You can get more information and register for these events in this issue of Rocket Docket.

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1 From the Dean s Desk Fall is a time when generations of the Baylor Law family gather to remember their time in law school, catch up with friends, and discover what the future holds for Baylor Law. It all starts on Aug. 30, with the Second Annual Professor David Guinn s Skeet Shoot & Bar-B-Que. We invite Baylor Law family and friends to come out and try to match their shooting skills with those of Professor Guinn. Last year, he handily won the Best Shooter award. Profits from the Skeet Shoot support the Professor David M. Guinn The Godfather Endowed Scholarship Fund. The next day, Baylor Law begins a new tradition that marks the opening of the beautiful McLane Stadium directly across the Brazos from the Law School. October brings a signature event - Baylor Law Alumni Weekend. This year s weekend takes place Oct You can get more information and register for these events in this issue of Rocket Docket. I congratulate Libby King (JD 01), our 2014 Young Baylor Lawyer of the Year. I had the pleasure of presenting Libby with this honor earlier this month during a Houston Baylor Lawyer Network s reception. Libby is highly deserving of this accolade and Baylor Law is honored to be able to call her one of our own. Libby King named 2014 Young Baylor Lawyer of the Year Congratulations to Libby King (JD 01), the 2014 Young Baylor Lawyer of the Year! Baylor Law School Dean Brad Toben announced King s honor during the Houston Baylor Lawyer Network s reception on Aug. 14. I am so honored to receive this award, King said. I am thankful beyond measure for the opportunities I have had because of my Baylor Law degree. In my experience, Baylor Lawyers enjoy instant credibility among their peers and the judiciary; you can t put a price on that. King is deeply involved in the Baylor Law Alumni Association. She currently serves on the Executive Committee, was president of the organization in , and is a Lifetime Member. She also helped establish and is the chair of the Houston Baylor Lawyer Network. Libby is a wonderful example of a young Baylor Lawyer, Toben said. She is dedicated to the Law School

2 not only because it is her alma mater, but also because she truly believes in Baylor Law s mission to create effective lawyers who serve the community. The Young Baylor Lawyer of the Year Award is given to an outstanding alumnus/a who has brought honor and distinction to the Law School and to the legal profession. The recipient must not have reached age 41 before Jan. 1 of the award year. Recipients are selected based upon the following criteria: Legal ability and achievements as a lawyer Contributions to the legal profession Standing in the profession Christian character Civic, religious, and other attainments Active interest in Baylor Law School King graduated magna cum laude from Baylor University with a BA in 1997 and opted to stay in Waco to attend Baylor Law. My great-grandfather immigrated to the United States from Sicily, moved to Waco, and learned to speak English at Baylor under Dr. A.J. Armstrong, King said. Since that time, I have had countless relatives who have attended Baylor, and many settled in Waco. Given my deep Baylor roots, I really didn t consider going anywhere else for law school. After law school, King went to work in the Dallas office of Strasburger & Price, LLP. About a year-and-a-half later, she met her soon-to-be husband and moved back to her hometown of Richmond, Texas, where the couple currently resides with their six-year-old son. King now is a named partner at Tate Moerer & King, LLP and practices primarily in the area of litigation. She said she enjoys handling complex personal jurisdiction issues. She also works on probate, estate administration, and guardianship matters. Since she joined Tate Moerer & King in 2003, eight of the nine associates at her firm have been recent Baylor Law graduates. Along with serving the Baylor Law community, King also works with her community at large. King is a volunteer at Calvary Episcopal Preparatory; sits on the steering committee of Access Health - The Heart of Fort Bend; and is on the capital campaign committee of Fort Bend Children s Discovery Center, a special project of the Children s Museum of Houston. The Academy of the Advocate Shines again in Scotland

