University of Houston Law Center Dean Leonard M. Baynes and family members commemorated his five years with the school as his official portrait was displayed for the first time.
Dean Leonard M. Baynes, left, with Law Center alumnus Jarvis Hollingsworth ’93, right, in the Albertus Room at the University of Houston Law Center.
University of Houston Law Center Dean Leonard M. Baynes commemorated his five years with the school as his official portrait was displayed for the first time.
Dec. 9, 2019 – University of Houston Law Center alumni, faculty, staff, friends and families filled the Albertus and Hendricks Heritage rooms on Saturday for the annual Holiday Coffee event.
The celebration also marked the five-year anniversary of Leonard M. Baynes’ deanship, and his dean’s portrait was formally presented. The portrait was painted by Jon R. Friedman.
“It has been a great pleasure to serve the Law Center for five years,” Baynes said. “This portrait is important for many reasons. I am the first person of visible African-American descent to be put on the wall. It’s already a diverse wall, with a woman and a person of Hispanic heritage. Now it is even more diverse. It is important for faculty, staff, students, and alumni to look up to this wall and see themselves represented. They will know that they too can do anything!”
Jarvis Hollingsworth ’93, a former Chair of the University of Houston System Board of Regents, and general counsel at Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, presented Baynes’ portrait.
“While I was Chair of the Board, I remember spending a few hours with Dean Baynes when he was interviewing, and I knew he was the right person to lead the Law Center,” said Hollingsworth. He noted that under Baynes administration, the median LSAT and GPA of the Law Center’s entering class have been higher that it has ever been while also being its most diverse.
The 2019 Holiday Coffee was generously underwritten by Richard Craig Smith LL.M. ’00, a partner at Quinn Emanuel & Sullivan, LLP.
