition to
practicing law, we’ve never forgotten
that we’re running a business. So one
of the ways we help new lawyers is to
help them on business startup.”
Each year, Sinclair is contacted by
a few Wesleyan law students who
are considering starting their own
practices. He invites them to visit his
firm and together with Yarges, takes
them through the business aspects of
what needs to be done to start a law
practice. From what area of law they
might focus on to ordering business
cards, the two provide advice on all
the details that might not be obvious
to a new business entrepreneur.
“When you come out of law school,
unless you’ve had exposure [to legal
practice], you don’t really have a
whole lot of idea of what [needs to
be done],” Sinclair said. “I think that
it is a very eye-opening and helpful
thing for them. We [also] give them a
second chance to come back with their
spouses. We urge them to have their
spouses involved, because a startup
law practice is a family venture.”
Remembering What It’s Like
In addition to the on-site visits and
advice for students looking to start their
own practice, Sinclair makes time to
meet with current Texas Wesleyan law
students who might be considering
a career in family law practice. As a
former law clinic student at Texas
Wesleyan, Sinclair remembers the
impact of hearing a practicing attorney
speak to his class about the day-in and
day-out aspects of legal practice.
“I always remember when I was a law
student [and the law clinic] brought in
a social security lawyer and she talked
about her practice,” Sinclair said. “I
thought it was so interesting, because
it’s so academic usually. So really,
since I’ve been out of school, I do that.
I go back every semester and I present
to the law clinic.”
Another positive influence on Sinclair
during his early years of practice was
the guidance of mentors. Sinclair said
he sought out mentorship as a new
lawyer and describes those guides as
people who are “very close friends
to this day.” Asserting his belief that
mentoring is a very important aspect
5
of a lawyer’s development, Sinclair
now mentors two to three new lawyers
at any given time. While some are
assigned to him from the Smith County
Bar Association, he doesn’t hesitate
to strike up a conversation with new
attorneys he encounters in court.
“I remember what it’s like to be new,”
Sinclair said. “So usually I say hi, I’ll
invite them to lunch, and I’ll talk to
them about mentoring and business
startup, if I haven’t talked to them
about it before. So I will mentor them
now usually in the area of family law
or in business startup.”
Despite running a practice with
Yarges, mentoring young lawyers, and
speaking to law students, Sinclair also
finds time to incorporate pro bono
work into his practice, and encourages
his employees to take on pro bono
projects as well. He calls it “pro bono
on purpose.”
“You cannot sustain yourself if all
you’re doing it for is the money,”
Sinclair said. “You have to do
something because you’re giving
back, because you’re helping others.
Everyone I know who went to law
school, when I talk to them, says they
went there, in part, to help others. And
it’s too easy to become jaded to that.
Keeping an active pro bono portfolio
keeps you from becoming jaded.”
Whether Johnson, Manoochehri and
Sinclair set out to be helpful to others
as well as themselves or simply acted
on a natural inclination, it is obvious
that their actions and attitudes will
benefit the legal profession now and
in the future. And with champions
such as these in the field, it is hard to
imagine them – or their peers – ever
becoming jaded to their work. z
feature story — paying it forward • by abby e. dozier • photos by glen e. ellman

Photo by Abby E. Dozier
around
Law school alumnus named
Evidence Summit champion
Judge Carlos Cortez ’95 was honored as the
first-place winner of the first-ever Evidence
Summit, held in Austin, Aug. 3-5, 2008.
Eight law schools participated in the 2008
Evidence Summit, which was designed for
Texas judges by the Texas Center for the
Judiciary’s curriculum committee and was
funded by a grant from the Texas Court of
Criminal Appeals. The educational event
brought together Texas judges and Texas
law schools to compete for the title of 2008
Evidence Summit champion.
Each participating law school and one
judicial panel hosted one hour of “Evidence
Jeopardy.” The Texas Wesleyan University
School of Law team consisted of Dean
Frederic White, Professor Michael Green
and County Court Judge Dan Wilson ’98.
campus
notes of interest about campus events
Law school welcomes
class of 2011
A new school year always brings change, and
the start of the fall 2008 semester at Texas
Wesleyan University School of Law saw 280
changes – in the arrival of the class of 2011.
Students arrived for 1L orientation on
Aug. 14. The 280 students came from a pool
of more than 1,900 applicants who vied for
seats in the 2008 entering class. Among
those who began their legal educations at
Texas Wesleyan were students from across
Texas and the Southwest, plus one from
Alaska, and two from as far away as China.
As always, members of the incoming
class incorporated a variety of ages
and professional backgrounds. Previous
occupations included everything from a
helicopter pilot to a range conservationist
to a published poet to a wealth
advisory analyst.
“Our new students were selected from a
highly qualified and competitive pool of
Members of the 2008-09 entering class heard from president-elect of the State Bar of Texas Roland Johnson
and the Honorable Terry R. Means of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The
two spoke to students about various aspects of the legal profession and professional responsibility.
6
applicants,” Dean Frederic White said.
“These are dedicated and committed
individuals, and I look forward to seeing
their accomplishments over the next
three years.”
Dean White greeted students at the
beginning of orientation and introduced
the class to the law school faculty and staff.
Roland Johnson, president-elect of the State
Bar of Texas, and the Honorable Terry R.
Means of the United States District Court
for the Northern District of Texas were also
in attendance. Johnson spoke to the class
about the practice of law and the benefits
of bar membership, while Judge Means
administered an oath of professionalism.
American Airlines attorneys
mentor law students
For the second year in a row, 13 Texas
Wesleyan law students partnered with
attorneys from the legal department of
American Airlines for a year of mentorship.
Coordinated by the law school’s office
of career services and the American
Airlines legal department, the Diversity
Mentorship Program reaches out to
minority students at Texas Wesleyan
School of Law in the interest of providing
them with mentorship and guidance from
a local, practicing attorney.
“Often, law students may not have a lawyer
in the family or in their circle of friends
who can offer advice,” Arturo Errisuriz,
assistant dean for career services, said.
“Having guidance from someone who has
been through the rigors of law school and
is an active member of the legal profession
is invaluable to law students.”
Gary Kennedy, senior vice president,
general counsel and chief compliance
officer for American Airlines, said he
views the partnership as a great way for the
company to give back to the community
and the law school. Kennedy has taught as
an adjunct professor with Texas Wesleyan

around
campus
School of Law and is one of the 13 mentors
who participated in the 2008-09 program.
Symposium Week features
trial law advice
With the goal of providing current law
students insight on issues that matter
most to present-day practitioners, trial
lawyers in both civil and criminal
practice participated in Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law’s Trial Advocacy
Symposium Week, Sept. 22-26, 2008.
Organized by the Board of Trial
Advocates, the week included two days
of panel discussions and concluded with a
trial techniques workshop. Events featured
Fort Worth and Dallas trial lawyers who
served as panelists to provide guidance
and advice for students interested in
pursuing a career in the various areas of
trial work. Hosted by the Tarrant County
Trial Lawyers Association, the workshop
focused on all areas of trial work.
Vince Cruz, director of advocacy programs,
said he was honored that the participating
lawyers volunteered their time for
the symposium.
“These are among the most well-respected
lawyers in Texas,” Cruz said. “Some are
even recognized nationally as experts in
their field. I think the participation by
these attorneys demonstrates our local
legal communities’ recognition of Texas
Wesleyan as a law school committed to
quality advocacy training.”
Dallas County District Attorney Craig
Watkins ’94 attended the lunchtime
criminal law panel on Sept. 24. While
he was not expected to appear, Watkins
provided a welcomed surprise and he
offered words of advice along with the
speakers, Joe Shannon, chief of the
economic computer crime unit in Tarrant
County; Heath Harris, chief prosecutor
Admissions
Dear Alumnus:
It’s that time again when the office of admissions is focused
on finding the next class of future Texas Wesleyan University
School of Law alumni. I am pleased to say that while the
national pool for law school applications has slowed and is
expected to reflect a decrease from last year, we are currently
receiving applications above last year’s rate at this time of the
year. The entire office of admissions team is working hard to
meet and exceed last year’s total application count.
This year the admissions committee is also focused on admitting the majority of the
fall 2009 entering class by the end of April. We have gone to a paperless admissions
process and the committee is experiencing the joys – and the frustrations – of
reviewing applications online. This commitment to go paperless reflects our desire
to streamline our process, reduce our administrative costs, and obtain the benefits
of being just a bit greener. Not to mention, it is much easier to carry my laptop
home than stacks of paper application files!
Finally, I wanted to share with you two ways you can help the law school continue to
be successful, and more specifically, assist the office of admissions. The first way you
can help us is to write a letter of recommendation on behalf of a law school applicant.
We require each applicant to submit at least two letters of recommendation, and I
would love to see our alumni take an active role in recommending a student who
they believe can not only do the work but can also become a vital part of the Texas
Wesleyan School of Law community. Simply write your letter, send it to LSAC, and
your work is done.
The second way you can assist us is to become an alumni ambassador for the
admissions office. We are beginning a new initiative to find current students and
alumni who can visit with prospective and admitted students and help them make
the choice to attend our law school for their legal education. We have events
throughout the year requiring commitments that are as minimal as answering an
e-mail or simply attending a lunch or a reception. To become an alumni ambassador,
contact our office at esnider@law.txwes.edu or lrogde@law.txwes.edu or by phone
at (817) 212-4040.
Sincerely,
Sherolyn Hurst, J.D.
Assistant Dean of Admissions & Scholarships
for the gang prosecution unit in the Dallas
County district attorney’s office; and
Chris Curtis, federal public defender in
the Northern District of Texas.
Also serving as panelists for the week
were Dallas attorneys Katie Anderson,
Andrew Leonie, Jennifer Ellis, Karen
McCloud, and Barry Moscowitz; Fort
Worth attorneys John W. Proctor,
George Parker Young, Jeff Cureton,
7
Peter Fleury, Michael Heiskell, and Jack
V. Strickland; and Decatur attorney
Michael A. Simpson.
Participating attorneys represented firms
including Strasburger & Price; Thompson,
Coe, Cousins & Irons; and Haynes &
Boone. Attorneys from the Tarrant
County district attorney’s office and
attorney general’s office also participated
in the symposium events.

Photo by Abby E. Dozier
around
campus
Attorneys Joe Shannon, chief of the economic computer crime unit in Tarrant County; Heath Harris, chief
prosecutor for the gang prosecution unit in the Dallas County district attorney’s office; and Chris Curtis, federal
public defender in the Northern District of Texas, participated in a panel addressing the practice of criminal
defense law as part of Trial Advocacy Symposium Week, organized by the Board of Trial Advocates.
New honors achieved
at administrative law
competition
The Texas Wesleyan University School
of Law moot court team of 2L Nikki
Chriesman, 2L Colby Gunnels and
2L Roxanna Manoochehri finished
second overall at the 2008 Mack Kidd
Administrative Law Moot Court
Competition in Austin, Oct. 3-4, 2008,
and brief writer Gunnels received Best
Brief honors.
Coached by Nicole Williams of Thompson
& Knight, LLP, the team made its
way through four preliminary rounds,
defeating teams from St. Mary’s School of
Law, Baylor Law School and South Texas
School of Law. The final round against
South Texas was argued in the 3rd Court
of Appeals before Justices Pemberton,
Puryear and Waldrop, and the team went
on to argue the final round against Baylor,
finishing second overall. Twelve teams
competed in the competition. The results
mark the best finish and first-ever brief
writing award for the law school in the
administrative law competition.
Fools and Fellows raise
$43,210 for law fellowship
Students, staff and faculty at Texas
Wesleyan University School of Law
supported the Wesleyan Law Fellowship to
the tune of $43,210, and had a few laughs
doing so, at the fall fellowship auction and
fools night event on Oct. 3, 2008.
Showing an increase in funds raised from
the 2007 auction, the event raised $21,605
from live and silent auction items and a
raffle, plus a matching donation from Dean
Frederic White.
Organized by the Wesleyan Law
Fellowship, funds raised through the fall
auction provide stipends to law students
who wish to commit their summers to
working in public interest organizations
such as Legal Aid of Northwest Texas,
Catholic Charities Immigration Project,
Tarrant County Probate Court One, and
the attorney general’s office.
“The fellowship program continues
to contribute greatly to public service
organizations in our community,” Patti
Gearhart Turner, assistant dean of student
affairs, said. “Students commit up to eight
weeks of legal services each summer to
8
Photo by Abby E. Dozier
organizations that cannot afford to hire
additional legal assistance. While the
auction is fun for the student body, the
end result translates into huge benefits to
members of our community who need legal
services but can’t afford to buy them.”
For the first time ever, the auction
included the fools night event, a series of
skits performed by students and faculty.
Audience members were treated to comical
takes on topics such as how the world views
law school and bad interviews, and musical
performances by staff member Matt
Pellegrino and Professor Wayne Barnes.
Funds from the 2007 fellowship auction
provided stipends for 17 students who gave
an overall total of 145 weeks of pro bono
legal services this past summer.
Author shares job search tips
with students
Job hunting in an unstable economy is a
frightening prospect, but legal job search
expert Kimm Walton shared tips with
students at Texas Wesleyan University
School of Law that she assured would get
them a job “no matter what the market is.”
The author of several legal job-related books,
Walton has spoken with countless lawyers
and law firms to gather information about
what employers look for when making new
hires. On Oct. 14, 2008, she shared tips
with students on everything from resume
content to interview preparation.
Author Kimm Walton spoke to students about ways
to improve their resumes and enhance their own
knowledge about the legal profession. Walton has
presented her legal job search seminar more than
1,000 times at law schools across the country.

around
campus
Encouraging students to look beyond
selling factors such as top grades, Walton
told students there are many ways to bolster
a resume and show that they have the skills
necessary to secure a job they desire.
“If you show [potential employers] that
you volunteer, you show them you’re a
rainmaker,” Walton said.
She also encouraged students to explore
networking opportunities and CLE
courses as a way to understand what
field of law they might like to practice in,
with the reminder that these outlets also
provide the chance to present oneself to
potential employers.
Walton is a graduate of Case Western
Reserve University School of Law and has
presented her seminar more than 1,000
times at law schools across the country.
Her presentation was hosted by the office
of career services and marks the third visit
made by Walton since 2003.
More recognition for law
school moot court teams
The Texas Wesleyan University School
of Law moot court team of 3L Coleman
Anglin, 3L Jennifer Daigle and 3L Brittany
Lannen competed in the 27th Annual
John Marshall International Moot Court
Competition in Dallas, Oct. 24-26, 2008,
receiving Best Oral Advocate honors.
Lannen was recognized as Best Oral
Advocate at the competition, with Anglin
ranking second behind Lannen in oralist
points. More than 30 teams from law
schools across the United States and other
countries competed in the event.
The team was coached by Johannes Walker ’07,
staff attorney for the Second District Court
of Appeals at Fort Worth.
Symposium discusses
intellectual property issues
Scholars from across the country gathered on
Oct. 24, 2008, at Texas Wesleyan University
School of Law for the Intellectual Property
and Indigenous Peoples Symposium, an
event that focused on intellectual property
concepts as they relate to issues of art and
indigenous peoples.
Hosted by members of the Texas Wesleyan
Law Review, the symposium examined
intellectual property concepts – copyrights,
trademark rights, patent rights and trade
secrets – as applied to the cultural heritage,
art and artifacts of indigenous peoples.
The presenters were selected based
on previously submitted papers. Those
accepted will have their papers published
in the Texas Wesleyan Law Review.
3L Zach Burt, law review symposium
editor, said he was thrilled with the positive
response the symposium garnered, and was
happy that the event provided a forum for
the discussion of an issue that is so relevant
in today’s society.
“The submissions we received really
show that intellectual property issues,
specifically in relation to indigenous
peoples and communities, are a prominent
and exciting topic right now,” Burt
said. “The response from attendees and
presenters has been wonderful, and one
presenter said he felt privileged to have
learned so much in one day.”
Presenters discussed a variety of issues
relating to intellectual property rights,
including who owns the rights of control
of native land; understanding when to
define knowledge as “property”; what kind
of rights affect the control of indigenous
works of art; what standards an item must
meet to be given a trademark; and the
concerns about the protection of knowledge
and culture of small groups of indigenous
peoples in countries such as Russia, Turkey
and Iraq.
9
Presenters included Danielle Conway-
Jones of the University of Hawai’i at
Manoa, William S. Richardson School of
Law; Daniel Green, a fellow with Liberty
Fund, Inc.; John Cross of the University of
Brandeis School of Law; Jay Erstling of the
William Mitchell College of Law; Megan
Carpenter of Texas Wesleyan University
School of Law; Susan Bruning, an adjunct
professor with Texas Wesleyan University
School of Law; Michael Newcity of Duke
University; Hannibal Travis of Villanova
University School of Law; and Doris Long
of the John Marshall Law School.
Congressman discusses
health care reform
Exactly one week prior to the 2008
presidential election, students at Texas
Wesleyan University School of Law had
the opportunity to hear about one of the
year’s hot topics – health care reform –
from Congressman Michael Burgess of the
26th District of Texas.
Offering the unique perspective of a
congressman and physician, Burgess
addressed a group of more than 50 students,
faculty and staff during a lunchtime
presentation at the law school. He told
attendees that he initially got involved with
health care legislation after recognizing
the changes that were taking place around
him when he was a practicing physician.
Doris Long, of the John Marshall Law School, shows
a piece of traditionally crafted fabric during her
presentation on The Tyranny of Land and Culture.
Long was one of several presenters who traveled
to the Intellectual Property and Indiginous Peoples
symposium from law schools around the country.
Photo by Abby E. Dozier

