Baylor Law School Grads To Receive Degrees Nov. 9
by Alan Hunt
Seventeen graduates of Baylor University School of Law are scheduled to receive juris doctor degrees during commencement ceremonies at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, in Miller Chapel.
The keynote speaker, who was selected by the graduating class to deliver the commencement address, will be Albuquerque attorney Turner Branch, who graduated from Baylor Law School in 1965.
A native New Mexican, Branch completed his undergraduate degree at the University of New Mexico where he served as president of the student body and was an accomplished athlete. At Baylor Law School, he served on the editorial board of the Baylor Law Review. A nationally known trial attorney who has won recognition for his skills in the courtroom and his legal achievements, he and his wife, Margaret, founded the Branch Law Firm in Albuquerque in 1969.
Law Dean Brad Toben said Turner and Margaret Branch are universally recognized in the profession as lawyers of the very highest caliber. Describing them as "a class team," he said they have consistently achieved impressive results in representing their clients in very complex litigation matters. "Everything they do in their work and in their lives they do with a passion for excellence," he said.
The Branches recently gave a $1 million gift to Baylor Law School to underwrite the Turner and Margaret Branch Courtroom at the new Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center, which opened for classes in August 2001. Their gift also will underwrite student scholarships at the law school.
Diplomas will be presented during the program by Toben, assisted by Leah W. Jackson, associate dean. The honor of hooding the graduates will go to Professor William D. Underwood, who serves as The Leon Jaworski Professor of Practice and Procedure, and Professor Gerald R. Powell, The Abner V. McCall Professor of Evidence.
The invocation will be given by Professor David M. Guinn, who serves as The Louise L. Morrison Professor of Constitutional Law and Master Teacher.
After the ceremony, a reception for the graduates and their guests will be hosted by the Baylor Law Alumni Association in the student lounge at the Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center.