Thanksgiving this year, to make an obvious understatement, is unusual — just as nearly all of 2020 has been. The ongoing pandemic and recent spikes in cases have many of us doing something we never would have imagined just a year ago: hosting or attending virtual gatherings at a distance.
This year has not only been strange and inconvenient, in many cases it's been heartbreaking.
However, in the midst of it all, we as a Texas A&M Law community, have much to be grateful for.
Here are a few of the things I am most grateful for this Thanksgiving:
- First and most importantly, the good health of the immediate community of our faculty, staff, and students, through the Covid-19 pandemic to date;
- The strong and diverse cohort of engaged 1L’s we welcomed to our (one-way) hallways this fall
- The broad and deep interest in our Master’s degree programs as opportunities for professionals to acquire critical knowledge and to distinguish themselves in consequential ways
- The incredible success of our most recent graduates on the bar exam — even under distinctly trying circumstances — resulting in the second highest pass rate in Texas, including Jenna Johnson ‘20, earning the highest passing score among all takers
- Perhaps unsurprisingly, given those results, employers express continued and growing demand for our students.
- The successful navigation of twelve weeks of face-to-face, hybrid, and online classes, as well as in-person exams
- The striking achievements of our clinics over the course of the entire year-to-date — not just in spite of the surrounding conditions, but in response to them
- Texas A&M Law’s important contributions to the Covid-19 pandemic response, including the incredible webinar series initiated by Gabriel Eckstein, with the support of Kirsten Evans
- The incredible awards and other recognitions bestowed on our faculty — Professor Thomas Mitchell’s receipt of a MacArthur “Genius” Grant; important University distinctions bestowed on Professors Susan Fortney, Glynn Lunney, Tim Mulvaney, and Peter Yu; the election of Huyen Pham, Nancy Welsh, and Peter Yu to the American Law Institute; and Michael Green’s appointment as a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators; and many others
- The continued appreciation for the caliber of our work and what we produce, as evidenced by external rankings.
More than any particular achievements, I am especially grateful for all the faculty, staff, students, and community partners that make Texas A&M School of Law such an exciting and vibrant place to learn and work.
Thank you. I hope you all have a very happy and safe Thanksgiving.
Bobby