In this edition of P.S., University of Houston Law Center professor Joseph Sanders was honored with the Law and Society Association’s prestigious Harry J. Kalven Jr. Prize, recognizing a lifetime achievement in empirical research.
We also shine a spotlight on Phillips 66 General Counsel Vanessa Allen Sutherland, who was named the recipient of the Institute for Energy Law’s 2026 Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award.
And incoming SMU Dedman School of Law students began their legal education this month not in the classroom but in communities across North Texas as part of the law school’s annual Community Service Day. The day is an early introduction to a culture of public service that SMU Law has spent decades cultivating.
UH Law’s Joe Sanders Receives Law and Society Association’s Highest Honor Honored with Harry J. Kalven Jr Prize
University of Houston Law Center professor Joseph Sanders has received the Harry J. Kalven Jr. Prize, the Law and Society Association’s highest honor for lifetime achievement in empirical scholarship examining the relationship between law and society.
Sanders, the A.A. White Professor of Law, was recognized for nearly five decades of scholarship exploring how courts, scientific evidence and societal views of responsibility interact within the legal system. The association cited his “landmark work in law and social science,” including research on mass tort litigation and scientific evidence.
A member of the UH Law Center faculty since 1983, Sanders previously served as editor and book review editor of Law and Society Review. He earned both his J.D. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University.
Sanders’ notable works include An Invitation to Law and Social Science, co-authored with Richard Lempert, and Bendectin on Trial: A Study of Mass Tort Litigation, which examined how courts evaluate complex scientific claims and expert testimony. He also co-edits Modern Scientific Evidence, a reference used by judges and attorneys.
SMU Law Students Start Legal Education with a Lesson in Service
About 250 incoming SMU Dedman School of Law students began their legal education this month not in the classroom, but in communities stretching from Frisco to southern Dallas.
As part of the law school’s annual Community Service Day, the first-year students volunteered at 15 organizations across North Texas — nearly twice as many sites as in previous years – completing projects that ranged from preparing nearly 8,000 meals to helping the Dallas Public Library complete a two-and-a-half-year project.
The service day, held during orientation, comes as SMU Law marks the 30th anniversary of its public service graduation requirement.
Since 1996, SMU Law has required students to complete at least 30 hours of law-related public service before graduating. Students have logged more than 400,000 hours since the requirement was established, dean of public service Nasser Siadat said.
Last year’s graduating class alone contributed more than 12,000 hours, averaging 62.5 hours per student – more than twice the amount required for graduation, Siadat said.
For Siadat, who joined SMU Law last month, the orientation tradition is an opportunity to establish service as part of students’ professional identities from the outset.
“‘Before you step foot in your first class … you step food into the community,’” Siadat recalled telling the students. “‘The first lesson in law is a lesson in service and that is going to start here at Community Service Day, follow you throughout your three years with your public service requirement and then you’re going to be pro bono champions and stewards going forward in your community. But it all starts right here.’”
Phillips 66 General Counsel Vanessa Sutherland Recipient of IEL Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award
The Institute for Energy Law has named Vanessa Allen Sutherland, executive vice president of government affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary at Phillips 66, as the recipient of its 2026 Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award.
The award, presented annually by IEL to recognize leadership and progress in advancing diversity and inclusion in the energy or legal professions, will be presented Oct. 6 at Holocaust Museum Houston during an evening reception and program that will address diversity and inclusion issues.
Sutherland has more than 25 years of legal experience and joined Phillips 66 in 2022 after serving as executive vice president and chief legal officer of Norfolk Southern Corp.
Earlier in her career, Sutherland served as chairperson and CEO of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board from 2015 to 2018 and as chief counsel for the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration from 2011 to 2015. She has also held senior legal counsel roles at both Altria Group and Philip Morris USA.
Sutherland has served on the board of Dominion Energy since 2023 and previously served as director of Eastman Chemical Co. and Southern Company Gas. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Drew University and her law degree and MBA from American University.
This year, The Texas Lawbook and Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter honored Sutherland, Phillips 66 and Director of Legal Operations Michael Voutsinas with the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Legal Innovation. Read our feature article here.