Dozens of attorneys, judges, and law students from across the state gathered this month at South Texas College of Law Houston for South Texas Law Review’s 26th annual Ethics Symposium with the 2020 topic: Malpractice and Mediation.
The event drew a widely diverse panel of speakers, including esteemed judges, law firm leaders, law school deans, tenured law professors, established mediators, seasoned trial attorneys, and a NASA inspector general.
The Honorable Daryl Moore, judge of the 333rd District Court in Harris County, served as symposium moderator for varied panels such as:
- Ethics in Contract Drafting: Should We Fix What’s Broken or Start Over and Create Something Better?
- Mediation from a Plaintiff’s Perspective;
- From Advocate to Party: Defenses for Lawyers Who Find Themselves in Litigation;
- Is Whistleblowing an Ethical Practice?
- The Amended TCPA: Ethical Considerations and the New Act; and
- The #MeToo Movement.
South Texas Law President and Dean Michael F. Barry addressed attendees at an honorary dinner noting that this year’s topic — Malpractice and Mediation — is not limited to a particular field; it equally affects all students and practitioners of the law.
“Teaching our students to practice with the highest of ethical standards is paramount to our mission at South Texas College of Law Houston,” he said. “How we practice the law — with a commitment to ethical integrity — is equally as important as the satisfactory outcomes we produce for our clients. As lawyers, it is our privilege both to fight for the rights of our clients, and to do so in a manner that reflects positively on our noble profession.”
At the dinner preceding the daylong symposium, Barry recognized Kenesha Starling, current editor-in-chief of the South Texas Law Review, for her “leadership in this impressive role and diligence in organizing this impactful Ethics Symposium.” He thanked South Texas Law alumnus and board member Randall O. Sorrels ’87, president of the State Bar of Texas, for the key role he played in organizing the event.
He also thanked the Honorable John Coselli, former presiding judge of the 125th Civil District Court of the State of Texas, and the Honorable Patricia Kerrigan, former Harris County Civil District Court judge, for their participation in the annual symposium.
“We strive to promote professionalism in our students, graduates, and the local legal community — and accomplish this, in part, through this Ethics Symposium,” said Elizabeth Dennis, South Texas Law assistant dean and South Texas Law Review faculty advisor. “Our reach extends to the national legal community through this symposium issue, which includes not only the articles from our well-respected speakers, but also the informative panel discussions that follow each of the presentations.”
