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Top Gun Gets
$10,000 in Winner-Take-All Mock Trial Competition, June 2-6
Baylor Law
School is known throughout the nation for its intensely rigorous trial
advocacy program. Now, 16 other law schools in the nation will experience
the same type of rigor during the first week in June - with one winner
emerging as the nation's Top Gun. Read
more.
Nicholas Sarokhanian and Ronnie Turner Compete
in Wortham Top Gun Competition
Speaking of Top Gun,
Baylor Law held its intrascholastic Wortham Top Gun competition on May 24.
Finalists Nicholas Sarokhanian and Ronnie Turner battled it out during a
fictional negligence case that focused on whether an 18-wheeler hit a
passenger car. Turner represented the plaintiff while Sarokhanian served as
counsel for the defense. After the end of the three-hour trial, Sarokhanian
was named Top Gun.
"The biggest challenge of Top Gun was the
mental and physical exhaustion after each and every trial," he said. "It's
understandable how much time you have to pour into preparing for trial, but
what's really surprising is how much a trial actually takes out of
you."
Both men will graduate in August. Sarokhanian will then join
Patton Boggs LLP in Dallas as an associate in their litigation department
while Turner will begin work at Provost Umphrey, L.L.P., on Sept. 1.
You can watch Sarokhanian
and Turner
give their opening statements by visiting Baylor
Law's Facebook page.
Baylor Law School to Welcome Three New
Faculty
Baylor Law School will
welcome three new faculty members, including President (Judge) Ken Starr,
during the summer. Starr will join the faculty upon his arrival at Baylor
on June 1. He will be a part of the program in a setting consistent with
his presidential schedule and duties. Prof. Luke Meier, currently at Drake
Law School, and Prof. Jill Wieber Lens, currently at the University of
Louisville's School of Law, will join the Baylor faculty,
respectively, in mid-May and early July and will begin teaching in the
fall. Read
more.
'The Blind Side' Director John Lee Hancock Delivers
Oscar-Caliber Speech at Baylor Law Commencement May 1
If there was
an Oscar for Best Commencement Address, John Lee Hancock surely would win
it. The writer and director of the Academy Award-nominated film The Blind Side and a Baylor Law alumnus
was the keynote speaker at Baylor Law School's commencement exercises on
May 1 and delivered memorable comments.
"John Lee was a
brilliant commencement speaker, and he is so modest about his
accomplishments," said Baylor Law Dean Brad Toben. "He really was puzzled
that he was selected by our graduating class to be the speaker, but I
thought he had a wonderful message for our students. Namely, that every
case and ever client has a compelling story to tell and that a
lawyer's job is to find and communicate that story."
"Why me?" said the humble Hancock. "There is
nothing I could say that would be that interesting or provocative
considering I have spent much of my professional life in a room by
myself." Read
more.
Walter Umphrey Receives Blackstone Award from Jefferson
County Bar Association
Baylor Law
alumnus Walter Umphrey, co-founder of the Provost & Umphrey law firm,
received the Blackstone Award during Law Day ceremonies at the Jefferson
County Courthouse. The local Law Day activities were sponsored by the
Jefferson County Bar Association and the Jefferson County Young Lawyers
Association. Read
more.
Baylor Law
Student Recognized as 'Top 10' Scorer on CPA Exam
Nikki Laing,
a Baylor Law School student, was in the news when she was recognized as one
of the Top 10 highest scorers in Texas on the CPA exam. Now her Baylor Law
Review article on the Texas Margin Tax is garnering attention. Read
this article in the Houston
Chronicle to learn more.
