Leaders. Veterans. Parents. Community volunteers. Entrepreneurs. Athletes. First-generation college students. The Class of 2029 arrives at Texas Law this week with a record-setting academic profile and a range of experiences that extend well beyond the classroom.
“We are deeply proud to have assembled one of the strongest and most accomplished entering classes in our law school’s history,” says Mathiew Le, the dean for Admissions and Financial Aid. “They represent the highest combined academic profile we have ever enrolled, and bring the intellectual curiosity, leadership, and commitment to service that define Texas Law.”
It was the most competitive admissions cycle in the school’s history, with the second-highest number ever of applicants combined with the lowest number of offers in recent memory.
Class of 2029 Stats
The incoming students hail from 34 states and the District of Columbia, and from four foreign countries. All told, they earned their undergraduate degrees from 135 universities, with 18% majoring in STEM disciplines and 7% holding graduate degrees, as well. Close to 7% are first-generation college students, while 77.5% are the first members of their families to attend law school.
The class is notable for more than academic excellence. They have served as student body and class presidents, led campus organizations, supported shelters and food pantries, tutored and mentored young people, fostered rescue animals, and participated in a wide range of public service work.
Their eclectic and fascinating work histories and lives outside the classroom include success as children’s authors, professional dancers, semipro racecar drivers, television news producers, mortuary stone engravers, forestry technicians, congressional staffers, museum tour guides, paralegals, diving coaches, business founders, aerial performers, and personal trainers. Several competed in college and club sports, including work as a golf pro, playing professional soccer in Italy, and completing portions of the Camino de Santiago.
“I am eager to see the many ways they will shape our community and the lasting contributions they will make throughout their time in Austin,” says Le.
I am eager to see the many ways they will shape our community and the lasting contributions they will make throughout their time in Austin.
Mathiew Le, the dean for Admissions and Financial Aid
Offering a closer look at the personality and ambition of the Class of 2029, six incoming students speak about the experiences that shaped them and what drew them to Texas Law: Kavya Balaji, Ben Dunbar, Andreana Faucette, Kyle Gotimer, Liam Herrera, and Emily Piter.
Kavya Balaji
Hometown: Rochester Hills, Michigan
Education: Bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in biomedical engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas
You were a patent examiner. What was that like?
As a patent examiner, your goal is to help ensure that inventors obtain the highest quality patent possible, examining the language of the claimed invention for compliance with patent regulations and searching existing patents and publications to determine novelty. As a biomedical engineering student, I had the opportunity to try to discern the workings of sensor devices based on their filed patent applications, and the intersection of technological and legal writing was fascinating to me. This led me to pursue a position as an examiner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Did that lead you to pursue law school?
My main goal is to provide clarity to inventors and attorneys alike in a rapidly changing field of innovation. The increased application of artificial intelligence in innovation has created interesting challenges in the legal framework applied to patents. Obtaining a legal education hopefully will allow me to better assist applicants in protecting their inventions through the law.
Why Texas Law?
Over the past few years, I have had ample opportunities to attend Texas Law events with my sister, Ananiya, who graduated from the school in May. Listening to presentations by faculty and guest speakers inspired me to learn more about the law. I also fell in love with Austin over the past few years, and I am excited to explore more of the city.
What are you most looking forward to over the next three years?
I am most looking forward to engaging with peers and mentors. After working remotely for the last two years, talking to new people face-to-face will be great!
Ben Dunbar
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science, Temple University; master’s degree in political science, Tulane University
How did your time in the Peace Corps in Ukraine impact you?
It taught me to trust my ability to figure things out. Showing up in a new place with a different language and culture, only to be thrown into the mix immediately, was baseline intimidating, and I really felt out of my depth when people started looking to me to take the lead on projects. After a brief period of panic, I realized that not knowing how to do something didn’t mean I couldn’t learn. So, I sat down and figured things out. How to manage a grant. How to buy railway tickets across the country for 150 12-year-olds. How not to get shut down by the local authorities. How to say, “I’m sorry my campers burned all your linens,” in Ukrainian. By the end of my service, I was fluent in two languages, had been tapped to lead the largest youth HIV response camp in the country, had worked with the head of the CDC in Ukraine, and had met with Ukrainian Ministers to discuss the country’s HIV epidemic. None of these were things I knew how to do when I arrived.
What made you decide to pursue law school?
Law school had always been a goal, but by the time I was 30, married, and raising two children, I thought my window of opportunity had closed. Then, the universe gave me a not-so-subtle nudge in the form of a layoff. So, I thought, “If not now, when?” I started studying, signed up for the next available LSAT, and took a job as a paralegal to prepare. Throughout this process, I was reminded why law had been so compelling to me in the first place: the opportunity to help others while tackling complex and intellectually challenging issues, the wide range of paths a legal career can take, and the central role law plays in shaping the foundations of our democracy and society.
Why did you select Texas Law?
Given that my wife and two children (Lela and sons Gabriel, 6, and Andre, 3) did not personally apply to law school but are nevertheless along for the ride, I wanted to make sure that I picked a law school that would be right for all of us. The admissions team kindly connected me with several current Texas Law students with children. Between speaking with other parents and doing my own research, I found Texas Law to be head and shoulders above every other school I was considering in its support for parents. The support that the school provides for families, paired with the world-class faculty, academics, and career outcomes, made my choice a no-brainer.
What are you most looking forward to?
Football season, law clinics, getting outside with my family and exploring Texas, making friends with all the interesting and inspiring people at Texas Law!
Andreana Faucette
Hometown: Sugar Land, Texas
Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish, The University of Texas at Austin
How did your role as president of a student organization (Black Honors Student Association) at UT help you develop as a leader?
