Class Notes

The Honorable Wallace B. Jefferson has been elected as the next president of the American Law Institute, effective at the conclusion of the Institute’s 2026 Annual Meeting in May. Jefferson served on the Supreme Court of Texas from 2001 to 2013, including as Chief Justice from 2004 through the end of his tenure. He also previously served as president of the Conference of Chief Justices, representing chief justices from all 50 states and U.S. territories.

Erleigh Wiley has been reappointed by Governor Abbott to the Crime Victims’ Institute Advisory Council. She serves as the criminal district attorney of Kaufman County, an executive board member of the Texas District & County Attorneys Association, and a member of the Kaufman County Juvenile Board.

Erleigh Wiley has been honored with the “Living Legend Award” for legal excellence by the Dallas Bar Association. Wiley serves as the Kaufman County district attorney and is the current chairman of the Texas District & County Attorney’s executive board.

The Honorable Wallace B. Jefferson, former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, is being honored for his legacy as the state’s first African American justice and chief justice.  An official portrait of Jefferson will be unveiled in the Supreme Court courtroom, celebrating his achievements and commitment to the principles of fairness and equality.

Pete Olson has been named chairman of the Board of the Lone Star Flight Museum. A former U.S. Navy pilot, Olson served as the U.S. representative for Texas’s 22nd congressional district from 2009 to 2021.

Samuel E. Bassett has been named one of the Best Criminal Defense Attorneys in Austin by Forbes Advisor. Bassett is a trial lawyer at Minton Bassett Flores & Carsey and has been a Texas Super Lawyer for more than 17 years.

Darcell Walker has co-developed a new app to help inventors, artists, businesses, and others identify the appropriate protection for their ideas. Walker has nearly 30 years of experience in intellectual property law and has authored two books.

Jay M. Wallace has been included in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers in America for his work in Labor and Employment Litigation. Wallace is a partner at Bell Nunnally and is board certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Solace Southwick has joined Hogan Thompson Schuelke LLP as of counsel. Southwick has practiced trial law for more than 30 years and specializes in handling complex civil litigation in Texas and federal courts of appeals.

Darcell Walker has published an eBook titled “Divine Directions for Deliverance from Debt.” Walker has more than 30 years of experience in intellectual property law and worked as an in-house patent attorney for two Fortune 500 companies prior to starting his own law practice.

Erleigh Norville Wiley has been appointed to the Texas Crime Victims’ Institute Advisory Council. Wiley is the Criminal District Attorney for Kaufman County and is an executive board member of the Texas District & County Attorneys Association.

Bradley Cole has been added as a partner to Thompson Coe’s Insurance Coverage section. Cole has more than 30 years of experience assisting clients in a wide range of disputes.

Marty Green has been appointed to the Finance Commission of Texas by Governor Abbott. Green has served as principal and attorney in charge for Polunsky Beitel Green, LLP, since 2011, specializing in financial services and consumer credit arenas.

Scott Clark has joined Houston-based global intellectual property and commercial litigation firm Alavi Anaipakos as a partner. He represents clients in high-stakes intellectual property cases and business disputes.

Kathryn Gurley has been appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott as Judge of the 287th Judicial District Court in Bailey and Parmer counties. Previously, she served as the Parmer County Attorney. Gurley is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Friona Chamber of Commerce. She is a former board member of the Friona Independent School District and former member of the Friona Public Library Endowment Committee.

Keith Fullenweider was elected as the next Chair at Vinson & Elkins LLP. He will work alongside three partners, which will constitute a new Executive Committee of the firm. Fullenweider started with Vinson & Elkins in 1988 and is currently the co-head of the Corporate department. Previously, he led the firm’s Private Equity and Mergers and Acquisitions practice from 2008 to 2016.

Ann Gill Howard was elected in November 2020 as Travis County Commissioner for Precinct Three. She is a Dean’s Distinguished Graduate from the College of Liberal Arts (BA, Sociology, 1985), a Texas Exes Life Member and a Friar, Dean’s Distinguished Graduate for Service from the Law School (JD, 1988), and a Barbara Jordan Fellow for the LBJ School (MPA, 1988).

The nationally prestigious legal guide Best Lawyers in America has recognized four attorneys from the Rogge Dunn Group in its 2021 edition, including attorney David Gross, JD ’88. Gross has earned honors for the first time this year, for his work in labor and employment litigation.

The San Antonio Bar Foundation (SABF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Daniel “Neel” M. Lane, Jr. to the SABF Fellows Program newly-elected 2020 class.

Jeffrey J. Zissa has joined the Dallas office of national law firm Polsinelli as a shareholder in its thriving Real Estate Finance practice. With a broad range of experience over almost three decades, Zissa has advised on all aspects of complex commercial real estate and mortgage transactions on a national scale, involving virtually every product line. He is board certified in Commercial Real Estate Law and Residential Real Estate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Karen Turner and Ashley McDowell join to form Turner McDowell, PLLC, in Dallas.

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton announced today that it has opened an office in Houston. With the firm successfully expanding into Dallas in 2015, Kilpatrick Townsend now has two offices in the Lone Star State. A team of 13 deep-rooted Texas attorneys – led by partners Patrick Gaas and Daniel Shank – bring well-recognized practices to Kilpatrick Townsend.

Edward Mark Barcus has been appointed as an Immigration Judge with the Executive Office of Immigration Review of the United States Department of Justice. Prior to his appointment by Attorney General Loretta Lynch in January of this year, Judge Barcus served as an trial judge for over 14 years in the Oklahoma state court system, including as a District Court Judge for Tulsa County. He will hear Immigration cases at the Imperial Immigration Court in Imperial, California.