From The Dean’s Desk

Baylor Law School prides itself on its outreach to alumni and we are continually looking for ways to improve that connection.

In this issue of Rocket Docket we highlight two events focusing upon not just bringing together Baylor Lawyers, but also upon how Baylor Law School can best serve our alumni.

The first is a special reception for Baylor Lawyers in Fort Worth. On June 18, Judge and I will hold a dialogue at the gathering in which we will discuss the Baylor Law School program and legal education as a whole.

Our second event takes place in conjunction with the State Bar of Annual Meeting in Dallas. On June 20, we will hold our Baylor Law Alumni Reception. This is one of the year’s largest gatherings of Baylor Lawyers. Judge Ken Starr and I will be there and we expect to have alumni from throughout the state attending and reconnecting with each other and the Law School.

Our Alumni Development program is critical to the future of Baylor Law School, which is why I am so thrilled to tell you about the newest member of our family. Baylor Law School is pleased to welcome our new director of development, Susan J. Wommack (JD ‘89).

Susan has worked for Development for more than 12 years. She left private practice to become the gift-planning attorney for Baylor University Development in 2000. Her responsibilities included soliciting and closing planned gifts for all academic and athletic units, providing legal counsel to University Development, assisting in the supervision of the planned-giving publications for donors and advisors, and much more.

With Susan, Baylor Law has someone who understands development work at a meaningful level, has successful experience in the milieu, and is a Baylor Lawyer who immediately “knows” the program from a personal perspective. You can read more about Susan in this issue of Rocket Docket.

Fort Worth Baylor Lawyers Invited to Dialogue With Judge Ken Starr

Baylor Lawyers in Fort Worth are invited to attend a special Baylor Law Alumni Reception & Dialogue with Judge Ken Starr and Dean Brad Toben. This is an opportunity for Baylor Lawyers in Fort Worth to discuss the Baylor Law School program and legal education as a whole. To tailor the dialogue to specific interests, Fort Worth Baylor Lawyers are asked to please submit their questions and topics when they RSVP. The Baylor Law Alumni Reception & Dialogue with Judge Starr and Dean Toben takes place Tuesday, June 18, from 6-8 p.m. The reception is sponsored by:

• Blaies & Hightower LLP • Cantey Hanger LLP • Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP

The reception will be held at the Fort Worth Club, 306 W. Seventh St., in the Trinity Room. Visitor parking is available in the Fort Worth Club parking garage, with the entrance on Seventh Street. Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served. Please RSVP by June 14.

For questions, please contact Berkley Knas, Director of Alumni Relations, at 254.710.4346, or at Berkley_ [email protected].

Meet Susan Wommack: Development Director for Baylor Law School

Baylor Law School is pleased to welcome our new director of development, Susan J. Wommack (JD ‘89).

“Susan possesses in wonderful and great measure each of the personal and professional characteristics we have been seeking in this position,” said Baylor Law School Dean Brad Toben. “I look for Susan to become a much appreciated colleague and an accomplished partner in pursuing the philanthropic aims of our school. Susan is a delightful person and a consummate professional.”

Wommack has worked for Baylor University Development for more than 12 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in international business from the University of Texas at Austin, receiving recognition as a Dean’s Distinguished Graduate for the School of Liberal Arts.

Upon the recommendation of her father and a longtime family friend, Wommack decided to attend Baylor Law School.

“Baylor Law School seemed to fit my competitive nature and love of reading — while also securing me three more years of intramural eligibility,” Wommack joked. “During law school, there were several exceptional events: a great husband, a good job, and the flag football intramural championship!”

After graduating from Baylor Law School, Wommack was an associate with Touchstone, Bernays, Johnston, Beall & Smith in Dallas as an insurance defense attorney. Following a move back to Waco, she practiced with Segrest & Segrest representing Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, the largest power and transmission electric cooperative in Texas. She is licensed in Texas and Georgia.

Wommack left private practice to become the gift-planning attorney for Baylor University Development in 2000. Her responsibilities included soliciting and closing planned gifts for all academic and athletic units; providing legal counsel to University Development; managing and coordinating outside legal counsel; providing in-house training in the area of planned giving, ethics and new developments in legislation; and assisting in the supervision of the planned giving publications for donors and advisors.

Wommack and her husband, Chris, have a daughter, Alex, and a son, Chase. Alex is a student at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., and Chase is attending Baylor University. The Wommacks are members of First Baptist Church of Woodway.

