Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HR258 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.R. No. 258
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4	4	R E S O L U T I O N
5	5	WHEREAS, The online juris doctor program at St. Mary's
6	6	University School of Law in San Antonio has earned the distinction
7	7	of being the first fully online law degree program that has been
8	8	accredited by the American Bar Association; and
9	9	WHEREAS, St. Mary's University School of Law dates back to
10	10	1927, when the San Antonio School of Law was founded by the local
11	11	bar association as a part-time institution that met at night;
12	12	shortly thereafter, St. Mary's offered to make it into a university
13	13	law school with full-time faculty and a stronger curriculum, and in
14	14	1934, the law school acquired its current name and its Catholic and
15	15	Marianist mission; and
16	16	WHEREAS, In summer 2020, an ad hoc committee made up of
17	17	full-time tenured, tenure-track, and clinical faculty was formed at
18	18	the direction of Dean Patricia Roberts to explore the viability of
19	19	an online program, and on January 15, 2021, the school applied for
20	20	acquiescence from the ABA to change its part-time residential
21	21	program to a completely distance education program consisting of
22	22	synchronous and asynchronous online instruction; and
23	23	WHEREAS, In an effort to make a legal education more
24	24	accessible, particularly for those who are typically
25	25	underrepresented, the St. Mary's online juris doctor program was
26	26	designated as a part-time program so that students could attend law
27	27	school without having to forfeit their employment; they will have
28	28	access to the same opportunities and resources as full-time
29	29	students, without the costs usually associated with relocation and
30	30	long commutes; the fall 2022 online cohort consists of 27 inaugural
31	31	students who were matriculated from a lengthy list of 797
32	32	applicants, and together they represent 9 different states and 20
33	33	undergraduate universities; St. Mary's benefits from the
34	34	leadership of its president, Tom Mengler, and its provost and
35	35	executive vice president for academic affairs, Jason Pierce, and
36	36	the law school is led by Dean Roberts and associate deans Ramona
37	37	Lampley, Colin Marks, and Zoe Niesel; and
38	38	WHEREAS, For nine decades, St. Mary's University School of
39	39	Law has diligently prepared generations of attorneys with the
40	40	highest standards of skill, knowledge, and professionalism, and its
41	41	online juris doctor program is a testament to its ongoing
42	42	commitment to excellence and innovation; now, therefore, be it
43	43	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
44	44	Legislature hereby commend the online juris doctor program at
45	45	St. Mary's University School of Law and extend to all those
46	46	associated with the program sincere best wishes for continued
47	47	success; and, be it further
48	48	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
49	49	prepared for the law school as an expression of high regard by the
50	50	Texas House of Representatives.
51	51	Martinez
52	52	______________________________
53	53	Speaker of the House
54	54	I certify that H.R. No. 258 was adopted by the House on March
55	55	8, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0, 2 present, not
56	56	voting.
57	57	______________________________
58	58	Chief Clerk of the House