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

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.
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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