Texas Law Alumni News & Notes - https://law.utexas.edu/alumni/news-and-stories/
 
Jan. 25, 2024
AN E-NEWSLETTER FOR TEXAS LAW ALUMNI
 
 

ALUMNI NEWS

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Photo of Judge Harriet Murphy

In Memoriam: Judge Harriet Murphy

A civil rights pioneer, the 1969 graduate was the first African American woman appointed to a permanent judgeship in Texas.
Photo of Neal Manne

Longhorns Join Lawdragon ‘Hall of Fame’

Alumni Rodney L. Brown ’81, Neal Manne ’80 (pictured), Tom Melshiemer ’86, and Rob Walters ’83 join a who’s who of legal legends.
Photo of Jennifer Sloan

Sloan ’98 Joins the KBH Energy Center

Alumna and longtime Texas Law director of development Jennifer Sloan is The Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center’s new managing director.
Photo of Jay Ellwanger and Texas Law student

Alumni Mentors Kick Off New Year

Texas Law’s mentoring program celebrated the start of its 9th year with a bash at the Bob Bullock Museum.
Photo of Jennifer Monday Goldman

In Memoriam: Jennifer Monday Goldman

The much-loved alumna from the Class of 2000 had been a member of the law school’s development office since 2018.
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Lawyers in Love: Reunion Edition

Photo collage of Texas Law Alumni Couples

Attention lovebirds! Did you find a love connection at Texas Law? Share your story and pictures with us for our annual ‘Lawyers in Love’ feature.

We will spotlight alumni from this year’s Reunion honored classes ending in 4 or 9. To be featured, please click the button below to complete the online form.
Share Your Love Story
 

New Year, New Donations!

The Fund for Texas Law supports the law school people and programs that need it most. Kick off the new year with a new gift to the Fund for Texas Law.
Give to the Fund Today
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LAW SCHOOL NEWS

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Photo of Joshua Sellers

Sellers Elected to American Law Institute

One of Texas Law’s newest professors, Joshua Sellers becomes the 29th research faculty member elected to the prestigious organization.
Photo of Texas Law Chancellors 2024

Law School Installs New Chancellors

The seventeen members of the Class of 2024 with the highest GPAs have been inducted into Texas Law’s oldest honor society.
Photo of Erin Gaines

Environmental Clinic Welcomes Back Gaines ’13

Erin Gaines, alumna and EarthJustice attorney, is thrilled to be teaching in the clinic that put her on her career path.
Photo of The University of Texas at Austin tower

TIME: “UT Austin Best for Future Leaders”

Texas Law is named as one of the big reasons UT ranks third-highest of all public institutions in preparing students for leadership in society.
Photo of Sondos Moursy

1L Earns Marsall-Motley Scholarship

Sondos Moursy is just one of ten students nationwide to receive the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s new full-tuition grant.
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FACULTY IN THE NEWS

Media icons of Texas Law in the news
Texas Law faculty experts were quoted in leading national and state news outlets this month. Click below to see what these thought leaders had to say: Lynn Baker, Lia Sifuentes Davis, Mechele Dickerson, William Forbath, Denise Gilman, John Greil, Tara Leigh Grove, Henry Hu, Sarah Mae Jennings, Adam Klein, Lee Kovarsky, Elizabeth Sepper, Stacy Sharp, Charles Silver, Melinda Taylor, Steve Vladeck, Melissa Wasserman, and Heather Way.
Read Faculty in the News
 

ALUMNI EVENTS

Texas Law Alumni Reunion 2024
Register by Feb. 10 using code "LAWHORN” to save 20%!

Jan. 31 – Texas Law on Tour: Laredo (RSVP)
Apr. 10-12 – Women’s Power Summit hosted by the Center for Women in Law
Apr. 12 – Alumni Association Executive Committee Spring Meeting
Apr. 12-13 – Alumni Reunion Weekend (Register)
View More Texas Law Events
 

CLASS NOTES

Ordered by class year, then by last name.
Pictured (top, from left): Christopher Luna ’86, Carson Glass Lamle ’16, Joe W. Redden Jr. ’75, Cynthia Graham ’89; (bottom, from left): Hon. Leon Schydlower ’95, Miatta Echetebu ’21, Saeed Mody ’05, and Maryssa Simpson ’13.

Mike Hatchell ’64 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Wayne D. Meissner ’67 has been named one of the Best Criminal Defense Attorneys in Austin by Forbes Advisor. 

Drew L. Kershen ’68 has been honored by the State of Oklahoma as an Oklahoma Water Pioneer. 

Eduardo R. Rodriguez ’68 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Jack O’Neill ’72 has been recognized as a Lawdragon 500 Leading in America. 

Jesse Pierce ’74 has been recognized as a Lawdragon 500 Leading in America. 

Richard R. Orsinger ’75 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas and named a Best Divorce Lawyer in San Antonio for 2023 by Forbes. 

Joe W. Redden Jr. ’75 has announced his retirement from Beck Redden and the practice of law. 

Pete Schenkkan ’75 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Linda Addison ’76 has joined the board of Lexitas, an Apax Partners private equity portfolio company. 

Roger W. Hughes ’77 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Hon. Harvey Brown ’81 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Hon. Tracy E. Christopher ’81 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Arthur J. Rossi Jr. ’81 was named a Best Divorce Lawyer in San Antonio for 2023 by Forbes.

