South Texas College of Law Houston conferred Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degrees to more than 240 graduates May 13 during the Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony at the George R. Brown Convention Center. STCL Houston, which is currently celebrating its 100^th anniversary, honored the graduates for their hard work, outstanding academic achievement, and their perseverance through the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Congratulations on a job very well done,” said President and Dean Michael F. Barry. “As the graduates of 2023, you will forever be known as the ‘Centennial Class’ of South Texas College of Law Houston. I hope this distinction carries with it a special sense of pride for you — and a special sense of purpose. I am sure our founders would be proud of your persistence, commitment, and dedication, undeterred by the seemingly ever-changing landscape the global pandemic created. Because you persevered, I have the honor of proudly welcoming you today into the distinguished profession of law.”

Commencement speaker Nathan L. Hecht, Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court and the longest-tenured Texas judge in active service, delivered a commencement speech that congratulated the graduates for their accomplishments – and challenged the newly minted attorneys to foster innovations that will make the justice system more accessible to Texas citizens.

Justice Hecht also reminded the graduates of their role in preserving the rule of law, engaging in civil discourse, and maintaining our democracy using the art of persuasion. “Law school has enveloped you in a culture of persuasion, has shown you the power of ideas and words, and has given you the tools to use them,” Hecht said. “Now it’s your turn to take on the changes that will keep our justice system not only the best in the world, but the best in the history of the world.”

Taylor Leger, valedictorian of the graduating class, was an active and successful member of the law school’s award-winning Advocacy program. A second-career student, Leger achieved the highest grade in many of her classes, securing a spot on the Dean’s Honor List each semester. She won the Best National Brief Award at the prestigious New York City Bar’s 72^nd National Moot Court competition, and the Dean’s Outstanding Advocate Award.

Leger encouraged her fellow graduates to share their moment of triumph with all the people in their lives who were supportive of them throughout their law school experience. Her address included wishes for success and personal growth – particularly when that growth is the result of conflicts and difficulties.

A day of celebrations marked South Texas College of Law Houston’s Centennial Founder’s Day April 13 on the campus of Houston’s oldest law school.

Addressing an audience of some 500 alumni, community leaders, faculty, staff and students, STCL Houston Board Chair Genora Boykins ’85 kicked off the day’s activities. She welcomed the audience and a slate of guest speakers that included judges, community leaders, and federal, state, and local officials.  From Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, each emphasized the significant contributions South Texas has made to the community in its first 100 years.

Dave Oelman, a member of the STCL Houston Board of Visitors and a great-grand nephew of the law school’s founding dean, Judge Joseph C. Hutcheson, Jr., introduced STCL Houston President and Dean Michael F. Barry. A partner at the law firm of Vinson & Elkins, Oelman included historical context and family recollections about Judge Hutcheson in his introductory remarks.

Dean Barry delivered a  multi-media presentation, “STCL at 100,” highlighting the law school’s many accomplishments over the last century and its distinguished place in the region’s legal community. The presentation provided an historical background and timeline, interwoven with the school’s commitment to its mission.

“I stand here in awe today of what this law school has accomplished over a century… the opportunities created, the doors opened, the minds sharpened, the lives changed,” Barry said. “South Texas has contributed greatly to the legal community and has changed the face of law in Houston, in Texas, and across the country.”

Many national, state, and local organizations and individuals marked the day by issuing special proclamations, including Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht, U.S. Representatives Sheila Jackson Lee and Al Green, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, City Councilman Robert Gallegos, and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who proclaimed April 13 as “South Texas College of Law Day.”

Other guest speakers included U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod, State Bar of Texas President Laura Gibson, YMCA of Greater Houston President and CEO Stephen Ives, and Executive Director Betty Balli Torres of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation.

A number of guests who could not attend were featured in recorded remarks, including Governor Greg Abbott, U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, Texas Representative and STCL Houston alumna Ann Johnson, and Baylor Law Dean Brad Toben.

In addition to the presentations and the dean’s address, the Centennial Founder’s Day Celebration included a 24-hour “Give Day” fundraiser. The goal was to raise 100 for 100 or $100,000 for 100 years of legal education, and the results were impressive. Give Day raised $117,924 from 256 donors. Alumna Sharon Schweitzer ’89 stepped up with a leadership gift of $50,000 to challenge her fellow alumni to make their own commitment during Give Day. Alumni can still give by going to my.stcl.edu/giveday.

“The law school of the future does not yet exist,” Barry said. “It is our collective responsibility to envision it. And then it is our responsibility to create it. For 100 years, we have provided individuals with a chance. And future generations are counting on us to innovate and evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of students — and the legal profession — for the decades to come.”

The future of STCL Houston will build on its strong foundation. Barry said, “We will remain true to our history and our mission. We will strive for excellence in all we do. We will commit ourselves to diversity. We will create opportunity. And we will be bold in service to our community and our profession.”

Second-career attorney Ron Haggerty ’96 attended law school part-time at South Texas College of Law Houston while working for a large power company.

“I was a mechanical engineer, working as an operations manager at a power generating facility,” Haggerty said. “In a few years’ time, I went from being a guy who worked in power plants, to being a guy who worked on deals to build power plants.”

