Law is a family affair for Jeremy Heallen ‘03.Not only does he practice in a small firm specializing in family law, but his mother is a name partner and two brothers work in the office as a paralegal and receptionist.
Heallen came to the law through journalism. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from Sam Houston State University, he cut his teeth in broadcast news as the first intern from that school selected and sponsored by Dan Rather, a proud alum.
As an active member of the CBS national news desk, Heallen helped cover stories for the CBS Evening News and 48 Hours, including the JFK Jr. plane crash.
“As a vocation, journalism was my first love,” he says. “When I interned with CBS at age 22, I began to realize the complexity of a range of issues that affect society. I was searching for a way to further develop my understanding of these issues and to do something about them.
“Although journalism is not always a completely passive activity, I often felt the desire to do something more about the stories I was reporting. Law school seemed like the natural solution.
“The professors at the University of Houston Law Center helped me achieve my goals by forcing me to abandon undisciplined thinking and personal insecurity. Learning to ‘think like a lawyer’ is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I now have the tools to listen, learn and act.”
Heallen keeps his hands ink-stained in print journalism by serving as the faculty advisor to “The Summa,” the student newspaper at the University of St. Thomas, where he also teaches pre-law courses as an adjunct professor.
And, he carries the family law connection even further: He is married to an attorney.