around
campus
Burgess provided an overview of the
health care policies being proposed by
presidential candidates Barack Obama and
John McCain, then went on to talk about
various attempts at health care reform that
have been proposed throughout recent
years. He discussed the long process these
proposals go through and pointed out that
“regardless of who wins [the election],
Congress is going to have its own ideas”
about health care.
Burgess currently sits on the House
Energy and Commerce Committee, which
is responsible for health care, the safety
of food and drugs, energy and power
legislation. During the 2008 presidential
election, he served as a senior health care
adviser to the John McCain for President
Campaign. He was invited to speak at the
law school through a joint effort of the
Texas Wesleyan Health Law Society and
the Texas Wesleyan Law Republicans.
Three students receive
J.L. Turner scholarship
Texas Wesleyan law students took home three
of the seven scholarships awarded by the
J.L. Turner Legal Association on Nov. 1, 2008.
2L Nikki Chriesman, 2L Letetia Holt and
2L LaJoi Murray each received scholarships
from the association’s 56th Anniversary
Scholarship and Awards Banquet. The
scholarships are awarded to minority students
on the basis of merit and need.
Professor Neal Newman said that the
recognition of three of Texas Wesleyan’s
students shows the individual commitment
to public service each recipient exhibits.
“Each year the J.L. Turner Legal
Association holds their annual scholarship
awards gala where a select group of law
students are recognized for academic
excellence and commitment to community
service,” Newman said. “Out of the seven
scholarships awarded, three went to Texas
Wesleyan students. The awards are a
testament to their academic achievements
Photo by Abby E. Dozier
Congressman Michael Burgess, of the 26th District
of Texas, spoke to students about health care reform
on Oct. 28, 2008. Burgess is also a physician and
sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee,
which is responsible for health care legislation.
and their commitment to serving their
community. I’m very proud and could not
be happier for them.”
Wolfcryer gets day in court
Is it a crime to cry “wolf” if there is no
wolf in sight? What if you see a wolf but
choose not to speak? These were the
questions at hand when students from six
local elementary schools took command
of the courtrooms of Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law on Nov. 13,
2008, for the case of Joey Wolfcryer v.
The Village of Sheepfold.
The trial was part of the law school’s
second elementary mock trial exhibition.
Following their arrival at the law school,
the students were welcomed by Dean
Frederic White and received a campus
tour from law students. The case of Joey
Wolfcryer was then presented by different
groups of elementary participants in the
law school’s courtrooms.
Andrea Hunter, Texas Wesleyan’s public
interest research fellow for 2007-08,
said the event is important to the school
and students because it provides a
unique opportunity for young children
to experience the legal field as a future
career option.
“We had almost 120 students, including
observers,” Hunter said. “It is a great
feeling to see 10-year-old students making
10
Photo by Dan Brothers
objections and cross-examining witnesses.
Many of the students said they had never
thought about being a lawyer before the
event, and I love that we were able to
provide this unique opportunity to a group
of such bright children.”
The two interpretations of Joey Wolfcryer’s
case received different verdicts from their
respective juries. Students in each trial
received awards for best defense, best
prosecution and best professional demeanor.
Annual soup kitchen raises
more than $800
Students, faculty and staff took a break
from the hectic pace of the last week of fall
classes to enjoy a meal of homemade soups
and provided means for others to have a hot
meal in the future while doing so.
The Christian Legal Society of Texas
Wesleyan University School of Law hosted
its annual soup kitchen on Nov. 19, 2008.
For $5, attendees enjoyed a variety of
homemade soups, plus bread and desserts.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the
Presbyterian Night Shelter.
The soup kitchen was held during lunch
and dinner hours, allowing day and night
students to enjoy a homemade meal and
support the cause.
Associate Dean for Student Affairs Patti Gearheart
Turner presides over the trial of Joey Wolfcryer vs. The
Village of Sheepfold at the Second Annual Elementary
Mock Trial Exhibition. More than 100 students from six
local elementary schools participated in the event.

around
campus
National Adoption Day teaches
more than legal skills
More than 40 students from Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law participated in
National Adoption Day on Nov. 15, 2008,
assisting local attorneys, including alumni,
in the adoptions of dozens of children who
were welcomed into new families.
The adoptions were finalized at the Tarrant
County Family Law Center in downtown
Fort Worth. Each year on National
Adoption Day, the courthouse opens its
doors for a rare weekend morning and
judges volunteer their time to finalize the
adoptions of foster children.
“Students learn so much on [National
Adoption Day] because they get to speak
to real clients and generate actual court
documents,” Jennifer Ellis ’05 said. “My
student used ProDoc to generate pleadings,
drafted letters to other parties and clients,
and interviewed the family. All of these
things are skills he will need once he begins
to practice. He will be more prepared and
professional in practice after having had
this experience.”
Ellis supervised 3L Matthew Wright.
Wright said that in addition to learning
about some of the practical aspects of
family law, he gained a new appreciation
for the need for lawyers to be involved in
the adoption process.
“I knew I was in a very private place in
a family’s life,” Wright said. “It also
became more personal during the adoption
when you, the student, utter the words
‘you promise to love this child forever,’
mixed with the somber atmosphere of the
courtroom and the intense emotions of the
family. It is a very special, personal and
humbling experience.
“I have always supported the idea of
adoption, and this just confirms the need
for families to love and care for these
children,” Wright said. “I have a greater
appreciation for the need for lawyers to be
involved in the process.”
National Adoption Day started in 2000
and grew from the work and dedication
of law firms, foster care departments,
child advocates and courts. This was the
eighth year Texas Wesleyan participated
in the event.
Dallas County D.A. addresses
class of 2008
Dallas County District Attorney Craig
Watkins ’94 was the guest speaker at Texas
Wesleyan University School of Law’s fall
hooding ceremony on Dec. 12, 2008.
Sharing a personal experience of his
own from earlier in the week, Watkins
told the graduates of the power they hold
as lawyers, and urged them to recognize
and respect that responsibility early in
their careers.
“It wasn’t until I got to be a district attorney
representing a large number of individuals
that I realized the awesome responsibility
that I had,” Watkins said. “Looking back, I
realized that when I entered a room, people
would immediately respect me because I
was a lawyer. It took me 15 years to realize
that. I hope you realize it sooner.
“The challenge I have for you today
is to remember that first day of law
school, remember that fear you had.
As you go along, always go back and
remember, because those difficulties
will make you who you are and will
help you understand.”
Watkins is a member of the first graduating
class of Texas Wesleyan University School
of Law. After working in private practice
for a few years, he began his career as the
criminal district attorney of Dallas County
in January 2007. He is the first African-
American to be elected as a district
attorney in the state of Texas.
Two members of the graduating class
were recognized for their individual
accomplishments during law school.
Nadia Gilkes received the Equal Justice
11
Craig Watkins ‘94 addressed the December class of
2008 at the First United Methodist Church in Fort Worth.
Watkins was a member of the law school’s first graduating
class and described the opportunity to speak to the 2008
graduates as an especially meaningful experience for him.
Award, which recognized the 325.75 hours
of pro bono legal service she donated to
several organizations during her time as a
law student. Sharesa Alexander received
the MacLane & Boulware Endowed
Scholarship, an award given to a graduate
selected by the faculty who demonstrated
high moral character during his or her law
school career and exhibits the potential and
desire to become a successful, ethically
conscious attorney.
The law school presented 53 students
with the juris doctor degree. Vickie
Rainwater, associate dean for academic
affairs, presented each graduate with a
purple academic hood, the color of which
represents a discipline in law. Degrees
were presented by Dean Frederic White
and conferred by University President
Dr. Harold G. Jeffcoat.
Peer mediation is elementary
On Jan. 16, more than 25 elementary
students representing six schools from
Crowley ISD arrived at the law school
to hear from professors, a judge, and
participate in a mediation clinic with
current Texas Wesleyan law students.
When asked why they wanted to be peer
mediators, each student mentioned helping
others solve their problems.
“[Peer mediation] plays a big role in
school,” Joseph, age 10, said. “I’ve always
liked helping people. I’m hoping to learn
Photo by Dan Brothers

around campus • notes of interest about campus events
around
campus
how to help two people who won’t agree on
something, to agree with each other.”
Among the law school and Crowley
ISD representatives present for the
event was Crowley ISD Superintendent
Greg Gibson.
“I am extremely proud of this program and
this partnership,” Gibson said. “I am also
extremely proud of each one of you,” he
told the students. “It is a Friday afternoon.
You could be anywhere, but you chose to
be here.”
The mediation training was part of an
exclusive partnership between Texas
Wesleyan University School of Law and
Crowley ISD. The idea of merging the two
groups developed after Chris Riddick,
Crowley ISD ombudsman, took a course
in mediation from Texas Wesleyan
School of Law Adjunct Professor Kay
Elliott, who teaches a mediation clinic
for law students.
Riddick said the experience enhances
what the students have previously learned
in their own mediation and collaborative
problem-solving skills lessons. He said
one of the biggest impacts comes from
the exposure to new elements of the world
around them.
“The early exposure is great,” Riddick
said. “This [experience] exposes our
young people to another world. It
creates opportunities.”
That “world” includes everything from
higher education to judges to professors.
Riddick said that these things are new to
many of the students, and that seeing them
early on helps them start thinking about
their own futures and what they can do
later in life.
Crowley ISD has trained more than 100
students in peer mediation. These students
have learned the same collaborative
problem-solving skills that the law students
at Texas Wesleyan University School of
Law are learning.
Plight of homeless energizes
law students
More than 35 students from Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law battled chilly
temperatures on the evening of Jan. 29 to
gather census data about the Fort Worth
residents who spend many of their nights
in the cold.
The Tarrant County Homeless Coalition
(TCHC) conducted a homeless count on
Jan. 29. More than 500 volunteers turned
out to help. The data gathered will be
used for a census count of the number of
homeless people in Tarrant County.
Student volunteers from Texas Wesleyan
attended training at the law school
on Monday, which was run by Cindy
Crain, TCHC executive director. The
reasons students chose to participate
ranged from a desire to get involved in
the community to past experiences that
struck a personal chord.
“An estimated one in four homeless
persons is also a veteran, and a significant
percentage of those veterans have served
in a combat zone,” 2L Damon Goff said.
“My personal experiences, both as a
battle captain in Iraq and a young enlisted
soldier in Haiti, drive the empathy I feel
for those former soldiers. I believe that
efforts like the TCHC homeless count can
[provide] actual relief for our community’s
homeless veterans.”
After gathering at staging areas and being
assigned to police escorts, small groups
of volunteers traveled designated routes
in neighborhoods throughout Tarrant
County. The groups gathered data on the
city’s homeless population, including
information about the health of those living
on the streets. While some groups did not
encounter any homeless people on their
routes, they found telltale signs that people
had been living in the areas they searched.
12
Photo by Dan Brothers
Students from six of Crowley ISD’s elementary schools
listen to Texas Wesleyan School of Law’s alternative
dispute resolution students at a peer mediation clinic,
Jan. 16, 2009. The Crowley students act as peer mediators
at their respective schools in order to help their fellow
students solve problems between themselves.
“Seeing beds made of cardboard and an old
blanket certainly made me appreciative of
the home and bed that I have,” 1L Charlotte
King said. “As a law student interested
in going into public service, I found this
experience inspiring. It is easy for me to get
caught up in studying and worrying about
memos, finals, etc. I really appreciated
being reminded of all that I have and why
I am working to get a degree that can help
me serve people in this community.”
The program was introduced to students
through the efforts of Aric Short, associate
professor of law, who was involved in the
count and decided to post an announcement
in the interest of garnering student
participation. He said the result was much
more than he ever imagined it would be.
“I was thrilled with the students’
enthusiasm about this project,” Short said.
“Almost 40 students attended the training
lunch and several others attended online
training. Having students participate in
this homeless count is consistent with the
law school’s tradition of encouraging pro
bono and community service work, and
it’s a great way for students to help those
in need.” z

Photo by Dan Brothers
Savoy, former in-house counsel for Wal-Mart Stores,
joined the law school for the spring semester and taught
a course in copyrights and new media and a practicum in
intellectual property licensing.
“The purpose of a practitioner-in-residence is to give
students the experience and advantage of spending time
with a practitioner who is able to offer a perspective
different from that of a solely academic professor,” Vickie
Rainwater, assistant dean for academic affairs, said. “Often,
such a person has contacts that are helpful for students in
networking. It gives the practitioner a change from his or
her routine, too, and the opportunity to work with students,
which many practitioners fi nd very enjoyable.”
As the fi rst in-house intellectual property attorney for
Wal-Mart, Savoy oversaw the company’s domestic and
international trademark portfolio, including many brands
grossing more than $1 billion each. He also developed
and conducted the fi rst mandatory intellectual property
training program for hundreds of Wal-Mart buyers and
product development employees.
Practitioner-in-Residence
Brings New Perspective to Classroom
Students studying intellectual property law during the spring semester
got the chance to learn from a new expert on the subject, practitioner-inresidence
Wade Savoy.
Savoy said that intellectual property issues will continue
to be more prominent as technology continues to take
center stage in people’s everyday lives.
“As more and more of our lives are lived in the digital
world, whether sharing YouTube videos with friends on
our new iPhones or downloading the latest movies to
our 52-inch fl at-panel TVs, intellectual property law, as
the law that underpins all this great new technology and
content, is taking center stage and has to be addressed by
everyone,” Savoy said. “Whether or not law students intend
to focus their careers on this area, they and their future
clients will increasingly face intellectual property issues.
Dean Frederic White and Professor Megan Carpenter
show great foresight in trying to equip their students for a
challenging and exciting future.”
Savoy previously worked at the intellectual property fi rm
of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart (now K&L Gates) where he had a
varied practice of intellectual property litigation, prosecution
and corporate transactions. He has made presentations to the
United States Patent Trademark Offi ce and the International
Trademark Association’s annual meeting.
13

At Texas Wesleyan, law students have the
opportunity to gain experience in legal
practice well before they leave the shelter
of the school. As externs, fellows or pro
bono workers, students can do real legal
work under the guidance of practicing
attorneys. The students who choose to
pursue these opportunities gain more
than just academic credit or hours that
satisfy their pro bono requirement.
From interacting with a client to applying
classroom-taught techniques to watching
a criminal trial unfold with the help of
one’s own research, here are the stories
of three Texas Wesleyan students who
took the opportunity to jump head fi rst
into the real world of legal practice.
Investing in Real People
As a part-time student managing a fulltime
job, 3L Soheyla Eydani said she didn’t
Jumping Head First
into the Real World of Legal Practice
Words on a page can convey many things. Rules can be explained,
theories dissected and history recounted. For law students preparing to
enter the fi eld of practice, this knowledge can be of great use as they begin
to handle cases and courtroom proceedings. But no matter how detailed the
information provided in class was, it does not compare to the experience of
doing those things fi rsthand.
know where to look to acquire the “real
world” experience that would introduce
her to the fi eld of legal practice while she
managed such a packed schedule. The
law clinic at Texas Wesleyan provided her
the perfect opportunity to get hands-on
experience and also opened her eyes to
the possibilities of family law practice and
helping others.
“The [law clinic] was a completely
different experience from learning in
class,” Eydani said. “I think that every
law student needs an experience like
that, especially if they have no real-world
legal experience. Not necessarily being a
paralegal, or an intern, but actually fi ling
the motions themselves, going to court,
participating in everything.”
Eydani got involved in the law clinic in
January 2008 and earned three credit
14
By Abby E. Dozier
Working in the law clinic at Texas Wesleyan University
School of Law gave 3L Soheyla Eydani the chance to take her
knowledge from the classroom to the courtroom.
Photo by Dan Brothers

