WACO— October, 2018

The Texas Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission has selected recent Baylor Law graduate Tycha Kimbrough as its annual Law Student Pro Bono Award recipient, which honors a student whose pro bono work has made a significant impact on the community and enhanced the delivery of quality legal services to Texas’ underserved communities.

All students from ABA-accredited law schools in Texas are eligible for the award.

Dean Brad Toben Honors Tycha Kimbrough at Baylor Law's 2018 Student Awards Ceremony

“The ATJ Law Student Pro Bono Award recognizes law students who have dedicated their time and talents to improving the lives of those who would otherwise be unable to access legal services,” said clinical director Josh Borderud, Tycha’s supervising attorney in four distinct Baylor Law clinical programs. He added, “Tycha has overcome enormous hardship in her life. Yet, she remains cheerful, empathetic, and a zealous advocate for our clients. To say that it was a joy to work with her would be a vast understatement.”

During her time at Baylor Law, Tycha was involved in an inspiring amount of clinical and service-oriented activities on a pro bono basis, for which she received no academic credit. For the Trial Advocacy Clinic, under Borderud’s supervision, she represented clients in Waco Municipal Court and in juvenile detention hearings in the 74th District Court. For the Veterans Clinic, she drafted wills for veterans under the supervision of Professor Tom Featherston, and assisted at the monthly legal advice clinics. She participated in the Texas ATJ Pro Bono Spring Break Program where she volunteered with the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) in San Antonio. She was a student member of the Judge Abner V. McCall Inn, of the American Inns of Court, and as part of her work there, she co-presented on landlord-tenant law for veteran defendants in Fort Hood’s VETS Court. She was Vice President of Baylor Law’s Women’s Legal Society, and founder and president of Baylor Law’s Criminal Law Society.

“We’re thrilled that the Texas Access to Justice Commission has recognized Tycha’s extraordinary level of compassion, service and desire to use her legal training to help and support so many members of our community who otherwise would be unable to access quality legal services,” said Brad Toben, Dean of Baylor Law, “She is such a wonderful example of the focus upon servant leadership that we strive to instill in our students. We are honored to have her in the Baylor Law family.”

While at Baylor Law, Tycha received the Public Interest Fellow designation, the highest distinction of its kind at Baylor Law for having volunteered over 225 hours of pro bono work.

“I grew up in a community where people could not obtain legal assistance for critical matters because it was not affordable. Consequently, I always said I would become a lawyer to serve the marginalized and underserved, and I meant every word. When the Lord blesses you with much, much is required of you, and I am using my abundance of blessings to empower and uplift my community. I never expected to be rewarded for doing my part to help others. Being able to represent and assist individuals who may not otherwise obtain legal services is a reward within itself, but it is truly an honor to be the recipient of the 2018 Law Student Pro Bono Award. I am looking forward to continuing to make pro bono service a meaningful part of my practice.” – Tycha Kimbrough.

Tycha will be recognized for this exemplary honor at the State Bar of Texas’ New Lawyer Induction Ceremony in Austin on Monday, November 19, and will receive a $2,000 stipend from the Commission as well.

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ABOUT BAYLOR LAW
Established in 1857, Baylor Law School was one of the first law schools in Texas and one of the first west of the Mississippi River. Today, the school has more than 7,400 living alumni. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Baylor Law School has a record of producing outstanding lawyers, many of whom decide upon a career in public service. The Law School boasts two governors, members or former members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, two former directors of the FBI, U.S. ambassadors, federal judges, justices of the Texas Supreme Court and members of the Texas Legislature, among its notable alumni. In its law specialties rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Baylor Law’s trial advocacy program as one of the top 5 in the nation. Baylor Law School is also ranked #50 in the magazine’s 2019 edition of "America’s Best Graduate Schools." The National Jurist ranks Baylor Law as one of the "Best School for Practical Training," and in the top 15 "Best Law School Facilities" in the country. The Business Insider places Baylor Law among the top 50 law schools in the nation. Baylor Law School received the 2015 American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award, making it only the third law school in the nation to be honored with the award since the award's inception in 1984. Learn more at baylor.edu/law

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more at baylor.edu