Texas A&M School of Law professors Malikah Hall and Aaron Retteen were featured in a "must-see" live program at the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Annual Meeting - How Persistent Identifiers Can Change the Impact Landscape for Legal Scholarship - where they discussed their experiences implementing persistent identifiers in legal scholarship and shared insights discussed in detail in their forthcoming paper Persistent Identifiers and the Next Generation of Legal Scholarship, available at https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3168863.

 

Shawna Smith-Thornton is a Texas A&M School of Law master's of jurisprudence degree graduate who was appointed to the executive committee of the Association of American Law Schools Pro Bono Committee where she serves as membership co-chair. Shawna helped create the first pro bono emerging leaders award, recognizing mid-career pro bono professionals. Look for her this fall as a panelist at the 2021 Pro Bono Coordinators Retreat & Poverty Law Conference.

 

Shawna is busy building the first mobile app for students at Texas A&M Law, firmly believing that increasing communication can do wonders for the student experience.

Years of Service: 6 years

Describe your law school tenure in three words:

• Adventurous
• Innovative
• Limitless 

Do you have a favorite Texas A&M Aggie Core Value?

• Selfless Service. To whom much is given, much is required.
• Integrity. What you do when no one is watching is important.

What was your favorite tv show growing up?

• The Golden Girls. I've been watching this show since I was single digits. I love the feistiness of the ladies, and what has stuck with me is that there is still life after life's trials.
• M*A*S*H. I got to stay up late to watch this show, and that was the best. It was a good memory of spending time with my Mom.
• A Different World. I got to dream with this show. Peeking into college life was exciting and rescued me from my neighborhood and the monotony. 

If you could keep only three apps on your phone, what would they be?

• Apple Music
• My bank.
• Instagram

Everything you need to know comes from Instagram. Just search and find.  

Texas A&M Legal Clinics announce the recipients of their 2020 and 2021 awards. The legal clinics give students the opportunity to apply their skills to work on behalf of actual clients in a variety of practice areas, and the awards provide the opportunity to showcase student achievement.

Texas A&M law professor Brian Larson and public-health professors Cason Schmit and Hye-Chung Kum advise legislators and public-health professionals in the U.S. to act on the proposed Uniform Personal Data Protection Act (UPDPA), likely to be adopted July 10, 2021 by the Uniform Law Commissioners (ULC). The Act is designed to be adopted by states seeking a comprehensive data privacy statute, and it has important effects on public-health research and interventions.

Texas A&M University School of Law Professor Fatma Marouf is elected to the American Law Institute (ALI). The ALI is the "leading independent organization" in the U.S. producing scholarly work to improve the law.

Celebrating over 90 years of existence, the Institute is made up of 3,000 judges, lawyers and law professors from the United States and abroad. The ALI drafts, discusses, revises and publishes Restatements of the Law, Model Codes and Principles of Law that are influential in the courts and legislatures and in legal scholarship and education.

ALI is the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize, and improve the law. By participating in the Institute’s work, its distinguished members have the opportunity to influence the development of the law in both existing and emerging areas, to work with other eminent lawyers, judges, and academics, to give back to a profession to which they are deeply dedicated, and to contribute to the public good.

Judge Matthew Wright ’08 got the idea to create a law school quilt when he realized that no one wanted to purchase his lucky shorts and shirt.

He had tried selling them during the Rosebud 100+ City Garage Sale — a local market where one can find everything from fried chicken to live chickens, and from unidentifiable junk to valuable antiques. Even at $0.25 per piece, no one wanted his ten-year old oversized shorts and shirt.

As Wright prepared to donate his unsold things, he just couldn’t let go of the outfit. It had been with him during the best — and worst — of times. His affinity for this particular ensemble started through the power of laziness. Comfortable and easy to clean, he could grab them directly out of the dryer bypassing the hanger and folding.

I enjoy volunteering for the Texas Rangers (I pass out promotional items at the gates), taking photographs (nature and baseball mainly) and spending time with my two grandsons.

Area of Service: Dee J. Kelly Law Library

Years of Service: 17 years (as Texas Wesleyan School of Law and Texas A&M School of Law)

Describe your law school tenure in three words:

• Variety
• Fortunate
• Friendships 

Do you have a favorite Texas A&M Aggie Core Value?

Selfless Service – I think it is important to help others. Even a small act can make a difference to someone. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, but I observed my parents helping others by giving their time to friends, family and the church.

In the future, I hope to devote time to helping the American Red Cross and area food banks. I am an introvert, and volunteering provides me with the opportunity to meet people. 

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Early Bird – As a child, I wasn’t allowed to sleep in. As an adult, I always got up early to go to work or take my daughter to school. I am more productive and energetic in the mornings, especially after a chai tea latte.

 

If you could keep only three apps on your phone, what would they be?

• Facebook
• Candy Crush Soda
• Google

What was your favorite tv show growing up?

There were several I loved watching…The Brady Bunch, Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons, Columbo, CHiPs, Dukes of Hazzard, Dallas, and Knots Landing.

The Texas A&M School of Law advocacy program is deeply saddened by the passing of longtime mock trial coach, Douglas Greene.

Douglas Greene (center) and colleagues celebrate an award.

I was one of the first African Americans to integrate Fort Worth's Stripling Middle School in the early 1970s. While I didn't feel the responsibility of being one of the first at that time, I certainly remember that my presence was something others would remember. I got lots of stares. I share this because I can relate to the many firsts our law school students experience when they walk through our halls or sign in to a Zoom session for the very first time. I'm so grateful to our faculty and staff for their welcoming presence and understanding. They are doing their best to maintain a close-knit, family feel despite growth.

Area of Service: Faculty Support

Years of Service: Five

Describe your law school tenure in three words:

• Busy
• Defining
• Exciting

What makes TAMU Law unique?

Compared to other law schools, our size makes us unique. Smaller classes, I think, help our students connect better to their studies and to their fellow classmates. It's easier for students to find places to thrive.

I love also watching how the diversity of our students, faculty and staff improves every year. Everyone works together because we can all agree that student success is a priority.

Do you have a favorite Texas A&M Aggie Core Value?

Respect is my favorite Aggie Core Value. How we treat each other matters and reminds me of the Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

I'm definitely an early bird. I tend to think better in the morning, and I can get more done. Forget the evenings. I'm generally half asleep. LOL. I also like the morning hours because it's a good time to fish, one of my favorite things to do.  

Area of Service: Curriculum & Instructional Design

Years of Service: Two

I am very passionate about designing high-quality, learner-friendly courses that engage adult learners to achieve success. Instructional design is the "glue" that connects instructors and students for the finest experiences.

I moved to the U.S. after earning my bachelor's degree in China, and I earned my master's degree in curriculum development and instructional technology from State University of New York at Albany. I'm looking forward to completing my doctoral degree next summer.

What's a recent professional accomplishment?

Migrating existing online courses to Canvas during a pandemic. Pivoting quickly was a challenge but also an opportunity.

Canvas is a course management system that supports online learning and teaching.

Describe your law school tenure in three words:

• Extremely busy
• Challenging
• Exciting

Do you have a favorite Texas A&M Aggie Core Value?

I'm most drawn to leadership, and it excites me. Without solid leadership, you may lose focus. Like a ship that navigates through rocky waters, a good leader can calm the path forward for organizational success.