story
feature
hours for the spring semester. As with all
student attorneys who work in the clinic,
she had to apply for the position. Once
accepted, Eydani worked a set number
of hours each week and attended a law
clinic class, in addition to working on
cases the clinic received.
While the circumstances may sound
similar to those surrounding a standard
classroom experience, Eydani said the
practical application of everything she
had previously learned was a revelation.
“You become a part of your cases, just
like any true attorney does,” Eydani said.
“You become vested in them. I think a
lot of the time in class we get bogged
down in the books. We forget that the
cases are real people, real clients, not
just fact patterns in a book. Real people
bring their cases in, and real people’s
lives are changed every day by the law
clinic. That was the part of it that became
so addicting.”
Following two semesters that she received
course credit for, Eydani continued to
work as a volunteer in the clinic, allowing
her to remain involved and balance a
light case load.
“From the start to the finish, they let you
do it all,” Eydani said. “Thankfully, you
have the supervision of an attorney, so
you have that hand guiding you the whole
way. Two and a half years through school,
I had no idea how to go the courthouse
and file a petition. Law school, through
the clinic, walked me through the basics,
the mechanics of actually practicing.”
More than anything else, Eydani seems
most excited about the personal aspects
of legal practice that she gained from
the experience.
“Through clinic, it hit home a little more
that it’s about people. It’s about helping
people, and [while] our license can lend
itself to a nice salary, or a great career,
or some prestige in our communities, the
most important thing is that we can
help people in ways that they can’t
help themselves.”
Applying Everything Learned
The field of sports law was something
that had been of interest to 3L Rachel
Italiano as she made her way through
law school. But she could never explain
just what it encompassed when faced
with questions about the daily work a
sports attorney handled.
“Anytime you say you want to go into
sports law, people say ‘oh, you want to
be Jerry Maguire,’ but it’s not like that,”
Italiano said. “It’s not all about agency
[work]. But I didn’t really know what to
explain to people.”
Though she had already completed two
internships, one with the civil division
of the Tarrant County district attorney’s
office and one with a family law firm
in Colleyville, Italiano decided she
wanted to find out what the work of a
sports law attorney really involved. With
some steady persistence she secured an
externship with Pizza Hut Park/FC Dallas
in Frisco for the fall 2008 semester.
“It took a lot of persistence and a matter
of throwing my hat in the ring and seeing
if anyone called,” Italiano said. “For
something as specific as sports law, I would
definitely say you can’t sit back and wait
for something to pop up. For this, I had to
take the initiative, make the phone calls,
turn in the resumes, and apply where I
saw openings and opportunities.”
Italiano quickly learned that sports law is
definitely not all that the 1996 movie Jerry
Maguire would have people believe. The
business aspect of the law played a large
role in her day-to-day responsibilities.
Much like fellow student Eydani in the
law clinic, Italiano realized that while
law school had taught her a lot about
theories, policies and facts, when it came
time to create a contract, she was looking
at a blank slate.
15
An externship with Pizza Hut Park/FC Dallas gave 3L Rachel
Italiano an inside look at the day-to-day responsibilities of a
sports law attorney.
“From reading cases and contracts to
being able to actually write contracts
from scratch, I didn’t have shells, I didn’t
have fill-in-the-blank, standard contract
forms,” Italiano said. “[I took a] blank
piece of paper and wrote a contract. That
was a really cool application.”
While that process might have proved
intimidating to some, Italiano appreciated
that her situation didn’t provide her with
the ease of simply updating an existing
document or relying on the work her
predecessors had done.
“There wasn’t any bank of old cases
that I could just change the name on,”
Italiano said, noting how the situation
was different than if she had been at
a traditional law firm. “It was all from
scratch, which I learned a lot more from
because it wasn’t just filling in blanks. I
really appreciated that side of it.”
Italiano said the experience made her
realize what the field of sports law is
really like on an everyday basis. While
it wasn’t all the glitz and glamour
portrayed in the media, she said that
the experience taught her about what
she could do as a legal practitioner.
Photo by Dan Brothers

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“It was the biggest chance for me to take
everything I’ve learned and actually apply
it,” Italiano said. “There wasn’t legal
theory, there wasn’t policy, it was just ‘this
is how you do it.’ The nuts and bolts of
law. That has definitely made me more
confident in my abilities to actually do
something in real time, in the real world,
without too much guidance or without a
big bank of ‘how-tos.’”
As an externship student, Italiano earned
one credit hour for her work with Pizza
Hut Park, putting in a total of 60 hours
over the course of a semester. While the
experience did not necessarily sway her
future plans in the direction of sports
law, she credits her supervising attorney
with providing her an experience that
gave her extensive responsibility and
learning opportunities. She also can now
confidently answer the question “what
does a sports attorney do?”
“It finally made me realize what sports
law is all about. It’s not all about agency
[work]. I didn’t really know what to explain
to people, or how to describe that. So now
I at least know what it really takes to be a
sports attorney who is not litigating, which
is a very small sector. It’s opened my eyes
to what sports law really is.”
Fighting for the Client
When the Richardson-based Holy Land
Foundation, the largest Islamic charitable
organization in the United States, was
declared a terrorist organization in 1995
by the U.S. government, 3L Martin Rueda
probably had no clue he would find himself
sitting in a Dallas courtroom more than a
decade later, listening to information he
helped collect used in the defense of one
of the individuals charged.
In the fall semester of 2008, Rueda
answered a posting for an extern position
with local criminal defense attorney Greg
Westfall, who was preparing to represent
one of the five men in the Holy Land
Foundation charged with making material
In addition to the practical aspects of preparing for a trial, 3L Martin Rueda said his externship with
Greg Westfall (left) taught him about putting a client’s interest ahead of his own.
contributions to a terrorist organization.
The preparations were for a retrial that
was called following a mistrial in 2007.
Securing the externship put Rueda on
the inside of a highly controversial and
publicized trial. His main task involved
sifting through countless documents,
wiretaps and files, looking for information
that could be used in the crossexamination
of an FBI agent Westfall
would be questioning in trial.
“One of my first jobs was to go through
wiretaps from the beginning up to the
last,” Rueda said. “I had to look for certain
conversations that dealt with Hamas, or
keywords such as ‘Hamas,’ and certain
conversations that dealt with suicide
bombers, things of that nature, [then]
evaluate it, record it, and put it together
for [Greg].
“It was difficult because the conversations
were in Arabic, translated literally. The
rest of the majority of my task was to
find documentation and pictures related
to events sponsored by the Holy Land
Foundation and the zakat committees.”
The zakat committees Rueda mentions are
Palestinian charities, some of which are
controlled by Hamas. Following the U.S.
declaration of Hamas as a terrorist group,
donating to these committees, regardless
16
of what side, was illegal. Therefore, the
defense in this case wanted to prove that
the zakat committees supported by the
Holy Land Foundation gave the money to
charitable causes, such as children who
had been orphaned and families who
were in need of assistance.
“It was a scavenger hunt,” Rueda said of
his search through the wiretaps, photos
and documentation provided by the
FBI. “That’s what it felt like. But it was
something that needed to be done, and
it was something completely different
than I’ve ever had to do because this
was somebody’s livelihood that was in
the hands of Greg. And Greg trusted me
with trying to get this information for
him that he was actually going to use in
cross-examination.
“I helped him prepare the crossexamination
for this FBI agent, which
was a crucial part. So anytime I felt it was
daunting, I put it all in perspective, and
I thought that if I was the defendant in
this case, I would want [whomever] was
working with Greg to do the best they
possibly could, because it’s my livelihood,
and that’s how I felt. So it pushed me to
do the best I possibly could.”
Rueda attended jury selection and then
the majority of the trial, which began
Sept. 22, 2008. Though Rueda wasn’t
Photo by Dan Brothers

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feature
involved directly in trial proceedings,
just being there provided valuable
lessons. There were days when Westfall
asked for his help in preparing for crossexaminations
or sought his opinions on
how the trial was going. Watching the trial
unfold from his seat amongst the family,
friends and community members who
came to support the defendants, Rueda
heard the information he had gathered
used in cross-examination. He also saw
Westfall exemplify a passion for serving
his clients.
“He taught me a lot, he’s a phenomenal
attorney,” Rueda said. “With each client,
it’s like he’s fi ghting for himself. When
you take professional responsibility as
a law student, they say you have to put
your client’s interests ahead of yours. He
truly defi nes that. He does everything he
possibly can for his client.”
The trial concluded on Nov. 24, 2008,
and the Holy Land Foundation and the
fi ve men charged were found guilty of
illegally funneling more than $12 million
to Hamas.
17
While he does not know if the experience
will infl uence his career path following
graduation, Rueda said working with
Westfall and being involved in the trial
infl uenced his work ethic.
“I was very glad to have been part of that
case, and [Greg] was able to teach me a
lot,” Rueda said. “I know it helped me
put [criminal law] in perspective. When
I do criminal law in the defense arena or
the prosecution arena, my approach, the
amount of work that I put into a trial, has
completely changed.” z
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law is grateful to the employers who continue to
support our programs and law students. These are some examples of where a few of
our students and graduates will be working following the spring 2009 semester.
May 2009 Graduates:
Bryan Davis ’09
Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP, associate
B.A. in business administration, fi nance
Texas Wesleyan Law Review, 2007-08
Chris Jones ’09
Cantey Hanger, LLP,
Southlake offi ce, associate
MBA; B.A. in communication
Moot Court Honor Society, president;
Phi Delta Phi; Order of the Barristers
Hope Hughes ’09
Haynes & Boone, LLP,
Dallas offi ce, bankruptcy associate
B.A. in political science
Notes and comments editor, Texas
Wesleyan Law Review, 2008-09;
Phi Delta Phi; Black Law
Students Association, member
and 2008-09 librarian
James Kiser ’09
Court of Appeals, 2nd District of Texas
law clerk for Justice Anne Gardner
B.A. in journalism
Editor-in-chief, Texas Wesleyan Law
Review, 2008-09; member of interschool
competition mock trial team; brief
writer and member of interschool moot
court competition team; Phi Delta Phi
Wim VanRooyen ’09
Greenberg Traurig, LLP,
litigation associate
B.A. in piano performance
Texas Wesleyan Law Review; participated
in Wesleyan Innocence Project;
Texas Wesleyan Law Democrats
Zach Burt ’09
Harris, Finley & Bogle, P.C., litigation
B.A. in criminology and criminal justice
Symposium editor, Texas Wesleyan
Law Review, 2008-09; academic
support teaching assistant
Current Students:
Anne Moberg, 2L
Gardere Wynne Sewell, LLP,
and McDonald Sanders, P.C.
B.A., State University of New
York at Geneseo; M.A., University
of Colorado at Boulder
Notes and comments editor, Texas
Wesleyan Law Review, 2009-10;
academic support teaching assistant
David Patin, Jr., 2L
U.S. Court of Appeals,
5th Circuit, judicial intern
B.S. in marketing
Black Law Students Association, vice
president; Sports and Entertainment
Law Society, president; Texas Wesleyan
School of Law, ambassador
Gabriel Gonzales, 2L
Texas Supreme Court, judicial internship
with Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson
B.A., Lawrence University
Texas Wesleyan Law Review
Matthew Walton, 2L
U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of Texas, Judicial Intern
for Judge Reed O’Connor and the
Court of Appeals, 14th District of
Texas, Justice Charles Seymore
B.A. in corporate communication
Texas Wesleyan Law Review
feature story — jumping head first into the real world of legal practice • by abby e. dozier • photos by dan brothers

She’s Walked in Their Shoes
By Dan Brothers
Her memories of spring 1975 are not
clear. Perhaps that is good.
South Vietnamese military positions
were collapsing rapidly in March
1975 under attack by North
Vietnamese artillery and armor. Hue
fell on March 25, followed by Da
Nang on March 28.
Driving south, 100,000 North
Vietnamese troops had encircled
Saigon by April 27. With the fall
of the city imminent, American
citizens simply went to evacuation
points to leave. Departure for South
Vietnamese refugees was more
problematic. They were on their
own. The price of passports and exit
visas skyrocketed, as did fares for
seagoing vessels.
Five-year-old Huyen Pham escaped
Vietnam with her extended family by
boat from a fishing village. They were
picked up by the U.S. Navy and sent to
Guam, where they were processed.
Pham’s earliest solid recollections are
of entering kindergarten in Florida in
August 1975. Because of her young age,
there never was a language barrier. She
then moved to Arlington, Texas, and
later to a Vietnamese immigrant fishing
community in New Orleans, where she
would experience yet another aspect of
immigration. A large group of Vietnamese
moved into an existing low-income,
mixed neighborhood on New Orleans’
east side, establishing a community with
a Vietnamese church and Vietnamese
stores. This influx had a significant impact
on the area’s population dynamics.
The community would be hit hard many
years later by Hurricane Katrina. But they
would rebuild. After fleeing south in the
aftermath of the fall of Dien Bien Phu in
1954 and escaping Saigon in 1975, Pham’s
mother was not particularly distressed
by Katrina. “It was no big deal,” Pham
remembers her mother saying after being
flooded out in New Orleans.
In 1987, having made high scores on her
PSAT and with help from some excellent
high school teachers and mentors, Pham
applied and was accepted to the six-week
Telluride Association Summer Program at
Cornell. “This experience introduced me
to smart kids with high ambitions,” said
Pham. “When I returned home, I found
a college guide and picked out every
school that sounded famous.
“So I applied to Harvard,” Pham went on,
“without my mother knowing. After I was
accepted, my brothers and sisters had to
persuade her to let me go. She wanted
me to go to school closer to home. To
my mother, Massachusetts might as well
have been Canada.” All of Pham’s siblings
also attended college.
The Halls of Ivy
Cambridge proved to be another world.
Pham remembers her undergraduate
experience as “four of the best years
of my life.” Harvard was a place of
great privilege and wealth, neither of
which she was familiar with. But it was
Pham’s involvement in a public service
organization in Dorchester, a poor area
of Boston, that substantially enriched
her life. “It was helpful to get out of
Cambridge,” Pham said, “with working
families struggling with bigger issues.
Harvard could be very introspective.”
She also worked with refugees and
began to view the refugee experience
more analytically.
Following graduation, Pham received a
one-year Echoing Green Public Service
Fellowship to start a post-secondary
school at the Vietnamese refugee camp
18
in Palawan, Philippines. “The situation
across Southeast Asia prior to 1989
was that refugees were processed to
go to receiving countries – the U.S.,
Canada or Australia – to resettle,” Pham
explained. After 1989, a process called
the Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA)
under the auspices of the United Nations
High Commissioner on Refugees was
started. A screening process was then
established to determine whether people
leaving were political or economic
refugees. Those who were not political
refugees were in limbo status. They could
not go back to Vietnam, and no other
country would accept them.
“When I arrived in the Philippines in
1992,” Pham said, “there was a real
feeling of hopelessness. It was a very
hard situation.” Many of the refugees
had been at the camp for three years
living in a transient condition without any
certainty about where they might end up.
The director of the organization Pham
worked for wanted to give the refugees
marketable skills to help them wherever
they resettled. “The school that I started
was called the Poly Technique School,”
Pham went on. “We provided classes in
business management, education and
computer skills, beyond the high school
curriculum.” Pham was the school
administrator and also taught some of
the classes. In 1993, she returned to
Vietnam for a one-month trip, visiting
the families of many of her students
from the Philippines.
After the CPA wound down, a number
of Vietnamese were forcibly repatriated,
but that was short-lived. Unlike in Hong
Kong, where the situation was extremely
bad, the Philippines was much more
humane in its treatment of refugees due
to the influence of the Catholic Church.
“Eventually, some people went back to
Vietnam voluntarily, some settled in the
Philippines, and some were eventually
accepted by third countries,” said Pham.

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Pham returned to Cambridge where she
started Harvard Law School in the fall
of 1993. She served on the executive
board of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau
and graduated cum laude in June 1996.
Following graduation, Pham clerked for a
federal district judge in Boston and was
an associate at Hill & Barlow in Boston.
She then worked in the Missouri attorney
general’s office as co-counsel to the
Missouri Ethics Commission. Pham joined
the Texas Wesleyan law faculty in 2006
as a full-time professor, after teaching at
the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her
courses at Wesleyan include immigration
law, criminal law, administrative law and
a seminar on refugee & asylum law.
Immigration Law
at Texas Wesleyan
“My interest in immigration law stems in
part from my personal experiences,” said
Pham. “Those experiences have formed
my teaching and scholarship by giving me
a unique perspective into the complexity
of the issues. You can read a statute and
say, well it means this. Or you can read
a policy paper and say this is what it
says. But if you think about the real life
situation of the people that go through it
– the statute doesn’t capture that. That’s
why I encourage my immigration law
students to sit in on immigration hearings
in Dallas,” Pham noted. “Last semester,
more than two-thirds of the class
participated, and for many I think it was
an eye-opening experience. In class, we
talk about deportation proceedings and
we talk about representation issues. But
what does it actually mean in real life?”
Currently, Pham is working on a joint
project with Van Pham, an economics
professor at Baylor and her husband,
to quantify through statistical analysis
the impact of immigration ordinances
that have been enacted by cities and
states. “Dean [Frederic] White has
been very supportive of this project,
enabling me to get the data analysis
training and statistical software I
need,” said Pham. “I can appreciate the
impact that immigration – both legal
and illegal – has on local communities.
But I just don’t think that it makes
sense to have local communities try
to regulate immigration.
“Immigration law is incredibly complex
and it is an issue that has national
implications. Most local governments just
don’t have the resources or capacity to
address these issues in a meaningful way.
And candidly, some of the local initiatives
are fueled by fear and animus in a way
that doesn’t translate into good policy.
“Immigration affects different people
differently. People in lower socioeconomic
classes may be hurt by immigration
because immigration brings down wages,
and they are, generally speaking, the
ones competing for those low-wage
jobs. But immigration also makes goods
and services more affordable, and that
benefits all of us as consumers.
“For many people, immigration is a very
politically charged issue. Much of our
public debate about immigration revolves
around sound bites and slogans – ‘We are
a nation of immigrants’ or ‘What part of
illegal don’t you understand?’ – and so on.
The reality of immigration is much more
complex than that, and it’s that complexity
that I try to teach to my students.”
Immigration post 9/11
“Our current immigration detention and
deportation systems lean way too far on
the side of enforcement,” said Pham. “In
the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing
in 1996, there were very punitive
immigration laws that were passed, even
though the bombers were U.S. citizens.
Those were exacerbated following 9/11.
What is frustrating is when people
use 9/11 for a pretense for punitive
measures that don’t have anything to
do with security.
“For example, after 9/11, Attorney General
Ashcroft issued an order stating that all
Haitians who were detained had to stay
in jail pending their asylum hearings.
Before, the law allowed individualized
determinations, so that only those who
were flight risks were jailed before their
hearings. But the attorney general said
that the arrival of Haitians was a national
security concern because Pakistanis and
other bad people were using Haiti as a
19
launching point to come into the United
States – so he ordered blanket jailing of
all arriving Haitians. But there was no
empirical evidence that Pakistanis were
launching from Haiti. Pakistanis don’t
even look like Haitians. Basically, the
order was trying to deter Haitians from
coming here. If that’s what we want to
do, we have to be honest in what we’re
saying. When we use national security
as a pretense for other policy matters,
we are deceiving people about what’s
going on.
“As we move further from 9/11, there
will hopefully be more clarity in the
public debate concerning immigration
issues. But what has happened is that we
have set up a system where people can
be jailed for a long time for very minor
immigration infractions. And once they
get into the system, there is very little
discretion to get them out.
“I really love teaching immigration law in a
border state. I think the students at Texas
Wesleyan and people in Texas generally
understand the impact of immigration
in a very pragmatic way. If you go into
employment law or criminal law, or if you
go into family law – all these areas are
affected by immigration law.” z
Professor Huyen Pham said some of her personal experiences
have helped shape her teaching and scholarship.
Photo by Dan Brothers
feature story — she’s walked in their shoes • by dan brothers • photo by dan brothers

