Last April, Micah McGill ’28 was competing in the law school’s Hutcheson 1L Moot Court Competition and preparing for his first law school oral argument. He needed someone to help him solve a challenge “and think like a lawyer.” So, McGill reached out to his 1L mentor, Nathan Vassar ’11.
Vassar answered the call—even though he was on vacation.
For McGill, now a 2L, that moment reflected the steady, practical support Vassar provided throughout his 1L year, qualities he highlighted in Vassar’s winning nomination to be recognized as Texas Law’s Mentor of the Year.
“(He’s) gone above and beyond to help me adapt to law school and has always made himself available,” McGill wrote. “As a first-generation college graduate, I found that support from a mentor was essential, and he provided substantive guidance.”
Vassar is just as complimentary when it comes to discussing his mentee.
“Micah asks great questions, seeks out advice, and listens without bias—traits that will serve him well in his career,” Vassar says. “His eagerness and willingness to learn have already yielded results. Whether he practices in tax law or some other field, I’m confident he will be successful.”
Record of Success
Vassar has made a long commitment to Texas Law’s Mentoring Program, which launched in its current form in 2015. He has participated throughout its first decade, as the program has grown to more than 3,500 matches, connecting students with alumni who can offer guidance, perspective, and support beyond the classroom.
Vassar’s guidance extended beyond that moot court preparation. He offered practical advice before McGill began a 2026 summer associate position at Skadden’s Houston office and invited McGill to observe him present oral arguments before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, providing a valuable real-world learning opportunity.
McGill says, “For any law student, navigating the law school experience can be challenging, intimidating, and exhausting.” He adds that Vassar “made my first year more manageable, and he showed a clear commitment to guiding my development.”
Vassar says he mentors because he is grateful for the lawyers who guided him as a student, in the first years of practice, and still today, and he hopes to offer students the same kind of practical support he received.
That spirit of giving back to the institution that gave them so much is usually what drives alumni to throw themselves into the mentoring program with so much enthusiasm, notes the program’s director, Rémi Ratliff ’95.
“Nathan embodies the very best of our program, and his decade of dedicated service makes him incredibly deserving of the Mentor of the Year award,” says Ratliff. “His extraordinary commitment helps prepare the next generation of Texas Law talent, and we are very grateful for his impact.”
Vassar considers himself to be the grateful one. “All of us who serve as mentors are proud and fortunate to play a small role in the development of future Texas Law graduates,” he says.
All of us who serve as mentors are proud and fortunate to play a small role in the development of future Texas Law graduates.
Nathan Vassar ’11
What’s Next
McGill, who is preparing for a career in tax law, has been involved with the Chicano/Hispanic/Latino Law Students’ Association and, this year, will be an executive editor of the Texas Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy, as well as director of communications for the First Generation Law Students organization.
Vassar is a principal at Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend, P.C. in Austin, where his practice focuses on regulatory compliance, water resources development, and water quality matters. Before joining the firm, he practiced commercial litigation at a boutique Dallas firm and served as legislative director for a state senator. After 1L year, he interned during the summer for then-U.S. Circuit Judge Neil Gorsuch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
A committee of Texas Law faculty and staff reviews the Mentor of the Year nominations and recommends finalists before Dean Bobby Chesney and Ratliff make the final selection.
Vassar will be honored at the Texas Law Alumni Association’s Alumni Awards on Sept. 18, 2026, at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin.