Baylor Law Alumna Jerry Clements Receives Flame of Honor Award from the Southwest Jewish Congress

Follow Us on Twitter: @BaylorUMediaCom

Jerry K. Clements, a 1981 Baylor Law School graduate, board member and president elect of the Baylor Law Alumni Association, and Chair of Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell, LLP, recently received the Southwest Jewish Congress' Flame of Honor Award in Dallas. The Flame of Honor Award is presented annually by the SWJC to men and women whose qualities of moral courage and love of liberty and service have enriched our community and nation.

During the awards dinner, Clements told of how, as a young girl, she shook President John F. Kennedy's hand just three hours before he was assassinated. She then drew a line from that act of terror through the assassinations of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, the massacre of Israeli Olympic Athletes in Munich, the ongoing terrorist attacks against Israelis, the 9/11 al-Qaeda terrorist attacks against the USA and the Fort Hood terrorist attack against U.S. soldiers in Texas.

"I am humbled to be recognized by this important and critically relevant organization whose work remains so important and so vital," Clements said. In accepting the award in December, she told about her life-changing visit to Dachau and warned about calls for the destruction of Israel by the Iranians. Citing some of the SWJC's tenets - defending liberty, protecting separation of church and state, advancing equality for all people - she said, "Truthfully, I wish we didn't need SWJC, but we do. Perhaps the day will come, hopefully in the not too distant future, when their work is outdated and their mission is accomplished. Until then, I for one am very glad they are here and I am honored to be a small part of their fine work tonight."

Named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women Lawyers by the National Law Journal and one of 30 Extraordinary Women in Texas Law by Texas Lawyer, Clements serves as chair of Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell. Before that, she served as managing partner of Locke Liddell & Sapp and headed Locke Liddell's Litigation Section from 2001-2006.

She has been named one of the "Top Ten Litigators" by the Dallas Business Journal. During her 27 years of litigation experience, Clements has represented Fortune 500 companies across a wide range of industries and built an impressive record of resolutions in complex disputes in the area of commercial litigation.

A native of Fort Worth, Clements received her bachelor's degree from TCU, where she graduated magna cum laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After graduation, she taught special education at Nichols Junior High School in Arlington. However, after four years of teaching, she was looking for a career change. It was then that she considered law. Clements enrolled at Baylor Law School, where she served as editor of Baylor Law Review, and obtained her JD in 1981. She joined Locke Liddell & Sapp in 1982.

She is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers, and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. She has been named a "Texas Super Lawyer" in Business Litigation and one of the Top 50 Female Litigators in the State by Texas Monthly magazine. She also has been recognized in "The Best Lawyers in America."

"Jerry exemplifies all the qualities of a Flame of Honor recipient," said Baylor Law Dean Brad Toben. "She is bright, savvy, engaging and has a work ethic that doesn't end, but more importantly, she has a true passion for service to others. That's just how she's made. We are so proud of her as a Baylor lawyer."

Clements has been commissioned a Yellow Rose of Texas by Texas Gov. Rick Perry for the positive recognition she has brought to the State of Texas and is a supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization committed to helping the country's severely wounded service members. She is an active supporter of the United Way, a benefactor of the Austin Museum of Art and a member of the Alexis De Toqueville Society.

Clements and her husband, Mark, have four grown children and a son-in-law who is a major in the Army Rangers serving in Afghanistan.

The Southwest Jewish Congress is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting US Constitutional guarantees in the Southwest through advocacy, community educational programs, interfaith outreach, research, and cooperation with like-minded organizations, and is committed to the security and prosperity of the State of Israel.

Contact: Julie Carlson, Baylor Law School, 254-710-6681