When Shaun Devine ’93 walked on the South Texas College of Law Houston campus as a first-year student in 1990, she couldn’t have known she’d be staying 32 years.
Devine, who will retire at year’s end, recently reflected on how her efforts to organize a student event sparked an opportunity to work closely with the late Dean T. Gerald Treece for the next three decades as the South Texas advocacy program grew into one of the most dominant in the country.
“I was in the Student Bar Association, and one of my thoughts was to have a faculty debate luncheon for students,” Devine said. “Dean Treece was one of the featured participants, and that’s where I first got to know him. He was an exciting, fascinating person to deal with, and we started working together while I was still a student. I enjoyed helping him so much, and I just stayed.”
In January 1992, a few months before her graduation, Devine accepted a full-time position assisting Dean Treece with the development of the school’s advocacy program. She humbly described her role as analogous to Don Quixote’s sidekick.
“Dean Treece had been here since 1978 and had already had great success with our advocacy program,” Devine said. “But we saw an explosion in the 1990s of these law-school-hosted competitions, so there was a huge increase in the opportunities for us to field teams to compete in these national events.”
Devine recalled the excitement of winning a prestigious national title shortly after joining the staff full-time.
“One of the highlights for me was our first win at the National Moot Court Competition in New York City,” she said. “We had been knocking on the door but weren’t able to kick it in until 1994. Several of us were in the office late, waiting for the results, when we got the good news. It was incredible.”
Even when the school’s teams struggled to bring home the top trophy, Devine had well-placed confidence in the advocacy recruitment and preparation strategy.
“In 2003, we only won one competition,” she said. “But Dean Treece had an effective system of choosing good people who worked hard and who developed a skill and a passion for competing. In 2004, we won eight national titles, so that was very memorable.”
Having a front-row seat for 30 years of student growth and accomplishments was an incredible experience that Devine will miss dearly.
“Watching the students realize this is something they’re good at was really fun,” Devine said. “The camaraderie the students develop with each other and with their coaches, with the program and with the school was wonderful, and so many of them blossomed during their time here.”
In 2018, Devine and Dean Treece celebrated their 10,000th day working side-by-side, and she cherishes the fact that she reached her 30th year working with him prior to his passing in July 2020.
“I have been tremendously blessed by the friendships I’ve made at the law school and by the people I have had the honor to work with,” said Devine.
As she wraps up her final weeks at STCL Houston, Devine is looking forward to a retirement she has dubbed her “voyage of discovery.” She plans to remain in the Houston area – her family’s home for more than 50 years – but plans to embrace an adventurous attitude.
“I’m not exactly sure what I will be doing, but I’m definitely going to go and find out,” she said.
STCL Houston would like to thank Ms. Devine for her many years of service to the students and the law school. She made an indelible impact on the advocacy program and we wish her all the best in retirement.
If you’d like to share a story or well-wishes for a keepsake book we will be producing for Ms. Devine, we invite you to do so here.
