The Dee J. Kelly Law Library at Texas A&M School of Law in Fort Worth launches its first anti-racism research guide early August. The collection houses over 400 resources that "will help users learn more about anti-racism and how to become anti-racism allies and accomplices."

The Office of Student Affairs is proud to announce its wellness initiatives for students during the 2020-21 school year. With the addition of Allison Pawlowski, Texas A&M Law's new wellness coordinator, the department is poised to help students manage what has been a notable year.

Pawlowski says, "In this position, I am here to help students learn about wellness and find professional wellness resources. Wellness is a broad concept that includes physical, mental, financial, and social that influence one’s abilities in school and life. I am here to assist with any issues or concerns that students may be facing by finding the tools students need to be successful."

Click here to see a sample of the month's activities.

For the past year, the Texas A&M Law Criminal Defense Clinic has represented a woman in her 60s, sentenced to life in prison in her 50s for a first-time drug offense.  Students, under the guidance of clinic director and professor Amber Baylor, successfully petitioned for compassionate release on her behalf. The court granted a reduction in sentence this May, and the client was released to her family in Dallas.

Texas A&M Law students collaboratively worked in support of the client's application for a reduction of her sentence, to allow her to return home to her children and grandchildren rather than die in prison. A few students visited and interviewed the client at the federal prison where she was incarcerated. The client's cause became urgent once coronavirus began to spread rapidly within US prisons. She had health conditions that made her vulnerable to the virus.

Students adjusted their strategy and motions to request immediate compassionate release. The federal district court judge granted release to the client.

Celestina L. Flores, director of the Family and Veterans Advocacy Clinic of Texas A&M University School of Law, announces the awarding of a $75,000 grant to begin a new program for veterans.

The grant is funded by the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance. The Fund for Veterans’ Assistance (FVA) provides grants to organizations serving veterans and their families.

Professor Peter Yu is Texas A&M University School of Law's newest member of the American Law Institute (ALI). ALI is the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize, and otherwise improve the law, according to its website. Yu is among the 38 members newly elected by his peers to the ALI.

The Texas A&M School of Law Residency Externship Program in Public Policy is pleased to announce the 2020-2021 Class of law students who will be representing the school in Austin, Texas and Washington, D.C. Program director Lisa Rich says that this year’s class represents the continued commitment to public service that has been a hallmark of the law school’s student body and the participants in the program. 
 
 The 2020-2021 Class includes: 
 
Austin, Texas: 
Lorraine Garcia, Class of 2021 
Lillian Goebel, Class of 2022 
 
Washington, D.C.: 
Ramah Jaradat, Class of 2021 
Bailey Read, Class of 2021 
Sannika Reddy, Class of 2021 
Sierra Sotelo, Class of 2021 
Justin Wolf, Class of 2021 
 
According to Rich, these highly-talented students are prepared to take on their policy placements with the support of Texas A&M School of Law’s innovative policymaking curriculum, which includes perquisites in administrative law, legislation and statutory interpretation, policy drafting and a unique winter term boot camp course designed to prepare students for the ethical and political environment they will engage in during the spring semester. 
 
The program is supported by two adjuncts--Tom Krampitz in Fort Worth and Austin and Kerry Kinirons in Washington, D.C. They guide students through a policy-based seminar and bring in the biggest names in local, state and federal policymaking to engage students in a small class setting on current issues. 
 
For more information and to follow this group of students, click here.

Deans at the 10 Texas law school deans, including Texas A&M Law's Bobby Ahdieh, issued a joint statement condemning racism and remembering George Floyd and so many others.

Texas A&M University School of Law mourns the passing of Judge Joe Spurlock II, senior professor of law and director of the Asian Judicial Institute. Judge Spurlock – a colleague, friend and legal legend – became a founding faculty member of the law school when its long-term success was considered wishful thinking by many. By the time he joined the faculty, Judge Spurlock had already spent years in private practice and served as an assistant criminal district attorney, a member of the Texas Legislature, a trial court judge and an appellate justice. 

The below message was sent by Dean Bobby Ahdieh to the Texas A&M Law student body on May 31, 2020 – six days after the horrifying and unnecessary death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.