For the third edition of Texas Law’s 2026-27 Student Spotlight series, meet 3L Demi Pappas!
Hometowns: Bellaire, Texas
Degree: Bachelor of Science in business administration from Georgetown University
As a Brumley Fellow with the Strauss Center, you’re researching national security and AI. How did you get interested in that field, and what has your work focused on?
Last fall, I took Professor Adam Klein’s Surveillance, Liberty, and Privacy seminar, a class which is cross-listed with the LBJ School. I’ve been interested in national security since being an undergrad in D.C., and this class reinvigorated that interest. At the Strauss Center, I am currently researching how U.S. export controls interact with AI foundation models. The legal framework for applying export controls to AI models remains doctrinally undeveloped, raising questions about whether existing rules are adequate or whether new controls are needed
What other activities and organizations have you been involved with at Texas Law?
I am a Pro Bono Scholar for the Title IX Program, a teaching quizmaster for Professor Nicole Córdoba, and an advanced student in the Children’s Rights Clinic. My work as a scholar is a mix of administrative work and case management. I have represented clients in Title IX adjudication hearings, and now I help manage the larger Title IX caseload. My pro bono work has shown me that empathetic lawyering and professional boundaries are not at odds, but rather go hand in hand. I have a tendency to get very worked up about some of my cases. Both my Title IX work and the clinic have taught me that there is a balance to be struck between being empathetic and staying grounded enough to provide good counsel.  
What is a misconception you had about law school? 
Since we all graduate with the same initials, J.D., I subconsciously expected law school to be a bit more homogeneous. In reality, it is anything but. I have loved seeing all the varied extracurriculars my 1L Section 4 classmates have pursued here and all the adventures they have taken us on. 
What has been the biggest surprise about living in Austin?
I really love the pace of Austin. It’s a place for chillers, and I really need that chill when I’m stewing over a pro bono case or annoyed with myself because I’m behind on readings. When I’m stressed, I know that I can go walk around Lady Bird Lake, play some soccer, or spend an evening at First Light Books to reset my nervous system. 
Who inspires you?
My parents. They are both attorneys who have accomplished amazing things during their careers. My dad has his own law firm in Houston, and his fierce advocacy has inspired me to become a litigator myself. My mom worked in Big Law for more than 30 years while raising three girls and was one of the first at her firm to negotiate a flexible working arrangement, something that was not at all common in the ’90s and early 2000s. She coached my youth soccer teams, took me for fro-yo after school, and somehow still met all of her billing requirements. 
How do you envision your life after Texas Law?
After taking the bar, I will be working in Vinson & Elkins’ Houston office in its litigation group. I was a summer associate there for the past two summers. The work I have been exposed to there was amazing and thought-provoking, but what I’ve loved most about the office is the people. V&E attorneys have really taken the time to mentor me and invest in my personal development as an attorney.