Texas A&M School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic student Madeleine "Maddie" Hamparian helped a client obtain humanitarian parole, a temporary permission allowing non-U.S. citizens to enter the country to attend to urgent issues. In this case, the client's son was having a critical surgery that her husband's donated tissue could make possible. His presence was needed. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) made the decision in early September. The law school's medical/legal partnership with Cook Children's Medical Center facilitated the meeting and eventually successful result. 

Texas A&M School of Law in downtown Fort Worth celebrates alumni at its first Alumni Legacy Awards reception Saturday, September 11 from 6-8 p.m. at the Fort Worth Club. Recipients are graduates who have made noteworthy contributions to the legal field and the community. Among them is Mayor Mattie Parker, publicized as the youngest mayor of a top-25 U.S. city by KERA News.

Coordinated by the Texas A&M Law Alumni Board, the awards program is designed to honor law school graduates annually with an awards process, culminating with a celebratory event. Board president and partner at Katten Benson Zachry, LLP Dana Zachry has spent her tenure determined to keep momentum high in uncertain times.

“The Alumni Board of Directors has been able to accomplish more than I would have expected in the year of COVID,” she says. “We have succeeded in bringing the alumni community together in a big way while benefitting our community.”

 Allison Pawlowski

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.  

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.

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.

Area of Service: IT

Years of Service: 14 years as Texas Wesleyan Law and Texas A&M Law

Who has influenced you the most when it comes to work? Share three takeaways.

I was taught by my father to remove the phrases, I can’t or I don’t know. The takeaway is not to give up when things are hard and to always seek knowledge and understanding in areas that you lack knowledge.

I was taught by my mother that working seven days a week, nights and weekends was normal for 40 hours of pay. My mother also told me frequently that life is not fair, but you need to control what you can control. You can always control your work ethic.

The last but most important came from my grandmother. She would say what’s done in the dark will come to the light. What I take from this is when you are working on projects alone and spending time away from work caring about your job and think you are not getting credit, keep working hard. What you do in the dark will soon come to light.

Describe your law school tenure in three words:

• Exciting
• Impactful
• Encouraging