University of Texas School of Law - Peregrinus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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Ma) 26. 1999 Dear graduate: The 1998-1999 academic year was an out- standing one for The University of Texas School of Law. A handful of numbers will illustrate the condition of the Law School during this year. IS is our latest overall ranking by U.S. World Report. Without endorsing the flawed system by which the ranking is calculated, we must recognize that such rankings are important to many people, and we were naturally gratified to be placed 15th which is our highest ranking. This can properly be considered an exceptional achievement given the difficulties of com- peting with other national schools; even with the other great public law schools which are able to charge vastly more in tuition. Note also that three curricular areas at Texas were ranked among the top 10 in the nation: Dispute Resolution where we were 9th: Tax where we were 6th; and Intellectual Property where we were tied for 5th. Another is 1st. For the first time in our history a UT team won the ATLA National Mock Trial Competition National Championship over more than 200 teams from 186 schools. Our other Board of Advocates team placed 5th nationally. The University Tower was lit orange in honor of this great victory, suggesting that we finally have a Law School in which the football teatn can take pride. 93.55% represents the pass rate of our graduates on the February 1999 Texas Bar Examination. This marked a substantial improvement over the 87% pass rate on the July 1998 exam. We were second only to Baylor and 15 percentage points ahead of the state ' s overall pass rate. 3% is another number of note. This rep- resents our first increase in the number of applications (3.282) that we have had since 1994. This occurred in the teeth of a steady level of law school applications nationally. After eight years of decline in the number of persons seeking admission to all American law schools, it was thought that the number of candidates would begin to increase, but nationally this does not appear to have hap- pened. We also enjoyed a 17.5% increase in the number of African-American applicants and a 19.2% increase in the number of Mexican-American applicants. We have increased the number of offers made to can- didates from these groups and hope to have an increase in the number enrolled, but the competition is fierce with other elite schools all over the nation. It is well to bear in mind this school ' s exceptional contribution to the effort to diversify the legal profession. During the decade before Hopwood. we graduated more African-Americans and Mexican- Americans than did any other law school not founded to serve minorities. Despite our continued efforts to enroll sig- nificant numbers of minority students, only a victory in our appeal of the Hopwood decision will permit us to resume our lead- ership role in this area. □ 97.47% was the percentage employed of our 1998 graduating class. They also achieved an average starting salary of $61,545. Finall y, and with great gratitude, I want to mention 21%. This is the percentage of alumni who made gifts to the school this year. It is especially gratifying that we have moved to this point after many years in which only 6% to 8% of alumni participat- ed. It is only through the generosity of our alumni that the school has been able to dis- charge, with such distinction, its assigned task of preparing our enormously able stu- dent body to become skilled practitioners and leaders of the state and nation. It has been in many ways a banner year for all parts of the law school community. We bid hasta la vista to our graduating class with the best wishes for their careers and lives. We look forward to their many achievements that will reflect so well on their alma mater, and hope that they will feel a continuing sense of gratitude for how the school transformed their lives, and will provide the support to make that experience and education available to future students. Sincerely. M. Michael Sharlot, Dean John Jeffers Research Chair in Law from the Dean M. Michael Sharlot Dean, School of Law John Jeffers Research Chair in Law A Letter from the Dean - 19

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Law Alumni Reunion Weekend Dean Sharlot speaks with Robert Braubach, class of 1977. during lunch for Alumni at the Reunion Weekend. 20 - Law Alumni Reunion Weekend