in
academia
notes about Texas Wesleyan law faculty and administrators
Stephen Alton
Professor of Law
Activities:
Presented “A Brief History of American Legal
Education and Jurisprudence” at the Texas
attorney general’s office, Dec. 10, 2008.
Susan Ayres
Professor of Law
Publications:
Published “Kairos and Safe Havens: The
Timing and Calamity of Unwanted Birth,”
15 William and Mary Journal of Women and
the Law 227 (2009).
Activities:
Presented “Mothers in Denial” with Dr. Prema Manjunath
to hospital staff at JPS Health Network’s Psychiatric
Grand Rounds, Fort Worth, Texas, Feb. 27, 2009, and to
the faculty at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law,
Feb. 25, 2009.
Wayne Barnes
Professor of Law
Publications:
Published “The French Subjective Theory of
Contract: Separating Rhetoric from Reality,”
83 Tulane Law Review 359 (2008).
“Toward a Fairer Model of Consumer Assent to Standard
Form Contracts: In Defense of Restatement Subsection”
211(3), 82 Washington Law Review 227 (2007), was cited
in Linda J. Rusch and Stephen L. Sepinuck, Sales and
Leases: A Problem-Solving Approach (West 2009), page
77, footnote 35.
“Toward a Fairer Model of Consumer Assent to Standard
Form Contracts: In Defense of Restatement Subsection”
211(3), 82 Washington Law Review 227 (2007), was cited
in the venerable treatise, 2 Williston on Contracts § 6:17
n.1 (4th ed. May 2008 update).
Mark Burge
Legal Writing Professor
Activities:
Presented “Integration of Statutory-
Interpretation Skills into Your Existing
20
Writing and Analysis Curriculum: Theoretical and
Practical Perspectives” with Roger Simon, legal writing
professor, at the 13 th Biennial Conference of the Legal
Writing Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Ind.,
July 14-17, 2008.
Megan Carpenter
Associate Professor of Law
Activities:
Presented “Trademarks as Human Rights” at
the Leadership Meeting of the International
Trademark Association, Boca Raton, Fla.,
Nov. 13, 2008.
Presented “IP Squared” at the Texas Wesleyan Law Review
symposium on Intellectual Property and Indigenous
Peoples, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law,
Oct. 24, 2008.
Presented “Trademarks as Property Interests” at the WIP
IP Conference at Tulane Law School, New Orleans, La.,
Oct. 3-5, 2008.
Appointed to the academic subcommittee of the
membership committee of the International Trademark
Association, which plans global academic symposia,
including those held at the Association of American Law
School’s annual meeting.
Frank Elliott
Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law
Publications:
Published Simple Dispute Resolution: A
Handbook of Settlement Science Solutions
with co-author, editor and Adjunct Professor
Kay Elliott (2008 Knowles Publishing Company).
Activities:
Moderated a panel of speakers on ethical problems in
alternative dispute resolution at the Texas Wesleyan Law
Review symposium, “Alternative Dispute Resolution:
Exploring the new standard of diligent settlement
advocacy facing today’s litigators,” Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law, Feb. 13, 2009.
Spoke to the Lion’s Club on “Abraham Lincoln as a
Lawyer,” Graham, Texas, Feb. 11, 2009.
Interviewed as part of a compilation of the history of Texas
lawyers who have been licensed more than 50 years, Belo
Mansion, Dallas, Texas, Dec. 8, 2008.

academia
in
Cynthia Fountaine
Professor of Law
Publications:
Published “Stepping In: The Unique
Challenges Faced By Interim Law Deans,”
in Volume 40 of the Toledo Law Review as
part of the publication’s annual “Leadership in Legal
Education” issue.
Published the editorial “An Open Letter to the Next
President of the United States,” in the Rotagraph Vol. 90,
No. 18, Oct. 31, 2008.
Activities:
Presented “The Legal Civil Rights Movement” and
participated on a panel titled “They Had a Dream Too” at
a program for high school juniors and seniors sponsored
by the Texas Young Lawyers Association, Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law, Feb. 19, 2009.
Interviewed by the University of Southern California
News Network regarding the impact of the current
economic downturn on both the applicant pool for law
school and the career options for law students graduating
into the current economy, Nov. 6, 2008.
Appointed to the American Bar Association site team that
made a site inspection visit to Charlotte School of Law on
Oct. 21-24, 2008.
Served as a panelist and spoke on the topic of “The Role
for Pre-Law in Improving Diversity in the Profession:
Pipeline and Collaboration,” Pre-Law Advisors National
Council conference, Las Vegas, Nev., Oct. 18, 2008.
Presented “From Orientation to Graduation: Legal Ethics
Across the Law School Curriculum, Mexican Curricular
Reform Project: Professional Responsibility” at the
Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS) annual
conference, Palm Beach, Fla., July 31, 2008.
Served as co-chair, panelist and discussion leader for the
SEALS panel titled, “Overview Regarding the Teaching of
Professional Responsibility,” Southeastern Association
of Law Schools annual conference, Palm Beach, Fla.,
July 31, 2008.
Reappointed to the Law School Admissions Council
(LSAC) subcommittee on Misconduct and Irregularities
in the Admissions Process.
Appointed to an LSAC ad hoc subcommittee to consider
proposals to change the LSAC statement regarding
“Ethical Conduct in Applying to Law School” and the
LSAC “Statement of Good Admissions and Financial
Aid Practices.”
Paul George
Professor of Law
Activities:
As part of a panel, presented the online
program “Federal Pleading in the Fifth
Circuit” from the federal court’s media
room in Dallas, Texas, as part of an agreement with West
(Thomson/Reuters) to provide federal pretrial training,
Nov. 21, 2008.
Presented “Cross-Border Family Law” to the Dallas Bar
Family Law Section at the Belo Mansion in Dallas, Texas,
Nov. 12, 2008.
Jason Gillmer
Professor of Law
Publications:
Published “Base Wretches and Black
Wenches: A Story of Sex and Race, Violence
and Compassion, During Slavery Times,”
59 Alabama Law Review 1501 (2008). Received “top
paper” award in 2008 Southeastern Association of Law
Schools’ Call for Papers competition.
Activities:
Presented “Shades of Gray: The Life and Times of a Free
Family of Color in Antebellum Texas” to the faculty at
the University of South Carolina Law School, Columbia,
S.C., Feb. 20, 2009.
Presented “Shades of Gray: The Life and Times of a Free
Family of Color in Antebellum Texas” at the conference
“Commemorating 1808: Fighting for the Right to Dream,”
which commemorated the 200th anniversary of the
abolition of the slave trade, University of Toledo College
of Law, Toledo, Ohio, Oct. 25, 2008.
Presented “Shades of Gray: The Life and Times of a
Free Family of Color in Antebellum Texas” as part of the
panel “Race and Slavery: Historical and Contemporary
Problems” at the Thirteenth Annual LatCrit Conference,
Seattle, Wash., Oct. 3, 2008.
Presented “Complexity and Confusion in the Laws of
Slavery,” as part of a panel discussion with Robert Storr,
dean of the Yale Art School, and Adrienne Davis, professor
of law at Washington University in St. Louis, about the
work of artist Kara Walker at the Modern Art Museum of
Fort Worth, Sept. 6, 2008.
21

academia
in
“Base Wretches and Black Wenches: A Story of Sex and
Race, Violence and Compassion, During Slavery Times”
was listed on Social Science Research Network’s Top Ten
download list for its SL: Comparative & International Law
(Topic) database, Aug. 29, 2008.
Presented “Base Wretches and Black Wenches: A Story of
Sex and Race, Violence and Compassion, During Slavery
Times” at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools
annual conference, Palm Beach, Fla., Aug. 1, 2008.
Invited to be a co-editor for The Texas Legal Studies Series,
a new book series focusing on the rich legal heritage of
Texas. The series is sponsored by the Texas Supreme Court
Historical Society in partnership with the University of
Texas Press.
Michael Green
Professor of Law and Associate Dean for
Faculty Research and Development
Activities:
Interviewed by Stacey Closser of the Dallas
Business Journal for the articles “Labor bills
are likely to advance” and proposed “Legislation that
could change employment law,” Feb. 20, 2009.
Presented “Why Advocates Should Not Expect Strict
Adherence to the Rules of Evidence in Labor and
Employment Arbitration” at the Texas Wesleyan Law
Review symposium “Alternative Dispute Resolution:
Exploring the new standard of diligent settlement
advocacy facing today’s litigators,” Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law, Feb. 13, 2009.
Served as a panelist on an ethics discussion held at the
Texas Wesleyan Law Review symposium “Alternative
Dispute Resolution: Exploring the new standard of
diligent settlement advocacy facing today’s litigators,”
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, Feb. 13, 2009.
Gave a poster presentation, “No Strict Evidence Rules in
Labor and Employment Arbitration,” at the Association of
American Law Schools annual meeting, San Diego, Calif.,
Jan. 9, 2009.
Presented “Searching for the Wright and Pyett Answer
to Collective Bargaining Arbitration of Statutory Claims”
at the Second Annual AALS Dispute Resolution Section
Works-in-Progress Program, Arizona State University
Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Phoenix, Az.,
Oct. 25, 2008.
Presented “Retaliatory Aspects of Compelling Employees
to Arbitrate” at the Third Annual Colloquium on
Current Scholarship in Labor and Employment Law,
University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, Calif.,
Oct. 24, 2008.
22
Presented “Bias and Ethical Issues for Attorneys of Color:
Whether Leveraging Diversity May Help,” as part of an
ethics panel with Carla Pratt, professor of law, at the
Tarrant County Bar Association Brown Bag Seminar,
“Why Diversity: It’s Good Business,” Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law, Oct. 10, 2008.
Presented “Doubting the Thomases: Is Black-on-Black
Workplace Sexual Harassment an Issue of Race or Sex or
Both?” at the Thirteenth Annual LatCrit Conference in
Seattle, Wash., Oct. 4, 2008.
Presented “Witness Preparation and Ex Parte
Communications: A Fundamental Discussion” at
the American Bar Association’s Annual Labor and
Employment Conference, Denver, Co., Sept. 11, 2008.
Participated on a panel with Dean Frederic White and
Judge Dan Wilson ’97 at the Texas Center for the Judiciary’s
2008 Evidence Summit, Austin, Texas, Aug. 4, 2008.
Presented “Retaliatory Aspects of Compelling Arbitration”
as part of a Labor and Employment Panel regarding “The
Impact of Retaliation in the Workplace After Burlington
v. White” at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools
annual conference, Palm Beach, Fla., Aug. 1, 2008.
Appointed as the co-chair of the American Bar Association
Dispute Resolution Section’s Advocacy Committee.
Reappointed to the final year of a three-year term as
a member of the American Bar Association’s Legal
Opportunity Scholarship Committee.
Maxine Harrington
Professor of Law
Publications:
Published “The Thin Flat Line: Redefining
Who Is Legally Dead in Organ Donation
After Cardiac Death,” 86 Denver University
Law Review 335 (2009).
Activities:
Presented “The Debate Over ‘Futile’ Care Under the Texas
Advance Directives Act” to the Fort Worth Paralegal
Association, July 24, 2008.
Keith Hirokawa
Associate Professor of Law
Publications:
Published “Property Pieces in Compensation
Statutes: Law’s Eulogy for Oregon’s Measure
37,” 38 Environmental Law 1111 (2008).

academia
in
Activities:
Presented “Implementing the New Environmental
Discourse: Sustainable Development Codes” at the
Planning, Zoning and Property Rights Conference, hosted
by the Center for American and International Law and the
State and Local Government Section of the American Bar
Association, Dec. 12, 2008.
Presented “Property Pieces in Compensation Statutes:
Law’s Eulogy for Oregon’s Measure 37” as a member of
a new scholar panel at the Southeastern Association
of Law Schools annual conference, Palm Beach, Fla.,
July 29, 2008.
Elected to the Publications Oversight Board for the
State and Local Government Section of the American
Bar Association.
Charlotte Hughart
Professor of Law and Director of Law Clinic
Activities:
Drafted the application and made a
presentation that resulted in the awarding
of a $40,000 grant to the law clinic from the
Texas Access to Justice Foundation from the Interest on
Lawyer’s Trust Accounts.
James McGrath
Associate Professor of Law
Publications:
Published “Are you a Boy or a Girl?
Show Me Your REAL ID,” 9 Nevada Law
Journal 101 (2009).
Activities:
Presented “A Prisoner’s Dilemma: Transgendered People in
Prison” at the Central States Law Schools Association 2008
Conference, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill.,
Oct. 25, 2008.
Discussed the experience of transgender and intersexual
persons in prisons while noting the difficulties in
placement and treatment of people who don’t fit neatly
into a sex or gender binary and the limitations of the
current approaches for defining sex in prison placement
at the Lavender Law Conference, San Francisco, Calif.,
Sept. 6, 2008.
Neal Newman
Associate Professor of Law
Activities:
Presented “The U.S. Move to International
Accounting Standards – A Matter of
Cultural Discord – How Do We Reconcile?” at the
University of Memphis Law School spring symposium
on the Department of Treasury’s “Blueprint for a Modern
Financial Regulatory Structure,” Feb. 20, 2009. His paper
will be published in a symposium edition of the Memphis
Law Review.
Presented “The U.S. Move to International Accounting
Standards – A Matter of Cultural Discord – How Do We
Reconcile?” to the faculty at Stetson Law School, Feb. 9, 2009.
Interviewed by CW Channel 33, KDAF-TV, Dallas-Fort
Worth, about the Securities and Exchange Commission
litigation regarding allegations of insider trading involving
Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, Nov. 18, 2008.
Presented “The U.S. Move to International Accounting
Standards – A Matter of Cultural Discord – How Do We
Reconcile?” at the Northeast People of Color Scholarship
Conference, Boston University School of Law,
Sept. 12, 2008.
Huyen Pham
Professor of Law
Publications:
Published “Lessons Learned from the First
Generation of Local Immigration Laws,” 36
Hofstra Law Review 1303 (2008).
“The Private Enforcement of Immigration Laws,”
published by the Georgetown Law Journal (spring 2008),
was cited by the ABA’s Section of Administrative Law &
Regulatory Practice as a “Recent Article of Interest” in its
summer newsletter.
Activities:
Presented “When Immigration Borders Move” to the
faculty at Stetson Law School, Feb. 27, 2009.
Interviewed for an article about the relatively low number
of Asian American law faculty members compared to other
academic disciplines at United States colleges for Diverse
Issues in Higher Education magazine, Feb. 23, 2009.
Served as a commentator on a paper presented by
Professor Hiroshi Motomura, UCLA School of Law as part
of Southern Methodist University’s Colloquium on Law
and Citizenship, Dallas, Texas, Nov. 19, 2008.
23
Susan Phillips
Professor of Law
Publications:
With co-author Professor Nancy Johnson
(Georgia State), completed the tenth edition

academia
in
of Legal Research Exercises, Following the Bluebook: A
Uniform System of Citation (Thomson West). This is the
fifth edition Phillips has co-authored.
Tanya Pierce
Visiting Legal Writing Professor
Activities:
Named to the ABA Standards & Program
Structures Committee for the Legal Writing
Institute (LWI). This committee will monitor
both programmatic changes and ABA accreditation
standards and other matters as decided by the LWI
board of directors.
Carla Pratt
Professor of Law
Publications:
Published “Way to Represent: The Role of Black
Lawyers in Contemporary American Democracy,”
77 Fordham Law Review 101 (2009).
Activities:
Presented “Keeping It Real: Lessons from the Hip Hop
Generation of Black Lawyers” at West Virginia University
School of Law’s symposium “The Evolution of Street
Knowledge: Hip Hop’s Influence on Law and Culture,”
Feb. 13, 2009.
Served as the keynote speaker for the Homer S. Brown
Law Association’s 10th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Program, Pittsburgh, Pa., Jan. 19, 2009.
Presented “In Search of Recognition: The Freedmen’s
Obdurate Struggle for Indian Identity” as part of the AALS
panel on Law and Anthropology, Jan. 8, 2009.
Presented “The End of the Pipeline at the Millennium:
Using Stories from New African American Attorneys to
Inform Theories of Intervention” as part of a panel on
Empirical Research in the Pursuit of a Social Agenda,
Association of American Law Schools annual meeting,
Jan. 7, 2009.
Presented “Killing Two Birds With One Stone: The
Role of Law Firm Diversification in Fulfilling Pro Bono
Responsibilities” as part of an ethics panel at the Tarrant
County Bar Association Brown Bag Seminar, “Why
Diversity: It’s Good Business” held at Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law, Oct. 10, 2008.
Presented “From Slave to Freedman – Slavery’s Influence
on Contemporary Notions of Indianness,” at the Thirteenth
Annual LatCrit Conference, Seattle, Wash., Oct. 3, 2008.
24
Presented “The Role of the Black Lawyer in Our
Democracy” as part of a colloquium on the Role of the
Lawyer in Contemporary Democracy hosted by Fordham
Law School’s Louis Stein Center for Law and Ethics, New
York, N.Y., September 2008.
Vickie Rainwater
Professor of Law and Associate Dean for
Graduate and Certificate Programs
Activities:
Selected as the recipient of the 2009 Fort Worth-
Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association
“Outstanding Mentor Award,” the organization’s most
prestigious award recognizing an individual who has
served as a role model to young lawyers in his or her
community, fostered the development of young lawyers,
and significantly contributed to the profession and
the community.
Malinda Seymore
Professor of Law
Publications:
Co-authored “China’s Future Lawyers: Some
Differences in Education and Outlook,”
a paper that was listed on Social Science
Research Network’s Top Ten download list for the East
Asian Studies Subject Matter Journals, HRN East Asian
Studies Research Network, and INT: Other (Topic)
databases as of Aug. 19, 2008.
Activities:
Participated as a mentor of a new scholar from another
school at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools
annual conference, Palm Beach, Fla., July 30, 2008.
Aric Short
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and
Professor of Law
Publications:
Published “Slaves for Rent: Sexual Harassment
in Housing as Involuntary Servitude,”
86 Nebraska Law Review 838 (2008).
“Post-Acquisition Harassment and the Scope of the Fair
Housing Act,” published by the Alabama Law Review
in 2006, was cited in a major housing discrimination
treatise, John P. Relman, 1 Housing Discrimination Practice
Manual, Chapter 2, Section 2.5, Discriminatory housing
practices under Title VIII – Discriminatory Provision of
Services (October 2008).

