Benny Agosto Jr. ’95 — alumnus and board member for South Texas College of Law Houston — and his wife Nichole have continued their generosity to the law school and its Agosto Justice Center for Leadership and Empowerment with an additional gift to support the center’s fellowship program.
The gift was made in honor of two associate justices of the Supreme Court of the United States: the Hon. Sonia Sotomayor and the Hon. Ketanji Jackson Brown. Agosto introduced the two special guests at a Just the Beginning event last week designed to inspire students from diverse backgrounds to attend law school.
“Listening to those two brilliant jurists reminded me of the impressive research presentations I heard earlier this year by the Agosto Fellows — the next generation of leaders for our profession,” Agosto said. “I believe one day a graduate from South Texas Law, perhaps one of our Agosto Fellows, might be on that stage sharing their experience as a justice of our nation’s highest court.”
Vice President and Professor of Law Shelby Moore noted the Agosto Fellows presented research papers to the entire South Texas Law community in April, and Benny Agosto attended the event. “He was so impressed with the students that he promised to donate additional funds to encourage other students to think and aspire to become scholars,” Moore said. “This gift represents a full-circle moment, and we remain grateful for Benny and Nickki’s generosity.”
Throughout the academic year, the fellows conduct research on topics related to access, justice, leadership, and empowerment, and they assist with the programming and initiatives of the Agosto Justice Center. In 2022, the Agostos provided the initial funding to launch the Agosto Justice Center and to support the selection of students to serve as Agosto Fellows.
Donna Davis, assistant dean of leadership and empowerment and Title IX coordinator, said, “Benny and Nikki Agosto’s continued support of the Agosto Justice Center will provide us with an immediate opportunity to expand the research stipends available through our fellowship program.”
The Agosto Justice Center provides the STCL Houston community with an opportunity to engage in sustained dialogue and education to increase the depth of understanding about justice, access, leadership, and empowerment (JALE) in the legal profession. The center provides a strategic vision, resources, programming, and training to promote a comprehensive appreciation of JALE and how it impacts the legal community.