3 The Second Annual Academy of the Advocate at St Andrews in Scotland was another success. The Academy took place July 27-Aug. 10, and 70 students from Baylor and around the country participated. Once again, our faculty team and guest instructors did a magnificent job running the Academy of the Advocate, said Baylor Law School Dean Brad Toben. We already are looking forward to and working on next year s Academy. The Academy is the result of a partnership between Baylor University, the oldest university in Texas, founded in 1845 by the Republic of Texas, and the University of St Andrews, founded in 1413, the thirdoldest university in the English-speaking world. The Academy is a two-week program that provides students with intense and practical training in trial and appellate advocacy from some of the very best lawyers, judges, and trial advocacy professors in the United States and United Kingdom. The program links the art and craft of advocacy to the rich history of the British common law system and the traditions of the trial by jury and the right to appeal. The Academy instills in students the importance of professionalism, civility, and the ethical practice of trial and appellate advocacy. The Academy of the Advocate includes instruction in the comparison of trial and appellate advocacy techniques of the United Kingdom and the United States. The art of storytelling is a theme that runs throughout the program. The history of the Reformation and Inquisition in St Andrews provides striking examples of the power of the spoken word. The program also places advocacy in the context of the traditions of the British and American legal systems, using the development of Scotland s democracy and legal system as a case study. The program is organized into three schools - the School of the Appeal, the School of the Trial, and the Advanced School of the Trial. Baylor Law Co-Sponsors ABA s Prestigious Silver Gavel Awards Baylor Law School proudly co-sponsored the American Bar Association s 2014 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts. The awards ceremony took place July 22 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Representing Baylor at the event were the Hon. William Sessions (JD 58), former director of the FBI, and former U.S. Congressman from Texas; and Baylor University W.R. Poage Distinguished Chair for Public Service, and former U.S. Congressman, the Hon. Chet Edwards. The Silver Gavel Awards, now in their 57th year, recognize outstanding efforts by the media and arts to

4 foster public understanding of law. This year s featured speaker was Dahlia Lithwick, a senior editor for the online news site, Slate. Baylor Law School was honored to be a co-sponsor of this event, said Baylor Law School Dean Brad Toben. For decades the American Bar Association s Silver Gavel Awards have recognized books, investigative journalism series, films such as To Kill a Mockingbird, and documentaries that expose the public to the workings - both good and bad - of the American justice system. The winners of these awards have used their various media platforms to keep the American public from becoming complacent about injustice. The Gavel Awards are extremely selective, with the standing committee choosing only six winners this year: The Terror Courts: Rough Justice at Guantanamo Bay, a book that goes inside the Pentagon s prosecution team to probe the post-9/11 military-commission system. An American Gulag, commentary about the treatment of mentally ill inmates. Gideon s Army, a documentary that tells the story of three young public defenders on a quest for justice for all. Twice Betrayed, a newspaper series about victims of sexual assault in the armed forces. Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, a radio program about a 3-year-old girl entangled in a custody case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Invisible War, a film airing on PBS about the epidemic of rape in the U.S. military. David Swenson, the George G. Kelly Professor of Law at Baylor Law School, is a member of the Silver Gavel s screening committee, which helps the standing committee select the winners. Stadium Update McLane Stadium is ready for Baylor Bear Football s regular season home games. After two years, the Bears now have a stadium worthy of a Heisman Trophy winner and last season s Big 12 championship. And it s just across the Brazos from Baylor Law School! Baylor Law Alumni Weekend 2014 Mark your calendars now for the 2014 Baylor Law Alumni Weekend, Oct ! This is a great opportunity to catch up, have fun with and swap Practice Court stories with your fellow Baylor Lawyers. This also will be the first Alumni Weekend featuring the new McLane Stadium. The Baylor Law Alumni Weekend is easily the highlight of the year for the many Baylor Lawyers who

5 remain involved in so many ways with helping the Law School, said Berkley Knas, Director of Alumni Relations. We look forward to having you here on Oct Schedule Of Events Friday, Oct, 10 Dessert Reception With Judge & Mrs. Ken Starr Join Judge Ken Starr, Alice Starr, and Dean Brad Toben at the home of Judge & Mrs. Ken Starr. 7:30-9 p.m. The Allbritton House On Baylor Campus 336 Guittard Waco Attire: Casual Guests Welcome Late Night At George s Hosted By The Houston, Dallas, Austin & Fort Worth Baylor Lawyer Networks 9:30 p.m. until the fun dies down! George s 1925 Speight Ave. Waco Attire: Casual Guests Welcome 50th Year Reunion Dinner for the Class of :30 p.m. Sheila And Walter Umphrey Law Center, Student Lounge 1114 S. University Parks Drive Waco Attire: Casual Guests welcome Saturday, Oct. 11 Breakfast With Dean Brad Toben and the Dean s State of the Law School Remarks