academia
in
Activities:
Interviewed by the Fort Worth Business Press for the article
“Internet Becoming a Popular Place to Build a Will,”
Dec. 15, 2008.
Presented “Exorcisms Gone Bad: Treading the Line
Between Free Exercise and Personal Responsibility” to
faculty and students in the department of religion at Texas
Christian University, Oct. 6, 2008.
Roger Simon
Legal Writing Professor
Activities:
Presented “Integration of Statutory-
Interpretation Skills into Your Existing
Writing and Analysis Curriculum: Theoretical
and Practical Perspectives” with Mark Burge, legal writing
professor, at the 13th Biennial Conference of the Legal
Writing Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Ind.,
July 14-17, 2008.
Frederic White
Dean and Professor of Law
Publications:
Published the newest edition of Ohio Tenant
Law (West 2008-09).
Contributed the chapter “Smoking Joe Camel” in Profi les
in Prominence 2008. The book was published by Golden
Gate University and chronicles the lives of eight prominent
Golden Gate University alumni.
Activities:
Moderated a panel regarding creative options for teaching
part-time students at the Association of American Law
Schools annual meeting, San Diego, Calif., Jan. 8, 2009.
Participated on the panel “Programs That Work:
Highlighting Programs of Several Schools that have
Shown Improved Bar Passage Rates” and discussed his
own experience and success in developing a program
to improve bar passage rate, 2008 American Bar
Association program on Bar Exam Passage, Chicago, Ill.,
Oct. 17, 2008.
Participated on a panel with Professor Michael Green and
Judge Dan Wilson ’97 at the Texas Center for the Judiciary’s
2008 Evidence Summit in Austin, Texas, Aug. 4, 2008.
Appointed to the Board of the Development Corporation
of Tarrant County, a Fort Worth nonprofi t organization
that provides direct funding and housing activities for the
residents of Tarrant County.
Reappointed to a new, two-year term as a member of the
American Bar Association Committee on Bar Admissions
(not to be confused with the American Bar Association
Accreditation Committee).
25
Law Clinic Receives $40,000
Grant from IOLTA
The law clinic at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
recently received a $40,000 grant from the Texas Access to
Justice Foundation (TAJF) from Interest on Lawyer’s Trust
Accounts (IOLTA) funds.
Grant funding for the law clinic started in September 2008. The
purpose of the grant is to provide representation to caretakers
of children who are at risk of abuse or neglect. Children in these
cases have been removed from their homes by Child Protective
Services (CPS) due to either actual abuse or neglect or the risk
of abuse or neglect by the natural parents. The children are
typically placed with a relative such as a grandparent, aunt
or uncle.
“Once these children have been placed in a safe home, CPS
does not fi le a suit in the juvenile court,” Charlotte Hughart,
law clinic director, said. “As a result, the new caretakers do
not have legal custody and will face problems in proving their
rights to enroll the child in school, obtaining medical treatment,
or applying for benefi ts for the child. We assist the caretakers
in obtaining a legal custody order or an adoption, depending on
the circumstances.”
Funds from United Way allowed the law clinic to begin
representing these caretakers in 2005. The original grant
encouraged the law clinic to seek additional funding for the
future, as the United Way funds would decrease over time.
The IOLTA grant will greatly help sustain the program at its
current level.
Operating programs throughout the country, IOLTA generates
funds that are used to support legal aid, legal education for the
public, and other activities that improve the quality of justice.
TAJF is the leading funder of legal aid in Texas. The foundation
grants about $20 million per year to 40 organizations statewide
that provide free civil legal assistance to low-income Texans.
in academia • notes about texas wesleyan law faculty and administrators

Other
People’s
MONEY:
Implications of the Bernard Madoff Scandal on a Charitable
Director’s Fiduciary Duties Regarding Investments
By Terri Lynn Helge
Bernard Madoff orchestrated
what has been described as Wall
Street’s biggest scandal – a $50
billion Ponzi scheme that has affected
investors worldwide. The scheme
collapsed when the economy nosedived
and major investors started demanding
the return of their money – money
that was no longer there. Hundreds of
charities invested – and lost – money
with Madoff. As a result, some have been
forced to close their doors, including a
billion-dollar Florida foundation that was
one of the 75 wealthiest grant-makers in
the United States.
Initially, charities were viewed as victims
of fraud. Now the tide may be changing.
The Connecticut attorney general is
investigating potential violations of
fi duciary duties of charity directors who
approved investments with Madoff.
And the Internal Revenue Service
has announced that it will consider
investigating private foundations that
invested with Madoff for potential
violations of federal tax laws applicable
to the investment of private foundation
funds. Even Congress is beginning to take
notice of boards’ roles in using charitable
funds to further Madoff’s scheme. Senator
Charles Grassley, long-time proponent
of reforming federal regulation of the
charitable sector, recently remarked that
some charities that invested with Madoff
appear to have boards that looked the
other way in return for the promise of
high earnings.
Confl icting Interests
Perhaps emerging as the paradigm
of questionable board oversight of
investment practices, Yeshiva University
reportedly lost its initial investment of
$14.5 million (which ultimately grew to
$110 million on Yeshiva’s balance sheet)
as a result of Madoff’s scheme. Yeshiva
invested its funds with Ascot Partners LP,
a fi rm controlled by Madoff middleman,
J. Ezra Merkin. Merkin’s fi rm, in turn,
invested Yeshiva’s funds with Madoff.
At the time the decision to invest with
Merkin was made, Merkin was serving as
chairman of the investment committee of
Yeshiva’s board of trustees and Madoff
was serving as board treasurer. They
continued to serve in those roles until
news broke of the Madoff scandal. Merkin
26
reportedly earned handsome fees from
the investment of Yeshiva’s funds with
his fi rm.
Both Madoff and Merkin had personal
confl icts of interest relating to the
investment of Yeshiva’s funds. The duty
of loyalty requires a director of a charitable
corporation such as Yeshiva to place the
charity’s interests ahead of the director’s
personal interests. While a confl ictof-interest
transaction generally is not
prohibited per se and in some cases may be
advantageous to the charity, the prevailing
view is that confl ict-of-interest transactions
should be avoided when it comes to
investments. Interested transactions may
go unnoticed as long as everything is going
well. But confl icts of interest are often the
fi rst thing to surface when the deal turns
sour. More often than not, confl icts of
interest are permitted to go unchecked
because the disinterested directors failed to
discharge their duty of care.
The Duty of Care
Directors of a charitable corporation
are required to exercise ordinary and
reasonable care in the performance of
their duties, exhibiting honesty and good
Photo by Dan Brothers

legal perspectives
faith. 1 The degree of skill required is that
of the ordinary prudent person, thus
focusing on basic directorial attributes of
common sense, practical wisdom, and
informed judgment. The duty of care
also presupposes that a director is acting
without a disabling conflict of interest. If
a director faithfully discharges the duty of
care, the director is not liable for harm to
the charity resulting from the decision.
A director can fail to discharge the duty of
care in two ways: failure to supervise or
failure to make an informed decision. The
former requires the director to actively
participate in the charity’s governance,
such as by regularly attending board
meetings, reviewing minutes and other
materials disseminated to board members,
meeting periodically with senior
management, periodically reviewing the
charity’s financial statements and annual
information returns (IRS Form 990),
and asking questions of outside experts
such as accountants and attorneys when
appropriate. Thus, a director may not
sit back and do nothing and then claim
the director is not responsible for a poor
decision made by co-directors.
Informed decision making requires a
director to become adequately informed
about the material aspects of a proposed
transaction before approving it. This
requirement may be fulfilled by attending
presentations by management or advisers
explaining the transaction, reading the
background material accompanying
the proposal, participating in debates
and deliberations on the proposal, and
seeking advice of outside counsel when
appropriate to adequately understand
the proposed transaction.
The duty of care thus relates to the
process of decision making. If a director
acts in good faith and within the requisite
standard of care, a court generally will
not review the action, even if it proves
disastrous to the charity. The ends never
justify the means. An investment made
based on proper due diligence but
which produces low returns is okay; an
investment with great returns that the
directors know nothing about is appalling.
Thus, the significance of complying with
the duty of care is important to protect
a director from liability for decisions
that, with the benefit of hindsight, turn
out to be wrong. Many charity boards
took Madoff at his word or at the word
of others, sometimes conducting little or
no due diligence. The members of these
boards may now be the subject of public
scrutiny for their role in the loss of the
charities’ funds by deciding to invest
with Madoff.
Investment Standards
Typically, the state nonprofit corporation
laws do not contain separate standards for
investment of charitable funds apart from
the general duty of care applicable to all
decisions made by the board. However,
the Uniform Prudent Management of
Institutional Funds Act (“UPMIFA”) 2
contains explicit standards for the
investment of a charity’s “permanent
endowment” – funds that the donor
requires in writing to be held in perpetuity
or for a specified period of time. The
UPMIFA general investment standard is
similar to the general duty of care and
requires each person responsible for
managing and investing an endowment
fund to manage and invest the fund in
good faith and with the care an ordinarily
prudent person in a like position would
exercise under similar circumstances. A
person who has special skills or expertise
has a duty to use those skills or that
expertise in managing and investing
endowment funds.
In managing and investing an endowment
fund, a board of directors must consider
the following factors, if relevant:
• General economic conditions;
• The possible effect of inflation
or deflation;
• The expected tax consequences,
if any, of investment decisions
or strategies;
• The role that each investment or
course of action plays within the
overall investment portfolio of
the fund;
27
• The expected total return from
income and the appreciation of
investments;
• Other resources of the institution;
• The needs of the institution and the
fund to make distributions and to
preserve capital;
• An asset’s special relationship or
special value, if any, to the charitable
purposes of the institution.
Absent special circumstances, the charity
is required to diversify the investments
of an endowment fund. A charity may
delegate investment management
of its endowment fund to an agent,
provided the board uses diligence in
selecting the agent, clearly defines
the scope of the agent’s investment
authority, and periodically reviews the
agent’s performance.
The aftermath of the Madoff scandal has
exposed board deficiencies in complying
with the investment standards of UPMIFA.
Some charities invested virtually all of
their funds with Madoff, thus violating the
diversification mandate. Some charities
did not enter into written investment
agreements addressing the scope of
Madoff’s investment management
authority. Some did not review the
periodic investment statements from
Madoff and instead focused only on the
bottom line returns.
What’s a Board to Do?
Given the opportunity to invest with
Madoff, some charities chose to steer
clear of his path. What factors may have
influenced these charities’ decision not
to invest?
First and foremost, board members
should understand the investment, no
matter how dynamic the fund manager
may be. Some investors reportedly chose
not to invest with Madoff because they
did not understand his strategy. A hedge
fund like the one run by Madoff would
be accompanied by an offering circular
describing the legal structure of the
investment, its tax implications, and its
potential risks. If the board does not have

legal perspectives — other people’s money: implications of the bernard madoff scandal on a charitable director’s fiduciary duties regarding investments • by terri lynn helge
legal perspectives
the expertise to evaluate the offering
circular, the board should seek the advice
of legal counsel competent to make
such an evaluation. One red flag is that
the offering circular contains a provision
about confidential proprietary strategies
of the fund manager and fails to disclose
the investment strategy. At a minimum,
the fund manager should disclose the
holdings in its management portfolio and
detailed information about exactly where
the money is and how it is handled. If the
investment is not adequately transparent,
then a charity board should think twice
before forging ahead.
Furthermore, uncovering facts about
Madoff’s auditor could have raised
additional questions for the board.
Madoff’s securities brokerage firm was
audited by Freihling & Horowitz, a largely
unknown firm with three employees and
controlled by Madoff’s brother-in-law.
Common sense should have caused one
to ask how a three-person firm effectively
audits an enterprise as complex and large
as Madoff’s brokerage firm that purported
to have $50 billion in assets under
management. Some investors reportedly
refused to invest with Madoff when they
learned that the auditor was not a wellknown
firm. In addition, the control of
the audit firm by Madoff’s brother-in-law
should have made one query whether
the auditor was capable of conducting an
independent audit. 3
In addition, the board may inquire as
to how the charity’s investment may be
protected with the fund manager. For
example, the board should consider
whether it is wise for the fund manager
to also have custody of the assets under
management, as was the case with
Madoff. This is a highly unusual practice.
Additionally, board members should ask
whether the prospective brokerage firm
or investment adviser has supplemental
fidelity insurance. The Securities
Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC),
created by Congress to quickly return
investments to customers of financially
troubled brokerage firms, generally does
not compensate victims for losses due to
fraud. Accordingly, SIPC “insurance” may
not be sufficient to protect the charity’s
investments, as the unfolding of the
Madoff scandal has revealed.
Moreover, the board should determine
if the investment complies with the
charity’s Investment Policy Statement and
Conflict of Interest Policy. The Investment
Policy Statement generally addresses the
charity’s acceptable level of risk and
expected return, the types of assets in
which the charity may invest, the strategy
for diversification, how investment
managers are selected and monitored,
how prospective investments are
evaluated, and the periodic review and
evaluation of the charity’s investments.
The Conflict of Interest Policy generally
describes what constitutes a conflict of
interest, imposes a duty to disclose any
actual or possible conflict of interest, and
provides procedures by which a conflictof-interest
transaction must be approved.
These policies generally are developed
with careful thought and reflection.
Accordingly, adherence to these policies
may reveal rational problems with the
potential investment that may otherwise
be overlooked when a seductive
investment opportunity tempts the
directors. More importantly, not adhering
to these policies is strong evidence that
the directors did not act with due care in
approving the investment.
Finally, board members may ask
themselves, “What would I do if it were
my own money?” The standard of care
requires a director to act prudently with
the charity’s money. If a board member
would think twice before investing
personal funds in the prospective
investment, the investment of the charity’s
funds should have no lesser standard.
Tough Lessons Learned
By all accounts, Madoff’s touted returns
were remarkable. It has been widely
reported that many Madoff investors
wondered whether he achieved his
returns by front-running or relying on
insider information. While some investors
took the “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach,
those who steered clear of Madoff abided
28
by the old adage, “if something is too good
to be true, it probably is.” Those charities
that hid from the facts and got burned
cannot now claim they are “victims.” The
important lessons the Madoff scandal has
taught the charitable community are that
charity board members need to:
• Be informed and participate in the
decision-making process regarding
the charity’s investments;
• Conduct diligence and ask
appropriate questions before making
investment decisions;
• Avoid investment proposals that are
not adequately explained.
One tongue-in-cheek commentator
noted that perhaps one of the most
important lessons learned for charity
board members is: “Thou shall not invest
an endowment’s assets based on [country
club] locker room talk.” 4 Charitable
organizations cannot afford to ignore
lessons bought at so high a price as the
Madoff scandal. z
_______________________________________
1 An analogous standard applies to trustees
of charitable trusts. Because the vast majority
of charitable organizations in the United States
are organized as corporations, this article will
focus on the standards applicable to directors
of charitable corporations.
2 UPMIFA has been adopted in, or is
currently being considered for adoption by,
more than 35 jurisdictions in the United States.
Texas adopted UPMIFA in 2007.
3 Although the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
generally requires brokerage firms to be audited
by an accounting firm registered with the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board,
the SEC exempted privately-held brokerage
firms, such as Madoff’s brokerage firm, from
this requirement. This exception expired on
December 31, 2008.
4 Jack Siegel, Charity Governance blog,
(http://www.charitygovernance.com/
charity_governance/2009/03/thou-shall-notinvestment-an-endowments-assets-basedon-lockerroom-talk-senator-grassley-speaks.
html#more).

