Reflections - Texas Wesleyan School of Law - Texas Wesleyan ...

around
campus
“Equal Justice Day provides an informal
forum for law students and attorneys who
practice in public interest law, to discuss
internship and volunteer opportunities
available to law students,” Turner said.
“Students are exposed to a vast number of
public interest law opportunities and learn
specifics about practicing law in each area.
The participating attorneys consistently
make positive comments about Texas
Wesleyan law students and seem to be
truly committed to providing great legal
experiences for our students.”
Panelists and speakers for Public Interest
Week included Chris Mansour of Human
Rights Initiative of North Texas; Dallas
County Public Defender Michelle Moore;
Dallas County Public Defender Susan
Anderson; Federal Public Defender Jerry
Beard; Federal Public Defender Matthew
Belcher; Judge Ellen Smith of the Tarrant
County Juvenile Justice Center; Cynthia
Gustafson of Legal Aid of North West
Texas; and Wendall Withrow, attorney and
chair of the Dallas Sierra Club.
Teen court volunteers
compete to polish skills
Although it was very early on a Saturday
morning, teen court volunteers from
across North Texas made their way to
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
for the annual North Texas Teen Court
Competition on March 7.
High school students who comprised 14
teams from seven North Texas teen courts
competed in mock trials that were heard by
real judges and evaluated by law students.
This was the third year Texas Wesleyan
School of Law hosted the event.
Participants competed as lawyers, witnesses
and defendants in the mock trial cases,
all of which dealt with issues that often
arise in real teen court situations, such as
possession of marijuana or traffic citations.
Teen court is a legally binding alternative
disposition program that provides juveniles
the option to pay for offenses through
sentences such as community service, jury
terms and other requirements.
Many of the competitors participate
in their local teen court programs and
have aspirations to practice law. The
competition is often their first exposure to
Texas Wesleyan School of Law and gives
them the opportunity to see the campus
and interact with law students.
3L Joel Smith organized last spring’s North
Texas Teen Court Competition, an event he
had participated in for three years.
“I am always amazed at the high quality
of presentations that these high school
‘lawyers’ display,” Smith said. “Each
team had several weeks to prepare, so the
examination and cross-examination of
witnesses was as thorough as you would
expect to see in any real courtroom. The
law students took pride in the performance
of their teams in the preliminary rounds
and helped their teams improve their
presentations with each round.”
Smith said that the teens all enjoyed working
with the law students, and they showed
stronger presentation skills and increased
confidence following the feedback from
judges and law students.
The final two teams competed in front
of a crowded auditorium and a panel of
three municipal court judges. The Plano
teen court team won a close contest
against the Collin County team, with the
judges complimenting both teams on their
preparation and presentation.
Student receives Justice
James A. Baker Clerkship
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
2L Gabriel Gonzalez was the recipient
of the first ever Justice James A. Baker
Clerkship with Chief Justice Wallace
Jefferson of the Texas Supreme Court.
The Dallas Bar Foundation established the
judicial internship to honor former Texas
Supreme Court Justice James A. Baker.
Gonzalez was named as the recipient of
the clerkship at a luncheon at the Dallas
8
Bar Foundation on March 25. Chief Justice
Jefferson presented him the award.
Dean Frederic White said the clerkship
will provide Gonzalez a unique learning
experience.
“A judicial clerkship is a highly sought
after position, and Gabriel had to prove
himself against many other talented
applicants,” Dean White said. “We are
thrilled that he has earned this opportunity
and proud to have him represent the talents
of Texas Wesleyan law students at the
Texas Supreme Court this summer.”
The Justice James A. Baker Scholarship
Fund will provide a stipend covering
living expenses for the duration of
the internship.
Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson of the Texas Supreme Court
with 2L Gabriel Gonzalez on March 25. Gonzalez is the first
recipient of the Justice James A. Baker Clerkship.
Applicants were required to submit an
essay explaining their desire for the
internship. Gonzalez was selected from a
pool of applicants who had to meet several
requirements for eligibility. Students had
to show strong, demonstrated skills in legal
research and writing and a rank within the
top 33 percent of the class. Applicants were
also required to submit an essay and grade
in legal research and writing, an edited
writing course, or have prior participation
on a law review.
Cookie auction feeds 10,000
Can a dozen cookies, combined with
the desire of 102 students to avoid a law
professor’s line of in-class questioning,