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

news & notes
alumni
Alma Hernandez-Blackwell was
named the 2009 Employee of the Year
for the Fort Worth/Dallas office of the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development. She is the first attorney
to be recognized for this award.
George Mitcham is currently running
for judge for Denton County Court
at Law Number 1, which is Denton
County’s juvenile court, in the March
2010 primary. More information is
available at www.georgemitcham.com.
Donna Phillips recently returned
from a 10-day trip to South Africa
with a People to People Citizen
Ambassador Family Law Delegation.
Attorneys, judges and mediators
from five countries participated in a
professional exchange of information
and policy specifically related to
family law and mediation.
Eloy Villafranca was selected by
FDIC executives to serve as director
of Bank on California, the first
statewide program to help unbanked
residents enter the financial
mainstream. Working with the office
of the governor, their goal is to help
100,000 unbanked Californians gain
a foothold on the ladder of financial
stability within two years. In the first
three quarters of reporting for Bank
on California, member banks and
credit unions have opened more than
75,000 new accounts, representing an
annual savings of approximately $60
million to the previously unbanked
in California. Eloy also assists other
burgeoning communities trying to
start their own program throughout
the United States. Several states and
some 65 cities have since expressed an
interest in replicating his program.
2005
Sonya Bible was selected for the 2009-
2010 LeadershipSBOT class, a joint
program of the State Bar of Texas and
the Texas Young Lawyers Association.
Additionally, Sonya was appointed to
the State Bar Web Services Committee
for a three-year term. Her publication
“Does the Experimental Use Defense
to Patent Infringement Still Exist?”
appears in the summer 2009 SMU
Science and Technology Law Review.
David W. Cook was selected as a 2009
Texas Rising Star.
Eunice Kim has been selected to
serve as the Dallas Asian American
Bar Association representative to
the Dallas Diversity Task Force. The
Dallas Diversity Task Force releases
a report on the diversity initiatives
of the 20 largest law firms in Dallas
every year. In addition, she married
Dice Nakamura on Nov. 7, 2009.
Jo Ann “Joan” Bui Leslie married
Brian Leslie on May 16, 2009, at St.
Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in
Dallas. Joan will continue to practice
estate planning under the name of Jo
Ann “Joan” Leslie.
Brooke Ulrickson, an attorney with
Brown, Dean, Wiseman, Proctor,
Hart & Howell, LLP, received the
President’s Award of Merit from the
Texas Young Lawyers Association
(TYLA) at the June 2009 TYLA annual
meeting. Brooke was recognized for
her outstanding work in coordinating
and launching Ten Minute Mentor
Goes to Law School, a series of short,
instructional videos designed to assist
law students in preparing for and
succeeding in law school. She is also
a TYLA board member. Additionally,
Brooke was elected president of the
Fort Worth-Tarrant County Young
Lawyers Association and will begin
her term in February 2010.
Craig Woodcook presented a CLE
at the Alcohol Law Symposium in
Chicago in October. He spoke on
42
supplier-distributor contracts and
was widely quoted in the trade press.
Craig was selected to head the 2009
Chairman’s Task Force for the State
Fair of Texas by State Fair Chairman
Ruben E. Esquivel. The group
acts as ambassadors in promoting
and assisting State Fair VIPs and
participates in many of the fair’s
philanthropic activities. Craig recently
earned his LL.M. from the Southern
Methodist University Dedman School
of Law.
2006
Tatiana Alexander received her LL.M.
from Southern Methodist University
Dedman School of Law in May 2009.
Lara A. Aman of Haney, Scott &
Associates, P.C., in Hurst recently
spoke on Texas estates and probate.
Lara also participated in the POWER
seminar at the Dallas Army Air
Force Exchange Service in October.
Lara presents with CPAs, financial
advisers and other attorneys on topics
including estate planning, probate
and small business representation.
Catherine Borum was appointed to the
State Bar of Texas standing committee
on child abuse and neglect. This
committee is made up of 31 judges
and lawyers from around the state
appointed to fight child abuse and
neglect through mobilizing the legal
profession, educating the public and
recommending legislation.
Casey R. Dyer has been appointed
by the Fort Worth City Council to the
Fort Worth Women’s Commission.
Members, who serve for a one-year
term, are selected by the Fort Worth
City Council from organizations that
have shown an interest in issues
relating to women. The nine-member
commission will study and advise
the City Council on women’s issues
important to the community.