Law Review: From the Page to the Public By
Fifteen years following the first publication, the organization is working to bring
that scholarly criticism and analysis to its audiences in person. During the 2008-09
academic year, Texas Wesleyan Law Review members hosted not one, but three,
symposiums – one in the fall semester and two in the spring – all related to
current legal issues and trends.
“This year, as far as [editor-in-chief] Jim Kiser and I can tell, is the first year
the school has ever hosted law review symposiums on campus,” 3L and
symposium editor Zach Burt said. “The law review has been involved in
symposiums before, and the previous board actually decided we would host
symposiums on campus.
“As [the current board] started planning and picking up where last year’s board
left off, we really started to see the value in holding symposiums on campus. We
saw the value in hosting symposiums and getting our name out there, and for
attracting professors and lawyers who wouldn’t otherwise come to our school.
It’s a complete turnaround because we went from not hosting any symposiums
on our campus to hosting three in one year.”
The ambitious undertaking met with great success. Symposiums covering the
topics of intellectual property law, alternative dispute resolution and urban
gas drilling provided forums for current and relevant issues in the legal field,
and presenters from across the country made their way to Texas Wesleyan to
participate. Presenters represented schools such as the University of Brandeis
School of Law, William Mitchell College of Law and the John Marshall Law
School. Notable names included Harriet Miers, former White House counsel, and
Sharon Press, director of the Florida Dispute Resolution Center.
“Our main purpose is to challenge the legal community, explore questions in the
legal field, and open a dialogue of issues,” Burt said. “The ADR symposium, love
it or hate it, was a full day of dialogue of issues.”
An Honor Everyone Can Be Proud Of
Members of the law review may have spared a few moments to savor the
success of the symposiums, but they are already looking ahead to bigger events
on the horizon.
In March 2010, Texas Wesleyan School of Law will welcome law review
members from across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico for the National
Conference of Law Reviews (NCLR), an event the law review was elected to host
following a successful bid at the 2008 national conference.
3L Audra Eidem Heinze is the NCLR editor for the Texas Wesleyan Law Review.
“We had to present to [the general assembly] why we were the best choice to
host the conference,” Heinze said. “The member review of the general assembly
voted on the school they wanted to host the conference and we won.”
The law review actually made its first bid to act as the host school in 2007.
Though not selected, members tried again the following year, this time with a
successful result.
Consisting of training seminars and panels led by students, professors, judges,
attorneys and other prominent members of the legal and academic communities,
the four-day seminar brings together the editorial boards of law reviews and
student journals representing more than 100 institutions from the United States
and beyond. As the conference host, Texas Wesleyan Law Review members are
responsible for details from deciding what to serve for breakfast to securing the
keynote speakers.
The annual conference also includes the Scribes Law Review Award presentation,
an honor which is presented for the best student article in a law review or journal
each year. Texas Wesleyan alumnus David Pratt ’07 received the award in 2007.
While Heinze could not disclose details about potential speakers for the 2010
conference, she said the law review is working to get top-tier presenters who
will be nationally, if not internationally, known. If the 2009 lineup, which included
high-profile speakers such as senior analyst for CNN and staff writer for The New
Yorker Jeffrey Toobin and editor-in-chief of Black’s Law Dictionary Bryan Garner,
is any indication, 2010 will surely not disappoint attendees.
The law review’s work for NCLR does not stop with planning the 2010 conference.
In addition to its duties as host site, Texas Wesleyan School of Law is currently
acting as the headquarters for NCLR. As such, the school is responsible for the
annual membership drive, collection of membership dues, maintenance of the
organization’s web site, coordination of the bidding for and hosting of the annual
conference, and conducting the annual board meeting.
“Every law review in the country will be contacting us to get information on how
to run a law review, and we can direct them to the people to contact,” Heinze
said. “We are in a really unique position, seeing as we are the headquarters and
are hosting the conference. Normally one school is the headquarters and one
school is the host, and they actually voted on us to do both, which is unusual
and very exciting.”
The school began its duties as NCLR headquarters in 2008, with a term
that will last for five years. Heinze said that acting as headquarters for the
organization can positively impact all the students at Texas Wesleyan, not
just law review members.
“Directly it will benefit the law review students, because it’s focused to train
them to run a law review,” Heinze said. “Indirectly, students here will benefit
because being the NCLR headquarters will expand Texas Wesleyan’s name
recognition, which hopefully strengthens the prestige of Texas Wesleyan and
ultimately, that will increase the value of our degrees.”
The scale of NCLR is much greater than that of the symposiums, but Burt said
he hopes the work done this year has provided some guidance for the students
who are already at work planning the NCLR event. He also wants people outside
of the law review to see the value of hosting the event.
“NCLR is a huge deal, and it is a big honor for our school,” Burt said. “This is
something our alumni can be very proud of, something everyone in the Wesleyan
law community can be very proud of. Literally, 100 to 150 law reviews will be
here, seeing our school, seeing our facilities, seeing our community, meeting our
people – it’s a huge honor.”
To learn more about NCLR, visit www.nclrlaw.com. For details on the 2010 NCLR
conference, visit www.law.txwes.edu/nclr2010.
29
Abby E. Dozier
The first issue of the Texas Wesleyan Law Review was published in the spring of 1994, the same year the law
school graduated its first class. Fourteen volumes have been produced since that time, and law review members
have worked diligently to continually publish a review that encourages scholarly criticism and analysis of legal
issues that are of interest to practitioners and law students.

alumni
Letter from the President of the
Law Review Alumni Association
The Texas Wesleyan Law Review Alumni
Association (LRAA) has come such a
long way this past year and we’re making
tremendous financial progress with the Law
Review Endowment Fund. Thank you again
to everyone who contributed in this effort
and, most of all, thank you, Judy and Stephen
Alton, for your generous challenge gift.
We had several exciting events this spring and thank
all of you who were able to attend. These events
included the LRAA annual meeting on April 18, where
we discussed, among other things, the mechanics of
the investment process for the Law Review Endowment
Fund, where your money goes, and how it supports the
law review. On April 25, we held an end-of-year bash
at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, where we relaxed with old
friends, celebrated accomplishments of the outgoing
law review members, met the incoming members, and
congratulated those students selected for publication.
The Urban Gas Drilling Symposium held April 16-17
was a phenomenal success – a special thanks to everyone
who contributed to this event.
By now you should have received the LRAA spring
newsletter via e-mail; if you missed it, please download
a copy from our web site. This is an exciting time for
the alumni community and the current law review, so
don’t be left out! If you’re interested in joining the LRAA,
we may have a few vacancies on the board of directors
at the end of this year. E-mail me at candacecollins@
yahoo.com or Casey Dyer at cdyer@law.txwes.edu for
more information.
Finally, be sure to visit law.txwes.edu/lawreview for
more event details.
Candace Collins ‘02, president
Law Review Alumni Association
report
news from the office of advancement & alumni relations
30
Second annual crawfish boil brings
community together
Stormy skies couldn’t stop Texas Wesleyan University
School of Law’s community crawfish boil on April 18.
Part of the annual reunion weekend, the second annual
event was a tremendous success that provided something
for everyone. More than 500 alumni, students and friends
of the law school enjoyed crawfish, entertainment by the
Briefcase Blues Brothers Band, and reuniting with old
friends at the “party in the parking lot.”
“This year’s alumni weekend crawfish boil provided our
community with a wonderful opportunity to connect with
friends, professors and staff, students, and even a few
former deans,” Casey Dyer, director of alumni relations
and external affairs, said. “The alumni board decided
to try something new this year and it proved to be an
incredible success. The crawfish boil alumni chair Caroline
Akers ’04, along with her committee members, did an
outstanding job.
“This was the largest turnout for any single event in the
law school’s history and I could not have been happier
about the support shown by our community – it left me
speechless.”
Held on-site at the law school’s downtown campus, the
crawfish boil brought together people throughout the
law school community. Former Dean Fred Slabach and
(continued on page 33)
The Briefcase Blues Brothers Band entertained the crowd
at the second annual community crawfish boil.
Photo by Abby E. Dozier

Photo by Abby E. Dozier
alumni
report
Dean Frederic White with Dean Emeritus Frank Elliott and former Dean Fred Slabach.
Letter to Alumni Association
Fellow Alum,
Very soon, my two-year term as president of our
association will come to an end. Although the law
school is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the
school, the alumni board and our association are
still in their early years. While all that I set out to do
during my six years on the alumni board was not
achieved, I have seen many accomplishments. Let me mention
just a few of these:
• To date, 2009 has seen the alumni giving percentage
increase to 6 percent, our highest rate ever. (Though we’re
still working to match the national giving average of 10
percent, so please continue to show your support!)
• A 2008 banquet honoring Professor and Judge Joe Spurlock
brought together more than 400 faculty, staff, alumni and
distinguished guests to celebrate Judge Spurlock’s
many achievements.
• The 2008 Annual Alumni Reunion Weekend was our
best ever, and included the inaugural Chief Justice Joe
Greenhill Golf Tournament, which brought in a scholarship
fund of $10,000 for the Chief Justice Joe Greenhill
Endowment Scholarship.
• In 2008, the alumni e-newsletter was created to keep you
informed and connected to the law school.
• In 2008, alumni events were expanded and are now being
held around the state.
• Alumni participation in events increased overall as a result
of enhanced outreach to members of the alumni community,
with quarterly CLEs and monthly networking luncheons
offered across the DFW area.
Your board didn’t make this happen alone. It was truly a
collaborative effort of the board, our association’s membership,
and the school.
Top, from left: Casey Dyer ‘06, director of alumni relations and external affairs; Caroline Akers ‘04;
and Jessica Graham ‘04. Front: Chris Long ’04 and Connie Pyatt-Dryden ‘06.
Since taking the helm of the school, Dean Frederic
White, not only by words, but by action, has
demonstrated his commitment to the alumni
association, and to you, its members. This is
evidenced by the expanded support the board
and our association receive from members of
the school’s alumni relations office. Casey Dyer
‘06, director of alumni relations and external
affairs, along with her outstanding staff, has been
instrumental in assisting the board to reach its goals
and grow our association. All of this exemplifies
our unified commitment to the association. New growth and
exciting beginnings are certainly on the horizon for our school
and association.
As a member of the law school’s first class, I’m excited about
where we are today, yet I am most excited about where we’re
going and what lies ahead. I hope you had the opportunity to
attend this year’s annual alumni weekend, and I ask that you
plan now to attend our school’s 20th anniversary celebrations
banquet this fall.
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you and to have
had the opportunity to work with our many fine board members.
I remain committed to the association and to the school, and I
am proud to say that I am a Texas Wesleyan University School
of Law graduate.
Remember, great things are on the horizon for our association.
So this year, make the decision to be involved. You will be glad
you did.
My best regards,
Ralph Swearingin, Jr. ’94, president
Alumni Association
31
Photo by Abby E. Dozier

2009 Alumni Weekend Sponsors
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law would like to thank the following sponsors who made the 2009
alumni weekend activities a success. Their generous support benefi ts various programs and organizations on
campus, including but not limited to, the Chief Justice Joe Greenhill Endowment, the Texas Wesleyan Law
Review Endowment, and the Wesleyan Law School Annual Fund.
Alumni Association
Community Crawfish Boil
Sponsors
Primus Services Group, LLC
Looper, Reed & McGraw, P.C.
XTO Energy, Inc.
The Law Offi ce of
Rebecca Calabria, P.C.
Law Offi ces of Scott R. Doody, PLLC
Dale Resources, LLC
Ben E. Keith Company
The Depot
Texas Wesleyan Law Class of ’98 –
Joel Hudson, Heather Barbieri
& Angela Adkins Downes
Texas Wesleyan Law Class of ’04 –
Caroline Akers & Jessica Graham
Texas Wesleyan Law Class of ’06 –
Casey Dyer
Texas Wesleyan Law
Night Advocacy Group
Texas Wesleyan Law
Student Bar Association
Texas Wesleyan Law Review
Texas Wesleyan Law Phi Delta Phi
Chief Justice Joe Greenhill
Golf Tournament Sponsors
Ben E. Keith Company
Tarrant County Bar Association
Jackson Lewis, LLP
Thompson & Knight Foundation
Old Republic National Commercial
Title, Carole Badgett
Smith Cunningham, L.P.
Tivoli Wines
Koons, Fuller, Vanden Eykel
& Robertson, P.C.
Winstead, P.C.
Cantey Hangar, LLP
Digital Discovery Corporation
Haynes and Boone, LLP
McDonald Sanders, P.C.
Courtroom Sciences, Incorporated
Professional Technologies,
Incorporated
Strategic Insight Group
Weaver and Tidwell, LLP
Shackelford, Melton & McKinley, LLP
Law, Snakard & Gambill, P.C.
32
Pye Legal Group
Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller, LLP
BMW
Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C.
Guida, Slavich & Flores, P.C.
The P. Micheal Schneider Law Firm
Johnson, Vaughn & Heiskell
Texas Wesleyan Law Alumni
Association Board of Directors
Stephen S. Mosher ’95
Hon. Ralph D. Swearingin, Jr. ’94
Dr. Gary ’95 and Nancy Fish
LexisNexis
Texas Lawyer
Fort Worth Business Press
Law Review Urban Gas
Drilling Symposium Sponsors
XTO Energy, Inc.
Taylor, Olson, Adkins, Sralla
& Elam, LLP

alumni
report
(continued from page 30)
Dean Emeritus Frank Elliott were
in attendance, as was current Dean
Frederic White. The Briefcase Blues
Brothers Band, an eight piece band
fronted by Dan Aykroyd and John
Belushi Blues Brothers impersonators,
provided music and entertainment
throughout the day. Face painting,
a bouncy house and photos with a
miniature horse provided hours of fun
for the many children in attendance.
Dyer said bringing students together
with alumni was an important
element of the event that will benefit
everyone involved.
“This event gave students a chance
to see what our alumni community
stands for,” Dyer said. “I hope it
encouraged everyone to get involved
in making a difference for future
generations. That’s what our alumni
weekend is all about.”
Reunion weekend activities kicked off
with the Texas Wesleyan Law Review
Urban Gas Drilling Symposium, April
16-17. Sponsored by XTO Energy, the
symposium brought together more
than 20 practitioners and professors to
address the legal, environmental and
regulatory issues that surround urban
gas drilling.
“Including the symposium as part of the
reunion weekend reminded alumni of
one of the ways they can stay involved
in the academic opportunities that
are continually available at the law
school,” Dyer said.
Ricardo De Los Santos
scholarships awarded
Students from Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law’s Hispanic
Law Student Association gathered on
Sept. 16, Mexican Independence
Day, to recognize the recipients
Photo by Abby E. Dozier
1L Carol Longoria, Ricardo De Los Santos ‘94, and 2L
Atalia Garcia. Longoria and Garcia were the recipients
of the 2008-09 Ricardo De Los Santos scholarships.
of the 2008-09 Ricardo De Los
Santos scholarships.
2L Atalia Garcia and 1L Carol
Longoria were each awarded the
annual scholarships at an afternoon
presentation at the law school’s Bernie
Schuchmann Conference Center.
The scholarships are presented to
deserving Hispanic students at Texas
Wesleyan University School of Law.
Richard Roper, U.S. attorney for the
Northern District of Texas, welcomed
attendees and talked about his respect
for De Los Santos and what he observes
as the “independence movement” in
Mexico. U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles
Bleil presented the scholarships to
Garcia and Longoria. He spoke of his
respect for De Los Santos and all that
he has achieved and given.
“His story is one of the true American
dreams,” Bleil said. “He is a public
servant. He provides good defense,
not making a fortune [for himself].”
This was the eighth year the
scholarships were awarded.
Chesapeake donation
benefits fellowship
students
In September, Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law announced
a donation from Chesapeake Energy
for $12,000 that will benefit students
33
through the Texas Wesleyan Law
Fellowship. The program provides
stipends to students who wish
to practice law in the public
service sector.
“Many public service organizations
cannot afford to pay interns, yet
they desperately need the support
these students can provide,” Dean
Frederic White said. “The Wesleyan
Law Fellowship provides selected
students with stipends for living
expenses so they are able to work with
these organizations and get the legal
experience so vital to their education.
Chesapeake’s generous gift will help
provide funding for four fellows this
summer, and we are so grateful to
them for creating this opportunity.”
The donation was presented by
Leah King, Chesapeake’s director of
community relations, at the company’s
downtown Fort Worth office on Sept.
10, 2008. Dean White, Casey Dyer,
director of alumni relations and
external affairs, and 2L Roxanna
Manoochehri, president of the
Wesleyan Law Fellowship, accepted
the check on behalf of Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law.
Fundraising for fellowship stipends
is currently in full swing at the law
school. The fall fellowship auction,
the organization’s biggest fundraiser,
took place on Friday, Oct. 3, and
included live and silent auctions.
The auction raised a total of $43,210,
which included $21,605 from auction
items and a matching gift of $21,605
from Dean Frederic White.
Fellowship recipients practice at
organizations that include Legal Aid
of Northwest Texas, Catholic Charities
Immigration Project, Tarrant County
Probate Court One, and the attorney
general’s office. z
alumni report • news from the office of advancement & alumni relations

Craig Woodcook ’05
In-House/Corporate Counsel
Ben E. Keith Company
Your Alumni Association Network.
Casey R. Dyer ’06
Director of Alumni
Relations & External Affairs
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
Caroline Akers ’04
Energy Law
Looper, Reed & McGraw, P.C.
Hon. Ralph Swearingin, Jr. ’94
Justice of the Peace
Precinct One, Tarrant County
Every gift - no matter the
Make Your Gift Today at alumni.law.txwes.edu
All gifts are tax deductible. For more information on specifi c giving
opportunities, contact Casey Dyer at cdyer@law.txwes.edu or (817) 212-4145.

