UH Law Alumni Association Honors Six UHLC Faculty Members for Their Contributions

June 12, 2026 – The University of Houston Law Alumni Association celebrated retired and retiring faculty members at its annual meeting in May for their dedication to teaching, scholarship and service.

Alumni Association President Kate Blaine opened the evening by welcoming attendees, and UH Law Dean Leonard M. Baynes provided Law Center updates and recognized each honoree, noting UHLC's appreciation for them.

"We gather, not only to celebrate our law alumni association, but to honor a group of extraordinary individuals whose contributions have shaped generations of law students and lawyers," Baynes said. "We recognize our retirees, scholars, teachers, and amazing professors whose work has left an enduring mark at the University of Houston Law Center."

The honorees are:

Professor Emeritus Tony Chase

Professor Emeritus Tony Chase began teaching at UHLC in 1990 and was awarded tenure in 1995. He taught several courses including contracts, entrepreneurship, and communications law. For more than 31 years, a Harvard-trained lawyer and business leader, Chase helped students understand law as a force shaping markets, media, innovation and opportunity. His many awards include The Ethel M. Baker Outstanding Faculty Award from the UH Law Center, 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Houston Technology Center, and the Pinnacle Award from Bank of America.

Judge Janet Heppard (J.D.'93)

Alumna Janet Heppard graduated in 1993 from UH with joint JD/MBA degrees. She joined the Law Center faculty in 1995 and devoted much of her 30-year career to service, clinical education and access to justice. Along the way, she joined UHLC's clinical program in family law and served as clinic director and full clinical professor. In addition to her clinical work, she taught classes in subjects such as Domestic Violence, Immigration Law, and Family Law. She later served on the 387th District Court in Fort Bend County. Her accolades include the "Longevity of Exemplary Service" Award from the Houston Bar Association, an award of merit from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for her work on Hague Convention cases, and the James M. Roach Law Fund Volunteer Award from the UH Law Alumni Association.

Professor Emeritus Craig Joyce

Professor Emeritus Craig Joyce joined the Law Center faculty in 1985 and taught copyright, American legal history, and torts. He served as the founding director and later as the senior co-director of UHLC's Institute for Intellectual Property and Law. His scholarship has appeared in numerous law reviews and publications. He co-authored "Copyright Law" one of the most widely used copyright casebooks and edited "The Majesty of the Law" by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. During his tenure, Joyce earned multiple awards, including Outstanding Teacher Award from the Hispanic Law Students Association; A.A. White Professor of the Year Award from the Student Bar Association; Student Advocate Appreciation Award (first recipient), also from SBA; Honorary Alumnus Award from the Houston Law Review; Faculty Distinction Award from the Law Alumni Association; and the Ethel M. Baker Award for Outstanding Service Award (twice) from UHLC. He was also the first person to receive his namesake honor "The Craig Joyce Medal" for extraordinary and sustained volunteer service to the American Society for Legal History.

Professor Emerita Ellen Marrus

Professor Emerita Ellen Marrus joined the UH Law Center faculty in 1995 and taught juvenile law and children and the law for more than 26 years. A nationally recognized leader in children's rights and juvenile justice, Marrus founded the Center for Children, Law & Policy, expanding opportunities for advocacy, scholarship and training. She also launched a Street Law program that brings law students into local high schools to teach legal concepts. Her publications include "Children and Juvenile Justice" and "Global Reflections on Children's Rights and the Law." Her honors include the UH Law Center's Ethel M. Baker Outstanding Faculty Award and the National Juvenile Defender Center's Outstanding Advocacy on Behalf of Children Award.

Professor Emeritus Thomas Oldham

Professor Emeritus Thomas Oldham joined the Law Center faculty in 1981 and taught for more than four decades, including courses in family law, marital property and mediation. He is a nationally recognized expert on marriage, divorce and community property. He authored a leading national treatise in the field that is widely cited by courts and practitioners. He also served in key leadership roles at UHLC, including associate dean for academic affairs. Oldham was named a Fulbright scholar in 2015, visiting the University of Sydney and Australian National University, and received the University of Houston's Excellence in Research and Scholarship Award in 2000.

Clinical Associate Professor Lauren Simpson

Clinical Associate Professor Lauren Simpson joined the University of Houston Law Center faculty in 2010 and taught Lawyering Skills and Strategy for more than 15 years. She is retiring in August. Simpson has made significant contributions to the Law Center's legal writing program and AI-integration lesson modules. Her teaching has been widely recognized. She was named the Student Bar Association's Professor of the Year for UH Law's nationally ranked part-time program eight times. She also received the Association of Legal Writing Directors' Outstanding Service Award twice for her work on its bylaws committee and, in 2021, the UH Law Alumni Association's James M. Roach Law Fund Volunteer Award.

For more information about the University of Houston Law Center, visit https://www.law.uh.edu/.