Board of Regents Member Cyndi Krier, UT Law Dean Bill Powers, Texas 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Justice Phil Hardberger, UTSA President Ricardo Romo, Texas Secretary of State Henry Cuellar and new Institute for Law and Public Affairs Director Richard Gambitta at the Tuesday reception at the Downtown Campus. At right, is a view of the crowd gathered for the announcement of the new institute.
UT School Of Law, UTSA announce partnership on UTSA Institute for Law and Public Affairs
(July 17, 2001)--The University of Texas School of Law and UTSA announced
Tuesday that they will be partners in the establishment of a pre-law program
in San Antonio to better prepare prospective law students from UTSA to succeed
in that field.
UTSA President Ricardo Romo and UT School of Law Dean Bill Powers
joined a cadre of state officials and members of the Texas Bar Association
at the UTSA Downtown Campus in unveiling plans for the UTSA Institute for
Law and Public Affairs, which will offer a one-year certificate program aimed
at helping UTSA students perform well on the standardized law school admissions
test, or LSAT, and in completing the challenging law school curriculum.
Modeled conceptually on UT-El Paso's Law School Preparation Institute, the
UTSA institute will, through a year of classes and two summer pre-law academies,
foster students' critical thinking, communications, research and study skills.
"This innovative program will expose UTSA students to rigorous training,
using some of the best teachers from the School of Law and UTSA," said
Dean Bill Powers of the UT School of Law. "The training will help
them succeed in law and public affairs. But even if these students choose
not to go to law school, they will be better positioned for the field of their
choice," Powers added. Powers also announced that the UT School of Law
is making a financial gift to initially support the UTSA institute.
UTSA President Ricardo Romo said, "This collaboration between
the UT School of Law and UTSA marks an important milestone in UTSA's aspiration
to offer students one of the best pre-law programs available anywhere."
State Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer, a graduate of both UTSA and the UT School of Law, said, "It is estimated that less than 10 percent of those in the legal profession are minorities."
"Im excited about the institute because of the possibilities it introduces
to minority students, as well as to the entire San Antonio and South Texas
community." added Martinez-Fischer, who was present for the announcement,
along with Texas Secretary of State Henry Cuellar, Chief Justice Phil
Hardberger of the Texas 4th Circuit Court of Appeals and UT System Board
of Regents Member Cyndi Taylor Krier.
UTSA Chair of Political Science and Geography Richard Gambitta will
head the institute, which will be housed at the Downtown Campus. "Beyond
pre-law education, the institute will have research and outreach roles, focusing
on legal and public affairs issues important to the people and governments
of Texas," said Gambitta. "Overall, it will be a partnership in
law and public affairs linking UTSA, the UT School of Law and the people and
students of South Texas."
Gambitta added the institute will sponsor lectures, symposia and seminars
of interest to the South Texas legal community and the lay public, as well.
These activities will include an annual "Eyes of Texas " lecture
series focusing on issues of special interest to the state. The UTSA institute
will begin taking applications this fall for its first summer pre-law academy,
planned for 2002.