Paving the Way for Future Generations.
Angela Adkins Downes ’98
Nonprofi t/Public Policy Law
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Hon. Nancy Berger ’94
Family Court Judge
322nd District Court, Tarrant County
size - makes a difference.
Steve Mosher ’95
Patent, Trademark, Copyright Law
Whitaker, Chalk, Swindle & Sawyer, LLP
Gifts to the Wesleyan Law School Annual Fund give us the fl exibility to allocate
resources to the law school’s most critical programs such as:
Academic and Clinical Training Programs
Faculty Research
Student Scholarships
Community Outreach Initiatives

alumni
1994
Rodney Adams was appointed as
a municipal court judge in Irving,
Texas, in October 2008. He is the first
African-American judge ever appointed
in Irving. He was also recently
nominated and named as a Dallas Bar
Association Fellow.
William Brotherton just returned from
his third stint as a gallery yard at the
14th hole of Augusta for the PGA Masters
Tournament. One of his duties “inside
the ropes” was to keep an eye out for
balls heading into the crowd and yelling
“right” or “left” to the crowd. William is
with the Brotherton Law Firm in Flower
Mound, Texas. All of the firm’s full-time
attorneys are Texas Wesleyan School of
Law graduates. The firm’s overall practice
centers on complex civil litigation.
William is also the author of the book
Burlington Northern Adventures.
Dwayne Danner has joined the firm of
McGlinchey Stafford PLLC as of-counsel
in the commercial litigation section of
the Dallas office. Dwayne brings to the
firm more than 10 years of experience
handling a wide range of commercial
litigation matters, including banking and
consumer financial services, real estate,
title insurance and insurance defense.
1995
Stephen Mosher has been notified that
several enlarged and framed prints
from his series of photographs taken
in Big Bend National Park in July 2008
are being shown at Adobe Western Art
Gallery in the Fort Worth Stockyards
district, 2324 North Main Street, Fort
Worth, Texas. Stephen has served on
the alumni board of directors since 2004
and is a charter member of the Warren E.
Burger Society.
news & notes
a digest of news, notes, events and features
36
alumni
profile
Dr. Gerald N. Glickman ’94
Dr. Glickman is professor and chair of the Department of
Endodontics and director of Graduate Endodontics at Texas
A&M University/Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas. He has
had similar positions at the University of Washington and at the
University of Michigan. He has also chaired the Department of
Stomatology at the University of Texas-Houston Dental Branch. Dr. Glickman holds
an M.S. in microbiology from the University of Kentucky, a D.D.S. from Ohio State
University, a G.P.R. certificate from the University of Florida, a certificate and M.S.
in endodontics from Northwestern University, an M.B.A. from Southern Methodist
University, and a J.D. from Texas Wesleyan University.
Dr. Glickman is a diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics (ABE) and is pastpresident
of the ABE. Dr. Glickman is a consultant for the Commission on Dental
Accreditation, past-vice president of the Council of Sections of the American Dental
Education Association (ADEA), and is a member of ADEA’s Commission for Change and
Innovation in Dental Education as well as chair of the Council of Sections Task Force on
Competencies and Foundation Knowledge for the New General Dentist. He is the current
president-elect of the American Association of Endodontists and is a fellow of both the
American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists.
Why Texas Wesleyan? Why did you want a law degree?
I wanted a law degree to give me a broader perspective as my career had been so focused
on science and dentistry. Texas Wesleyan was perfect for me because I taught at Baylor
during the day and I was able to attend school at night. It was tough but well worth it. I
now present seminars in risk management to dental practitioners, and my background in
law has allowed me to present both the legal as well as the ethical issues. What is funny
is that as soon as I am introduced as having a J.D., many times I get boos, but after they
hear the legal side, they all seem to more fully understand the issues associated with
malpractice, the importance of communication with patients (e.g. informed consent), and
the importance of pristine record documentation.
Additional professional endeavors:
Dr. Glickman is heavily involved in dental education curriculum reform at the national
level and practices one day per week in Richardson (root canals only!). He serves on
the editorial boards of the International Endodontic Journal; Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine,
Oral Pathology, Radiology, and Endodontics; and is an associate editor of the Journal of
Endodontics. He has contributed to major texts in endodontics including the 9th ed. of
Pathways of the Pulp, the new 4th ed. of Principles and Practice of Endodontics, and the
new 6th ed. of Ingle’s Endodontics. His research interests include endodontic technology,
dental education and curriculum, and risk management.

alumni
news & notes
1997
Lori Spearman has recently been
nominated for Director Place 1 of the
Tarrant County Bar Association. She is
currently the chair of the TCBA Fundraising
Committee, serves as the immediate pastpresident
of the Tarrant County Family
Law Bar Association, and is on the alumni
association board of directors.
1998
David Colley and D’Ann Parker Colley
have purchased a building in downtown
Mt. Pleasant, Texas, so D’Ann can
continue her family law practice and
mediation work. David is the assistant
district attorney for Titus and Camp
counties. They have two boys, Parker,
age 5, and Judson, 20 months, who they
enjoy at home.
1999
Scott Brokaw facilitated bilateral talks
between German and United States
officials during the February 2009
Munich Security Conference, which was
attended by Vice President Joe Biden,
National Security Adviser James Jones,
and Department of Defense officials. The
purpose of the talks is to gain support from
German officials for the 40,000 U.S. Forces
and their families currently stationed in
Germany. This was the fourth Munich
Security Conference Scott has worked on
since relocating to Munich in 2006. Scott
has worked for the U.S. Department of
Defense assigned to Germany since April
2000. The focus of his work is to negotiate
favorable conditions with GE state and
federal officials for U.S. Forces and their
families stationed and living in Germany.
Todd Duncan recently authored an article
dealing with federal sentencing that was
published in The Champion, the national
magazine for the National Association
for Criminal Defense Lawyers. Todd is
a partner in Joaquin & Duncan, LLC, in
Bedford, Texas.
Jill A. Pollak has been elected to serve on
the board of directors for the Dallas Trial
Lawyers Association this year. She is also
the vice president of membership for the
Dallas Women Lawyers Association.
Tiffany (Bescherer) Quindt married
Brad Quindt in August 2008.
37
alumni
Brian J. Hall ’99
Brian Watkins is now an industrial
appeals judge with the Washington State
Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals.
2000
Blake Hedgecock was named as a “Rising
Star” in the 2009 Texas Super Lawyers.
profile
Brian is an attorney and managing partner at Barnett-McNair-
Hall, LLP, and the founder, chairman of the board and president
of “A Child Can Do All Things” (www.ACCDAT.org).
Why did you choose to go to law school? Why did you choose Texas Wesleyan?
I always wanted to help others by being an attorney since high school. My wife and I
chose Texas Wesleyan because the IRS was on the top floor of the building in downtown
Fort Worth, and I wanted to intern with them during my second and third years at school.
Professor Lee Schwemer and other tax professors were a real inspiration to my career.
How does law help you in your career today?
I practice in the field of estate planning and probate, helping families pass their estates
orderly down generations. Barnett-McNair-Hall is more than 40 years old and some of our
clients are four generations. I enjoy the complexity and intertwined interests with wills,
trusts, and partnerships and corporations of our clients.
What is your best memory of Texas Wesleyan?
I always remember sitting in the library or break room listening to the first-year students’
conversations about the law and the absolute answers that were never true – and then,
laughing that I, too, was once there discussing the issues.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
In 2004, my wife and I initiated the beginnings of a therapy center in Dallas, now called
“A Child Can Do All Things.” We started the center when we found out our second child,
Katherine, had cerebral palsy and were told she would not walk. This organization has
blossomed into a full nonprofit 501(c)3 company, and we are now helping more than 50
families with therapy. The center helps children with motor disabilities, such as cerebral
palsy, become more independent in society. Katherine now walks on canes and is
integrated into normal second-grade classrooms, as are many of our other graduates. Since
the inception, we have raised more than half a million dollars to keep the organization
going, and we are really making a difference in these children’s and their family’s lives.
My time is split between my work as managing partner of the law firm and the center.
Tell us a fun, interesting or random fact that others don’t know about you:
I love the Rocky Mountains and try to spend some quality time each year in the quiet
serenity of the mountains. I love to snow ski and fly fish there every year.

alumni
news & notes
Kathryn Freed-Collier opened the Law
and Mediation Office of K. Freed-Collier
in New Windsor, Md. Her practice focuses
on family law. Her federal practice area
is in civil rights, Title VII, and 42 USC
1983. She was the keynote speaker on
the United States Constitution for Law
Day, 2008, at Fort Detrick. Kathryn has
also started a support group called “First
Wives and Husbands Club,” which meets
in her office once a month. She has been
sworn into Maryland court since 2000,
federal court since 2003, and the U.S.
Supreme Court with the first class from
Texas Wesleyan to be sworn into the bar
of the Supreme Court.
Jolene Miller passed the Washington
State Bar exam in July and is now
licensed in the state. She is senior
counsel, compliance with REI.
Cynthia Williams was recently chosen
as a “Texas Rising Star 2009” for her
tax expertise and was included in the
latest Texas Super Lawyers. She is also
currently the president-elect and will
be the president of the Tarrant County
Probate Bar Association beginning
June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010.
2001
Tracey L. Cloutier has joined the law
firm of Matthews, Stein, Shiels, Pearce,
Knott, Eden & Davis, LLP, where she
practices primarily in the areas of
construction law and creditor’s rights
and collections.
Nikki Morton was named as a “Rising
Star” in the 2009 Texas Super Lawyers.
2002
Sandra Leigh King (formerly Chambers)
has completed her LL.M. at Southern
Methodist University. Her article “While
You Were Sleeping,” about copyright
infringement of video games, has been
published by the Science and Technology
Law Review at SMU. In addition to
her private practice and teaching for
alumni
Sonya Bible ‘05
profile
A native of Dallas, Sonya graduated from the Booker T.
Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
where she was classically trained in voice and piano. She holds
a B.S. in petroleum engineering from the University of Texas at
Austin and an M.S. in information systems from the University
of Texas at Arlington Graduate School of Business. She started her own information
technology consulting firm after working in positions with companies including Texas
Instruments and EDS (now HP). While attending Texas Wesleyan, Sonya worked full
time as a professor at the Art Institute of Dallas, instructing and developing course
work in web development and copyright law. Since graduating from Texas Wesleyan,
Bible has earned an LL.M. in intellectual property and information law from the
University of Houston Law Center and worked as a registered patent attorney at Yee
and Associates, P.C., in Dallas, Texas. She recently opened the Law Office of Sonya
Bible in Dallas.
Why did you choose Texas Wesleyan School of Law?
I was working full time and wanted to attend law school part time at night. At the time,
Texas Wesleyan was the only law school offering part-time night classes. The program was
also a good fit for nontraditional students. I remember how friendly the staff was the first
time I visited the school. In addition, by coincidence or fate, Tawanna Cesare, who at that
time was the president of the Black Law Students Association, walked into the business
services office as I was asking questions about the school and immediately took me under
her wing. I appreciate not only the career opportunities but also the friendships that Texas
Wesleyan School of Law allowed me to make.
What is your favorite memory of law school?
I really enjoyed my classes with Professor Susan Ayres during my second year and Professor
Neal Newman during my fourth year in the program. Since I was also teaching at the
time, I appreciated their teaching and presentation styles and the general atmosphere in
their classes. Also, because I attended Texas Wesleyan for four years, each year I would
pick a different organization to participate in. Throughout that time, these organizations
included the Moot Court Honor Society, Hispanic Law Student Association, Wesleyan
Law Democrats, Christian Legal Society, being attorney general of the Black Law Students
Association, a Thomas Tang Moot Court Competitor for Asian Pacific Islanders Law
Student Association, president of the Intellectual Property and E-commerce Society, and
president of the Longhorn Legal Society. This was the best decision I could have made. I
continue to network with the same people I networked with while in law school today in
the legal community. The people that I did favors for in law school are doing favors for me
in my career and vice versa.
Tell us a fun, interesting or random fact that others don’t know about you:
While attending law school, I decided to jump out of a plane. Or maybe I decided to jump
out of a plane because I was attending law school. Take your pick.
38

alumni
news & notes
Concordia University, she is a lecturer
for the National Business Institute and
the Institute for Paralegal Education.
2003
Eric A. Maskell joined The College of
the State Bar of Texas in December 2008.
The College of the State Bar of Texas
is an honorary society of lawyers who
are among the best trained attorneys in
Texas. Members are qualified attorneys
who are interested in both high ethical
standards and improved training for all
Texas attorneys.
Sheri (Rogers) Tillman recently became
a member of The College of the State
Bar of Texas. The College of the State
Bar of Texas is an honorary society of
lawyers who are among the best trained
attorneys in Texas. Members are qualified
attorneys who are interested in both
high ethical standards and improved
training for all Texas attorneys. Sheri
is associate corporate counsel for
Morgan Management Corporation in
Garland, Texas.
Jeffrey T. Gipson married Nichole
Moss on Sept. 6, 2008. They proudly
announced the birth of their beautiful
daughter, Gabrielle Nichole Gipson, on
Oct. 7, 2008.
2004
Caroline Akers of Looper, Reed &
McGraw, P.C., was featured in Texas
Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star” for 2009.
She serves on the alumni association
board of directors and is chair of the
2009 Alumni Weekend Community
Crawfish Boil.
Theresa Berend and her husband,
Chuck, welcomed their baby boy, George
Maxwell, into the world on Dec. 13,
2008. Theresa is president of the Tarrant
County Young Lawyers Association
board of directors and serves on the
alumni association board of directors.
Tena G. Fox welcomed the birth of her
second daughter, Kate Addison Fox, on
Jan. 16, 2009. She is a partner at Leach
& Fox, P.C., in Hurst, practicing estate
planning and probate.
Jarrett Johnston and his wife, Amanda,
are proud to announce the birth of their
son, Emerson, on Feb. 17, 2009.
Geoffrey Keller has left the Dallas
district attorney’s office and opened a
law practice in Dallas with Kevin Vela,
Esq. Vela Keller P.C. is a general practice
firm that handles real estate, family and
estate law, criminal, civil law, and business
formation and consulting. They can be
reached online at www.velakeller.com.
Angie Hadley has been promoted to a
group supervisor position at Petrocasa
Energy LLC. Angie has worked at the
company since 2006.
Dorcas L. Hawker is to be married to
Tony R. Grubaugh, Jr. Dori is an attorney
at the law firm of Adams, Lynch & Loftin,
P.C., in Grapevine, Texas. Grubaugh
is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary and is a social
worker with the Salvation Army in
Fort Worth, Texas.
Gail Scott has been promoted to a group
supervisor position at Petrocasa Energy
LLC. Gail has worked at the company
since 2006.
2005
Shawn Brotherton recently passed
the bar exam and began working as
an attorney for the Brotherton Law
Firm, a full-service transactional/
litigation law firm that primarily
handles matters involving business,
insurance, transportation, environmental,
construction and real estate concerns.
Shawn is also an experienced land title
escrow officer.
Adam Chisholm published an article
in the 2008 AICPA magazine, The Tax
Adviser. The article discusses the changes
39
and ramifications of the Texas franchise
tax and choice of entity planning with
regard to the new tax. He was also
recognized as 2008 Professional of the
Year for the Tax and Business Service
Line at Weaver and Tidwell, LLP.
Abby Ryan and her husband, Chris,
are happy to announce the birth of
their baby girl, Kate Driscoll Ryan, on
Feb. 6, 2009, at 8:40 a.m. Kate weighed
in at 8 lbs. 13 oz. and measured
19 ¾ inches long.
Carrie Ward started a new job with
the Dallas County Criminal Courts as a
staff attorney.
Joshua Weems and his wife, Amy, are
proud to announce the birth of baby Noah
Weems, born July 6, 2008. Joshua joined
the Carpenter Law Firm in 2008. His
focus is insurance subrogation matters
involving personal property claims.
2006
Amy M. Youngblood and her husband,
Mitch, are proud to announce the birth
of their son, Gordon “Max” Maxwell
Youngblood, on Nov. 20, 2008.
Tim Donaldson has been working for
the Utah State Board of Education
since passing the Utah State Bar exam
in February 2007. He focuses on school
trust lands and permanent state school
fund investment issues.
Casey Dyer has been selected for the
inaugural session of Leading Edge,
Leadership Fort Worth’s leadership
development program for young
professionals, providing them the skills
and passion to become community
trustees. She is also recently engaged
to Mark Oliver, a partner with Brown,
Pruitt, Peterson & Wambsganss, P.C. The
wedding is planned for Jan. 2, 2010.
Laura Amick Gadness and her husband,
Joel, are proud to announce their first
child, a girl named Jessa James Gadness
born on Oct. 16, 2008, weighing 4 lbs. 4 oz.