6 9-10 a.m. Tours of the Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center led by current students 10-10:30 a.m. Sheila And Walter Umphrey Law Center 1114 S. University Parks Drive Waco Attire: Casual Guests and children are welcome Burgers & Blue Bell at the home of Dean and Mrs. Brad Toben Time: If the game starts at 3:30 p.m. or before, Burgers & Blue Bell begins at 7 p.m. If the game starts after 3:30 p.m., Burgers & Blue Bell begins four hours prior to kick-off. Attire: Casual or Baylor Game Day attire Guests and children are welcome Baylor vs. TCU Time: TBA McLane Stadium Baylor University Campus Attire: Baylor Game Day Attire Lodging Baylor Law Alumni Weekend hotel blocks are available. Reservations should be made directly with the hotel by requesting the Baylor Law Alumni Weekend room block. Rooms are available on a first-come, firstserved basis. Courtyard Marriott: ; $113/Night Residence Inn: : $279.99/Night Hampton Inn & Suites Waco South: ; $199/Night Hampton Inn & Suites Waco North: ; $149/Night Comfort Suites On The Circle: ; $189.99/Night Homewood Suites: ; $279.99/Night Other Hotel Recommendations Fairfield Inn & Suites Waco North: Holiday Inn Northwest:

7 Bed & Breakfasts Creekside Garden: Cotton Palace: Weekend Costs $100/Person: Ticket includes admission to all weekend events (tax included); $30/children under 12. Football tickets must be purchased separately **RSVP and online credit card payment must be received by Monday, Oct. 6, Refunds will not be given. For questions, please contact Berkley Knas, Director of Alumni Relations, at or call Bring Your Gun and Join the Skeet Shoot It s time for the Second Annual Professor David Guinn s Skeet Shoot & Bar-B-Que. You can mingle with old friends, shoot skeet, and try to outgun Professor Guinn, who handily won last year s tournament. The event takes place on Aug. 30. Profits from Skeet Shoot support the Professor David M. Guinn The Godfather Endowed Scholarship Fund. As a way to celebrate the impact of Professor Guinn s almost 50 years of teaching, Baylor Law School established an endowed scholarship in Professor Guinn s name. If you are interested in supporting The Professor David M. Guinn The Godfather Endowed Scholarship beyond the skeet shoot, please contact Susan Wommack, Director of Development at Susan_Wommack@baylor.edu, or call You may also give to this scholarship online at Skeet Shoot Schedule: 4 p.m.: Registration for skeet shooters (participation in skeet shoot is not required to attend event) 4:30 p.m.: Skeet Shoot begins The bar-b-que dinner will be catered by Vitek s. Winners of the Skeet Shoot tournament will be announced following the shoot. Prizes will be awarded for the Winning Team, Highest Individual Shooter, Second- Highest Individual Shooter, and Third-Highest Individual Shooter. Location:

8 Waco Skeet and Trap Club (located near Waco Regional Airport) 7209 Karl May Drive Waco Costs: The cost for a team of five is $750 or $150 for an individual shooter, which includes bar-b-que tickets. Cost also includes ammo (12 gauge or 20 gauge) and clays for 50 shots per person. Shooters must provide their own gun and eye and ear protection. Space is limited and will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis. Just joining the bar-b-que and not shooting? Tickets are $20 per person. Children 12 and under are free. Ticket prices include tax. Refunds will not be given. For questions about the Bar-B-Que & Skeet Shoot, please contact Berkley Knas, Director of Alumni Relations, at Berkley_Knas@baylor.edu or call Baylor Law Alumni Events Held in Conjunction With Baylor Football! Baylor Law School is hosting two special events this football season: Baylor Law Alumni Weekend (Oct ) and the Baylor Homecoming Breakfast and Parade Watch (Saturday, Nov. 1 at 8 a.m.). Outside of these two alumni events, we will not be hosting tailgating events for each home game. For more information on Alumni Weekend, please visit Baylor University and Baylor Law School are sold out of tickets for both games. For tickets, we recommend you go through online ticket websites such as We hope to see you at these events! In looking ahead to next year s football season, we would love to hear your ideas about potential tailgates or football game day events. Please share your ideas with Berkley Knas at berkley_knas@baylor.edu. News & Notes Upcoming Alumni Networking Events Professor David Guinn s Annual Skeet Shoot Saturday, Aug. 30, :30 p.m.

9 Waco Skeet & Trap Club 7209 Karl May Drive Waco 11th Annual Baylor Judges Breakfast Monday, Sept. 8, :30 a.m. Omni Fort Worth 1300 Houston St. Fort Worth Ballroom 1-4 Fort Worth Austin Baylor Lawyer Network Reception With Dean Brad Toben and Dean Jackson Teague Tuesday, Sept. 16, :30-7 p.m. Scott, Douglass, & McConnico, LLP 600 Congress St. Suite 1500 Austin Baylor Law Alumni Weekend Friday & Saturday, Oct. 10 & 11, 2014**RSVP and online credit card payment must be received by Monday, Oct. 6, Refunds will not be given. Dallas Baylor Lawyer Network Reception Thursday, Oct. 16, :30 p.m. K&L Gates 1717 Main St. Suite 2800 Dallas Baylor Homecoming And Baylor Law School Alumni Breakfast Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 Breakfast and Baylor vs. Kansas Football Game Time TBA