A background in science made Haggerty the ideal candidate to become a patent and intellectual property lawyer. After passing the bar, he found himself in the legal department of the power company he worked for, eventually rising to the position of Assistant General Counsel. A corporate attorney at the forefront of the energy business, he consulted on the development and construction of power plants and pipelines and was plunged into international travel and transactional work.

“STCL Houston allowed me to experience the career-changing potential of the law degree,” he said. “However, I did have a big learning curve when I began the journey. As a nontraditional student, I had to relearn how to study and take exams.” As a graduate of Prairie View A&M University, a historically black institution, Haggerty had never attended a predominantly white school. “I had to learn how to navigate this new environment.”

Remembering how it felt to be in that situation, Haggerty is dedicated to helping others learn to navigate unfamiliar waters and bring people together. He was involved in the creation of the Alumni Association’s Black Alumni Chapter (BAC) in 2016 and became its president in 2017.

“I wanted to use my skill set and talents to help others, while creating an opportunity for people to bring a different perspective to STCL Houston,” he said. BAC members have served on search committees and advised leadership on various social issues.

Haggerty believes his most significant contribution as president of the BAC was creating an emergency fund to assist students who are “in the no-man’s land” between earning the law degree and passing the bar exam. “It can be a tough time. You are not a student any longer, and you are not a lawyer yet,” he said. “You are studying for the bar exam. Your financial aid is running out, and there are bills to pay. We were able to galvanize BAC members to give generously.”

A native Houstonian from Sunnyside, Haggerty credits his parents with his passion for public service. His father was a first-class machinist and civil rights pioneer who successfully sued his employer and won the right for African Americans to apply for skilled labor jobs and be hired. His mother was an entrepreneur who owned a successful hair salon and always encouraged him to “do his part.”

“I got a lot of encouragement and support from my parents, in word and in example,” he said.

Haggerty, now a solo practitioner, plans to remain involved with the BAC as the immediate past president and lend stability to the organization as the transition to new leadership takes place. “I will still be available to meet with students and alumni to let them know they belong, they can do this, and they get to decide what success will look like as they pursue their career.”

Stogner is excited about her new position and the opportunities it brings to make a difference in the careers of attorneys – both recent graduates and established lawyers.

“Building community requires relationships,” she said. “It requires connections and conversations.  Diversity and inclusion are necessary. The Benny Agosto, Jr. Diversity Center is a fantastic way to really bring us together and to listen to all the elements of our community. It also requires trust: knowing you can ask for help when you need it, and you will receive it. Community also means giving back through new relationships. If you had a great mentor, I hope you will consider paying it forward and being a good mentor to a young lawyer who is just like you used to be.”

Born in Galveston and raised in Corpus Christi, Stogner is a married mother of three. She always wanted to be a lawyer.

“I liked to argue, and often found myself standing up for what I thought was right, even as a child,” she said. Stogner worked as a legal assistant for her father, making $6 an hour for two years prior to law school. His gold standard is still her golden rule: “If it goes out with our family name on it, it had better be right. Otherwise, it tarnishes the reputation we worked so hard to build.” Forty-nine years after graduation, her father continues to practice law in Corpus Christi.

Stogner decided to attend STCL Houston because it was her father’s alma mater (Michael O’Brien ’74) and because, as a debate and theater veteran, she dreamed of joining the award-winning advocacy program under Associate Dean T. Gerald Treece. Also, one of the largest factors was a conversation with Assistant Dean of Admissions Alicia Cramer.

“I had toured other schools, but there was a synergy at South Texas,” Stogner said. “Dean Cramer really listened and answered all my questions. It just felt right.”

She met the man she would marry on the first day of orientation at STCL Houston — fellow student Brant Stogner ’06. “We were study partners, we started dating, and we won a national title in mock trial together,” she said. “I like to think it was meant to be.”

Building on their relationship and ties to the school, Dean Treece officiated their wedding ceremony.  Indeed, two of their law school classmates, Ryan Haun ’06 and Rick Berlin ’06, are godfathers to their two sons.

Today, Stogner is Of Counsel with Abraham Watkins Nichols Agosto Aziz & Stogner, the oldest plaintiff’s personal injury firm in Texas, where she works with her husband and firm partner, Brant.

Celebrating the law school’s centennial year as the president of the Alumni Association board is particularly exciting for Stogner, who also is serving on the Centennial Steering Committee.

“I think about the original mission of South Texas: to provide a legal education to anyone,” Stogner said. “This school was founded during Prohibition, just after World War I ended, and a few years after women were given the right to vote. They created this co-ed law school for working people. It took a leap of faith based on the relationships of our founders. 100 years is an amazing milestone, but without relationships, without community, we never could have made it this far. It’s our job to continue that legacy – to foster faith in the practice of law and fellowship with one another.”

Stogner is working with other board members to create new opportunities for meaningful networking and mentorship that will bridge the gap between students and alumni.

“Being a young lawyer can be scary. Each one deserves a good mentor,” Stogner said. “Additionally, the energy that law students and recent graduates bring with them benefits established attorneys. They can see the spark in their eyes and sense their excitement and good energy. That ultimately benefits the firm who hires them and their clients, too. It’s win, win, win.”

Outside the office, Stogner enjoys watching her three children play basketball, soccer, baseball, or beating them in any board game or video game of their choice.