news & notes
alumni
The following letter was sent to the faculty and staff of Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law by Rick Steeno ’08.
On Nov. 6, 2008, I received a call from one of my classmates congratulating me on passing the bar
exam. This last challenge officially completed my “law school career.” However, now I feel a need to
reflect on my experiences at Texas Wesleyan School of Law.
I was admitted in 2005 on a vote of 3-2. My credentials, though sufficient, were such that I was not
quickly accepted. This close call would not be the last of my law school career. I remember taking
a tour of the law school prior to the completion of the major renovation when the IRS moved out of the top floor. Much
of the work had not yet been completed so our tour guides did their best to try to convince us that the school would look
great when we started the next fall. The tour guides were right.
I started classes in late August as a typical night student; working all day and then rushing through traffic to get to the law
school. I was always trying to get to class with just a little extra time so I could read over my notes from the night before in
case I was called on by the dreaded Professor [James] McGrath. I say this with the greatest affection because he was one
of the best instructors I had and I took three of his classes.
Professors McGrath and [Lynne] Rambo were the toughest when it came to the Socratic method. I might be a bit sadistic,
but I look back at those classes with much fondness because they were so challenging and nerve-racking. I realize now just
how important it is for an aspiring attorney to be put in the hot seat; to be made to think quickly, express oneself accurately,
and to do so in front of others. Much better to stumble, mumble and bumble and suffer a measure of embarrassment in
class than in front of a judge, jury or client.
I was a competitive student and was pleased to discover that the law school attracts many other competitive students.
Those of us trying to make better than average grades or make law review were able to encourage and strengthen each
other through the law school’s competitive environment. I am a much better lawyer today because of it.
Whatever is being done to get the faculty who are teaching at Texas Wesleyan School of Law – keep doing it. I am a teacher
and I know good instruction when I see it. The faculty at the law school is first rate. Ditto for the staff. I was always treated
wonderfully by the staff. No one was ever too busy to visit, answer a question, or fix something I’d messed up regarding my
financial aid, registration, etc.
Although I think the night advocacy group has made some good contributions and has a good motive, I think many night
students have a more realistic, slightly less demanding posture. I consider it a privilege to have attended law school at all.
It is a MAJOR hassle to offer a night program with all the duplicity and concessions that night students require. We are not
day students and thus do not act like them in several ways. We cannot join lots of groups, participate in lots of seminars
and functions, or even take advantage of many intern and employment opportunities because we are already working and
our schedules are full. The law school is doing a masterful job in offering all bar-related courses and a mix of activities in the
evening program to ensure we get the education we need in a timely fashion.
When I wrote my letter of introduction to the law school with my application, I promised that if allowed to attend I would
work hard, complete my law school curriculum, pass the bar, and become an attorney Wesleyan would be proud to claim
as an alum. Time will tell if and when I have kept my last promise.
With greatest respect and affection,
Richard J. Steeno ‘08
Attorney at Law
40

alumni
news & notes
The Gadness family moved to Allen,
Texas, in December. Laura’s fi rm, Amick
and Stevens, is located in Plano, Texas.
Valerie E. Anderko is a partner with
Novus Law, LLC, headquartered in
Chicago, Ill. Novus Law is a global legal
services fi rm focused exclusively on
providing corporations and law fi rms
with document management, review
and analysis services. Valerie advises
and manages attorneys around the world
in the areas of commercial real estate,
corporate governance, and due diligence
review for international transactions
in addition to acting as in-house
corporate counsel.
Samuel Sanchez joined The Schneider
Law Firm, P.C., in January. He is primarily
practicing family law and probate. The
fi rm, founded by P. Micheal Schneider
’06, now offers representation in family
law, criminal defense, probate/estate
planning and bankruptcy.
Stephanie Prince recently joined The
Schneider Law Firm, P.C., in an ofcounsel
role and will be supervisor of the
fi rm’s consumer bankruptcy department.
P. Micheal Schneider ’06, founder of the
fi rm, credits the support and referrals of
fellow Texas Wesleyan law alumni as a
big reason for its phenomenal growth
over the last two years.
Stephanie Russ guest lectured for
Professor Neal Newman’s business
associations class on the real-world
application of the course content for
the second time in February. One of
Stephanie’s fi rst assignments when she
started practicing involved a merger
of several entities, and she had to
fi le and amend previous fi lings with
various secretary of state offi ces across
the country. The partnership allows
Stephanie to give back to the school and
the students in a way that is benefi cial to
the students.
Heidi Whitaker has been elected to
the board of directors for the Greater
Lewisville Community Theater and is
currently a member of the Lewisville
Noon Rotary. She practices in the areas
of family law, wills, estate planning and
probate, business and corporate matters,
and civil litigation for the Brotherton
Law Firm whose full-time attorneys
are all Texas Wesleyan School of
Law alums.
2007
Ronnie Hall and Brooke Mixon ’08 have
formed Hall & Mixon, PLLC, a general
law practice based in Arlington, Texas.
Warren Norred opened an offi ce in
downtown Arlington. The general
practice fi rm has a focus on intellectual
property, litigation and bankruptcy work.
Open since January, the offi ce is already
on their third patent application, has
several suits in process, and is working
through their fi rst batch of bankruptcy
fi lings. The Law Offi ce of Warren Norred
is located at 200 Abram, Suite 300,
Arlington, Texas 76001.
Alexander Wolfe will publish “Wrongful
Selection: Assisted Reproductive
Technologies, Intentional Diminishment
and the Procreative Right” 25 Thomas M.
Cooley Law Review, (forthcoming 2009).
This is his fi rst publication. Alexander
works at Findlay & Craft in Tyler, Texas.
Debbie Cunningham opened her
own practice in Irving, Texas. Her
practice focuses on estate planning and
probate. Debbie can be contacted at
320 Decker Dr., Suite 100, Irving, Texas
75062; phone (972) 719-2559; fax (972)
499-1878; e-mail debbie@irving-law.com.
2008
Gene Vaughan published “Lessons
Learned as a Second-Career Lawyer” in
Texas Lawyer, March 16, 2009.
James Graham has joined Johnston
Legal Group, P.C., an AV-Preeminent
Rated law fi rm. The principal offi ce
is located in Fort Worth and the group
serves the entire state of Texas through
its other offi ces located in Houston, San
Antonio and Lubbock. Graham practices
out of the Fort Worth, Texas, offi ce.
41
Brooke Mixon and Ronnie Hall ’07 have
formed Hall & Mixon, PLLC, a general
law practice based in Arlington, Texas.
Renea Overstreet began working at
Texas Lawyer in November 2008 as the
law editor. Her duties include writing
the daily case alerts and editing the
weekly paper, In-House Texas and
Executive Legal Adviser magazine. She
also solicits substantive law (or practicespecifi
c) articles from attorneys.
Renea can be contacted at (214) 744-
7702 (phone); (214) 741-2325 (fax);
or renea.overstreet@incisivemedia.com.
Due to editorial deadlines, class notes must
be submitted on or before the requested date
published by the offi ce of alumni relations.
E-mail cdyer@law.txwes.edu to submit your
class note.
In Memoriam
The Texas Wesleyan University
School of Law community expresses
deepest sympathy to the friends,
family and classmates of our alumni
who recently passed away.
IK E CH I N E D U AN A Z O D O ’04
DO N A L D HA RV E Y BR A N D T ’94
RY N D A E HA LT E R ’98
JE F F R E Y SC O T T KU B E S ’03
LE O AL O Y S I U S LU E B B E H U S E N ’94
JO H N HE N RY PE LT ’94
________________________________
Please send obituary notices to Casey Dyer,
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, 1515
Commerce St., Fort Worth, Texas 76102, or via
e-mail to cdyer@law.txwes.edu.
alumni news & notes • a digest of news, notes, events and features

42
Photo by Glen E.Ellman
Service
Leadership
By Abby E. Dozier
Khayan Williams ’96 has been
learning about the value of community
involvement all his life. As a child,
he watched his parents happily
participate in church activities and
food drives, and any event they took
part in always included an invitation
for their son to join them.
“They set that example by always
encouraging me to participate in those
drives,” Williams said. “I was encouraged
to participate, and it was a family event.
If Mom and Dad went to participate in the
food drive, I went too.”
Years later, it is evident that his parents
set a long-lasting example. From board
positions with the City of Arlington to
national public service organizations
such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving,

feature story
Williams’ list of community involvement is long and varied.
His obvious enjoyment of working for the benefit of others
in the community makes it seem natural that he set his
sights on civil work when he was in law school. Williams
now works as an assistant criminal district attorney in the
civil division of the Tarrant County D.A.’s office, a position
he has held since 1998.
Williams sees his role as a lawyer as a way to further
involve himself in the community events that have been a
part of his life for so many years.
“My observation and my experience has been that lawyers
are always looked to to participate on boards,” Williams
said. “As you participate in activities, one can look
across and see that lawyers have something to offer the
community. They have something to offer boards in
terms of the expertise that they bring to the table. Their
knowledge of the law, their knowledge of protocol, their
knowledge of how meetings are to be run, and the best
way to go about doing things for that board so that the
board can carry out its mission more effectively.”
LeadershipSBOT
In October 2008, the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Young
Lawyers Association announced a joint program called
LeadershipSBOT. Comprised of 19 lawyers from across the
state of Texas, the group’s members reflect the diversity of
the Texas population, individually demonstrate leadership,
and have goals of serving their communities and the legal
profession. Williams was among the 19 nominated for
the inaugural class. Members will attend three multiday
meetings, commit to three years of work on a standing
bar committee, section or other bar-related function, and
attend the 2009 state bar annual meeting.
Williams said the benefits of his participation in
LeadershipSBOT are multifaceted and will provide
him the opportunity to take more leadership roles in
the community while also furthering the mission of the
state bar.
“My involvement in LeadershipSBOT is a unique
opportunity to continue to develop and enhance
my leadership skills, as well as my involvement in
the community in a collaborative and supportive
environment of fellow lawyers,” Williams said. “It has
been my life’s mission to make a positive difference in
our community and in our society. Being a member of
LeadershipSBOT gives me the tools to achieve this goal
while furthering my understanding of leadership from a
variety of perspectives.”
The three multiday sessions will examine what is
expected of leaders and provide guidance and advice to
help members become effective and respected leaders in
their profession and in their communities. Applying the
lessons from the meetings is something Williams looks
forward to on many levels.
“Outreach and involvement in the legal community is
personally important and necessary,” Williams said.
“It is necessary in the legal community to maintain a
positive relationship with the people we serve. Positive
outreach creates an atmosphere of support, trust and open
communication with the community. When we create an
atmosphere of openness and support, the community will
view the legal community as protectors of their rights.”
Proud Alumnus
As a member of one of the law school’s earlier graduating
classes, Williams said he is excited to see the opportunities
for professional involvement that students are increasingly
provided at his alma mater. He sees their involvement
in the community as a way for them to develop as
young professionals while simultaneously benefiting
the community and familiarizing citizens with the law
school. Williams said he is pleased to tell people about
the school’s efforts and often receives questions about the
current programs and activities.
“[It] is something that I always tell people about, and more
importantly, it’s something that people always ask me
about,” Williams said. “I don’t even have to bring it up in
conversation. When people hear that I’m a Wesleyan grad,
the first thing they ask me about is the Innocence Project
and all those other wonderful programs that are going on
at the law school.”
Given Williams’ beliefs about the responsibilities of
the legal profession and the importance of providing
leadership, it is easy to imagine that the endeavors of the
young professionals who will one day be his colleagues
are a source of pride for him.
“I think the community naturally looks toward lawyers
as protectors of their rights,” Williams said. “I think it’s
our responsibility to take that respect they have for us and
nurture it and continue to foster it so that we don’t lose our
relationship with the community we serve.” z
43
feature story — service & leadership • by abby e. dozier • photo by glen e.ellman

career
In keeping with our mission of providing excellence in legal education,
emphasizing service to our diverse student body, our profession and our
community, I have felt privileged over the past several years to serve our
local and state bar legal communities in various roles. As the co-vice
chair of the Dallas Bar Association’s Minority Participation Committee,
I had the opportunity to partner with our neighbors in Dallas to present
and moderate a CLE earlier this year. The CLE, titled Practical Client
Development Tips for Junior Associates, targeted young lawyers working
for midsize and large firms. Our goal was to have our panelists share
their insights and offer practical business development tips that they
could implement. We also wanted to give them a better understanding of
client development.
With the help of the members of the DBA’s Minority Participation
Committee, I was able to assemble a distinguished panel. Our panelists
included Marcos Ronquillo, shareholder with GodwinRonquillo,
P.C.; Victor Vital, a partner with Baker Botts, LLP; Michael
Brito, a partner with Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP; and Cynthia
Pladziewicz, Ph.D., J.D., chief development officer for the
Dallas office of Thompson & Knight, LLP. As most of you
know, my background is as an assistant criminal district
attorney. Needless to say, the advice that I offered during the
presentation (and in this article) was based on the client
development books I have read.
Before the presentation, I solicited questions from
a number of junior associates. Their questions
ranged from What is client development? to What
do I do if I have a potential client? The theme
echoed by our panelists and the authors of client
development books is that client development is
relationship building and cultivation. The key is
to develop authentic, genuine relationships with
others and understand their business and what
they do. The idea is to establish a connection, not
so that you can make them a client, but rather, to
learn about them. Oftentimes, those relationships or
friendships will create opportunities. The answers to
the latter question varied; however, everyone agreed
that if you have a potential client, you need to get the
right persons at your firm involved.
Another common theme echoed during the panel
discussion and routinely covered in client development
books is the importance of becoming a competent
lawyer. Regardless of the relationships you build and
friendships you foster, if you have not developed the
necessary skills as a lawyer in your particular practice
area, your relationships will suffer. Some large firms
offer attorney training and development programs
with defined core competencies and bench marks,
both at the firm-wide level and within each practice
section. However, if your firm does not offer such
programs, a common way to develop these skills is to
find a mentor. A mentor can be someone at your firm
who has both professional and personal experience
who is willing to share it, or it can be someone in
services
answers to your career-related questions
Client Development Tips for Junior Associates
44
the local legal community. Some bar associations, such as the Tarrant
County Bar Association and the Dallas Bar Association, offer structured
mentorship programs. Through these programs, young lawyers are paired
with seasoned attorneys.
Networking is also recommended for client development. Junior associates
are encouraged to create visibility by getting involved in their local and state
bar associations as well as nonlawyer organizations. The key is to play to
your strengths and join groups that are aligned with your professional and
personal interests. In addition, seeking service opportunities that create
visibility and taking leadership roles is also recommended. However, you
have to be cautious and use your judgment. As one member of our panel
pointed out, you don’t want to become a social butterfly. You will quickly
find yourself spread too thin. It is also important to learn the dos and
don’ts of networking. For example, it is a good idea to stay away from
sensitive topics such as religion, politics, money, personal health matters
and relationship issues.
Another practical tip is to seek out speaking opportunities and to
publish. Both offer the opportunity to gain exposure, broaden your
network, establish a reputation, and connect with people that follow
a particular topic. Junior associates who feel they lack the experience
to tackle a publication or speaking engagement on their own should
identify partners within their firms who are publishing or
working on presentations and offer to help. Members of our
panel agreed that they would find it hard to turn down an
offer to help. In fact, our panelists agreed that they would
give the junior associate credit and also share the byline. One
thing to avoid when publishing is taking a position that may
draw negative attention or alienate certain readers.
For your reference, I have provided a listing of the books
that helped me prepare for the CLE and this article:
The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal
Career through Creative Networking and Business Development
by Ari Kaplan, 2008.
The Rainmaking Machine by Phyllis Weiss Haserot, 2007.
The Lawyer’s Field Guide to Effective Business Development by
William J. Flannery, Jr., 2007.
How to Capture and Keep Clients: Marketing Strategies for Lawyers
by Jennifer Rose, 2006.
Sincerely,
Arturo Errisuriz
Assistant Dean for Career Services

Please join us this year as we celebrate 20 years of Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
Friday, Sept. 25, 2009 – Chief Justice Joe Greenhill Memorabilia Dedication at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
Friday, Sept. 25, 2009 – Wesleyan Law Alumni Community Celebration at the Ashton Depot
Friday, Dec. 11, 2009 – Class of ’93 and ’94 Brunch & Plaque Dedication at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
Friday & Saturday, April 16-17, 2010 – Annual Alumni Weekend
Additional event details forthcoming.

Texas
Wesleyan
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
1515 Commerce Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Raising the Bar
in Fort Worth and
Tarrant County for
Two Decades
1989 — 2009
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Fort Worth, Texas
Permit No. 3310