Celebrating 10 Years in Fort Worth - Texas Wesleyan School of Law ...

story
feature
growing importance in today’s society,
the experience was one that enhanced
and clarified various aspects of their
legal education.
“This is so applicable,” 3L Michael Flynn
said. “This class pulled together a lot of
the law we learned the first two years. We
actually dealt with how these [theories]
apply in a genuine, legitimate field. This
is the first class that actually breaks down
the bundle of rights. I will absolutely use
this knowledge later on.”
“I took this class because it was art,
because it was Santa Fe, because it was
law,” 3L Jeanne Duke said. “We have had
the ability to talk to practitioners on the
other side of the fence. You don’t always
get that experience.”
According to Bruning, helping students
expand their legal knowledge later in life
is exactly what she wants to see them
take away from the class. She said she
wants them to learn to look at the unique
aspects of legal situations they may be
faced with in the future, no matter what
their particular field is.
“Many times when you get out in the
world and start practicing, your particular
client walks in the door with a particular
set of facts that has its own unique situation
that can require creative thinking,”
Bruning said. “The more creatively you
think about the issues, the more solutions
you may come up with for your client.
I think that plays out in a host of areas,
but when you get something like art law,
where each object is unique, you’re
forced to think creatively or uniquely
about your situation, and I think that
kind of experience is good legal training
– to never assume that because a similar
situation played out a certain way that
those are the limits of the way you should
think about your case. [Art law] will help
my students think creatively in whatever
venue they land.” z
Law School Professor Remembered
Denny O. Ingram, an experienced legal practitioner and former professor at
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, died on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2007.
Professor Ingram joined the faculty at Dallas-Fort Worth School of Law (later
to become Texas Wesleyan University School of Law) in 1990, a position he
held until 2003. He was named professor emeritus in 2005.
From newspaper reporter and publisher, to Texas legislator, to Army
counter-intelligence officer, Professor Ingram absorbed and retained
experiences not available to most of us. His real career, however, started
when he entered law school in 1954.
A native of Kirbyville, Texas, Professor Ingram received his B.A. and law
degree, with honors, from the University of Texas. During his legal education,
he was an officer of the Texas Law Review, a quizmaster, a chancellor, and
recipient of the prize for the most outstanding work on the law review. Upon
graduation he was elected to the Order of the Coif.
A teacher for more than 20 years, Professor Ingram held full-time law faculty
positions at institutions including the University of Texas; the University
of Utah; the University of New Mexico; the University of California, Davis
(visiting); the University of San Diego (visiting); as well as Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law. He also had 21 years of experience as a full-time
law practitioner in Texas.
Professor Ingram was the author of numerous law review articles, book
chapters, continuing education materials, and course materials. He was a life
member of the American Law Institute, a fellow in the American College of
Trust and Estate Counsel, a fellow in the American College of Tax Counsel, a
life fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, and a member of the Texas Academy
of Probate and Estate Planning Lawyers. He was a member of the State Bar of
Texas, New Mexico State Bar, Utah State Bar, American Bar Association, and
numerous sections of American, state, and local bar associations.
Professor Ingram was a trustee of the Southwestern Legal Foundation, director
of research of the Utah Constitutional Revision Commission, and a researcher
and writer for the New Mexico Constitutional Revision Commission. He
served as a member of the House of Representatives of the Texas Legislature
from 1951-1952 and served in the United States Army from 1951-1954. He
is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Law. He was
listed in all three editions of the Best Lawyers in America that were published
while he was a full-time practitioner.
During Professor Ingram’s 14 years of service to Texas Wesleyan University,
he made significant contributions that impacted students and faculty alike.
Colleagues marveled not only at his hours of preparation for classes, but also
at the hours he spent working individually with students and mentoring
novice law professors. During his last year of full-time teaching, he was
awarded the Earl Brown Distinguished Faculty Award, and in 2005 he was
awarded emeritus status. z
15