Over the past two weeks, South Texas College of Law Houston President and Dean Michael F. Barry conducted a multi-city, virtual “Coffee with the Dean” tour to interact with alumni.
Barry — who presented with South Texas faculty members, students, and alumni co-hosts in the online forums — informed the alumni community about recent law school accolades, including the school’s three successful hooding ceremonies in February and STCL Houston’s recent 134th and 135th national advocacy championships earned this spring.
He also updated alumni on the law school’s upcoming centennial celebration in 2023 and reviewed the five key pillars of STCL Houston’s Second-Century Strategic Plan.
The dean participated in six different online alumni visits in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas/Fort Worth, East Texas, Tampa, and Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Alumni co-hosts who welcomed Barry to the Zoom coffee chats included Sharon Schweitzer ’89 in Austin, Chad Parker ’92 in East Texas, Bill Ford ’79 in San Antonio, Jay Cohen ’78 in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Brad Bell ’99 in Tampa, and Jennifer Falk ’06 and Michael Hurst ’90 in Dallas/Fort Worth.
Catherine Greene Burnett, South Texas associate dean for Experiential Learning and professor of law, updated Austin and Dallas/Fort Worth alumni on recent successes and initiatives of the Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics; Debra Berman, associate professor of Clinical Studies and director of the Frank Evans Center for Conflict Resolution, informed alumni about recent ADR successes; and David East, director of South Texas’ Transactional Practice Center and professor of law, updated participants on the great work coming out of the Center.
STCL Houston students who shared their perspectives with alumni included Zoya Bukhari, Trent Cooper, Andrea Gutierrez, Vikesh Patel, Elleana Poulis, and Arianne Moore.