I have a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas in Geography/Earth Science and a minor in Spanish. I did a study-abroad and lived in Mexico for over a month while living with a family and attending school. I played saxophone in a Ska band in the late 90’s and played all over the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and Austin. My wife and I have known each other since high school band. She has been an elementary school teacher for 27 years. Our daughter is a junior at Texas Woman’s University, and our son is a percussion director for an area high school. We have two Bassett hounds, a Labrador mix and two cats.   We love taking our camper to different places and enjoying the scenery.

Busy, busy, busy….

The law school came from such humble beginnings with the hard work of so many people to become what it is today.

Texas A&M Professor Brian N. Larson receives the Aggie Allies Rainbow Award this week. The Rainbow Award, sponsored by Aggie Allies, recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to diversity by serving as a role model and contributing to the education of the Texas A&M University community regarding LGBTQ+ people and issues. Award recipients receive a commemorative item and a monetary award.

According to law school student and OUTLaw student organization president Lora Naismith, Larson encourages networking events that are "crucial for younger LGBTQ+ law students." The networking events expose students to various practice areas and diversity and inclusivity efforts in the community.

Serving on the board of directors of the Dallas LGBT Bar Association, Larson furthers its mission to promote awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and to advocate for equality through his advocacy of OUTLaw. His support allows OUTLaw students to undertake initiatives aimed at reducing inequities.

The student group hosts a meeting in August to greet and welcome new LGBTQ+ students and allies and recently hosted a panel on the evolution of LGBTQ+ laws and discussed foster care and adoption for LGBTQ+ families. 

Texas A&M School of Law second-year students Taylor Garner and Isabelle Chapman bring home the American Bar Association (ABA) national championship in representation in mediation this month.

Texas A&M School of Law Community Development Clinic students advocate for conditional driver's licenses for all Texans. A report completed by students, faculty and practicing attorneys in the fall supports the Drive Texas Adelante campaign, a coalition of organizations united by their desire to advance conditional driver’s permit legislation for undocumented Texans and other communities.

As a result, members of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, Senate Hispanic Caucus, House State Affair Committee and Senate Transportation Committee will gather early April for a policy briefing at which Luz Herrera, TAMU Law professor and associate dean for experiential education, will speak. 

"Driver’s licenses help keep everyone safe. Now more than ever, we need to make sure everyone can stay safe on the roads while they care for neighbors and their families during the pandemic. Crowded trucks, vans, and buses are not recommended means of transportation," says a statement of support circulated by the Drive Texas Adelante campaign.

Texas A&M School of Law student organizations ENRG (Energy and Natural Resources Group) and the Ag Law Society are hosting the first student-led environmental justice conference for the law school. This year's focus is Sandbranch, Texas, an unincorporated community 20 minutes southeast of Dallas where the residents rely largely on bottled water. According to an article published by The Guardian in 2017, the town has not had running water, sewage service and trash pickup for at least 30 years. The one-day, virtual conference features Sandbranch residents, legal practitioners and educators. 

From the Office of the Texas A&M University Office of the Provost:

Three Texas A&M University faculty were selected for the 2021 University Professorship award, including Texas A&M Law's Nancy Welsh. University Professorships recognize faculty who have demonstrated significant and sustained accomplishments in their discipline and who have gained recognition both nationally and internationally. The award also acknowledges a commitment to inclusivity and diversity and excellence in teaching and service.

The Texas A&M School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic joined forces with several other organizations to file a lawsuit on behalf of women who suffered medical abuse in U.S. Immigration and Consensus Enforcement (ICE) custody at the Irwin County Detention Center. The complaint alleges a pattern of unnecessary and non-consensual medical procedures, including unwanted gynecological surgeries.

“These non-consensual medical interventions are shocking," said Fatma Marouf, director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic. "Our Clinic helped prepare detailed declarations by the women about their experiences, obtained evaluations by independent medical experts and submitted requests for release.”

Texas A&M School of Law's advocacy program is pleased to announce that moot and mock court teams have advanced to the national finals in March.

Howdy! I’m honored to serve as the president of your law school’s alumni board of directors. As you are well aware, COVID has changed our world dramatically and made everything – including alumni relations – incredibly challenging. It was a pleasure to see those of you who joined us for the Dean’s Briefing last month. During the event, I was able to provide an update on the accomplishments of the alumni board.

Back in August, we sent a little love and encouragement to the 2020 Bar exam takers in the form of an Aggie Law business card holder for their future desk. We also included a letter letting them know that those who had gone before them were sending their support.

In the Fall, we hosted a fun, historical webinar about Hell’s Half Acre for alumni and the rest of the law school community. Starting in the 1870s, this was the name for the portion of Fort Worth where the law school now sits. It was known for saloons, brothels and other vice dens into the early 1900s.

We have also partnered with the law school’s career services department to provide alumni mentors to students.  It has been particularly helpful as both the classes of ’20 and ’21 have or will be entering the workforce during a pandemic.

The board is also in the process of finalizing details on an alumni legacy awards program that will feature a way to honor our exceptional graduates during a yearly signature event, which will hopefully begin in the fall of ’21.  The board is also working to create a panel webinar for recent graduates to learn more about the pathways to different law careers.