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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 215
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WHEREAS, Brad Toben is concluding his remarkable 32-year |
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tenure as dean of Baylor Law School on July 1, 2023, to focus on |
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his work as the M. C. and Mattie Caston Professor of Law; and |
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WHEREAS, Appointed in 1991, Dean Toben has been |
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acknowledged as the longest-serving dean of a major law school; |
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the average tenure in this demanding role is a mere four years, |
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but Dean Toben has devoted the greater part of his career to the |
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advancement of Baylor Law and legal education; under his |
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leadership, the school has risen to the top 50 in the nation, and |
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it has been ranked No. 2 in trial advocacy by U.S. News & World |
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Report; its students have regularly achieved a high pass rate on |
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the Texas bar exam, and their success in finding employment has |
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enabled the school to earn outstanding marks for placement; drawn |
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from numerous undergraduate institutions, the law school boasts |
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a diverse enrollment; presently, over 30 percent are students of |
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color and over half are women; and |
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WHEREAS, Dean Toben guided the $35 million building |
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campaign for the Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center, and he |
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has raised the Baylor Law endowment from under $1 million to |
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more than $180 million; committed to maintaining small class |
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sizes and promoting mentorship, he expanded the faculty |
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considerably; the community-oriented pro bono and public |
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service initiatives he developed have won such accolades as |
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the American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award; moreover, |
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he strengthened the national reputation of Baylor's renowned |
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legal writing program and launched innovative programs in |
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professional development and leadership, as well as |
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exceptional study abroad opportunities; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the years, Dean Toben has been active in |
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accreditation and membership inspections for the ABA and |
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Association of American Law Schools; he was appointed to the |
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National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and |
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elected to the American Law Institute, and he is a fellow of the |
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ABA and the Texas Bar Foundation as well as a Master of the Bench |
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in the Judge Abner V. McCall American Inn of Court; after |
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graduating from Baylor Law with honors in 1977, he went on to earn |
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a master of laws degree from Harvard University; he taught at |
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Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis before joining the |
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Baylor faculty in 1981; and |
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WHEREAS, A leader of exceptional vision, dynamism, and |
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dedication, Brad Toben has made a profound impact on Baylor Law |
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School and the Texas legal community, and his legacy will |
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resonate for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th |
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Legislature, hereby honor Brad Toben for his exceptional service |
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as dean of Baylor Law School and extend to him sincere best wishes |
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for continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be |
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prepared for Dean Toben as an expression of high regard from the |
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Texas Senate. |
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Birdwell, Hughes |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on February 28, 2023. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |