Welcome to the University of Houston Law Center Alumni Association. Together UHLC alumni are more than 17,000 strong and are a proud, hard-working, diverse, and talented group of Law Center graduates. We are leaders, lawyers, judges, professors, politicians, executives, stay-at-home parents, young and young-at-heart, and of every background, race, color, national origin, ability, religion, and sex. What an incredible group to be part of! It is my humble honor as the President of the Alumni Association to welcome you to this exciting network, whether you’ve been engaged with the Law Center for years or are just recently finding your way here.
Our purpose is straightforward: as an alumni organization, we aim to support the Law Center and to serve you, the alumni. How do we do this? It’s all about connection.
Although the pandemic made connecting in-person more difficult, under Immediate Past-President Victor Wright’s leadership we enjoyed many opportunities to visit virtually with alumni from across the globe in ways that were difficult previously. We are looking forward this year to returning to more in-person gatherings (including the Annual Law Center Gala & Auction in April 2022) while also utilizing virtual platforms to reach more alumni. We are also working hard to bring our alumni together in other new and meaningful ways. We invite you to become involved with these recently established alumni association affinity groups to network, learn, and enjoy group events, all while supporting the school’s efforts to recruit minority students and to promote diversity within the Law Center: Women of the Law Alumnae, Black Law Alumni and Hispanic Law Alumni. Coming soon are the Asian Law Alumni & OUTLaw Alumni groups.
Mentorship is another important way to connect. Mentoring is quite simply a game changer for many young lawyers: those who get it flourish; those who don’t must learn from their mistakes without the steady guidance of a mentor. What’s more, the mentor also often richly benefits from the relationship too. The beauty of mentorship is that it just takes time, something each of us has an equal share of. The UHLC Professional Mentoring Program connects lawyers with law students (1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, and LL.M.s) to provide advice on various aspects of professional development. Also, be on the lookout for a new mentorship program coming this year focused on mentoring among alumni.
Mark your calendars for the Law Center’s 75th birthday in 2022, a year-long celebration that will include numerous gatherings throughout the year. A significant celebration during the birthday year will be the Grand Opening of the highly anticipated John M. O’Quinn Law Building, which will open its doors to the first students next August. The opening of the new $90 million building during the school’s diamond jubilee celebration will appropriately bridge the school’s past and future. Come check out the new spaces next year and celebrate the rich history of our school!
Finally, I believe that one of the most powerful ways to connect with each other is to listen. So let us know what you need and how we can support you. You can reach me by email lawalumni@uh.edu at any time. I look forward to connecting.