10 Austin Baylor Lawyer Network Reception Tuesday, Dec. 2, :30-7 p.m. Jackson Walker, LLP 100 Congress St. Suite 1100 Austin Houston Baylor Lawyer Network Reception Thursday, Dec. 4, :30 p.m. The Hudgins Law Firm 24 Greenway Plaza Suite 2000 Houston Fort Worth Baylor Lawyer Network Reception Thursday, Dec. 4, :30-7 p.m. Whitaker, Chalk, Swindle & Schwartz PLLC 301 Commerce St. Suite 3500 Fort Worth Alumni Notes 1970s Michael Heiskell (JD 74) was appointed to the board of directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) at the association s 57th annual meeting in Philadelphia. Heiskell has been a criminal defense attorney at the law firm of Johnson, Vaughn & Heiskell in Fort Worth since Prior to this, he served as a Galveston County assistant district attorney and then as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Heiskell has been named a Super Lawyer in Texas Monthly Magazine by his peers in white-collar criminal defense for each year since He has spoken frequently before the Advanced Criminal Law Course sponsored by the State Bar of Texas and to numerous seminars sponsored

11 by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer s Association and the Texas Center for the Judiciary. He also has presented to NACDL, the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Dallas County Criminal Defense Lawyers, San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Mexican-American Bar Association, and the Tarrant County Bar Association. He was recently recognized in Texas Lawyer as one of the Extraordinary Minorities in Texas Law and was named one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers from Heiskell is a Life Member of NACDL and was previously on the board of directors in He has served on NACDL s Task Force Committee on Familial DNA Testing, as Fifth Circuit co-chair for the White Collar Crime Committee, and as a member of the Audit and Indigent Defense committees. 1980s Richard Kraft (JD 82) has received the New Mexico Super Lawyer Award for He also was recently honored by the Leader ship Roswell Alumni Association as the 2014 Recipient of the Outstanding Leader Award. 1990s Russell R. Barton (JD 91) has been selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers He is an attorney at Harris, Finley & Bogle, P.C. Leticia E. Martinez (JD 94) has appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Protect Our Kids Commission. Martinez is an assistant district attorney and chief prosecutor for the Tarrant County District Attorney s Office Crimes Against Children Unit. She is a board member of the Alliance for Children in Tarrant County, Tarrant County Bar Association, and the Texas District & County Attorneys Association. She also is a past member of the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra and past volunteer for the Covenant Classical School Mock Trial Team in Fort Worth. Michele Smith (JD 92), a shareholder with MehaffyWeber, was presented with the 2014 Chris Quinn Community Service Award by the Jefferson County Bar Association. This award recognizes an attorney who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to public service in addition to admirable service to the legal profession. Smith is board certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas State Board of Legal Specialization. She will serve as the president of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel for the term of Mark W. Wege (JD 91) has been listed in Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and Chambers in the area of financial restructuring and bankruptcy.

12 2000s Johnathan C. Bolton (JD 00) was named a partner of Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel LLP in Honolulu, where he heads the firm s creditors rights and bankruptcy department. Bolton also has been included in the 2015 edition of Best Lawyers in America and named a 2014 SuperLawyer in Hawaii in the area of bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights law. A. Renée Pobjecky (JD 01) of Pobjecky & Pobjecky, LLP has been named a Rising Star in Florida Super Lawyers 2014 for immigration law. 2010s Amy R. Bolline (JD 10) has joined Husch Blackwell as an associate in the firm s Dallas office. She joins the private wealth practice group. Prior to joining Husch Blackwell, Bolline practiced with a boutique estateplanning firm in Denton. While there, she prepared estate-planning documents for estates of various sizes and degrees of complexity. Bolline also advised fiduciaries in administering trusts and estates to minimize risks, avoid litigation, and effectively settle disputes without court intervention. Bolline also drafted assorted real estate documents as they related to estate planning and the settlement of estates. In addition, Bolline defended clients and deposed adverse parties in fiduciary litigation matters, and represented applicants and proposed wards in guardianship matters. Initially upon receiving her JD, Bolline practiced as a litigation associate with a Dallas-based firm. In Memoriam Robert Felton Freeman (LLB 65), 79, of Midland, passed away on July 20, Freeman was born April 19, 1935 in Lamesa to Lucille and Lorenzo Daily Freeman. After graduating from Klondike High School in Dawson County, Freeman worked for Gulf Oil Corp. He was a student at Texas Tech from After three years at Texas Tech, he entered the United States Army in November He was with the 1st Missile Battalion, 41st Field Artillery (Honest John) Regiment on the Czechoslovakian border during the Cold War. He was an operations intelligence specialist and calculated mathematical coordinates to put nuclear warheads in place. He was stationed in Germany for two years and was released from active duty in February After farming for a year, he entered Baylor Law School. While attending Baylor, he was active in student government, serving on the Board of Governors of the Student Bar Association, and secretary/ treasurer of his senior class. He was also a member of Delta Theta Phi, the national law fraternity. He was admitted to the Texas Bar Association in December 1965, and admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U. S. Western District of Texas. He practiced general, civil, and criminal law in state, federal, and appellate courts, and provided probate, personal injury, and family law to many clients. He came to

