Lawnotes, the St. Mary's University School of Law Newsletter

Digital Commons at St. Mary's University Law Notes School of Law Publications Fall 2009 LawNotes, The t.S Mary's University School of Law Newsletter St. Mary's University School of Law Follow this and additional works at: http://commons.stmarytx.edu/lawnotes Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation St. Mary's University School of Law, "LawNotes, The t.S Mary's University School of Law Newsletter" (2009). Law Notes. 17. http://commons.stmarytx.edu/lawnotes/17 This Newsletter is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Law Publications at Digital Commons at St. Mary's University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Law Notes by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons at St. Mary's University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Fall 2009 law notesSt. Mary’s University | School of Law INSIDE: 2009 Distinguished Graduates New Deans » MAKING THEIR MARK Red Mass Alumni build prestige with success, giving back » continued p. 1 » A NOTE FROM THE DEAN Dear Fellow Graduates, We are in the middle of an exciting fall semester at your law school. You will be happy to know the new first year class is the top of the recruiting crop – in fact, according to academic quality indicators, it is the highest quality and most talented class of students we have ever had. One of the hallmarks of St. Mary’s University and the School of Law is small class sizes to provide for more personal attention and interaction between students and faculty. Beginning this fall, the School of Law has intentionally focused on reducing enrollment to concentrate on higher quality students and personal attention and overall success of every student. Although applications to the school have increased by more than eight percent this recruiting season, the focus on smaller classes allows us to maintain our admission selectivity which has resulted in this year’s outstanding incoming class. Of course, we will not stop there in our quest to offer a first class legal education for our students. You will read in this issue about some of the administrative changes we’ve made – cementing our commitment to our clinical programs and career services by adding associate and assistant dean positions in those areas – as well as new faculty on the library and teaching staff. I want to personally thank all my fellow graduates for your involvement in our alumni chapters. We have vigorous groups in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, the Rio Grande Valley and Washington, D.C., and we are on our way to productive chapters in Corpus Christi, St. Louis and Denver. It is a pleasure for me to travel from chapter to chapter to visit with fellow graduates and stay abreast of the impact you are making on the legal community. We have been keeping you up to date on the budding study and exchange program in China. We have now finalized a partnership with the Law School of Beihang University in Beijing, China. The program has gone through all the channels and the inaugural program is set for next summer. We are hoping to take a class of 24 students to China to be immersed in learning how to do business in China. Please enjoy this issue of Law Notes, come back to St. Mary’s as often as possible, and keep up the good work in your lives and communities. Sincerely, Charles E. Cantú Dean and South Texas Professor of Law Making Their Mark » continued from cover “Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it’s not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.” – President Barack Obama For 75 years, St. Mary’s law graduates have been persevering, determined to make their mark on the legal profession in San Antonio, South Texas and beyond. Success in this field cannot be measured in sheer numbers – number of graduates, number of jobs, number of cases, number of dollars – but in impact on individuals. Today, St. Mary’s alumni are impacting the lives of others more than ever, in leadership positions in their profession as well as giving back to the school in order to propel the next generation forward. NOTES | LAW p.1 Counter clockwise starting above Dean Charles E. Cantú (J.D. ’64) and the group on the steps in front of the Supreme Court Charles Beckham (J.D. ’79), U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and Cantú Cantú, Diann Bartek (J.D. ’78) and Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts Ronald Herrmann (J.D. ’59), U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (J.D. ’77), Karen Herrmann and Cantú | LAW NOTES | LAW p.2 Leaders impact the law and two St. Mary’s appointee is Amanda N. Torres (J.D. ’07), Justice graduates are doing just that. Cynthia Hujar Orr of the Peace in Nueces County. The San Antonio (J.D. ’88) was installed in August as president of Bar Association is presided over by Robin the National Association of Criminal Defense Teague (J.D. ’79), while president-elect is Justice Lawyers and on the other side of the coin, United Phyllis Speedlin (J.D. ’83). Speedlin, of course, is States Magistrate Judge Thomas C. Mummert III a justice of the Fourth Court of Appeals, along (J.D. ’76) of the Eastern District of Missouri is with fellow St. Mary’s graduates Chief Justice currently the president of the Federal Magistrate Catherine Stone (J.D. ’82), Justice Sandee Bryan Judges Association (FMJA). Marion (J.D. ’80), Justice Karen Angelini (J.D. ’79) and Justice Marialyn Barnard (J.D. ’92). Orr’s career began with a clerkship for Fifth Corpus Christi’s Bar Association is under the Circuit Judge Emilio Garza when he sat on leadership of president L. Gayle Nelson (J.D. ’91). the U.S. District Court bench in San Antonio. During her first year in practice, she was counsel “The list of our leaders could go on and on,” said on the amicus brief in CNN vs. General Manuel Charles E. Cantú, St. Mary’s School of Law dean. Noriega before the United States Supreme Court “We couldn’t be prouder of our graduates who where she successfully defended the unpopular take the helm in their bar associations, courts, defendant’s attorney-client privilege. Other and the day-to-day business of the law.” notables in her career include obtaining the first confession of error by the State of Texas in a Cantú’s support of his fellow alumni and leaders death penalty case. She has served as president of was evident this spring as he took a group of 10 the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (the maximum number allowed at a time) to be and authored the Annual Report on the Criminal sworn in before the nation’s highest court. Diann Justice System for the ABA Defense Function Bartek (J.D. ’78), Charles Beckham Jr. (J.D. ’79), Committee entitled The State of Criminal Justice Ricardo Cedillo, Rex Easley Jr. (J.D. ’80), Jeffrey for the past two years. Embry (J.D. ’97), Renna Rhodes Embry (J.D. ’97), Ronald Herrmann (J.D. ’59), Clem Lyons Mummert is in his 14th year of serving as a (J.D. ’62), Karen Ellert Pena (J.D. ’02) and Nona magistrate judge and was previously on the Walker were admitted to the bar of the United St. Louis circuit court. He has been touted by States Supreme Court. Afterward, Cantú hosted prosecutors and defenders alike as a ‘favorite’ a reception for his guests including Chief Justice judge, by peers as a ‘standup judge’ and a ‘role of the United States John Roberts, Justice Alito, model’, and is known for his way of bringing Sen. John Cornyn (J.D. ’77) and Stuart Bowen opposing sides together and gaining consensus (J.D. ’91), Inspector General for Iraq. Cantú on issues. Mummert is also known for his plans to take another group next spring. impeccable ethics after serving for several years on the FMJA’s Code of Conduct Committee. The dean has also been working closely with alumni across the state and the country to Closer to home, St. Mary’s is overwhelmingly bolster scholarships for current and future represented in the leadership of the legal students. Through the generosity of alumni and community. Four alumni were appointed Bexar friends, Cantú has raised more than $6 million County Court judges this year: Monica Gonzalez for endowments and scholarships in his two (J.D. ’85), Ernest Acavedo Jr. (J.D. ’75), Michael years as dean. La Hood (J.D. ’67) and former Justice of the Peace Linda Penn (J.D. ’96). Another recent » continue | LAW NOTES | LAW p.3 “The most precious asset of any law school “Alumni participation is vital,” said Faye is its graduates,” said Cantú. “St. Mary’s finds Bracey, assistant dean of Career Services and itself with a wealth of successful and generous Adjunct Professor of Law. “The connection our graduates with a sense of service and an urge to students have with graduates who practice law, give back to the next class.” the learning, mentoring, and networking that takes place, is absolutely necessary in placing This fall, the School of Law hosted a ‘Leader to St. Mary’s School of Law students with the best Leader’ reception inviting community leaders employers, many of whom are alumni.” to come back to the school to meet the leaders of tomorrow – today’s students.

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