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South Texas College of Law Alumni Association
Announces 2013 Honors
  Oct.7, 2013 – The South Texas College of Law Alumni Association’s 2013 Distinguished Alumnus Award will be presented to the Honorable Jay W. Burnett ’73 at the group’s annual meeting on Friday (Oct. 11). The association’s Public Service Award will go to Julianne M. Holt ’86, public defender of Florida’s Hillsborough County.
“The professional accomplishments, active participation in and support of the college and service to the public and legal community of each award recipient exemplify some of the best qualities of South Texas attorneys,” said Alumni Association President Kim Ogg ‘86.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented annually to a graduate for service to the college, the profession and the community. The Public Service Award honors an alumnus for dedication to assisting fellow citizens.
“South Texas is proud to honor Jay Burnett and Julianne Holt for their exemplary careers. Their commitment and service to the law has had a positive impact on their communities and improved many lives,” said South Texas President and Dean Donald J. Guter. “I also want to thank both Jay and Julianne for their continued dedication to the law school. They represent the best of South Texas.”
Currently a renowned criminal defense attorney, Burnett served on the bench for more than 15 years. He was appointed judge of the 351st Criminal District Court in Harris County in 1984 and was elected to the 183rd Criminal District Court in 1986, where he served for 12 years before retiring. Burnett also served as a visiting judge from 1999-2000. During his time on the bench, he presided over 15,000 cases and had a reversal rate that was among the lowest in Harris County.
An advocate for justice, Burnett was part of a team of attorneys that in 2010 gained the release from death row of Anthony Graves, whose capital murder conviction was overturned after 16 years due to a lack of evidence. As judge of the 183rd Court, Burnett reversed the murder conviction and death sentence of Calvin Burdine after finding that Burdine’s lawyer had slept through significant portions of his trial. For his courage and integrity on the Burdine case, Burnett was the first recipient of the Gulf Region Advocacy Center’s (GRACE’s) Fragile Gavel Award, which now carries his name. Burnett currently serves as president of GRACE’s board.
Holt, the Public Service Award honoree, has served as the elected public defender for Hillsborough County, Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit, since 1993. In this role, she manages the largest criminal defense firm in the area, overseeing 223 employees, including 120 attorneys, and directing the representation of more than 60,000 cases annually. As an advocate for indigent citizens accused of a crime, Holt has worked with many state and national organizations and served on numerous committees, councils and boards on criminal justice issues.
Burnett will be the keynote speaker and Holt will be recognized at the Alumni Association event, to be held at Hotel ZaZa in Houston.
For more information about the Annual Meeting, please contact Christina Trunzo at 713-646-1793 or ctrunzo@stcl.edu.
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