The Texas Bar Foundation presented awards to UHLC alums Ruby Kless Sondock (J.D. ’62), and Gus G. Tamborello (J.D. ’87).
July 2, 2025 — Trailblazing University of Houston Law Center alumna Ruby Kless Sondock (J.D. ’62), and adjunct professor and alumnus Gus Tamborello (J.D. ’87) were recognized for their accomplishments at the 2025 Texas Bar Foundation dinner on June 20 in San Antonio.
UH Law Dean Leonard M. Baynes, who attended the event, appreciated the Texas Bar Foundation honoring Justice Sondock’s career achievements and Adjunct Professor Tamborello’s legal scholarship.
“In the case of Justice Sondock, she was recognized for the longevity of her service to the bar and in the case of Adjunct Professor Tamborello for his service to our students and bar for his role as an academic,” Baynes said. “We are very proud that these two esteemed lawyers won awards and throughout their careers demonstrated their resilience in not letting anything stop them from pursuing their dreams.”
Sondock received the Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award. She was the valedictorian of her class, and one of five women in her cohort.
Within her first year of practice, Sondock presented a case before the Texas Supreme Court. After practicing for 12 years, she was appointed as a judge on the Harris County Domestic Relations Court in 1973, becoming the first woman district court judge in Harris County. After serving in this role for four years, she was appointed to the 234th District Court, again making her the first woman to have that honor.
In 1982, Sondock was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court to serve the unexpired term of a deceased justice, making her the first woman to serve on the Texas Supreme Court in a regular session. After her term, she returned to the District Court and then worked as a private mediator in Houston.
UH Law Dean Leonard M. Baynes with Justice Sondock, recipient of an "Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award," Judge Alvin L. Zimmerman (’64, J.D. ’67) and his wife Susie Zimmerman ('64).
UH Law Dean Leonard M. Baynes with Gus Tamborello, recipient of the Texas Bar Foundation's "Outstanding Law Review Article Award."
Tamborello, an estate planning practitioner, received the Outstanding Law Review Article Award.
His article, “If You Kill Your Honey, Don’t Expect the Money: the Rights of a Killer in Texas to Share in His Victim’s Estate," was published by the Texas Tech Estate Planning & Community Property Law Journal in July of last year.
“It was a great honor to receive this award,” Tamborello said. “I had written an earlier version of the article a number of years ago, but it was not published. I was then appointed by a court to represent someone who was accused of being a ‘slayer.’ After completing my work on the case, I decided to update the article and share the story about this case.”
The ‘slayer rule’ is a Texas law that prevents someone convicted or suspected of causing another person’s death from inheriting their victim’s estate or life insurance benefits.
“I am gratified not only to be acknowledged for the article but also because it has assisted other practitioners,” Tamborello said.
Tamborello has taught Trusts & Wills at the Law Center since 2014.
