It’s no secret that the world of law hasn’t always been welcoming to women. While the women’s suffrage movement was still ongoing during the turn of the 20th century, formal law schools were being created. In 1920 — the same year the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote — Baylor Law School was formally established. And just a few years later, it had its first female graduate: Emeline Abood Jackson, JD ’26.

It takes a brave person to fly Army helicopters into battle zones in Afghanistan, landing amidst the fighting to evacuate injured soldiers who need treatment. It also takes a brave person to dedicate both their personal and professional lives to serving orphaned children, kids who need someone to fight for them. Baylor law student Stephen Carl is both.

One of the hallmarks of Baylor Law School's 160-year existence has been the consistent development of successful Baylor Lawyers. While law schools across the country are beginning to transition to a more practice-focused curriculum, Baylor Law has remained attentive to its students' professional needs since its inception through long-standing programs like Practice Court and a well-rounded curriculum.

Baylor University today announced a gift of $2 million from Sherri W. and Robert “Bobby” L. Patton Jr. of Fort Worth that will enhance the legal writing and pro bono programs in the nationally ranked Baylor Law School. Their gift will help underwrite two programs that already distinguish Baylor Law among its peers, while also providing student scholarship assistance.

Baylor Law has partnered with Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee, PLLC to offer an innovative new kind of pro bono clinic–an “Answer-a-Thon”–using the State Bar of Texas’ Texas Legal Answers website. The purpose of the clinic is threefold: to increase access to justice for low-income Texans; to provide law students with an opportunity to gain practical, real-life experience helping clients and working with experienced attorneys; and to remove barriers to attorneys providing pro bono services.

With the federal government's phasing out of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the Baylor Law Immigration Clinic offers renewal assistance to those who's DACA status expires on or before March 5, 2018.

Baylor Law School Professor Laura Hernandez is an expert on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the founder of the Baylor Law Immigration Clinic. Professor Hernandez shared her insight on the termination of the program with award-winning journalist Simi Sara on CKNW Newstalk 980 AM's "The Simi Sara Show."

With Texans reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, Baylor Law students are stepping up to help. The flooding and devastation of the hurricane have forced thousands of Texans to evacuate their homes and communities. Baylor Law students, working alongside Lone Star Legal Aid, have organized a fundraiser and donation drive to help their families, friends and neighbors on the Gulf Coast.

Baylor Law was recently recognized in an article published on law.com for taking the initiative in addressing law students' health and wellness while preparing them for the practice of law.

Baylor Law School's annual three-day Legal Mapmaker program runs Aug. 16-18 in Fort Worth. Attendees will attend workshops led by experts in numerous areas ranging from business planning and alternative fee arrangements to marketing, client relations and community involvement.

The Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) awarded the Waco-McLennan County Young Lawyers Association first place in the Single Project Service to the Public category in recognition of the association's Pro Bono Challenge Program.

Professor Bridget Fuselier, JD '98, was named among ten faculty members who have been selected to serve as 2017-18 Baylor Fellows because of their excellence in teaching and desire to transform student thinking through innovation.

Baylor Lawyers, Rear Admiral John Hannink, JD '94, and Commander Gatha Manns, JD '93, reflect on their foundational Baylor Law education and outstanding military careers as they look forward to what is next.

Baylor Law School ranked #22 for law schools that placed the highest percentage of 2016 graduates in full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage and were not funded by the schools themselves. Baylor Law also ranked #19 for law schools that had the highest percentage of students accepted to federal judicial clerkships.

Baylor Law Professor Bridget Fuselier, JD '98, was honored by the Texas Military & Veterans Law Section of the State Bar of Texas with the Colonel Bryan S. Spencer Award during the 2017 State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting. Professor Fuselier founded the Baylor Law Veterans Clinic which helps provide legal assistance to a population of over 16,000 veterans in McLennan County and its surrounding areas.

Hosted annually, Baylor Law's Top Gun National Mock Trial Competition is an innovative, invitation-only mock trial tournament where the single best advocates from some of the top 16 trial advocacy schools go head-to-head for the honor of being named "Top Gun" and a $10,000 prize. Jacob M. Morse of Campbell University, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, was named the 2017 "Top Gun."

Allison Dickson, JD '07 has been named the 2017 Young Baylor Lawyer of the Year during a surprise announcement at her home in Temple, Texas.

Baylor Law student William McMichael is the latest Baylor Law "Mad Dog," after winning the Spring 2017 Mad Dog Mock Trial Competition. Fellow student Rachel Buchhorn was the finalist, and students Greg Cox and Sarah Holub were the semi-finalists.

Judge Brad Cates, JD '80, of McLennan County Court at Law No. 2 in Waco, Texas, received the 2017 Outstanding Mentor Award from the Waco-McLennan County Young Lawyers Association (WMCYLA).

Baylor Lawyer Joshua Van Eaton, JD ’01, along with his co-counsel Bethany Engel represented the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in a lawsuit against Volkswagen over widespread vehicle emissions fraud. The magnitude and scope of the case has resulted in unprecedented settlements.

Baylor Law School named Senator Murray Watson, Jr., of Waco, Texas, the 2017 Baylor Lawyer of the Year. “Senator Watson is most deserving of this honor,” Dean Brad Toben said. “Senator Watson is an exemplar of a public servant. His impact on the state of Texas, McLennan County, and Baylor is profound, and he is one of the most humble leaders I have ever known.”

April 30 - May 5, Baylor Law hosted its second annual Business Law Boot Camp at the Sheila & Walter Umphrey Law Center in Waco, Texas. The Business Law Boot Camp is a week-long program that provides Baylor Law students with a practical overview of the various areas of law a business transactional lawyer will encounter on a regular basis.

The results of the February 2017 Texas Bar exam have been released and Baylor Law is again No. 1 with an 88.89 percent pass rate. Of the 27 Baylor Law students who took the February 2017 exam, 24 passed – the highest percentage among the nine Texas law schools.

Live streaming of the Baylor Law 2017 Spring Commencement ceremony begins at 9:45am, April 29, 2017.