The William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law is excited to welcome three new Public Interest Scholars to Texas Law’s Class of 2028: Heaven Baylor, Briana Gordley, and Valeria Arguelles. These students have already made meaningful contributions to their communities and now bring their passion for justice to the law school.
The scholars were selected through a competitive process, including interviews with a faculty selection committee. “We are thrilled to welcome Heaven, Briana, and Valeria to Texas Law,” said Nicole Simmons, director of the Justice Center. “Each of them brings a unique blend of lived and professional experience, and a powerful vision for justice.”
Meet the Class of 2028 Scholars
Heaven Baylor – Equal Justice Scholar
Heaven Baylor’s decision to pursue law was shaped by her experience living with and overcoming a congenital disability. She earned her BSW from Baylor University in 2023 and her MSW from the University of Houston in 2024. Prior to law school, she worked as a licensed medical social worker serving low-income and medically underserved populations, including individuals with HIV and survivors of intimate partner violence. At Texas Law, Baylor plans to build on her clinical and advocacy experience to advance disability rights through litigation and public policy. Her interests include special education advocacy, workplace discrimination, voting access, and the intersection of disability rights and the criminal legal system.
Briana Gordley – G. Rollie White Public Service Scholar
Briana Gordley brings a strong foundation in social work and policy advocacy to her legal studies. She earned her BA in Social Work from the University of Kentucky in 2019 and her MSSW from the University of Texas at Austin in 2021, with a concentration in policy and administration. Before law school, she served as a senior policy analyst at Texas Appleseed, leading efforts to protect low-income Texans from coerced debt and predatory financial practices. Gordley plans to use her legal education to continue advancing economic justice and consumer protection, working directly with survivors of abuse and low-income communities to challenge exploitative financial systems and expand access to legal remedies through legislative advocacy and reform.
Valeria Arguelles – G. Rollie White Public Service Scholar
Valeria Arguelles graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2022 with a degree in English and a minor in Philosophy of Law. Before law school, she worked as a housing paralegal with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and Building and Strengthening Tenant Action (BASTA), representing tenants in eviction hearings and leading community education efforts. Her work blended legal advocacy with grassroots organizing, a model she plans to continue post-law school as a movement lawyer. Arguelles envisions a career fueled by empathy and determination, litigating cases, educating communities about their rights, and mobilizing collective action for justice.
Supporting Public Service at Texas Law
The G. Rollie White Public Service Scholarships are made possible through the generous support of the G. Rollie White Trust, whose longstanding partnership with the Justice Center has helped launch the careers of many aspiring public interest lawyers. “We are grateful to the G. Rollie White Trust for its continued support of public service at Texas Law,” said Nicole Simmons, director of the Justice Center. “Their investment in our students ensures that passionate advocates like Heaven, Briana, and Valeria have the opportunity to pursue careers in the public interest and serve communities across Texas and beyond.”