Over $1M Awarded for SPSP Texas Law students are receiving more than $1.1 million from the law school this summer, enabling them to work in coveted public service roles in Texas and across the country. In total, the school is committing $1,146,854 through its Summer Public Service Program. “The Summer Public Service Program empowers students to pursue meaningful professional experiences with public service employers,” says Nicole Simmons, director of the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law, which oversees the SPSP. “The law school’s support for this work reflects its deep ..read more

Six Texas Law alumni are being honored this year for their outstanding professional achievements and many contributions to the legal profession and society. The awardees were announced by Texas Law Alumni Association President Blair Richardson Loocke ’06, who will also preside over the awards ceremony on Nov. 8 at the Thompson Hotel in downtown Austin. “These awards recognize extraordinary accomplishments by Texas Law alumni in the law and the world,” said Loocke. “Each of our awardees exemplifies the values and excellence of the University of Texas School of Law, and their achievements serve ..read more

Who is to blame for slowing the transition to a low carbon energy future?  David Spence has some ideas. Spence is a professor of energy law and regulation at The University of Texas at Austin. Spence’s research and teaching focuses on government regulation of the energy industry. He is author of “Climate of Contempt: Rescuing the Energy Transition from Voter Partisanship” (Columbia University Press, 2024), and co-author of the energy law textbook “Energy, Economics and the Environment” (Foundation Press, sixth edition, 2023). Spence earned his Ph.D. in political science from Duk ..read more

Days after Texas Law’s 2024 Sunflower Ceremony, Professor Michael Sturley travelled from Austin to Gothenburg, Sweden, to address a gathering of the Comité Maritime International, a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting the uniformity of maritime laws and their development across the globe. There, Sturley delivered the prestigious Berlingieri Lecture, as part of the CMI’s annual meetings. The CMI was established in 1897 and comprises the national maritime law associations of over 50 countries. With his May 23 address, Sturley became the first U.S. speaker and first full-time ac ..read more

Being in law school is demanding on its own, but students who also juggle the role of parenthood are a special breed. In honor of Father’s Day, we salute Texas Law students—along with dads everywhere—for their dedication to their families. Meet a rising 3L and two recent Texas Law graduates and learn how they have been inspired to seek their law degrees and are motivated by their children: 3L Ochbayar Enkhbat, David Hutchison ’24, and Dakota Priest ’24. Priest expresses appreciation for the support Texas Law provides to students who are also parents. “Every professor, student, and administrato ..read more

Class of 2024 Postgraduate Fellows (from left): Emily Gustafson, Katherine Himaya Lewis, Megan Day Texas Law has awarded the G. Rollie White Trust, Julius Glickman, and Mike Myers postgraduate public interest fellowships to three members of the class of 2024. Also, two graduating students will receive Texas Law Postgraduate Public Interest Fellowships. Each fellow will receive funding through the Law School to support her first year of employment at a nonprofit organization.  “We are proud to support these graduates as they embark on their careers in public service. And we look forward to witn ..read more

When he was an undergraduate government major at The University of Texas at Austin, Rylan Maksoud ’24 was fascinated with all things law and policy. He enjoyed reading court decisions and statutes and participated in campus activities such as serving as a student representative on the Parking and Traffic Appeals Panel. He was a founding member of student-run political publication The Texas Orator, penning articles on law-adjacent topics like “Defending Title IX’s Burden of Proof.” He applied to Texas Law early decision.  Denyse Demel ’06, senior associate director That’s where the school ..read more

Five Texas Law graduates from the Class of 2024 and one alumna from the Class of 2023 have earned coveted postgraduate fellowships to support their projects with state and national public interest organizations where they will help individuals who otherwise might not have access to legal representation or the justice system. These fellowships allow graduates to perform project-specific work with a host organization for either a one- or two-year term.   These prestigious postgraduate fellowships are extremely competitive, and they honor our students’ hard work through law school and ..read more

Sydney Jean Gottfried applied for Texas Law while working in late night TV in New York City, and she’s brought her background and talents to Austin.  Gottfried grew up in Richmond, Virginia, earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Georgetown University, and then stayed in Washington, D.C. to work for NBC News. In that role, she wrote scripts based on NBC News reporting for iHeartRadio stations nationwide.  Sydney Jean Gottfried ’25, photographed by Callie Richmond. She then moved to New York City, where she was a monologue writers’ assistant and an associate producer for “The T ..read more

On Nov. 4, 2023, Texas Law’s South Lawn was filled with live music, burnt orange balloons, and the smell of barbecue for the 25th annual Texas Law Tailgate Extravaganza. As The University of Texas at Austin’s football team prepared to take on Kansas State, law school alumni, professors, and staff enjoyed an afternoon of festivities and catching up with old friends. Amidst the activities, Omar Ochoa ’11 and his wife Leah Wise were embarking on a crucial mission: to find a cup of coffee. Both successful attorneys from the Rio Grande Valley, Ochoa—who also holds bachelor’s degrees in economics an ..read more