As an undergraduate, I sought leadership positions either because they supported communities I cared about or gave me an opportunity to do more for people who shared my interests. I found that one of the most rewarding parts of doing so was mentoring my peers as we grew alongside each other. Since then, I’ve grown in my appreciation for the collaborative approach to leadership that has allowed me to be not only a strong leader, but also a mentor to my peers.
Why did you select Texas Law?
Texas Law became my dream school after my first campus visit as an undergraduate. Austin’s walkable neighborhoods and natural beauty immediately drew me to the campus. As I began applying to law school, Texas Law stood out to me because it offered a wide variety of clinics and extracurricular activities designed to develop more well-rounded attorneys. Because I’m interested in international law, it was also important to me to attend a law school with faculty and a curriculum that support those interests. Texas Law was a unique option for me in that it offers the J.D./Licenciado en Derecho Degree Program, which positions graduates to be eligible to practice law in both the U.S. and Mexico.
What else excites you for the next three years?
Barrister’s Ball (the good), learning how to outline (the bad), and taking my first final (the ugly). I’m most looking forward to getting to know my peers better through the Society Program.
And your long-term professional goal?
I’m interested in pursuing a federal clerkship and gaining hands-on experience working with a judge before beginning my legal career. In the long term, I hope to practice civil litigation both domestically and abroad.
Kyle Gotimer
Hometown: Leesburg, Virginia
Education: Bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs, University of Virginia
How did your experience in the Army shape you as a person and help you develop life skills?
Situations you encounter in the Army test your character and resilience. Through many failures, I’ve learned that taking complete ownership of your preparation is critical to achieving success. This mindset unlocked an entirely new understanding of relentlessness, enabling me to pursue excellence to another level.
What made you decide to pursue law school?
On many occasions, I found myself confronting leadership challenges I wasn’t ready to tackle. Reflecting on those moments and recognizing how influential my actions were to those around me, I decided to pursue an education that would better prepare and launch me into a career where I could positively influence others.
Why did you select Texas Law?
Beyond the national reputation, extensive alumni network, and esteemed faculty, my wife and I have lived north of Austin for the last four years. We absolutely love all Austin has to offer: the food, live music, and active lifestyle.
What are you most looking forward to over the next three years?
Challenging myself academically and socially. Returning to academia is exciting because your focus is self-improvement, while you find yourself surrounded by others experiencing the same challenges and enduring the same rigorous workload as you.
Liam Herrera
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Education: Bachelor’s degree in American studies, University of California, Davis
Your hobbies are quite varied, including playing the viola and boxing!
I’ve always been involved in music and athletics, from playing in orchestras to recording rap and music videos with friends. Now, I am developing an interest in entertainment law. As an exchange student in China, I helped produce a music video for an underground Chinese artist. From that experience, I saw how I could use an education in law to support emerging artists. I also believe that the physical rigor and discipline I learned preparing for amateur boxing fights will positively impact my professional pursuits.
Also, language is one of my strongest skills, but my greatest challenge as an undergraduate was learning Mandarin. I trained myself to derive meaning from brand-new vowels and changing pitches, while memorizing the meanings and phonetics of pictographs without the help of an alphabet. I consolidated this new information to make room for authentic communication and understanding. Learning Mandarin gave me a taste for and confidence in my ability to learn the challenging language of the law.
How did you choose Texas Law?
Texas Law is part of a large flagship university and is known for its unparalleled school spirit and big-time athletic events. In addition, my interest in music is fed by Austin, a city known for its music scene. These factors, along with the extraordinarily welcoming nature of Texas Law’s faculty, staff, and students, made UT an easy choice over other options.
What are you most looking forward to over the next three years?
Civil discourse and respectful debate are pillars of my family’s culture and I love learning through stress-testing my ideas against contrasting ones. Standing on principle takes courage and sensitivity. Staying genuine while finding common ground with people who think differently is a challenge I also enjoy. I look forward to law school as a place where I can find others who share my passion for the art of respectful debate.
Emily Piter
Hometown: Denton, Texas, and Colorado Springs, Colorado
Education: Bachelor’s degree in government and philosophy, Cornell University
You were involved in college moot court—pretty good preparation for law school.
As a member of Cornell’s moot court team, I developed skills in case briefing, legal writing, and argument preparation. Because of that, I’m comfortable developing and presenting arguments in a courtroom setting, while facing opposing arguments and judicial scrutiny. Most significantly, my experience provided me with confidence in my ability to learn and discuss difficult concepts, a skill that will inevitably prove useful in law school.
What made you decide to pursue law school?
My interest in law began at a young age, inspired by characters like Atticus Finch and Elle Woods. I dreamed of leading a life of advocacy to help others navigate a complicated legal system. As I grew older, I gained real-life context through news stories, U.S. Supreme Court rulings, coursework regarding the legal system, and work experience at a full-service law firm. Through continued experience and exposure, I learned more about the breadth of the legal field’s impact, making the choice to pursue law school an easy one.
Was Texas Law an easy choice, too?
As the law school admissions season drew to a close, I thought the selection of a law school would be a difficult choice. However, once Texas Law entered the pool of options, it immediately stood out. Texas Law’s exceptional clinical program, experiential learning opportunities, and faculty were particularly impressive. I was also excited about the possibility of living and learning in Austin’s vibrant atmosphere and returning to my home state after 10 years!
What do these three years hold for you?
I am really looking forward to gaining hands-on experience through the clinics at Texas Law, as well as finding some more amazing Tex-Mex and barbecue spots between my studies!