Many assumptions animate the backlash to Black people’s audacity to be highly educated. The one that really angers me is the suggestion that Black families do not value education as highly as other families. As a result, the theory goes, Black children are destined to fail when admitted to prestigious (aka predominantly white) schools. I always roll my eyes at this one. I have never known a Black child who was not ashamed to bring bad grades home. Also, I did just fine at the two predominantly white schools that I attended — Harvard and Duke Law.
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Once Alone, Now Empowered
I embrace the opportunity and recognize the magnitude of being a Black female associate in Big Law, especially one who graduated from UNT Dallas College of Law. But my comfort in this did not happen overnight. It was cultivated by seeing others who look like me navigate the legal field and exude confidence even when they may have been the only Black lawyers in the room. And while it may seem cliché, it started with my mother.
For Felecia Epps, UNT Dallas Law School Dean, Dotting ‘I’s’ and Crossing ‘T’s’ was Key
When she got the news Friday that UNTD Law School had received full ABA accreditation, Dean Felecia Epps wasn’t surprised. Elated, yes, but not surprised. It was a long road, as she described it Saturday, paved in day-to-day details. Next comes some sort of party. Maybe more than one. The Texas Lawbook has an exclusive interview.
Sources: UNTD College of Law to Be Fully Accredited by ABA
After 12 years since its creation by the Texas legislature, the University of North Texas Dallas College of Law has been fully accredited by the American Bar Association, The Texas Lawbook has learned from multiple sources.
One Generation Removed from Drinking from a Water Hose Out Back
The stories of Black people in this country are the stories of people who have achieved great success in all areas of life while nearly always starting at a deficit. My story and the stories of those like my father affect my practice every single day.
Fifth Circuit Judges Reveal Keys to Appellate Success
Three Fifth Circuit Appeals Court judges told 500 lawyers attending the Northern District of Texas Federal Bench Bar Conference on Friday about critical mistakes that lawyers make in their briefs and oral arguments. Judge Catharina Haynes, Judge Gregg Costa and Judge James Ho provided extraordinary behind-the-scenes insight into the operation of the Fifth Circuit, including what the judges think about introductions in briefs and decisions on whether to have oral arguments. The Texas Lawbook has exclusive details.
On the Eve of Black History Month, the Very Real Specter of Violence Against HBCUs
From Jan. 31, 2022 through February 1, 2022, more than 20 historically Black colleges and universities were forced to lock down their campuses and, in some cases, cancel classes after receiving bomb threats. Sidley attorney Marian Fielding, a graduate of Florida A&M University, describes how the threats, though thankfully did not result in any physical harm, still leave collateral damage.
Judge Tells Former PUC Chair: ‘I Am Disappointed at Your Lack of Candor’
The chief federal bankruptcy judge in Houston publicly questioned the truthfulness of the former chair of the Public Utility Commission who testified Thursday under oath about her role in the Winter Storm Uri power-grid fiasco.
Dallas Appeals Court Strips ERCOT of Sovereign Immunity Defense
The Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas ruled Wednesday that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas does not have sovereign immunity from all lawsuits and that the Texas Public Utility Commission does not have exclusive jurisdiction over all claims against ERCOT. The 12-to-1 decision has been widely anticipated because it could have ramifications in hundreds of lawsuits stemming from Winter Storm Uri in which ERCOT is a named defendant.
“To date, the supreme court has not extended sovereign immunity to a purely private entity neither chartered nor created by the state, and this court will not create new precedent by extending sovereign immunity to ERCOT,” Justice Erin Nowell wrote.
Jurors Take One Hour to Toss $26M Life Insurance Claims
After eight days of trial, a Houston federal court jury dispatched life-insurance claims by a woman accused of faking her husband’s death, answering two essential questions: Did she prove her husband was dead (no) and did the insurance companies prove he misrepresented in his application for the insurance (yes).