To commemorate their respective 20th and 15th anniversaries, the William Wayne Justice Center and the Richard and Ginni Mithoff Pro Bono Program held a celebration at Texas Law from April 10 to 11, 2025. The event brought together students, faculty, staff, and alumni to honor these major milestones in advancing public interest and service.
The center, named for the Honorable William Wayne Justice, has supported students interested in pursuing a career in public service law with lectures, scholarships, networking, and opportunities through its pro bono program, one of the largest in the country, which is open to all Texas Law students who want to strengthen their skills and serve others.
Get an in-depth look at the center in our story, “Justice Center: 20 Years of Impact.”
The festivities began the evening of April 10 with a cocktail reception and keynote dinner featuring speakers who reflected on two decades of commitment to public interest law and the legacy of Justice. Dean Bobby Chesney and Nicole Simmons ’07, director of the Justice Center, delivered welcoming remarks, followed by Andrea Marsh, director of the Pro Bono Program.
Helen Gaebler, senior research attorney for the Justice Center, introduced five Texas Law students and alumni who reflected on their program experiences: Alice Min ’25 and Ian Miller ’25, recent Texas Law graduates; Olivia Horton ’23, associate at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in Washington, D.C.; Cassie Geiken ’22, parole attorney at the Texas Defender Service in Austin; and Paige Duggins-Clay ’17, chief legal analyst at the Intercultural Development Research Association in San Antonio.
After dinner, Nelson Mock, former law clerk to Justice, paid tribute to the judge. This led into the keynote address delivered by renowned civil rights litigator Nina Perales, vice president of litigation for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund in San Antonio. Simmons concluded the evening with her remarks.
Simmons, Marsh, and Rhiannon Hamam, supervising attorney of the Pro Bono Program, welcomed attendees back to Texas Law on the morning of April 11. Ana Vidina Hernandez, owner of Vidina Visions Consulting in Austin, led community-building and formation workshops before a lunch break as Professor Samuel Bagenstos of the University of Michigan Law School delivered remarks in the atrium.
An alumni panel featured Brett Kaufman ’09, senior staff attorney at the ACLU Center for Democracy in Los Angeles; Stephanie Trinh ’14, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Greg Casar in Austin; Andrea Meza ’15, director of advocacy campaigns for the Government Accountability Project in San Antonio; and Hamam ’17, who offered comments and answered questions. Near the end of the afternoon, Elizabeth Keeney, psychotherapist and organizational wellness consultant, led a workshop. Simmons, Marsh, Hamam, and Gaebler offered comments for the closing session.
The two-day celebration wrapped up with a festive offsite happy hour, where guests gathered to reconnect and celebrate the impact and future of the Justice Center and Mithoff Program.
Read more about 20 years of the Justice Center.
View Photos from the Celebration on Flickr
