Category: Education

Grassroots ‘Black Lives’ Program Grows at Law Schools

By Angela Morris (Law.com, Feb. 17, 2019) As part of the trend in “movement” lawyering, nearly 20 law schools across the country are part of Law for Black Lives, a grassroots program focused on racial and social justice. The New York-based nonprofit network is made of up about 5,000 lawyers that launched in 2015 and …

Texas Law Schools Experienced a Modest First-Year Enrollment Gain in 2018

By Angela Morris (Texas Lawyer, February 2019) On the national stage, law schools saw a 3 percent boost in first-year student enrollment—the first gain since 2010—but Texas saw a more modest gain of just 1 percent, which is 2,220 students. However small, an enrollment uptick is welcome news since law schools for years have tightened …

The Bar Exam of the Future Offers Plenty to Be Excited About

by Angela Morris (Texas Lawyer, January/February 2019 issue) A new era is on the horizon for Texas law graduates taking the bar exam—but many current and prospective law students might not know anything about it. The Texas Supreme Court has approved a recommendation to replace the Texas bar exam with the Uniform Bar Examination, effective in …

Tips for How to Make the Best of Rest Time and How to Know You Need It

By Angela Morris (Texas Lawyer magazine, December 2018) Texas law students yearning for rest and relaxation will get a chance later this month, but winter break isn’t just a time for leisure. To make the most of the monthlong holiday, law students should fit in R&R, while also setting aside time to reflect on the …

Baby Lawyers: How to Manage Your Career Before You Have A Job

For the vast majority of the Lone Star State’s baby lawyers, November is an important month to decide which path to take toward their future careers. Although a minority of Texas law graduates have already accepted job offers from big law firms, there’s a different timeline for new lawyers looking to land jobs in small …

Two-year J.D. programs for foreign students are spiking

The number of law schools offering a two-year J.D. program for international lawyers has grown steadily over the past eight years, and observers expect the trend to continue. “I just think people are seeing there’s a market for it. They see there’s demand. From our perspective, the other impetus behind this is it really adds …

Texas Immigration Law Professors Take Action to Help Reunite Families Seeking Asylum

Law students were on summer break when outrage erupted nationwide over the Trump administration’s practice of separating immigrant parents and children who crossed the country’s southern border. But summer didn’t stop Texas immigration law professors from taking action, and in the coming school year, they’re planning opportunities for law students in their schools’ immigration clinics …

Houston Law Grads Discuss Juggling Classes While Raising Families

Houston law graduates Ieshia Champs and Shartory Brown have inspired many people with their stories surviving childhood homelessness and teenage pregnancy and then succeeding in law school while raising multiple kids. Texas Lawyer spoke with Brown and emailed Champs for advice for other law students about juggling a strict schedule, coping with overwhelming demands, and …

The Stories Behind Two Houston-Area Law Graduates Whose Social Posts Went Viral and Inspired a Country

Two Houston law graduates who defied tough odds to succeed in law school have inspired people across the country. Other law students can learn about resilience and the power of priorities through the stories of May graduates Ieshia Champs of Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law and Shartory Brown of South Texas College …

Baylor Law Dean Brad Toben Quietly Outpaces Texas Law School Dean Tenure

In 1991 when Brad Toben became dean of Baylor University School of Law, the Lone Star State was headed by Texas Gov. Ann Richards, the U.S. president was George H.W. Bush and the Soviet Union dissolved, ending the Cold War. Now on the job for more than 26 years, Toben is the second longest-serving law …