Baylor Law Alumni Reception at State Bar Annual Meeting

Baylor Lawyers from around the state are invited to join Judge Ken Starr, Dean Brad Toben and Baylor Law School faculty at the Baylor Law Alumni Reception in Dallas. The reception is being held in conjunction with the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting taking place June 20-21. Registration to the State Bar Annual Meeting is not required to attend the reception.

At the event, the Baylor Law Alumni Association will announce the recipient of the Young Baylor Lawyer of the Year award and provide an annual report.

The Baylor Law Alumni Reception takes place Thursday, June 20, from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Hilton Anatole – Dallas, Monet Ballroom, 2201 N. Stemmons Freeway.

We also encourage you to attend the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting. Scheduled events include:

• Keynote Speaker at the Bar Leaders Recognition Luncheon: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, Thursday, June 20, Hilton Anatole, 12-1:30 p.m. • Keynote Speaker at the Bench Bar Breakfast: Alan Lowe, director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, Friday, June 21, Hilton Anatole, 7:30-8:45 a.m. • Keynote Speaker at General Session Luncheon: U.S. Senator John Cornyn, Friday, June 21, Hilton Anatole, 12-1:30 p.m. • The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald, Friday, June 21, Probate Court No. 1, Old Criminal Courts Building, 2-4 p.m.; reception following from 4-5 p.m., Sixth Floor Museum. Summer 2013 Docket Call Preview

The Summer issue of Docket Call is on its way. In this issue we spotlight our formidable transactional law program.

Baylor Law’s transactional program has five areas of concentration: Business Transactions, Estate Planning, Intellectual Property, and the newly created Real Estate and Natural Resources, and Health Care.

The bedrock of our transactional program consists of Estate Planning and Business Transactions, led respectively by Professor Tom Featherston and Professor Beth Miller.

As you will read in Docket Call, these two highly accomplished colleagues work hard outside of their classrooms by being engaged in the Texas Bar and the American Bar Associations sections, participating regularly in continuing legal education programs, writing books and papers, and taking part in the legislative process. They are at the forefront of their respective fields, which puts Baylor Law students at a tremendous advantage.

Going with our transactional law theme, we also meet two Baylor Lawyers who graduated from our rigorous JD/MBA program offered along with Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. To participate in the program, students must be accepted by both Baylor Law School and the Hankamer School of Business. All applicants must take both the LSAT and the GMAT.

In addition, this Docket Call features a profile of David Henry (JD ‘85), who has served as an adjunct professor at Baylor Law School for more than 20 years. He also teaches in the Hankamer School of Business’ entrepreneurship program, helps to lead the i5 (Immersion Into International Interdisciplinary Innovation) program at Baylor University, and soon will begin work with the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC).

Finally, we recognize the Hon. Leonard E. Davis (JD ‘76), Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and the 2012 Baylor Lawyer of the Year. Baylor Law presented Chief Judge Davis with this recognition in January at a luncheon program in Tyler.

The Summer issue of Docket Call will be mailed soon, as well as posted on our website.

Meet The Faculty & Staff

Every month we feature some of the faculty and staff members here at Baylor Law School. James Wren Law Professor Professor Wren was recruited to the faculty of Baylor Law School in 2006 to teach Practice Court. He comes from a specialization in business litigation, including business fraud, professional liability and fiduciary litigation. While in private practice, Professor Wren was named a Texas Super Lawyer in Business Litigation each year from the time the designation originated in 2002. In 2011, James Publishing (San Francisco) released his new book, Proving Damages to the Jury. He is board certified in Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and in Civil Trial Law and in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. In 2012 he was named a Baylor Outstanding Professor.

Karen Ehgotz Faculty Office Manager Karen Ehgotz joined Baylor Law School in the capacity of faculty office manager in August 2009. She works closely with the law faculty and is responsible for numerous administrative functions within the Law School. Ehgotz has been employed in the legal field for more than 15 years, and for 12 of those years she worked as a legal assistant for a partner in one of the largest law firms in Michigan.

Debbie Pallmeyer Alumni Relations and Development Administrative Associate Debbie Pallmeyer joined Baylor Law School in May 2013 as the alumni relations and development administrative associate. She supports the Law School’s director of alumni relations and the director of development. Pallmeyer has worked the past nine years in Baylor University Development in the Office of Gift Planning.

News & Notes

2013 Fall On-Campus Interviews and Resume Collection Baylor Law School invites you to participate in the 2013 Fall On-Campus Interview and Resume Collection Program, August 19-23. Whether you’re looking for a summer clerk or a full-time attorney, our outstanding 2L and 3L students are just what you need! There is no fee to participate, and catered lunch and lodging are provided. Register today by emailing Monica Wright at [email protected] or by calling 254.710.1210. Baylor Lawyers . . . Practice Ready!

Austin Baylor Lawyer Network Reception The Austin Baylor Lawyer Network Reception took place on May 14. The event was hosted by the Baylor Lawyers of Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody : Chris Elliott (JD ‘90), Preston Randall (JD ‘90 ), Susan Burton (JD ‘87), and Lauren Damen (JD ‘11). Thank you so much for your gracious hospitality. JAG Baylor Lawyers For a brief period there were three Baylor Lawyers stationed at the same Navy JAG Corps command in Norfolk, Va. Lt. Ashley Stebbins (JD ‘11), Lt. Jennifer Pollio (JD ‘10), and Lt. Jennifer Cantrell-Sutor (JD ‘10) were all working with the Region Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic. Cantrell-Sutor recently moved back to Texas and is stationed in Fort Worth.

2013 Baylor Law Alumni Weekend Mark your calendars for Baylor Law Alumni Weekend, Oct. 4-5! Catch up and have fun with your fellow Baylor Lawyers.

Alumni Weekend events include:

• Dessert Reception at the home of Judge and Mrs. Ken Starr • Breakfast with Dean Brad Toben and the Dean’s State of the Law School Remarks at the Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center • Burgers and Blue Bell at the home of Dean and Mrs. Brad Toben • Baylor v. West Virginia Football Game

And new this year . . . the Baylor Lawyer Networks of Houston, Dallas, and Austin are hosting “Late Night at George’s!”

We are looking for Alumni Weekend volunteers to assist in spreading the word to our fellow Baylor Lawyers. If you are interested in serving as a volunteer, please contact Berkley Knas, Director of Alumni Relations, at [email protected].

Upcoming Alumni Networking Events

Baylor Law Alumni Reception & Dialogue With Judge Starr & Dean Toben

Tuesday, June 18 6-8 p.m.

Hosted by: Blaies & Hightower LLP Cantey Hanger LLP Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP Reception held at The Fort Worth Club 306 W. Seventh St. Trinity Room Fort Worth, Texas 76102

Baylor Law Alumni Reception Held In Conjunction With the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting

Thursday, June 20 5:30-7 p.m.

Hilton Anatole - Dallas Monet Ballroom 2201 N. Stemmons Freeway Monet Ballroom Dallas, Texas 75207

Alumni Notes

1970s

Kenneth Stohner (JD ‘75) was selected for inclusion in D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Dallas” list. The publication was released in May 2013. D Magazine conducted a citywide search for the best in the legal profession, inviting qualified attorneys to nominate their peers based on reputation and legal excellence. The nominations were reviewed by the magazine’s editors, alongside a panel of well-respected local lawyers, to determine the final list.

1980s

The Hon. Brad Cates (JD ‘80) of McLennan County Court at Law No. 2 has been elected to membership in the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation. Fellows of the Foundation are selected for their outstanding professional achievements and their demonstrated commitment to the improvement of the justice system throughout the state of Texas. Election is a mark of distinction and recognition of Judge Cates’ contribution to the legal profession. Selection as a Fellow of the Foundation is restricted to members of the State Bar of Texas. Each year, the number of State Bar members invited to become Fellows represents just one-third of 1 percent of membership. Once nominees are selected, they must be elected by the Texas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees. Membership has grown from an initial 254 charter Fellows in 1965 to more than 7,500 Fellows throughout Texas today. 1990s

Darin Beck (JD ‘96), deputy director of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC), has been elected the president of the Kansas Peace Officers Association. The election took place at the annual fall KPOA convention in Hutchinson, Kan. He is the first attorney to serve as president of the association in its 97-year history. Beck originally joined the KLETC staff in 1999, serving nine years as associate general counsel for the University of Kansas and assigned as legal counsel to KLETC. In 2009, he was named KLETC’s deputy director. The KPOA is the oldest and largest professional law enforcement association in Kansas. It was founded in 1916 and currently has approximately 3,800 members statewide. The KPOA serves to promote personal acquaintance among peace officers in Kansas.

In Memoriam

Aubrey Edwards (JD ‘63), 91, of San Angelo and formerly of Big Lake, passed away on Tuesday, April 23, 2013. Edwards was born in Caddo on Jan. 10, 1922, to Daniel Hardy and Mamie Everett Edwards. He moved to Iraan with his family as a boy, where he lived until graduating from high school. Edwards then hitchhiked to Alpine with $20 in his pocket. He got a job in Alpine at the Candy Kitchen and attended Sul Ross State University, where he met and married Cotter White on July 3, 1941. When World War II began, Edwards joined the Army in January 1942. He was assigned to the 70th Tank Battalion as a medic, where he served under General George S. Patton in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. He was then transferred to England to train for the invasion of Normandy. He went ashore on Omaha Beach, and then stayed in the European theater, where he was awarded several medals, including the Bronze Star, during the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, Edwards returned to college and earned a degree in business from Sul Ross State University. He then moved to Big Lake, where he bought and ran The Model, a men’s clothing store, for 12 years. At age 39, Edwards entered Baylor Law School and graduated with a juris doctor in 1963. He opened his own law practice in Big Lake in 1963, and continued the practice of law until his retirement in 1993. He was elected 83rd district attorney in 1972, and served in that office until 1984. Edwards was preceded in death by his wife, Cotter Edwards, on April 11, 1979. Edwards married Charlet Garland on July 6, 1991. Following his retirement from the practice of law, Edwards and his wife moved to San Angelo in 1994. Edwards continued to serve his community by volunteering with the San Angelo Community Hospital Auxiliary and Meals For The Elderly. He also was a member of Southland Baptist Church. Edwards was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Alfred Edwards; and sisters, Lois McGhee, Daisy Edwards, and Sybil Edwards. He is survived by his wife, Charlet; two sons, Dan Edwards, and wife, Charla, of San Angelo; and Mark Edwards and wife, Holly, of San Antonio. He is also survived by grandchildren Tanya Bujnosek and husband, Jason, of Lubbock; Ben Edwards and wife, Kristin, of Houston; and Katie Edwards of Sweetwater. He also had one great-granddaughter, Aubrey Danielle Bujnosek, of Lubbock; one sister, Jackie Thompson, and husband, Bill, of Midland; and four nieces. He also is survived by stepsons James Garland and wife, Leticia, and their daughters, Maya, of Austin, and Gannon Garland of San Angelo.

John William Lewis (JD ‘50) passed away in Norman, Okla., on May 12, 2013 surrounded by his family. He was born in Sedalia, Mo., on Aug. 17, 1925 to Harry and Lilly (Wakefield) Lewis, who preceded him in death. He also was preceded in death by his daughter, Sharon L. Lopez, of Hutto; and a great-grandchild, Michael Bryan Bender. Lewis is survived by his wife of 63 years, Dorothy Hill Lewis; sister-in-law, Doris M. Rhoades, of Copperas Cove; children, Danny Wayne Lewis, and wife, Angie, of San Antonio; Jackie Ronald Lewis and wife, Alisha, of Longview; Lucia Jo Melton and husband, Richard, of Norman, Okla.; son-in-law, Abelardo Lopez, of Hutto; grandchildren, Scott E. Bender, of Harrah, Okla.; Becky L. Lewis, of San Antonio; Teresa C. Lewis, of Austin; Amy M. Lewis, of San Antonio; John W. Lewis II, of Mineola; Michael S. Lewis, of Las Vegas; Manuel B. Lopez, of Hutto; Crystal Lopez, of Hutto; Abelardo Lopez Jr., of San Antonio; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild, and twin great-great grandchildren on the way. Lewis served in the U.S. Army during World War II with the 3rd Armored under Gen. George S. Patton and was wounded during his term. He graduated from Baylor Law School and was admitted to the Texas Bar Association in 1950. He worked for various insurance companies during his career with the longest being USAA in San Antonio, where he retired as senior executive claims attorney in 1986. He and his wife enjoyed traveling for several years to many places across the United States, as well as abroad.

Edward Wallace III (JD ‘77), 59, of Brooklawn, N.J., died April 17, 2013. Wallace was a true family man and was a bright light that beckoned others near. He was a selfless man who was always available to offer help, friendship, or advice, but was a kid at heart and loved to laugh, play, and kept a smile on his face. He was dedicated to his career and continued to chase the “American Dream.” He spent his spare time as an accomplished golfer and was club champion of Tavistock Country Club many times. Beloved husband to Cindy (neé Gibbons); devoted father and best friend of Evan E.; cherished son of Edward Jr. and Patricia (neé Fitzgerald); dear brother to Jim, Tim, and Stephanie Bell; adored uncle to six.