Celebrating STCL Houston’s Ties to Hispanic Heritage
As the oldest independent law school in Texas, South Texas College of Law Houston’s legacy has been shaped by the contributions of Houston’s Hispanic community. In turn, our city and state have been shaped by the achievements and leadership of Hispanic South Texas Law students, alumni, faculty, and board members.
In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, we explore the enduring relationship between South Texas College of Law Houston and the Hispanic community, reflecting on the shared history and its influence. Hispanic heritage remains an important part of the story of the law school, the state, and the Texas legal profession.
Hispanic-focused Student Organizations
South Texas Law is home to two vibrant Hispanic student organizations, the Hispanic Law Students Association (HLSA) and The Lawtina Network. Both groups welcome students from all backgrounds and host activities and coordinate a variety of projects throughout the year. Through a focus on service, relationship-building, and professional development, these organizations help members build strong bonds with one another and with alumni that often extend well beyond graduation.
Each year, the organizations join to host Hispanic Heritage Night, an evening of food, festivities, and fun celebrating the Hispanic community at South Texas Law. Prominent alumni and esteemed members of the city’s Hispanic legal community often serve as keynote speakers.
The Lawtina Network at STCL Houston also hosts an educational and career-focused speaker series and collaborative mixers with groups like HLSA, the Family Law and Probate Society, and the First-Generation Law Students Association.
These groups also host community charity initiatives, such as the Kids Clothing Drive. To learn more about these and other student organizations at STCL Houston, click here.
Hispanic Alumni Make National Impact
After graduation, South Texas Law alumni have gone on to make history. One such instance was the national court case Hernandez v. Texas, the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court civil rights case establishing 14th amendment protection for Mexican Americans and other protected groups.
The case marked the first time arguments were presented by Mexican American attorneys to the nation’s highest court. Among those attorneys were John J. Herrera ’40 and Cristobal Aldrete ’51, STCL Houston alumni and prominent civil rights lawyers. Both alumni were lifelong activists and key figures of the Chicano Movement in Texas.
The Hispanic Alumni Association, HLSA and the Lawtina Network recently partnered with the Agosto Justice Center for Leadership and Empowerment to screen “A Class Apart”, a documentary recounting the historic case, as part of Hispanic Heritage Month at South Texas Law.
STCL Houston’s Hispanic Leaders, On and Off Campus
Over its 100-plus-year history, South Texas Law has been home to prominent Hispanic student leaders, high-achieving alumni, and dedicated faculty and administrators. Beyond campus, STCL Houston has produced a number of notable alumni who have gone on achieve great things, including holding esteemed positions in the state’s legal system, serving on World Cup committees, founding their own practices, and using their success give back to the community.¹
Community Resource: Hispanic Bar Association of Houston
Students and alumni may be interested in reaching out to the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston (HisBA). Its mission is empowering the city’s Hispanic community by developing strong leadership through financial scholarships, mentorship programs, and public forums addressing legislative issues that impact the Hispanic community. South Texas Law students can join HisBA at no cost, and are eligible to apply for scholarships and participate in the organization’s mentorship program.
HisBA’s Mentorship Program connects experienced attorneys with law students and new lawyers alike as they navigate law school, the bar exam, and the early years of legal practice. This opportunity to foster meaningful relationships and build a strong network is available to all Hispanic students attending South Texas Law.
Whether you’re a student just starting law school, or a recent graduate seeking guidance along your legal journey, this program is a meaningful opportunity for South Texas Law students to build relationships, grow professionally, and strengthen their community.
Each year, HisBA grants scholarships and fellowships to South Texas Law students who are active members of both the law school’s Hispanic Law Student Association (HLSA) chapter and HisBA.
Community Resource: Mexican American Bar Association of Houston (MABAH)
MABAH was founded in 1972 to serve Hispanic attorneys and the Hispanic community. It is one of the largest Hispanic legal organizations in the State of Texas, comprised of a diversity of talent, expertise and leadership. Membership is open to licensed attorneys, members of the judiciary, graduates of an accredited law school, or students enrolled in an accredited law school.
The organization offers mentorship and scholarship programs to students attending the three Houston area law schools. MABAH members provide networking and mentorship support, while the organization awards three $1,500 scholarships annually. The golf tournament and fall gala profits support these law student scholarships.
Community Resource: Mexican American Bar Association of Texas (MABATx) Foundation
In 2006, South Texas Law alum Benny Agosto Junior ’95 created the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas (MABATx) Foundation, a non-profit organization founded to encourage justice and leadership within the Hispanic community. To date, the MABATx Foundation has raised over $500,000 for annual scholarships for Hispanic law students in Houston. The foundation also sponsors a Law Student Conference and corresponding reception, where scholarships are awarded to young, aspiring attorneys who exemplify leadership, commitment, justice, and equality within the Hispanic community and beyond. Learn more about the MABATx Foundation here.
A Shared History and a Shared Future
Each year, Hispanic Heritage Month serves as a reminder of the lasting connections between South Texas College of Law Houston and Houston’s Hispanic community. The rich and meaningful Hispanic heritage in Texas play an ongoing and important role at the law school, and the support, leadership, and contributions of Hispanic individuals continue to strengthen South Texas Law, its students, and the legal profession.
Notable Alumni, Faculty and Staff
- Reynaldo “Rey” Anaya Valencia: President and Dean of STCL Houston, the first Hispanic and first person of color to lead the institution.
- Fran Ortiz: Vice president, associate dean for students, professor of law at STCL Houston.
- Daniel R. Correa: Professor of law at STCL Houston.
- Aimee Maldonado: Director of academic externships, adjunct professor, prominent immigration attorney.
- Carlos Calderón: Senior director, legal services, STCL Houston’s Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics.
- Benny Agosto Jr. ’95: Founder of the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas Foundation, founding donor for Agosto Justice Center for Leadership and Empowerment, partner at Partner at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner.
- Juan Garcia ’04: Co-founder of Johson Garcia LLP and the Johnson Garcia LLP Endowed Judicial Lecture Series; chair of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority.
- Alex Gonzalez ’12: Immediate past president, South Texas Law Alumni Association and founding partner of Gonzalez Injury Lawyers PLLC.
- Gaspar Gonzalez ’21: The first Hispanic editor-in-chief of the South Texas Law Review.
Notable Past and Current Hispanic and Latina Alumni Judges
- David M. Medina ’89: Former associate justice of the Supreme Court of Texas.
- Eva M. Guzman ’89: Former associate justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, the first Latina to serve on the state’s highest civil court.
- Hon. Emiliano Jose “E.J.” Salcines ’63: Prominent Florida jurist and former appellate/trial judge.
- Hon. Raúl Rodríguez ’91: Presiding judge of Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 13 and former associate judge for the City of Houston Municipal Courts.
- Hon. Arnulfo Daniel (A.D.) Azios: Prominent former Harris County District Court judge.
- Hon. Nanette Hassette ’87: The first female and Hispanic individual elected to be judge of the 28th District Court.
- Debra Ibarra Mayfield ’99: Former Harris County Civil Court at Law judge and former Texas state district judge.
