VOLUME 1
DECEMBER 1982
NUMBER 2
FULLERTON ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF DEAN'S INNER-CIRCLE
As a kick-off to the Law School's
Annual Giving Program, Dean Byron
Fullerton has initiated the formation of
the "Dean's Inner-Circle," a financial
support group for the Law School.
According to Fullerton, members of
the Inner-Circle will be an integral part
of the future of the Law School. "We
want very much to maintain the quality
of this School and know that like every
other great law school, we need help to
do it," Fullerton commented. "The
Inner-Circle will provide us with the
necessary monetary assistance and will
give our supporters the recognition they
justly deserve."
The Dean's Inner-Circle will consist
of various levels of membership based
on the amount of the donor's gift. A
$100 gift qualifies the donor as a
Regular Member, a $250 donor is a
Sustaining Member, a $500 contributor
is an Honor Member, and a $1,000 giver
is a Distinguished Member. Each level of
membership is renewable on a yearly
basis. For a gift of $5,000, the donor will
be recognized as a Life Member.
To celebrate the establishment of the
Inner-Circle, charter memberships will
be available until May 15, 1983. Any gift
of $100 or more will automatically
qualify as a charter membership, and
will entitle the donor to have his or her
name engraved on a plaque to be hung
permanently in the Law School.
Membership in the Inner-Circle is
open to all alumni, friends, and
supporters of the Law School. Each
contributor will receive a handsome
momento and each gift will be
acknowledged in the first fall issue of
the Cornerstone. Additionally, Honor,
Dean Byron Fullerton delivers his annual "State of the Law School" address, popularly
known as Fullerton's pep talk, to students on October 13.
Distinguished and Life Members will be
recognized at the annual Honors &
Awards Ceremony and at the Spring
Alumni Banquet.
Money raised through the Dean's
Inner-Circle will go into the unrestricted
funds of the Law School Foundation.
Uses will include student organizations;
alumni relations such as the
Cornerstone, alumni weekend and the
annual banquet; Law School
administration such as the library, the
placement office, lecture series,
graduation and orientation programs;
faculty support such as recruitment and
professional dues; and Law School
operations such as the print shop.
In early December, alumni will
receive a letter from the Dean inviting
their participation in the Inner-Circle.
Fullerton stressed further, "The InnerCircle will be the key to the success of
the Law School and members can
count on playing an important role."
2
LA W SCHOOL NEWS
LA W SCHOOL NEWS
3
MORE LAW FIRMS PLEDGE SUPPORT TO BOARD OF BARRISTERS
PLACEMENT OFFICE PROPOSES NEW INTERVIEWING SYSTEM FOR FALL 1983
Two law firms have added their
support to the Board of Barristers
advocacy programs for 1982-83. The EI
Paso firm of GRAMBLING, MOUNCE,
SIMS, GALA TZAN & HARRIS has
continued and increased their support
of the First-year Moot Court
Competition. The Fall Moot Court
competition will be sponsored by the
Dallas firm of SHANK, IRWIN,
CONANT & WILLIAMSON.
The First -year Moot Court
Competition is held in the spring and
while the competition is mainly designed
to be a learning seminar, the issues are
argued intensely. Many of the
interschool teams are composed of
oralists who began in the first-year
competition. Members of the
Grambling, Mounce, Sims, Galatzan &
Harris firm are invited to judge the final
round.
The Shank, Irwin, Conant &
Williamson Fall Moot Court
Competition is held for second and
third year students who battle out
difficult Federal issues in a simulated
Supreme Court setting .. The serious
demeanor of both judges and
participants gives the entire competition
a realistic atmosphere. Ten to twenty
teams compete each year.
These two firms join four other
prestigious Texas firms which support
intra-school competitions. The slate of
firms and their competitions include:
Mehaffy, Weber, Keith & Gonsoulin,
(Beaumont}-First Year Mock Trial
Kemp, Smith, Duncan & Hammond (EI
Paso}-Fall Mock Trial
Geary, Stahl & Spencer (Dallas)Spring Moot Court
Phil Brown (Amarillo )-Client Counseling
The outstanding growth of the
placement office in numbers of
interviewing firms, has caused growing
pains.
The central problem in the present
placement system has been the sign-up
procedure. Many qualified students
have been unable to interview with
various law firms simply because they
were too late to sign-up. Other students
have been able to interview as many as
50 or 60 firms during the fall session. In
an effort to improve the system and
benefit both students and firms, the
placement office is proposing a
computerized process of assigning
interviews for the peak season in the
fall.
The new system is relatively simple.
At the beginning of the semester,
students will be able to obtain a list of
firms and the dates they will be
interviewing. Each week students will
select up to eight firms they wish to
interview in order of preference. The
preferences will then be fed into a
computer which will randomly select
students to interview in the eighteen
time slots, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m,
allotted to each firm.
A student not selected for an
interview can sign on an overflow list
and have his or her resume sent or
handed to the firm.
Each firm can interview from the
overflow list from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. and
can also schedule additional time before
9:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m. to interview
overflow people. During these times, a
firm is not restricted to the overflow list
and may interview any law student it
may have pre-selected, whether or not
the student originally signed for an
interview.
Firms will still be allowed to place
conditions on their interviews such as
"traditionally hires from the top 25%"
and students will be encouraged to
select their interviews accordingly.
Federal District Judge Halbert O. Woodward congratulates the winning team of Dan
Edwards (front) and Joel Fry after the Kemp, Smith, Duncan & Hammo'nd Mock Trial
Competition. Juge Woodward served as Chief Judge for the final round assisted by
members of the Kemp, Smith firm, Charles Beckham and E. Link Beck ('75).
BOARD OF BARRISTER
SPONSORSHIP
REMAINS OPEN
Three interschool teams and one
intraschool competition are available for
sponsorship including the National
Moot Court team, the National Mock
Trial team, the ABA National Appelate
Advocacy team, and the Spring Mock
Trial competition.
Two firms presently contribute major
support for interschool teams, the
Underwood, Wilson, Berry, Stein and
Johnson firm of Amarillo sponsors the
State Moot Court Team and the Dallas
firm of Winstead, McGuire, Sechrest
and Minick sponsors the National
Client Counseling Team.
LA W STUDENTS
WIN AWARDS
Recent graduate Jamie Fuller (,82)
won first place in the 1982 Nathan
Burkan Memorial Writing Competition
sponsored by the American Society of
Composers, Authors and Publishers.
Fuller received a cash award of $500.00
for her article "Dissecting the Pattern of
Fictional Works: An Approach to
'Substantial Similarity.'"
Third-year student, Gary Steele won
second prize of $200.00 for his paper
entitled "Parody and Satire as an
Expression; the First Amendment
Defense to Copyright Infringement."
An additional advantage for firms is
that the computer system requires
students to carefully select the firms
they want to interview rather than
simply signing on any available interview
sheet.
The new system will involve a
stringent cancellation policy. Students
will have the burden of meeting their
interview schedule and those who fail to
keep an appointment will be excluded
from using the placement service.
According to Carolyn Thomas,
Assistant Dean in charge of placement,
"The new placement system is not
etched in stone and will require some
modifications as the interviewing season
progresses. The overwhelming
response from the students has been
favorable and we are hoping for the
same response from the firms." Dean
Thomas stated the purpose of the
change is to create a fair process of
matching employers with prospective
employees. "We don't want to make
this a burdensome process; we simply
want firms to be able to interview the
students they want to see and let all
students have the opportunity to be a
part of the interviewing process."
Dean Thomas welcomes comments
on the new system from alumni and
interviewing firms.
ALVIN R. ALLISON HONORED WITH PORTRAIT
Known affectionately as the Father of
the Law School, Alvin R. Allison was
honored on October 19 with a
reception highlighted by the unveiling of
Allison's portrait which will hang
permanently in the Law School Forum.
Charlie Guy, former editor of the
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and long-
time friend of Allison's, gave the
opening remarks. University President
Lauro Cavazos added his
congratulations at the informal
ceremony attended by University
administrators, Law faculty and
students.
Alvin R. Allison and wife Aletha Faye admire Allison's portrait which will hang permanently
in the Law School Forum.
LA W SCHOOL NEWS
4
WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT JUSTICE
DAZZLES PACKED AUDIENCE
Delivering a quick wit and a sharp
knowledge of Texas Law, Wisconsin
Supreme Court Justice Shirley
Abrahamson spoke to an audience of
over 160 law students and faculty on
November 5th.
Her speech on the "Emerging Role of
State Courts in Relation to Federal
Courts" focused on her belief in the
necessity for state courts to assume the
role as the final arbiter of individual
rights. According to Justice
Abrahamson, it will become necessary
in the 1980's to analyze state
constitutions when determining
questions of personal liberties and
freedoms.
Justice Abrahamson, a member of
the Wisconsin Supreme Court since
1976 and former law professor as well
as practitioner, captivated her audience
by her well-researched hypotheticals
concerning the Tech Law School,
Texas cases, and the Texas
Constitution. Speaking with an accent
she claims is "New York-ese with a
Wisconsin overlay," Justice
Abrahamson adamantly stated that
where individuals rights are concerned,
a good judge should look first to the
state constitution using the Federal
Constitution only as a "safety net."
Justice Shirley Abrahamson combines
humor and a knowledge of Texas law in her
dynamic speech to Law School students
and faculty.
Justice Abrahamson was named
Woman of Distinction by the Wisconsin
State Journal in 1976 and the Madison
YWCA in 1977. She was selected
Newsmaker of 1976 by The Madison
Press Club.
Her speech was the first of a series of
speakers planned for the Law School.
LA W SCHOOL RECEIVES
M. D. ANDERSON GRANT
The M. D. Anderson Foundation of
Houston has awarded to the Law
School a $100,000 grant to be used for
salary supplement to gifted professors
in the School of Law. The grant will be
payable in increments of $20,000 per
year for the next five years.
According to Russell C. Joseph,
Secretary-Treasurer of the M. D.
Anderson Foundation, the purpose of
the grant is to help several professors
who are important to the School for the
future and who, because of this
additional Foundation income, are
motivated to continue to serve the Law
School. "The whole idea (is) to assist
(the school) in obtaining and retaining
the best possible faculty members."
The only conditions placed upon the
award are that the funds be distributed
to not less than three of the most
capable faculty members who are likely
to continue at the School of Law, and
that the School furnish a yearly
accounting of the grant.
The Law School had previously
received a grant from the M.D.
Anderson Foundation for the period of
1977 to 1982.
The first payment on the new grant in
the amount of $20,000 is scheduled for
May of 1983.
FOUNDATION ELECTS NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Three new members of the Texas
Tech Law School Foundation Board of
Trustees were elected at the first Board
meeting on October 19, 1982. New
members include Barbara Runge (Dec.
1973) of the firm of Barbara Runge &
Associates, Tom Edwards (May 1971)
of the firm of Edwards & Hitt in
Houston, and Charles Gentry (Dec.
1969) of the firm of Shank, Irwin,
Conant & Williamson in Dallas.
Other members of the Board reelected for a year's term are Alvin R.
Allison, President; Marion Key, VicePresident; Byron Fullerton, SecretaryTreasurer; John Crews, Assistant
Secretary-Treasurer; Hershell L.
Barnes, Jr.; W. B. Browder, Jr.; Frank
W. Calhoun; E. R. Finney; J. Michael
Irish; Dr. Grover E. Murray; George H.
Nelson; Paul New; Robert Scogin;
Garland Smith and the Honorable
William E. Ward.
The Board accepted the resignation
of three long-time members of the
Board and distinguished friends of the
Law School, W. O. Shafer, Rear
Admiral Donald D. Chapman, and
Truett Smith. All three were formally
recognized for their outstanding service
to the Law School and the Foundation.
The Board of Trustees is the
governing body of the Law School
Foundation which provides finanacial
support and direction for the Law
School. Many Law School programs
such as the Board of Barristers are
directly dependent on the Foundation
for their continued success.
5
LA W SCHOOL NEWS
LAW SCHOOL RECEIVES SIX T.I. COMPUTERS
Board of Trusteees members Robert Scogin (seated) and George Nelson test one of the
new computers donated to the Law School by Texas Instruments.
A generous donation of six Model
99/4A home computers by Texas
Instruments has catapulted the Law
School into an era of twentieth century
technology. The contribution, procured
largely through the efforts of Tech law
grads Scott Fryar (,79), Brad Taylor
(,77), and Barry Sheridan (,81), will
enable the law school to update its
systems for placement, grading, and
alumni records.
The computers were delivered in
early October and the Law School
expects to receive additional
equipment, such as printers and
software, from Texas Instruments in the
next few months. Professor John
Kramer, who worked closely with
Fryar, Taylor and Sheridan, indicated
the School will still need monitors for
the computers.
Although the actual uses for the
computers have not been finally
determined, the University has alloted
$10,000 for the Law School to establish
a micro-computer laboratory as a
learning center for law students and
faculty.
Fryar, Taylor and Sheridan, who are
employed in the Business Services
department for Texas Instruments,
were not only instrumental in obtaining
the computers, they also contributed a
cash donation to secure the purchase of
various components.
"The benefits of having these
computers are immeasureable," Kramer
stated, "Now we are in a position to
move the school from a nineteenth
century configuration to the twentieth
century."
DECEMBER HOODING
CEREMONY
SPEAKER ANNOUNCED
Texas Tech law graduate Gerry
Meier, state district judge for the 291st
Judicial District in Dallas, will be the
featured speaker at the December
Hooding Ceremony.
Judge Meier, who graduated from the
Tech Law School in December 1974,
was appointed to the Bench on
September 1, 1981 by Governor William
P. Clements. She is the only woman to
ever sit on a criminal bench in Dallas
County history.
A member of the Dallas County
Juvenile Board and the Grand Jury
Committee, Judge Meier also serves as
chairman of the Committee on Indigent
Appeals and chairman of the Court
Reporters and District Clerks
Committee.
Judge Meier was Assistant District
Attorney for Dallas County from May
1975 until her judicial appointment.
From 1979 to 1981, she was Chief
Prosecutor of a Criminal District Court,
a position never before held by a
woman.
Active in the American Bar and
Texas State Bar Associations, Judge
Meier has served as Vice-President and
President of the Dallas Women Lawyers
Association and is the founder of the
victims of Crime Committee in Dallas.
She has participated in the State Bar
Practice Skills Course on Criminal Law
as an instructor for four years.
Judge Meier graduated from Texas
Tech in 1972 with a B.S. in English.
While at the Law School, she was
business manager of the Texas Tech
Law Review.
According to Dean Byron Fullerton,
this year will be the second in a newlyestablished tradition of honoring an
alumnus, friend or supporter of the
school as a guest speaker for the
December ceremony. Last year, Irwin
Coleman, retired Exxon attorney and
generous supporter of the school,
delivered the December address.
The December ceremony will be held
on Saturday, December 18 at 10:00
a.m. in the University Theatre.
6
FACULTY
FACULTY
ff HAL M. BATEMAN presented
"Recent Developments in Securities
Law" at the annual Stay Abreast
Law Seminar in October at the Law
School. His "Statement Concerning
Full Disclosure Securities
Registration in Texas" addressed to
the Texas Sunset Commission at its
public hearing regarding the State
Securities Board was published in
the October Bulletin of the State
Bar Section on Corporation,
Banking and Business Law.
Bateman has attended various
meetings for the State Securities
Board and for the Securities
Committee of the Corporate,
Banking and Business Law Section
of the State Bar.
725-42 (1982); and "'Taking' a
Constitutional Look at State Bar
Collection of Interest on AttorneyClient Trust Accounts" (with
Profesor Wood) which will be
published in January in the Texas
Tech Law Review. At the annual
T exas Tech Stay Abreast Law
Seminar in October, Baker
presented "Recent Developments in
Habeas Corpus."
ff MEL COCKRELL, visiting professor
for the 1982-83 school year, has
been appointed to the executive
legal committee of the Texas
Mineral Association. Cockrell has
recently completed the first draft of
revision to a section in Benson's and
Wicker's Texas Practice Guide.
.J!f JEREMY C. WICKER has published
Texas Lawyer's Guide, 2 volumes
(with Benson), which will be revised
and supplemented annually, and
Moore's Federal Practice, Volumes
1, lA,S and 6 (with Moore).
.J!f MURL A. LARKIN has published his
book entitled Federal Testimonial
Privileges which presents a
comprehensive examination of the
development of the law of privileges.
Chapters include discussions of the
following privileges: attorney-client;
physician-patient; husband-wife;
executive; Presidental and
Congressional; informer; reporter;
trade secret and confidential,
commercial or financial information;
other privileges recognized and
nonrecognized; and the work
product doctrine.
.J!f MARTIN WHITE presented "Recent
Developments in Consumer and
Commercial Law at the Stay
Abreast Law Seminar in October.
ff THOMAS E. BAKER has been
renamed a member of the American
Criminal Law Review Criminal
Practice Advisory Board. He is also
currently serving as a member of the
ABA Individual Rights and
Responsibilities Section Committee
on Access to Civil Justice and as
Vice-Chair for the ABA Individual
Rights and Responsibilities Section
Committee on first Amendment
Rights. Baker's publications include
"Criminal Law Literature: the Year
in Reviews" which will be published
in the January issue of the American
Criminal Law Review; "A Postscript
on Precedent in the Divided Fifth
Circuit" published in 36 S.W.L.J.
ff CHARLES BUBANY, who has
coached the Law School's Client
Counseling Team since 1975,
offered for the first time this fall a
formal course in interviewing and
counseling. At the Stay Abreast Law
Seminar in October, Bubany
presented "Recent Developments in
Criminal Law and Procedure." Also
in the fall, he spoke to students at
six elementary schools about
lawyers and legal process.
ALUMNI
ALUMNI
CLASS OF 1970
Robin J. Green, attorney in
Amarillo, has recently published a book
entitled, Divorce Without Defeat, a
Survival Handbook. Green was
honored with a reception at the Law
School in October.
CLASS OF 1971
Phil L Adams is currently serving as
District Attorney in Gainesville, Texas.
CLASS OF 1973
Charles W. Seltzer has left the
Midland County District Attorney's
Office and is now officing at 509
Petroleum Building, Midland, Texas
7970l.
CLASS OF 1974
James R. Mardis is a partner with
the firm of Ferrero, Brasch, Friebele &
Mardis in Harlingen, Texas.
CLASS OF 1977
James Richard Moore formed a law
partnership with David Brabham in
March. The firm is located at 428 N.
Fredonia in Longview, Texas 756Ol.
CLASS OF 1978
Tom Carr is President-Elect of the
Fort Worth/Tarrant County Young
Lawyers Association. He is active in
Law Post 200 (initiated by Carr and two
other Tech grads - Vickie Smith
Ganske and Rod Patterson) for high
school students interested in the study
of law. In March, Carr coached the Law
Post Mock Trial team which won first
place in national competition.
CLASS OF 1980
Carol Crabtree and Dan Donovan
were married on January 1 of this year.
Carol is with the firm of Cowles,
Sorrells, Patterson & Thompson in
Dallas; Dan is practicing with the Dallas
firm of Geary, Stahl & Spencer.
Jim Robertson is serving as County
Judge for Cooke County.
Lee Gabriel has been appointed
Assistant District Attorney in Denton,
Texas.
CLASS OF 1981
David A. Bryan is serving as law
clerk to the Honorable Thomas M.
