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

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Dear Alumni and Friends:
We are celebrating ten years in downtown Fort Worth. We
have accomplished a lot in the past ten years, and we have a
lot to be proud of.
Our cover feature looks back at some of the notable
accomplishments of the last decade, from visits from the
Supreme Court of Texas to national recognition for student
achievement. I invite you to turn to our cover story and relive
the highlights and accomplishments we are so proud to
share with you.
The word is out about what an excellent law school
we have built in Fort Worth. This fall, we enrolled
one of our largest classes ever and welcomed
291 eager and enthusiastic first year students.
We received about 2,000 applications for these
coveted law school seats, and we are delighted
with the quality and promise of this year’s
entering class.
With such terrific students, it is no surprise
that our bar pass rate continues to place us
among the top law schools in Texas. With a
pass rate of 91.14 percent on the July 2007
State Bar of Texas Exam, Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law had its highest bar
pass rate ever. This pass rate was higher than
five other Texas law schools and placed us
fourth in the state, with the next highest school
only a fraction of a percentage point ahead
of us. These results illustrate the strength of
our academic programs and the quality and
dedication of our students and faculty.
During the past few years, we have seen our law
school’s advocacy programs grow and excel.
This past year, the law school saw unprecedented
success in our interschool advocacy programs,
and we cannot wait to see what this year’s teams
accomplish at competitions across the state
and country.
In addition, we have maintained our
commitment to public service. Since January
1998, our Law Clinic has made a difference in
the lives of people living in and around Fort
Worth by providing free legal services to
indigent people. Last spring, our Law Clinic
from the dean
won Legal Aid of North West Texas’s prestigious 2006 Fort
Worth Outstanding Large Law Firm of the Year Award. The
hard-working attorneys and students who work in the Law
Clinic deserve our gratitude and support for the important
work they are doing.
Our outstanding faculty continues to receive national and
international recognition. This issue contains stories about
two of our faculty members who have taken their passion
for teaching beyond the walls of the classroom. Last
spring, Professor Malinda Seymore traveled to Xiamen,
China, where she served as a Fulbright lecturer
at Xiamen University. Professor Seymore kept a
detailed blog chronicling her experiences in China.
A series of excerpts from her blog can be found on
page 2. I think you will enjoy reading about her
fascinating adventures in China.
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Another one of our faculty members who has
been forging connections across the globe is
Professor Joe Spurlock. As the director of the
Asian Judicial Institute of Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law, Professor Spurlock
has been guiding members of the Mongolian
legal community through their transition to
a democratic system of government since
1996. His enthusiasm for this project is inspiring,
and you can read about his experience with
the AJI on page 34.
As you can see, we have accomplished a great
deal in our ten years in downtown Fort Worth.
Without your support and dedication, we could
not be where we are today. We appreciate the
continued support of all of our alumni and friends,
and know that together we can accomplish many
more great things in the coming years.
Sincerely,
Cynthia L. Fountaine
Interim Dean & Professor of Law