Several Texas Tech University School of Law alumni were honored last week at the State Bar of Texas’s meeting in San Antonio.
W. Mark Lanier (Class of 1984), a lead donor for the Law School’s Mark and Becky Lanier Professional Development Center, received the Ronald D. Secrest Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award during the Texas Bar Foundation’s annual dinner. The award recognizes a trial lawyer who has demonstrated high ethical and moral standards and exceptional professional conduct, thus enhancing the image of the trial lawyer.
Judy Crowder Parker (Class of 1985), presiding judge of Lubbock County Court at Law No. 3, was honored with the 2015 Judge Merrill Hartman Pro Bono Judge Award during the Bar Leaders Recognition Luncheon. The award is given to a judge, sitting or retired, who provides outstanding pro bono service. Parker is the second Texas Tech alumna to receive the award in as many years, joining Kem Thompson Frost, a 1983 graduate and Chief Justice of the 14th Court of Appeals in Houston.
At the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) annual meeting and reception, C. Barrett Thomas (Class of 2008) was sworn in as the TYLA president for 2015-16. Priscilla D. Camacho (Class of 2005) was sworn in as chairwoman, succeeding Texas Tech alumnus Dustin Howell (Class of 2008). Also at the reception, Amber James (Class of 2008) earned a TYLA President’s Award of Merit, while Laura Pratt (Class of 2009) received the TYLA Commitment to Service Award.
Three of the Law School’s most recent graduates helped lead Texas Tech to a second-place finish in the 2015 TYLA State Moot Court Competition, narrowly losing the final round to the South Texas College of Law. Lauren Welch, Katherine Handy Calhoun and Drew Robertson, all of whom graduated in May, argued in the championship round before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Calhoun is Texas Tech’s first three-time national advocacy champion, making her one of the most decorated advocates in the history of the Law School.
“We are incredibly proud of our alumni who were honored last week at the State Bar of Texas annual meeting,” said Darby Dickerson, dean of Texas Tech University School of Law. “Our graduates have established a strong track record of excellence and service. They are leaders in the profession and their communities. They give back without expecting recognition. The fact that others see the true value in what they do is icing on the cake.”
(Press release from Texas Tech University)
