Texas A&M University became an ORCID member in 2013, as one of the first universities in the US to get involved with ORCID. This blog post is based on a presentation by Aaron Retteen, Digital Services and Repository Librarian at the Texas A&M University School of Law, from an ORCID US Community call on the topic of integrating ORCID into law scholarship workflows, which took place on April 28th, 2020. Notes and slides from the call are available. Many thanks to Aaron for sharing his experience! 

"I could think of no better way than for us to kick off Black History Month than through servicing the communities that we will soon represent. With that being said we will be filling the Funky Town Fridges," says Arielle Williams, Black Law Students Association (BLSA) president and third-year law student. 

Texas A&M University School of Law and the Network for Justice host a series of webinars to examine pressing issues in social justice and the law, particularly as they impact the Latinx community. The first, Moving Forward Post-Insurrection, is Thursday, February 11 at 12 noon CST.

Saurabh Vishnubhakat, professor of law at Texas A&M School of Law, has some suggestions for the Biden-Harris Administration on science and technology policy, especially diversity in the U.S. innovation system. Vishnubhakat contributed to the Day One Project’s Transition Document for the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a policy memo with over two dozen actionable recommendations for the nation’s innovation agency. The memo was jointly authored by a select group of academics, current and former government advisers and other policy experts.

The Rural Cause at Kenyon College, a student-led initiative aimed at strengthening ties between the college and the rural communities that surround its campus, will convene a panel of nationally-recognized experts, including Texas A&M School of Law's Thomas Mitchell, February 18 to discuss the future of rural policy under President Biden. Rural America has faced mounting crises in recent years, and the election of Joe Biden offers the opportunity to pursue new policies to champion and uplift the 60 million Americans who live there.

Panelists, listed below, include experts on equity in agriculture, economic development, healthcare, broadband access, and tribal relations:

When people think of law school, rarely does the idea of love and relationships enter into their minds. The mention of law school elicits thoughts about the rigors of surviving a challenging curriculum and passing the Bar exam. In the midst of the all-nighters, internships, study group, clerkships, Bar prep and the general stress of all things law school, it’s hard to believe that relationships develop and love blooms, but they do. As a tribute to Valentine’s Day, enjoy these four stories from law school alumni who found love at Texas A&M School of Law.

As part of an ongoing pursuit to improve the health of every child, Cook Children’s Health Care System is joining forces with Texas A&M School of Law (TAMU Law) to create a new medical-legal partnership. The mission of this collaboration is to provide free legal services to patients and families with legal needs that directly affect their health and access to medical care.

Despite a recognized need, the majority of families at Cook Children’s are unable to access legal services. Social workers at the medical center are often contacted by patient families who have been unsuccessful in qualifying for public benefits, obtaining a guardianship for their incapacitated adult child or communicating with their landlord to remediate unsafe housing issues. These social, economic and environmental factors have a direct impact on a child’s health.

Texas A&M School of Law grad Serech Kissire ’20 was searching for a job after graduation, and he reached out to Travis Patterson (UT Law ’12) and asked him to pass on his resume. Patterson was happy to advocate for Kissire as Patterson and his colleague Tennessee Walker ’05 (Baylor Law ’08) had served as adjunct faculty members for a class that Kissire had taken at the law school.   Not long after the conversation, Patterson’s and Walker’s firm, the Patterson Law Group in Fort Worth realized they had a need to add an additional lawyer to the firm. They looked no further as they knew that Kissire was the one for the job. He asked great questions, and they knew his dedication to his craft as a student. There was no doubt that he would be a great fit for the firm.  Rumor has it that Kissire didn’t have to sit for an interview, and some say that no one has actually seen his resume. Kissire’s track record as a student spoke for itself and he was hired.  

The Texas A&M Law School Immigrant Rights Clinic is fighting to stop the deportation of Cameroonian immigrants who were severely abused in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. Some were subjected to excessive force that resulted in broken fingers when officers tried to force them to provide fingerprints, while others were pepper sprayed in retaliation for refusing to sign documents. At least one person also reported seeing officers soak detainees in a shower and then tase them. The Immigrant Rights Clinic filed several complaints on behalf of the Cameroonian immigrants to the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the Department of homeland Security, and has asked ICE to delay their imminent removal so that their claims can be thoroughly investigated.

By Annie Birdsong (2L) & Jessica Hart (3L)