Student Spotlight: Meet Dana Mays, 2010
Spring Starter Among the 4,692
applications Baylor Law received for a scant 150 slots, Dana Mays'
credentials stood out. The Atlanta, Texas, native and member of the
Spring 2010 entering class learned at an early age to strive for excellence
by participating in a variety of activities. She cheered, ran
cross-country and track, took dance and piano lessons, and held leadership
positions in her church youth group. Dana's competitive energy
and drive carried forward with her as she entered Baylor University to
begin her undergraduate career. At Baylor she was a Coed Yell Leader
for three-and-one-half years, a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority,
participated actively in All-University Sing, and volunteered at the local
animal shelter, Baylor Steppin' Out and Waco King's Club.
Dana notes that her proudest accomplishment, next to gaining admission to
Baylor Law School, was maintaining a perfect 4.00 undergraduate
GPA.
Dana is no stranger to the rigors of Baylor Law's
academic program. Her father, grandfather and uncle are Baylor
lawyers. Now in her second quarter of law school, Dana is one more
example of the outstanding students at Baylor Law.
Ambassador Lyndon L. Olson, Jr.,
to Serve as Vice Chairman of LBJ Foundation
Ambassador
Lyndon L. Olson, Jr. and Ben Barnes will serve as Vice Chairmen of the LBJ
Foundation. Olson was the US Ambassador to Sweden from 1998-2001. He
previously served as President and CEO of Travelers Insurance Holdings,
Inc., and the Associated Madison Companies, Inc. Olson was chairman of the
Texas State Board of Insurance from 1979 to 1981 and from 1983 to 1987. A
graduate of Baylor University and Baylor Law School, Olson was a member of
the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 to 1978 where he was Chairman
of the Committee on Higher Education. Olson lives in Waco, Texas. more
On-Campus Interviews Scheduled for
August
Baylor Law School will be hosting On-Campus
Interviews during the week of August 16, 2010. We want to take this
opportunity to ask you, a Baylor Law alum, for your help in making this a
successful event. If you are responsible for recruiting and hiring
decisions in your office, please make plans now to visit us in August. If
you are not responsible for recruiting and hiring, you nevertheless can
help by encouraging your colleagues to register and take part in the OCI
process.
To make traveling to Waco more convenient, we have
arranged to cover the cost of a hotel room for your interviewers while in
Waco. If the August dates are inconvenient, we can schedule an alternative
time for you to come to campus. And if visiting the law school in person is
not possible, we also can offer alternatives, such as resume collection or
interviews by video conference. Please join us in our effort to be sure
our students have the best possible opportunities to begin their careers.
We are sending this notice to any Baylor Law alum for whom we have an
e-mail address, but please help to spread the word to your fellow Baylor
lawyers.
To sign up for interviews, contact Monica Wright at
(phone) 254.710.1210, (toll free) 800.229.5678 (options 3; 1), or (e-mail)
Monica_Wright@baylor.edu. We appreciate your help.
Mike
Berry Director, Career Development Office
Welcome
Berkley Scroggins as Assistant Director of Alumni Relations
Berkley
Scroggins has joined the Baylor Law Alumni Team as the Assistant Director
of Alumni Relations. Scroggins, a 2010 Baylor Law School graduate,
transitioned from student to staff upon graduation. She attended the
University of Texas at Austin for her undergraduate education and received
a degree in Public Relations. Scroggins was raised in Amarillo, Texas. Her
family then moved to Fredericksburg to enjoy living in the Texas Hill
Country. Scroggins is excited to be a Wacoan and become actively
involved in the Waco and Baylor communities. She is a member of St. Paul's
Episcopal Church, where she looks forward to helping with the children's
Sunday school program. Scroggins is also a CASA advocate of McLennan County
and has served as an advocate to six local CASA kids.
"What
a privilege to join the incredible Baylor Law team as the Assistant
Director of Alumni Relations," she said. "I am thrilled for the opportunity
to keep you connected to our Law School. As a 2010 Baylor Law graduate, I
have a strong allegiance to the Law School, and I look forward to
connecting with you soon. Baylor Law School has an outstanding community of
Baylor Lawyers, and with your support and active involvement, together we
can continue the Baylor Law legacy."
25
Ways to Stay Involved At Baylor LawWondering how to stay involved with Baylor
Law? Your Alumni Team created a list of 25 Ways to Stay Involved At
Baylor Law. Today, we'll spotlight #11. Let the Career Development Office
know about open positions at your firm or other firms. Email Mike Berry,
Director of Career Development, Michael_R_Berry@Baylor.edu.
News from Baylor Law
Review
Check out the Spring 2010 issue of the Baylor Law Review (62:2). The
Spring issue includes exciting topics from several areas of law, including
contract, tax, administrative, trust and lawsuit shaping. Mrs.
Laing's article on the Texas "Margin" Tax has already
been featured in a story in the Houston
Chronicle and has received quite a bit of attention. The full
issue includes:
Articles: Lawsuit Shaping and Legal Sufficiency: The Accelerator and
the Brakes of Civil Litigation --Judge David Peeples Contract Law's Two
"P.E.'S": Promissory Estoppel and the Parol
Evidence Rule --Prof. David Epstein, Melinda Arbuckle, Kelly
Flanagan First-Refusal Rights Under
Texas Law --Robert K. Wise, Andrew J.
Szygenda, Thomas F. Lillard
Notes and Comments: Losing the Race Never Run: How Igal v.
Brightstar Information Technology Group Inc., Impacts Administrative Agency
Orders in Texas --Lauren Braddy Critical Dilemmas in Genetic Testing: Why
Regulations to Protect the Confidentiality of Genetic Information Should Be
Expanded --Amy Foster An Income Tax by Any Other Name is Still an
Income Tax: The Constitutionality of the Texas "Margin"
Tax as Applied to Partnerships and Other Unincorporated
Associations --Nikki Laing Is the Dead Hand Losing its Grip in
Texas?: Spendthrift Trusts and In Re Townley Bypass Unified Credit
Trust --N. Camille Varner Worth the Toll? The Dormant Commerce
Clause's Effect on Statutory Tolling Based on a Defendant's
Absence from the State in Texas and Other
States --Ryan Walters
Online
Baylor Law Alumni Directory … a Resource for YOU
We're
always told to "use our resources." And here's an
invaluable resource for you – the online Baylor Law Alumni Directory,
where you can find fellow Baylor Lawyers' contact information.
Go to the online directory today to update your contact information and
search for fellow Baylor Lawyers.
Update Your Contact Information
Today! It's as easy as 1-2-3 and just takes a few
minutes.
tep 1: Go to the online Baylor Law Alumni Directory at https://www1.baylor.edu/network/law/
Step
2: If you are an existing user, login with your user name & password.
If you are new to the directory, click on "Click Here" to
create a profile.
Step 3: Edit your contact information. You
can also edit your professional, personal & family information.
For questions, please contact Berkley Scroggins, Assistant
Director of Alumni Relations, at
Berkley_Scroggins@Baylor.edu.
Thank you for updating your
information – we look forward to connecting with you
soon!
Baylor Law Alumni Reception
Join Dean Brad Toben, President-elect Ken Starr,
Faculty and fellow alumni at the Baylor Law Alumni Reception in conjunction
with the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, June 10,
at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel, 1300 Houston Street, Fort Worth. RSVP today
at: http://law.baylor.edu If
you have questions, please contact Berkley Scroggins, Assistant
Director of Alumni Relations, at 254.710.4346.
Job Postings
Baylor Law alumni can access job postings
through Symplicity.
EventsJune 3-6 National Top Gun Mock Trial
Competition Baylor Law School
June 10 Baylor Law Alumni
Reception in conjunction with the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting 5-7
p.m. Omni Hotel Fort Worth, Texas
July 27-29 Texas Bar
Exam
July 31 Baylor Law Summer Commencement
August
13 OCI Bootcamp
August 16-20 On-campus
Interviews
PhotosSee the latest photos from Baylor Law School
events, including alumni
receptions held in Houston and Beaumont. Visit our photo
gallery.
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