Lamont Jefferson ’84 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Robert L. Levy ’86 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Christopher Luna ’86 has joined SPCA of Texas—the most comprehensive and longest-serving animal welfare agency in North Texas—as president and CEO. 

Hon. John Browning ’89 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Alistair Dawson ’89 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Cynthia Barela Graham ’89 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Hon. Peter Michael Kelly ’90 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas.  

Jerry Bullard ’91 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Lonny S. Hoffman ’92 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Paul F. Schuster ’92 is now a partner in Bracewell’s Litigation Department. 

Hilda Galvan ’93 was named in the Top 50 Diverse Board Candidate List by Equilar and the Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence that seeks to advance opportunities for underrepresented groups. 

Macey Reasoner Stokes ’93 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Hon. Leon Schydlower ’95 has been nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge for the Western District of Texas.

Mysti Murphy ’98 was named a Best Divorce Lawyer in San Antonio for 2023 by Forbes.

Lisa Bowlin Hobbs ’00 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Jimmy Kirby ’01 has been named deputy director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. 

Rich Phillips ’01 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Sherry Talton ’01 has joined Ogletree Deakins as shareholder in the firm’s Seattle office. 

Charles “Chip” Roy ’03 has been named Chair of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary. 

Carrie Douglas ’04 has been promoted to partner at Bracewell, specializing in the firm’s healthcare and life sciences practice. 

Hilary Frisbie ’04 has been appointed senior director of investor relations at Oceaneering International, Inc. 

Connie Pfeiffer ’04 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Kennon Wooten ’04 has been appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

Hon. Richard B. Farrer ’05 has been elected to the American Law Institute. 

Saeed Mody ’05 has been named a deputy associate attorney general at the Office of the Associate Attorney General, Office of the Deputy Attorney General with the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Manuel Mungia ’07 has joined Norton Rose Fulbright’s global insurance practice as a partner. 

Keith Y. Cohan ’09 has been named a Rising Star by Texas Lawyer. 

Brian M. Gillett ’09 is now a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP’s Dallas office. 

Kim Hicks ’09 has been named a Rising Star by Texas Lawyer. 

Nathan Robinson ’09 is now a partner at Wilson Sonsini. 

Jason P. Steed ’09 has been elected to the American Law Institute. 

Atman Shukla ’10 has been named a Rising Star by Texas Lawyer. 

Floyd S. Contreras ’11 was named a Best Divorce Lawyer in San Antonio for 2023 by Forbes.

Kate Doorley ’11 is now a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Washington D.C. office. 

Matthew Falcone ’11 has received Texas Lawyer’s 2023 “On the Rise” Award. 

Maka Hutson ’11 has been promoted to partnership at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Dallas office. 

Nicholas R. Maxwell ’11 is now a partner at Cohen Ziffer Frenchman & McKenna. 

James Leader Jr. ’12 is now a partner at Vinson & Elkins’ Houston office. 

Brittany Castillo ’13 has been appointed to FEMA’s National Advisory Council. 

Ralph C. Mayrell ’13 has been promoted to special counsel in Kramer Levin’s litigation practice. 

Maryssa Simpson ’13 has been named a Rising Star by Texas Lawyer. 

Amanda Thomson ’13 is now a partner at Arnold & Porter. 

Courtney Hammond ’14 has received Texas Lawyer’s 2023 “On the Rise” Award. 

Hayden Harms ’14 is now a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Houston office. 

Michael Kelso ’14 has been named a Rising Star by Texas Lawyer. 

Rocco Magni ’14 has been named a Rising Star by Texas Lawyer. 

Nicholas Bruno ’15 has become board-certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. 

Mary Kate Raffetto ’15 is now a partner at Beck Redden LLP. 

Alex Robertson ’15 is now a partner at Vinson & Elkins’ Dallas office. 

Carson Glass Lamle ’16 has been elected as a shareholder at Hall Estill. 

Taylor Mauze ’16 has been named a Rising Star by Texas Lawyer. 

Kayvon Rashidi ’16 is now Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. 

Miatta Echetebu ’21 has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as an associate. 
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IN MEMORIAM

Ordered by class year, then by last name.
Calvin Jayroe ’51
James Kerr Crain ’53
Edward Frost ’54
Sam Croom ’57
Gordon Holloway ’63
Edward R. Kellenberger ’63
Marion Harvill ’64
Melinda Vance ’64
Jerry Adams ’66
Ernest Altgelt ’66
James Hammett ’66
George Callahan ’67
Roland Dahlin ’67
William Teague ’67
John Foster ’68
John Hollyfield ’68
John Powers ’68
Harriet Murphy ’69
Donald Schofield ’69
Timothy Brown ’70
Jerry Johnson ’71
Judd Osten ’71
Hollye Fisk ’72
Richard Alexander ’76
Burt Carnes ’76
Thomas O’Meara ’78
John “JD” Head ’80
Janice Pardue ’82
Daphne Hays ’89
Diana Holt ’94
Richard King ’98
Eyvette Lopez-Hetherington ’99
Jennifer Monday Goldman ’00
Martin Kamp ’18
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Alumni News and Class Notes are compiled based on the information we receive and edited for space. If you have professional news to share, please submit a class note online.

Feedback? Email us at alumni@law.utexas.edu.
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