Reavley, United States Court of
Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in Austin.
7
CLASS OF 1982
Jack M. Graham is currently with
the firms of Sanders, Saunders, Brian,
Finney, Thomas & Smith in Amarillo.
Carolyn Royce is with the College
of Business at Lamar University
teaching business law.
Bruce Akerly is a briefing attorney
for Federal District Judge Mary Lou
Robinson in Amarilo.
THE ALUMNI GADABOUT
The First Annual Alumni Weekend
numbers have been tabulated and with
over 100 graduates and spouses
attending the gala reception, the event
will be recorded as a huge success.
Several members of the class of '72,
who were celebrating their tenth-year
class reunion, were seen reflecting
about the "good old days" with law
professors known as "The Growler"
and the "The Silver Bullet." Spotlighted
from the guest sign-in sheet from the
class of '72 were Mike Thomas, John
Rapier, John Hutchison, Don Vandiver,
Bob Love, Yvonne Faulks and Kent
Sims. The name of Richard M. Nixon
also appered on the sign-in list, but Dick
was unavailable for comment.
The prize for the alumni who
travelled the farthest to attend the
reception went to Walt Huffman ('77)
and Mike Heffelfinger ('77) who
ventured to Lubbock from
Charlottesville, Virginia.
Many thanks to all the party-goers.
Plans are in the making for an_alumni
banquet in the spring to honor a
distinguished alumnus-We hope to see
you then.
Judge Jim Robertson - Law West of the
Pecos!
BIT AND PIECES . ..
· .. The Law School's newly published
handbook, "Would You Like to Be a
Lawyer?" has been an overwhelming
success. Over 4000 books have been
distributed to high school counselors,
students, college pre-law advisors, and
attorneys who have contact with
prospective law students.
· .. The Law School has already
received 315 applications for 1983
admission. This number far exceeds the
number received at the same time last
year.
· .. A closing rush by Professor John
"One-Putt" Murray netted birdies on
two of the last three holes, allowing the
team of Murray and Professor Chuck
Bubany to tie for the championship of
the Delt -sponsored fall partnership golf
tourney. The faculty team's score of 71
was matched by the student team of
Stacy Loftin and C. E. Roth, who
frittered away a commanding lead in the
face of Murray's charge on the Slaton
Municipal Golf Club links (A course
that narrowly missed making the Golf
Digest list of the country's top 100).
· .. The law school's first
interdisciplinary course involving law
students and students from the School
of Medicine and School of Nursing was
rated a huge success by one of the
professors of the course, Dan Benson.
The new course, called "Medical and
Legal Aspects of Bioethics," features
team-teaching by members of the law,
medical, and nursing school faculties,
and places students from all three
schools in the same classroom so that
maximum exchange of viewpoints and
perspectives can be accomplished. The
instructors are able to draw upon the
combined resources of the three
professional schools, and the result is
an interdisciplinary course with breadth
far beyond the traditional case-study
law school course. Present plans call for
the course to be offered once each year
in the future, and if the projected jointappointment faculty person is obtained
for the schools of law and medicine,
additional interdisciplinary courses of
this kind can be developed.
IS YOUR NAME MISSING . ..
THE CORNERSTONE
Vol. 1, No.2
If your name is missing from the Alumni News or if you are receiving the
Cornerstone at the wrong address, here's a chance to remedy the situation. We
would all enjoy seeing your name in the next issue ...
The Cornerstone is published four times each
year. The first fall issue is printed in magazine
form with the remaining issues published in a
newsletter format.
Name _____________________ Class of:. _ _ _ __
Comments from readers are welcome. Please
send them to Cornerstone, Texas Tech
University School of Law, Lubbock, Texas 79409.
The contents of the Cornerstone do not
necessarily represent the views of the Foundation,
its officers or trustees, or of the law school
administration.
News: ____________________________________________________________
Cornerstone editor: Carolyn Johnsen Thomas
Address _____________________ Phone________
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