Law – Page 34 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

A Capitol Education: The Texas Legislature

We had a dual-view day ahead of us, when we awoke. Our morning hours would be spent examining the governing side of Texas politics. Our afternoon and evening hours would be devoted to the campaigning side of Texas politics. Both were rewarding, and both informed and enriched our understanding of the other.

We began with a tour of the Texas Capitol. Our tour guide was informative, providing us with a nice overview of the capitol while also highlighting interesting side features.

In the Capitol’s rotunda, for example, visitors can stand in the center, speak, and hear an echo that those around them cannot hear. Or, did you know that the door hinges weight 7.5 pounds? These are just some of the interesting facts that a tour will provide.

On a more macro-level, we visited the Texas Senate…

…where we saw the vivid paintings “Dawn at the Alamo” and “The Battle of San Jacinto,” both by Henry Arthur McArdle, who offered a heroic interpretation of the quest for Texas independence. Speaking of which, we showed our state pride by taking a photograph with the portrait of Sam Houston, who not only led troops to victory at San Jacinto, but went on to serve Texas as President, Senator, and Governor.

We completed our capitol tour with a visit to the underground annex, where we admired the window view of Goddess of Liberty, which towers atop the capitol dome.

Following a brief visit to the Capitol Grill—we would later be told, “don’t ever eat at the Capitol Grill, not ever—we journeyed the extension to find the office of SHSU Alumnus Representative Will Metcalf. There we met Chief of Staff Zachary Stephenson, who provided us with a rewarding presentation on working in the legislature.

Given the long work days, he said he looks for employees and interns who maintain a positive, professional attitude; avoid excessive participation in Austin’s thriving party scene; can remain productive over the course of the session; and will represent the office well. It was good advice to students who are interested in the possibility of interning during the upcoming session, and we are thankful for his time and wisdom.

We continued our education on the legislative process with the help of House Parliamentarian Chris Griesel and the Deputy House Parliamentarian Shalla Sluyter. The House floor is currently under renovation and is closed to the public, but that did not stop us from getting a photograph…

…or from learning more than we could have ever known to ask about how legislatures work. Griesel and Sluyter demonstrated their exemplary knowledge of both the history of Parliamentary Procedure and how the legislative process unfolds.

Capitol_Tour_Parliamentarian_1_Web — Parliamentarian Chris Griesel Explaining Parliamentary Procedure

For example, did you know, that because the British upper-class spoke in French during the time of the Magna Carta, the concept of an assembly body fell under the French word for speaking, evolving from parley to Parliament. Moreover, rather than address all the representatives from the assembly, the King would designate one person to speak—the speaker—a designation that evolved into the U.S. “Speaker of the House.”

It was interesting speaking to these attorneys, both of whom shared their admirable intellects while discussing drone policy, the legislative process, our careers, and Mae West legislation—a proposed bills designed to get a specific audience to “come up and see me sometime.”

We should also add that Mr. Griesel very generously gave us two copies of Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy’s Pulitzer-Prize winning biographies of US Senators. When we got back to the car with gifts and opened the book, we noticed that he had marked the chapter featuring Sam Houston.

Although our morning only covered the governing portion of our dual-view day, our learning went well beyond statesmanship. From the history of the English language to the art of H.A. McArdle to the literary efforts of a former President, we left the Capitol more well-rounded than we entered. With such a productive morning, we could only speculate on what the evening would hold at our first-ever New Politics Forum Campaign Bootcamp.

Day Three in the Big D: GOP Convention

Our last day at the Convention was, in many ways, the longest. But for the Walker County Delegation, which overwhelmingly supported Ted Cruz for President, it was also a fun day.

The first thing on our agenda was kolaches with Congressman Kevin Brady. It was there that we saw Francine Stanfield, Brady’s Campaign Manager, who recognized us from previous events for which we had volunteered. Both Congressman Brady and his staff were very welcoming to the Walker County Delegation and to us as SHSU students, as always.

We congratulated Congressman Brady on his recent win and after meeting with him for a few minutes we proceeded to the breakfast table for kolaches and fruit to give us energy for the long congressional district caucus meeting ahead of us. Although we only had to vote on delegates and alternates to send to the national convention, it took roughly 6 hours. The meeting began shortly after 8am and ended around 2pm.

At this meeting we had to elect the delegates that would attend the National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio and also the party representatives who will represent us to the national delegation in Washington, DC. This process was interspersed with various speeches by elected officials or candidates. The first of these was the best, with Congressman Brady opening the proceedings.

The usual order of business, however, was a bit more tedious. The process for nominations proceeded in the following manner:

A nomination;
Speeches for each nominee, including those by the nominee him or herself (nominees got three minutes total);
Voting for each delegate (and alternate) position;
A run-off of two or three candidates, depending on the proportion of the original candidates receiving a threshold of votes;
Start over for the next position.

Because there were between 5-9 candidates running for each position, the process took a while.

It was an interesting process, but it’s unclear exactly how meaningful it was. Each delegate elected to attend the national convention would have to pledge to vote for the candidate according to the state’s primary’s result. In the end Montgomery County Delegate Ann Kate fulfilled the position for first delegate, which was bound to vote for Cruz.

Steve Toth of Montgomery County fulfilled the second delegate position, which also was bound to vote for Cruz. Finally Ann Mazone of Grimes County fulfilled the third delegate position, which was bound to vote for Donald Trump in the national convention.

This last one was a special victory for our county’s Cynthia Prehoda, who had nominated her.

CD_Caucus_Prehoda_Speaking_Web — Walker County Delegate, Cynthia Prehoda, Nominates Ann Mazone

Even though this process seemed lengthy to some…

CD_Caucus_Kaitlyn_Karla_2_Web — Kaitlyn and Karla

it was full of energized nominees that proved to be great entertainment to the public. Some delegates were so passionate that they fought back tears while giving there speeches and others were persistent and ran for all three positions in hopes of getting elected to one–all of this interspersed with lottery drawings for speaking order…

…and dashes to the podium to get voting ballots for each position…

By about noon, we decided we better get a group photo, while there was still a group left to photograph!

Walker_County_Delegation_1 — Megan Chapa Photographs the Walker County Delegation

After a busy morning of delegate voting, we decided that it was time to indulge in a satisfying lunch break. Thus, Megan Chapa, Kaitlyn Tyra, Kay Deahl, and I (Brian Aldaco) went down to Cafe Herrera. The Mexican cuisine style restaurant is conveniently situated a street across the convention center. This allotted the sufficient time for the eager delegates to return in time for the remainder of the convention’s general session.

Upon entering through the rustic Spanish-style doorway of the restaurant, the savory aroma of the sizzling beef pleasantly overtook our senses. This was a proper indicator that we had chosen the right lunching venue. With our menu items ordered we distracted our appetite with the classic Mexican chips accompanied by a spicy green salsa and an even hotter red salsa. The wait for our piece d’resistance was minimal, however, thanks to the quick cooking skills of the chef (surely he must have known of Ted Cruz’s imminent arrival). With our Enchiladas Verdes, Enchiladas Rojas, and tacos al pastor served, we continued to enjoy the entertaining anecdotes of Mrs. Deahl. Sharing her history of Republican participation and college experiences made us consider our privilege to attend the State Convention with greater appreciation. After our plates were cleared we rushed across the road, entered through the convention doors, and climbed up the stairs. We were ready to continue fulfilling the duties of a State Convention delegate.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz was the speaker at the last main session. He won the Texas Republican Primary for the presidential candidacy so all the delegates were really excited to hear Senator Cruz speak! All the seats had “thank you, Ted” signs so that the delegates were able to show their appreciation for all of his efforts during his campaign race.

His wife, Heidi Cruz, introduced him on stage. She gave us insight of their campaign tour and expressed how good it felt to be back home in Texas! All were happy that the two and their two children, Catherine and Caroline, sacrificed so much to represent Republicans all across the United States.

Senator Cruz’s speech was very positive. He reaffirmed the beliefs that he will fight for in the Senate and how his unsuccessful presidential campaign will not hinder any future efforts during his office term. Although he did not endorse any candidate during his speech, he left many of us more hopeful about the future of our party and our nation.

The excitement of hearing Senator Cruz speak gave many delegates energy as we prepared for the rest of the fourth and final general session.

The Honorable Attorney General Ken Paxton–who, incidentally, is facing criminal charges as for Securities Fraud–gave remarks following Senator Cruz’s speech. He discussed his successes as Attorney General and some of the current issues Texas is facing. His speech informed delegates about his opinions on current events and how he plans to handle these situations. The Honorable Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller (also under investigation) and the Honorable Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton also spoke to delegates. Thanking the delegates for their continued support, their speeches were generally positive about the future of the Republican Party and the State of Texas.

Andy Ngyuen, President of Texas Asian Republican Assembly provided his perspective on being a Republican. His life story as a refugee escaping Vietnam for a better life in America helped exemplify the pursuit of the American Dream, one of freedom and liberty. Ngyuen believes that by upholding these principles, the party would become the moral example of the nation.

The final speaker was Senator Jeff Sessions, who served as a kind-of surrogate for Donald Trump. Sessions, who represents Alabama, has endorsed Trump, and is stumping for him on the trail.

Once the guest speakers were finished presenting, it was time to call the final General Session to order. Our main point of business was to elect a National Committeeman and Committeewoman. After hearing the candidates speak, each Congressional District voted by paper ballot to determine which nominee would be elected. Each Congressional District then reported the numbers to the Convention Secretary during a roll call. Voting by paper ballots was a tedious process, yet it provided more accuracy than a voice vote would have. For Committeeman, Robin Armstrong was reelected. For Committeewoman, Toni Ann Dashiell was also reelected in a surprisingly close election. Although the delegation cast only two votes, it took about an hour and a half to complete! Fortunately, electing the at-large delegates and alternate delegates to the National Convention were easier because they were submitted by a committee and we could approve them as a slate and by voice vote.

After we approved the two lists of delegates to attend the National Convention on Texas’ behalf, the Convention was adjourned. It was an accomplished feeling to know we completed our first State Convention as delegates!

The process was exciting, entertaining, and rewarding. We learned about Parliamentary Procedure, current events, and helped participate in an important democratic process. It was tempting to bask in the glow of the final exit from the convention…

…but we chose instead to think of how lucky we were to be in Walker County, where voters nominated students to attend the State Convention.

Our initial foray into this type of politics could only have been made more rewarding by the presence of Linda McKenzie and Terry Stivers, both of whom had much to do with our attendance at the convention.

Thanks to all the members of the Republican Party who helped make this possible, and we look forward to participating further in the years to come!

Convention Politics: Day 2 in the Big D

It was our second day at the convention and, as we would learn, things would unfold a bit differently than the day before. There was more entertainment, but more actual work, too, and that led to some discord in the party ranks–but, thankfully, not among the Walker County delegation, who remained pleasant even when disagreeing on policy issues.

For the first order of convention business, we gathered inside the Senatorial District 5 meeting room. Here, the delegates would vote on state party leaders: State Party Chairman, State Party Vice chairman, State Executive Chairman, and State Executive Chairwoman. After the delegate seating process was finished, with a delegate count of 248, it was then permissible to commence voting and declare nominees for the different positions.

Two nominations for state party chairman were made, one for Jared Woodfill and a competing one to keep Tom Mechler. After the ballots were distributed to each county chair and the delegates gave their vote, it was time for the Senatorial Caucus chairman to announce the winner of this caucus. The rules, however, are a bit more complicated. The vote isn’t to actually see who wins, but to see if candidates can achieve a minimum needed to be nominated from the floor of the convention. The minimum, as it turns out, is to achieve 20% of the overall delegate vote of all Senatorial Caucuses or to actually win three of the 31 caucuses.

As it turned out, Mechler won our caucus. In fact, as we would learn later in the day, he won almost all the caucuses and he would handily defeat Woodfill as Chair of the Republican Party of Texas.

Before we got to the floor, however, the delegates received a rewarding speech delivered by U.S. Senator John Cornyn. His delivery included his opinion on how the party is to keep strong in the upcoming years and received strong support from the crowd.

This powerful delivery was all the more special for we were able to briefly meet with the Senator, a meeting that we were grateful for.

Following our meeting with Senator Cornyn, nominations began for Vice Chair, a process that yielded Kathy Adams and Amy Clark. The delegates then voted 51 to 216 in favor of Clark. This, too, augured well for Clark who went on to win easily in the other Caucuses. Mike McCloskey won the nomination for District 5 Executive Chairman with a 216 majority vote and Nida Davidson won the nomination for District 5 Executive Chairwoman uncontested.

During the convention we came across the opportunity to become an Abbott University graduate. Names can be deceiving, however, for the program consisted of two 45 minute courses ( as opposed to the traditional 4 years). The classes offered in the program were structured to educate its attendants on how to utilize modern tools of communication and efficient organizational skills to run a successful campaign. Alex and Karla attended organization building session…

…and Kaitlyn, Brian and Megan attended the social media class.

While organization building was a class to help expand an organization and mobilize resources to maximize influence, social media would help us learn about amplifying messages and maximizing reach with conservatives on the most effective social networks.

One of my (Karla) favorite pieces of advice during the class was “ask and shut up”. It is similar to the salesman’s mantra of to stop speaking after the sale is made, but I never realized how much of a difference this can make. This is the best way to ask for a commitment from a volunteer, sponsor, or a voter. We also got plenty of advice for one-on-one meetings, including tips on how to make a personal connection during meetings. To achieve a personal level the first thing that is needed is to begin with our personal story, then the other person will most likely proceed to telling their story, in which case we can listen and better understand the person with whom we are communicating. After this, we can “ask the question and shut up” and hopefully get a commitment from them that will help us towards our goal to expand and mobilize resources.

Once we had all shared our different learning experiences over lunch, it was time for more action at the Third General Session. The Second General Session was postponed and combined with the third due to committee meetings running behind. However, the Third General Session was by far the most interesting session!

It began with business from the second session–approval of the committee updates. This included the Report of the Permanent Chair, Adoption of Agenda & Supplemental Rules, Report of the Permanent Organization Committee (on which Professor Yawn served), Report of the Permanent State Nominating Committee, and Presentation of Incoming State Republican Executive Committee Members. This portion of the meeting was quick and easy, although the Rules portion got a bit acrimonious.

Not, however, as acrimonious as the policy platform debates! Many Republicans were passionate about their principles and beliefs and they expressed that by debating for or against certain planks.

The planks varied from educational and judicial power to issues such as abortion. The most heated of the debates was on whether to secede from the US, an issue that is a trifle bizarre to us. The whole secession thing has pretty much been settled. But parties are made up of diverse elements, and the zealous of these elements tend to be the ones who go to convention. The entire discussion not only included debate, but the opportunity to amend each of the amendments–all 266.

It was a long process, however, the LEAP Ambassadors were grateful to have attended Parliamentary Procedures Process training and it was easy to differentiate those who attended and those who did not. Those who did not attend, in my opinion, prolonged the process because they had to verify the rules frequently and were “out of order” many times.

It was also beneficial to us because we followed the meeting fairly well and enjoyed ourselves.

We did not expect to see the heated debates in the session, but it was both interesting and entertaining. After much debate, there was a majority vote to end all debate (which many were ecstatic about; others were very unhappy about) on the entire platform, which then allowed us to participate in the first-ever use of Scantron voting for each plank in the platform.

Even though it took us a while to read through all 266 planks and vote, we felt pride in preforming our delegate duties.

I think the LEAP Ambassadors took a lot away from today. The session really showed the spectrum of issues and the varying level of support for both the sensible and strange policies that had been proposed.

Once we were all finished voting, we took a short drive from the convention center through downtown Dallas where Governor Abbott hosted his tailgate on a parking garage rooftop overlooking the city. Upon our arrival we were presented with our Abbott University Diplomas and directed upstairs. Blake Roach, (one of our favorite JF/LEAP Alums), who works as Governor Abbott’s advance man, welcomed us shortly after we arrived.

He explained his responsibilities as an Advance Man and his experience working with the Texas Legislature. Blake was nice enough to introduce us to Audrey Abbott, the First Daughter of Texas.

Audrey_Abbott_LEAP_Ambassadors — Karla, Megan, Audrey, Alex, Brian, and Kaitlyn

She is now a college sophomore, so we had many things in common. Well, other than the fact that her dad is the Governor of Texas, of course! She was personable and easy to talk to. She told us about what her experience as the first daughter of Texas has been like and let us know that Governor Abbott had actually filmed a campaign advertisement in the same parking garage two years ago during his campaign for Governor!

And after eating Texas BBQ for dinner…

we were welcomed by Governor Abbott himself!

On this one, though, Ryan Brim already had us beat, having met the Governor earlier in the day.

It was a great event and fun way to end an eventful day. Knowing we would be back early tomorrow morning, we hurried home to get some rest before our final day of the State Convention.

Legal Advice from the Top

For the 2nd time in a year, the LEAP Center Ambassadors met with–and gained valuable advice from–former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

It was also the 2nd time that LEAP Ambassador Austin Campbell had the honor of introducing Gonzales.

And there was a lot to cover in the introduction: Gonzales was the first Hispanic partner at Vinson and Elkins, one of the largest law firms in the US and the largest in Texas. He was then appointed by President Bush to the Texas Supreme Court. When Bush won the Presidency, he asked Gonzales to be White House counsel. When Bush was re-elected, Gonzales was appointed as US Attorney General.

But last week, he was an advisor to LEAP Ambassadors by morning and advisor to Dr. Heather Evans’ Political Science class by afternoon.

In both sessions, he opened with a video of his time in the White House. With soaring music, patriotic symbols of the US, and some of the premier leaders of the last 20 years, it was a stirring video. It was a fitting accompaniment for what General Gonzales called the “best place I’ve ever worked.”

In both meetings, he hit on interesting topics, particularly for those interested in POLS or pre-law:

Advising the President on Law: It’s not intimidating. The President took my advice on the legal aspects of matters. If a policy was illegal, it was the end of discussion. But if it was legal, the President typically relied on other advisors for the wisdom of such policies.
The Hours in the White House: You work 7am-8pm on weekdays, significant hours on Saturday, and you work many Sundays. You need an understanding spouse to work in the White House, and the pay isn’t great, but it’s an honor.

Ethnicity and Success: I think race has helped me at times and hurt me at times. Some people rooted against me to become the first minority partner in my law firm. But President Bush also explicitly said that my ethnicity was a factor in picking me for the Supreme Court of Texas. Texas has a significant Hispanic population, and he wanted that fact reflected on the Supreme Court.
Merrick Garland and a Senate Vote: Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland deserves a vote by the US Senate. A senator can vote for or against according to the dictates of his or her own conscience, but the nominee deserves a vote and the public deserves to know how each senator voted. (This point was particularly appropriate in Dr. Evans’ US Congress class, in which we were covering Legislative-Executive relations).
Working in the White House: It was “great.” I didn’t miss a day because of illness, because I wanted to be there and had much work to do. It was an honor every day to go into work.

Gonzales also provided career-specific advice. He encouraged us to open up as many doors as possible, noting that you never know when a person in a position of power might be paying attention to who is and who isn’t working hard and worthy of additional opportunities.

With these words of encouragement in mind, the LEAP Ambassadors headed off to their classes, to study, or to their LSAT Prep Courses, hoping for additional opportunities!

The LEAP Center would like to thank Colonel David Yebra for arranging these meetings!

Appeals on Wheels: 10th COA Rolls into SHSU

If it’s spring, it’s time for the 10th Court of Appeals to hear four cases at Sam Houston State University. This year’s cases proved remarkably diverse, and students received a live, up-close education on the application of the law.

The 10th Court of Appeals first came to SHSU six years ago, in 2011. It was the brain-child of Chief Justice Tom Gray, and his colleagues Justice Al Scoggins and Justice Rex Davis enthusiastically agreed to come to Sam Houston. Professor Mike Yawn and the group “formerly known as the Junior Fellows” soon got into the act, and there has been much legal fun since then.

The education isn’t only watching the cases in action; it’s also seeing the courtroom procedure unfold. From the “All Rise, Oyez, Oyez, Oyez”

…to Justice Gray’s explanations of courtroom decorum…

…to the attorneys, who are able (only in this setting) to explain the facts of the case to us…

…to watching the attorneys’ behavior outside the courtroom…

..the education is unique–and that’s before we even talk about the cases!

Speaking of which, this year’s cases ran the legal gamut. The 10am session (Capstone v. IES Contracting) actually involved SHSU, with the University believing that construction of Sam Houston Village was faulty. This was a complex case, one involving multiple subcontractors, mergers, and much elapsed time.

The 11am session (Annette Knopf and Stanley Gray v. William and Karen Gray) involved a disputed will, which had been written by Ms. Vada Allen. She left property to her son, but confusion resulted from her will. In particular, there was a question as to whether some of the property was a life estate–that is, given to her son for his lifetime–or whether he had outright ownership. This was not only an interesting legal situation, but also a good life lesson about the difficulty of writing your own will. (Interestingly, this case involved the legal firm for which Kaitlyn Tyra works as a courier.)

As has become our custom, the Justices broke for lunch, and we were able to join them, along with other legal professionals in the community. Just before we ate, Justice Tom Gray presented Professor Yawn with a signed copy of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s autobiography, a nice touch to a nice day.

Also nice was the lunch conversation…

…which touched on school issues, our hopefulness about our legal careers, and the cases of the day.

Following lunch, we again worked the doors for the two most interesting cases. The 1pm (in re Troy Paul) session involved Troy Paul and Destiny Spillers, who may or may not have been informally married. They weren’t formally married, but Destiny argued that their relationship constituted a “common-law” marriage, which entitled her to spousal support–support, that is, beyond the $250,000 Mercedez that she was bought by Mr. Paul. The case involves not only the question of support, but also of legal fees to the tune of $425,000.

The final case of the day (Noe Cosino v. The State of TX) involved the cutting-edge issue of a blood draw in the absence of a warrant. The courts have previously held that such draws could be made in “exigent circumstance,” but more recent decisions have blurred the lines.

Following the cases, we spent a little more time with the Justices, taking photos and asking them to sign the case descriptions.

It was a fun morning and afternoon, a wonderful in-depth education for the LEAP Ambassadors, and for more than 200 SHSU students, a nice exposure to our legal system.

The CIA and FBI come to SHSU: Philip Mudd

After an exciting evening at Let’s Talk, the LEAP Center’s guest speakers and students began what would prove to be another eventful day filled with learning. Philip Mudd, former deputy director of the CIA Counterterrorist Center and FBI National Security Branch, spoke to students Friday morning on: how to catch terrorists, current events in the world of terror, and advice on how to prepare for a successful career.

Additionally Mr. Mudd briefly discussed his book, The Head Game: High Efficiency Analytic Decision-Making and the Art of Solving Complex Problems Quickly, which teaches readers how to effectively sort and analyze the mass amount of information thrown at us by society.

Mr. Mudd started working for the CIA in 1985, and he continued in government service through 2010. He worked for both the CIA and FBI, and his specialties were Asia and the Middle East. His work there brought him expertise not only in these regions and in intelligence gathering but also in decision-making processes.

Although his lecture was brief, Mr. Mudd packed in quality advice and insight to his career. Mr. Mudd spoke about strategies on how to catch terrorists and answered questions about current events relating to terrorism. The best take-away for students, though, were his life tips for success.

Although he offered numerous, the top three were to 1. read every day (and all the time!), 2. write every day, and 3. speak in front of audiences. As an honorable mention, he also emphasized the importance of working with people you don’t like.

Doing each will help students enhance their communication skills, which is a large part of many careers. Mr. Mudd also stressed finding a passion to do something you love. If you love what you are doing, you can enjoy your job.

Mr. Mudd actively engaged his audience throughout the entire lecture and students listened intently to his advice.

Once Mr. Mudd finished speaking, students also had the opportunity to ask questions and to get their books signed. We are thankful for the opportunities to learn from top leaders in the country! Thank you to Mr. Mudd for speaking to SHSU students!

LULAC and LEAP

Although it was the first day of Spring Break, LEAP ambassadors were happy to attend 2016 League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Community Amigo Award Scholarship Banquet. Upon arrival, Brian and I were welcomed by John Escobedo, the President of Huntsville LULAC Council.

As we proceeded to take our seats, we found Former Mayor Mac Woodward, Mrs. Woodward, County Judge Pierce, and his wife Mrs. Pierce, and we were invited to join their table.

The program began with the performance of ballet folklorico, the local dance group directed by Anita Escobedo.

While we enjoyed dinner, Mr. Escobedo introduced the special guests of the night. Among those guests were Mayor Brauninger, Former Mayor Woodward, Council member Montgomery, County Judge Pierce, and Attorney Robert Cates, who was also the keynote speaker for the night.

Mr. Cates is an immigration attorney in Conroe who recently graduated from Baylor Law School. During his presentation he focused on educating the audience in the recent immigration reform by President Obama.

The presentation was followed by the awards presentation. We were excited to accept the Educator of the Year Award, which was given to the LEAP Center, largely for its annual “Citizenship Preparatory Course”–which, incidentally, begins tonight!

We were also happy to hear that Former Mayor Woodward received the Citizen of the Year Award(his second this year!)…

…and The Walker County Federal Credit Union received Business of the Year Award. In all it was a great event that allowed us to participate with another great organization!

On the Road to Success: LEAP Offers Mock LSAT

As it does every semester, the LEAP Center again collaborated with Kaplan testing to offer a free Mock LSAT, an opportunity for students to assess their performance on one of the keys to being admitted to law school.

The LSAT is a different test than the SAT or ACT because it tests different skills than what students were exposed to in high school and, to some extent, college. It takes intelligence, grit, and a lot of practice for students to do sufficiently well to get into the school of their choice.

The LEAP Mock LSAT is traditionally offered from 9:30-2:00pm on a Saturday and this semester was no exception. A bit before 9:30am, students began filing into the classroom, and we listened to Randy, our prep course instructor. He was enthusiastic and charismatic, and he captured our attention as we learned how the Mock LSAT is structured. The sections include: Logical Reasoning (2 such sections), Analytical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension. The actual LSAT also has a writing section and an experimental section. Each section allows 35 minutes for completion. And with that intro, we began.

If anyone were to look into that room at that moment, they would have seen 20+ students with their heads bent down, faces scrunched in extreme concentration. As it turns out, Professor Yawn did exactly that…

Some were scribbling furiously, while others were staring intently at their paper. All of us were intensely focused, ready to take charge of this challenge. At the second to last section, we were able to take a 15 minute break, where we were provided chocolate chip cookies to give us some much needed energy. Once the 15 minutes were up, we were all energized and I was ready to start the exam again to finish the last section.

Finally, at around 2 p.m. we finished the last section. Randy then started to explain how to complete various questions from some of the toughest sections. He explained it in such a way that I could not believe I did not understand it the first time around.

It was time for the results. We all walked to the computer lab where we were able to receive the scores we got. Emotions varied with each score but everyone was happy that they had taken this test as it had bee worth it. Overall, I enjoyed the experience. Even though it was my second time taking it, the Mock LSAT still makes me nervous but by having the opportunity to take it before the real deal helps me feel more prepared. This experience has boosted my self-confidence and helped me make new goals for myself.

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