13 Midland shortly after his graduation. He worked for a year as a member of the Kerr, Fitzgerald, and Kerr Law Firm, and was appointed assistant district attorney on May 16, He was assistant district attorney for three years before opening a private law practice in 1969, housed in the Petroleum Life Building until His former law partners were the Hon. John G. Hyde from 1975 to 1990, and J. Brian Martin from 1982 to He re-opened a private practice again in May He was a member of the Midland County Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, and Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He was a member of the Waco Masonic Lodge 92 and a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason. He was a past member of the Midland Scottish Rite Association. While there was never room for any gray areas in his life, he appreciated the black and white letter of the law and remained steadfast and true to his convictions and traditions. He is survived by his loving wife of 33 years, Doris Suzy Freeman; stepdaughters, Melissa McGlothlin King of Colorado and LizBeth McGlothlin Frazier and husband, Steve Frazier, of Colorado; brother, Jimmy Freeman of Lamesa; and sister-in-law, Mrs. L.D. (Margaret) Freeman of Lubbock; grandchildren, Tyler Gray, Erin Frazier, Matthew Frazier, Allison Frazier Ashley and her husband, Allen Ashley, all of Colorado; greatgrandson, Levi Ashley; nieces, Crystal, Melony, Jill, Julie, Sandra, Rhonda, and Linda. He also is survived by stepchildren, Stephanie and husband, Mark Wilson, and their daughter, Reve, of San Antonio; Hillori Hager of Dallas; and Aaron Hall of Midland. Ronald David Helton (JD 73), 65, of Albany died Aug. 5, 2014 in an Abilene hospital. Helton was born in McLennan on July 24, He was the only child of John David and Imogene Jean (Mesaros) Helton. He received his undergraduate and JD degrees from Baylor University and Baylor Law School, respectively. He served as a Judge Advocate General in the U.S. Air Force, and then followed a course charted by his greatgreat-great grandfather, Judge J.K. Helton, as a dedicated corporation lawyer. In recent years, Helton worked primarily for H.R. Stasney & Sons, Ltd. doing title work on the Cook Ranch in Albany. Helton was an avid photographer and Baylor Bears fan. Anthony Tony Gentry Riddlesperger (LLB 54), 81, passed away on Aug. 7, 2014 in Dallas. He was born on Aug. 14, 1932 in Corsicana to Hobart Clark and Aline Gentry Riddlesperger. He attended Highland Park schools and graduated from Brown Military Academy in San Diego. He received both BA and JD degrees from Baylor University and Baylor Law School, respectively. He served two years in the Unites States Air Force on the Judge Advocate General s staff. Following his service with the military, he was employed as a staff attorney with Gulf Oil Corporation in Houston. Following his employment with Superior Oil, he was a partner in the law firm of Jones, Stephens, Bell, and Willey. In 1976 he accepted a position in Dallas as vice president and chief counsel of Grace Energy Corporation and remained with Grace for 34 years. He is survived by his wife. Jane Johnston Riddlesperger, and sons John and Dan Riddlesperger; sister in law Katherine Hawthorne; and a number of cousins, nieces, and nephews. Riddlesperger was a member of the Dallas, Houston, and American Bar Associations; the Association of Attorney Mediators Inc.; the Panel of Commercial Arbitrators; and the American Arbitration Association. Following an appointment by Gov.

14 William Clements, he served 10 years on the legal Committee of the Interstate Oil Compact Commission. He also was a member of the board of directors of the Business Law Foundation. He was president of the Thomas J. Rusk Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas and also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. He was a founding Elder of Grace Presbyterian Church in Houston and a founding member of Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas.