Seven outstanding Texas Law alumni were recognized at a gala ceremony on Nov. 8, with 200 guests gathered in a full ballroom at the Thompson hotel in downtown Austin.
This year’s edition of the annual celebration, presented by the Texas Law Alumni Association, served as the centerpiece of a weekend packed with alumni activities, which included the Alumni Tailgate Extravaganza on Saturday morning at the law school ahead of The University of Texas at Austin football game against the University of Florida.
Blair Richardson Locke ’06, president of the Alumni Association, started the festivities with a warm welcome for all those gathered for the celebration. “These (honorees) come from wildly different parts of private practice, public law, the judiciary and non-legal careers, but they all have something essential in common—they have done the things that people say can’t be done, and made the world a better place for it,” Locke said.
Those warm remarks were followed by a welcome from Dean Bobby Chesney. “This is my favorite night on the calendar. It’s right up there with the Sunflower Ceremony,” Chesney said. “As far as I’m concerned, this is the Emmys, the Grammys, the Tonys, the Oscars all rolled into one. And of course, you know what that makes you people. You’re the celebrities!”
Those celebrities—the 2024 Alumni Award winners—are Lifetime Achievement Awardee the Honorable Royal Furgeson ’67, Outstanding Alumna Arleas Upton Kea ’82, Distinguished Alumnus for Community Service David Hall ’69, and Outstanding Young Alumna Brittany Perkins Castillo ’13.
In addition, Chesney bestowed a Dean’s Honor on law partners Kurt Arnold ’02 and Jason Itkin ’01, while the school’s mentoring program recognized Mentor of the Year Kassandra Gonzalez ’19.
Furgeson is a retired judge for the Western District of Texas. After leaving the bench, he became the founding dean of University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law in June 2013, where he served for five years. He retired in June 2018 as dean emeritus and now practices with the law firm of Furgeson Malouf Law PLLC. “Furgeson is not just known for his kindness, his mentorship, and his devotion to justice, but his efforts to instill those values in others, including his clerks, his students and all with whom he comes in contact, such that in more than 50 years of service, I know of no one who has done more to highlight the importance of civility, kindness, and mutual respect in our profession,” said Judge Robert Pittman ’88. “I personally claim him as a mentor and role model.”
Upton Kea held numerous leadership positions at with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., including chief operating officer. She continues her commitment to service, including as a board member of the Thrivent Funds and a trustee for the University of Texas Law School Foundation. A former president of the Texas Law Alumni Association, she is president-elect of the Texas Exes and, for the Fall 2024 semester, served as a Texas Law instructor, teaching a course on banking regulation. “Arleas has been a trailblazer, an extraordinary mentor, and one of the best ambassadors that UT has ever had, all while maintaining an understated demeanor that belies her power and accomplishments,” said Scott Atlas ’75, who preceded Upton Kea as Alumni Association president.
Hall, who passed away in 2023, dedicated his career to social justice, most notably as the longtime director of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. His tireless work provided legal services to the underprivileged, championing causes from grand jury discrimination to infrastructure improvements in border communities. “He truly knew how to fight the good fight and live a good life while doing it,” said Texas Law’s Chief of Staff Eden Harrington. “Losing David last year leaves a huge hole, but his legacy lives on in so many ways, including through all of the students, staff members, and lawyers who worked with him and were shaped by that experience, and I’m proud to be one of them.”
Perkins Castillo is the CEO of AshBritt, a leading disaster response and emergency management contractor. Her leadership and advocacy for women in business have garnered national attention. She is also dedicated to educating children about disaster preparedness through initiatives like WTFem—which works to “connect and support women in and seeking to enter the emergency management and disaster response industries”—and her books on disaster resilience. “Brittany inspires me, and she inspires so many others to always work hard, even when it’s really, really tough; to be the best versions of ourselves; and to be committed to our own excellence, even when sometimes it feels impossible and sometimes very heavy,” said Megan Sheffield ’13. “And she encourages and inspires all of us to have the best impact we can on those around us, our communities, and the world.”
Arnold and Itkin of the Houston-based firm Arnold & Itkin LLP have made significant contributions to the legal community through their exceptional legal practice and service to professional organizations, including their foundational role in the new Texas Law student organization the Plaintiffs’ Advocacy & Litigation Society. “They (have) a stunning degree of achievement,” said Mikal Watts ’89, who has known the duo from early in their careers through to their present-day success. “It happened so fast I have to ask the question: Have I known you for 20 seconds or 20 years?”
Gonzalez is a staff attorney on the Beyond Borders team at the Texas Civil Rights Project in Austin, working on impact litigation and broader advocacy to protect the rights of immigrants. Prior to joining the Civil Rights Project, she was an Equal Justice Works fellow, and now makes an impact as part of the school’s Mentoring Program. “Never would I have imagined that this program could connect me to so many people, take me to so many places, and especially bring me closer to the dreams of serving my community,” Gonzalez’s 2L mentee Angelina Ramirez said. “And of course, none of this would have been possible without the wonderful Kassandra Gonzalez.”
Furgeson, in comments upon receiving his award, shared a sentiment felt by many honorees and attendees. “I consider myself the luckiest of people to have attended our law school,” he said.
“This great law school and its great faculty, with its wonderful students, have made sure that we always remember our first duty to create a fair society,” Furgeson added. “May it forever so be.”
Nominations for the 2025 Alumni Awards will open on Nov. 17.
Alumni Awards Videos
Watch all five videos on YouTube.
Event Photos on Flickr
